Updated: Adobe updates Creative Cloud, launches three drawing and photo apps

[sincity]

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBCNews/Adobe/adobecc-470-75.jpg

Adobe has updated its Creative Cloud platform to include 14 new versions of desktop applications, and it has launched three mobile applications that integrate with the cloud platform. The updated and new applications were unveiled today during an event at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Adobe applications such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro have all been updated as part of the Creative Cloud upgrade. Users can now access their desktop versions of these apps and all other Creative Cloud apps from their iPhone and iPad. Teams working on projects from multiple locations can collaborate simultaneously via Creative Cloud to make immediate changes to files.

Photoshop will now feature capabilities that better enable photographers and photo editors to capture motion, to enhance depth of field in portraits, and the ability to influence the perspective of certain aspects of an image without changing the image's entire perspective. For example: with one static image of a building, photo editors can now create realistic images of multiple perspectives of the building by manipulating the original photo's pixels. Users solely interested in Adobe's Creative Cloud photography plan can now purchase the tools for $9.99 per month (around £5.9, AU$10.7).

Improved Photoshop workflows

A new Photoshop feature will enable users to access missing fonts within Photoshop without leaving the app. A dialogue prompt will tell the user which fonts they are missing and find the fonts for the user within Creative Cloud. Additionally, users can access more than twenty thousand royalty-free images within Creative Cloud and drop them directly into Photoshop.

Photoshop and Premiere Pro users can now edit three-dimensional models in a two-dimensional plane to reflect more accurate shadows, reflections, and motion capture. "We are hyper-committed to unlocking the power of 3D for designers and making it as simple to use as 2D," said David Wadhwani, SVP of Digital Media at Adobe.

Illustrator, Muse and Premiere Pro

Updates to Adobe Illustrator include faster rendering of vector graphics with GPU acceleration. An InDesign update will allow users to select tables, rows and columns, and the ability to create digital books.

Adobe Muse will now include 64-bit support, HiDPI display and the ability to preview mobile and desktop versions of websites before making them live. Muse will now feature drag and drop visual website creation. Rather than coding website navigation, users will be able to create websites within an interface similar to PowerPoint. The drag and drop feature will enable users to determine navigation by simply dragging each page next to or beneath other pages.

Additionally, Muse users no longer need to create templates to design all pages within one website; users can design each page individually for more unique web page design. Muse's in-browser editing allows designers to edit images and text on Web pages as they are navigating the site without requiring them to open the external Muse application.

In addition to the aforementioned 3D updates, Premiere Pro will now feature masking capabilities that enable users to create a mask once within a video in canvas. The application will then apply that mask throughout the video from frame to frame with just one edit.

New Adobe mobile apps

In addition to the desktop application updates, Adobe has released three mobile applications: Adobe Sketch, Adobe Line and Adobe Photoshop Mix. Adobe has also released two new pieces of hardware: Adobe Ink, a digital pen, and Adobe Slide, a digital ruler. Ink and Slide are now available for $199.99 (around £118, AU$214).

Adobe Sketch is an iPad app that enables users to create illustrations and receive live feedback from a community of illustrators. Adobe Line is an app designed for precision drawers; the app features digital versions of t-squares, rulers and shape templates. Photoshop Mix is designed for composting and masking on iPad.

"We have to reimagine the creative process. We have a vision to bring together creativity and business," Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said during the event.

Each of the desktop updates are available immediately to existing users. The new mobile applications are free and available for download immediately.

Adobe recently announced a strong second quarter of 2014, in which revenue increased 6.8% to $1.7 billion (around £1 billion, AU$1.8 billion) compared with the same quarter last year. The company attributed much of its success to Creative Cloud, which acquired 464,000 new users during the quarter.

Adobe Creative Cloud has more than 2.3 million users, the company said.

• Read our Creative Cloud review.