Adobe has officially revealed the 2014 update of its Creative Cloud desktop suite. Every app has been updated; the suite’s core software, Photoshop CC, has gained new Blur Gallery motion effects, as well as a tool called Focus Mask, which makes it possible to highlight individual sections in photos with low depth-of-field. Other changes include new Content-Aware functions, Smart Object linking across documents, and the ability to sync settings for one layer across all others.
New to Illustrator CC are Live Shapes, which can transform rectangles into complex shapes and then quickly revert. InDesign CC now lets people select table rows and columns and use ePub Fixed Layout to produce e-books. Muse CC has been upgraded to a 64-bit codebase with HiDPI display support, and has options for previewing and optimizing desktop, phone, and tablet versions of websites.
The suite’s main video apps, After Effects CC and Premiere Pro CC, have been upgraded with Live Text Templates and Masking and Tracking. Premiere should now have better graphics performance, and new precision keying effects have been added to After Effects. SpeedGrade CC has been improved with a “more flexible” Direct Link color pipeline. Audition CC has picked up enhancements to multi-track sound editing.
In terms of web-related apps, Dreamweaver CC has a new Element Quick View, making it possible to browse and edit the HTML structure of pages. Flash Pro CC has support for SVG export of individual frames. In Edge Animate CC, users can do direct import of HTML5-compatible video.
The Creative SDK is a software library that is privy only to select developers at the moment. Users will be able to access the library resources to build mobile apps off of elements from PSD files. Developers will also be able to tap into shared files and image editing services in the cloud such as Content-aware Fill and Upright in Photoshop. Look for the beta launch of the Creative SDK in a couple of months.
The downloads are free to existing to Creative Cloud subscribers; service plans cost a varying amount based on whether a person only wants individual apps or the complete package. One addition is the Photography plan, which costs $10 per month and includes access to Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5, as well as two iOS apps, Lightroom mobile and Photoshop Mix. Every CC user has access to a new service app that manages files and assets. For educational institutions, finally, Adobe has switched to a device-based licensing model, letting multiple people use CC on a single computer instead of linking it to a lone Adobe ID.
