At first when I went from PS 7 to CS I was really unhappy that they
took the browser out of PS. Since then I have figured out a way of
arranging the folder windows in Bridge which allows me to browse
throughout all the folders I might need to look in and still have
access to the other functions which I perform through Bridge -
keywording, captioning, image adjustment, slideshow. Keyboard
combinations which give access to File Info, for instance, work in
bridge on groups of images for completing the Info screens. Sorting
in a folder for all the verticals, for instance, is easy through the
Filter tab in CS 3. It was painful in CS 2. Since I have two
separate actions for resizing and saving as JPG (vert and horiz) one
of the final actions I do with Bridge is apply those actions to my
final tif files. Since one can arrange the files in Bridge in
chronological order, or any other order (by dragging and dropping),
one can output simple web pages of images through the
Tools>Photoshop>Web Photo Gallery command in Bridge. The new
spotting and levelling tools in the Bridge converter are an order of
magnitude easier to use there than in PS.
I have a 19" screen and use Bridge for nearly every search function
on my computer as well at this point. PS is only open when I need it
which is only to finish the image processing that can't be done in
Bridge and the Camera RAW converter. Having the RAW converter now
available for both tifs and jpegs as well is also way more convenient
than being stuck with PS' menus.
Just the other day I finally figured out that if I click once on a
thumbnail in Bridge it opens directly in Photoshop, whereas if I
click twice on it, it opens in the converter.
So, Roy, I remember feeling your pain. But I suggest fiddling around
with Bridge, and if you use PS for your major image processing,
consider carefully the features available in Bridge. PS for me at
this point is almost entirely for dodging and burning, and
occassionally, for when if I level something I have to reconstruct
some sky or water. Remember that the Tabs in Bridge are not locked
in position, you can view your folder of files in a wide variety of
arrangments by dragging them around and combining them, or for that
matter by unclicking them in the Window menu if you don't use them.
--
Emily L. Ferguson
mailto:elf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
508-563-6822
New England landscapes, wooden boats and races
http://www.landsedgephoto.com
http://e-and-s.instaproofs.com/
