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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1401427
Adobe Springs Some Summer Surprises By Ric Getter Much to the concern of the planet in general, we’re hearing the word “unseasonable” far too much these days. Even Adobe’s timing is a bit off-kilter. Normally, their summers are rather pacid, a quiescent season after showering us with new video software for April’s NAB and before autumn’s spectacle of Adobe MAX. But in July, the company surprised us with some unexpected gifts. Most of these are in the realm of video production with a slew of features in public beta, but Fresco received a nice touch-up, as well. Fresco has turned out to be one of Adobe’s biggest hits in the mobile world. With its ingenious UI, it makes digital art enticing on devices as small as a phone. And it remains a work in progress, regularly receiving new features and design tweaks, often based on user feedback. Adjustment Layers have arrived on the iPad and Windows versions, allowing users to explore different colors and tones and easily compare the different looks without committing to any changes. New masking support on all is another aid for creative indecision. They’re a wonderfully non-destructive way to edit and experiment long familiar to digital photographers and video effects creators. Even when art has that freehand look, doesn’t mean everything has to be drawn and lined-up by eye. In July, Fresco added an optional grid overlay to keep things on the straight-and-level when you need to. An addition to Fresco’s Transform mode, will let you snap objects to the center of the canvas. A greatly improved experience can be the result of advanced technology or simply the application of common sense. In this case, it’s the latter. Now the Settings panel will appear where you left it the last time you opened Fresco.