Adobe has rolled out a major update to Photoshop CC 2015, introducing a flatter user interface. The image-editing app now sports a launch screen called Start that shows a list of recently viewed files, presets and Library contents. Also new is the ability to customize the main toolbar on the left, giving you quick access to the tools you use the most.
From Stephen Nielson, Adobe's senior product manager:
We did a significant amount of work in improving the UI and having more uniformity throughout the UI. We also updated the look and feel of the dialog and gave them common new features so everything is consistent and integrated.
The new Start screen has made its way to other Adobe CC apps, including Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects. Other new additions include support for multiple artboards within a file, ability to favorite fonts, and tweaks to the touch-based interface for devices such as the Surface Pro 4.
Speaking of Adobe's other apps, a number of new features have been added to apps across the Creative Cloud lineup. Illustrator has a new Shaper tool and new Live Shapes, while InDesign has made it easier to create and distribute new layouts. Premiere Pro has added comprehensive format support for 4K-to-8K footage editing. After Effects now features more powerful color tools, while Audition has introduced a Remix feature for automatically rearranging music.
A major change that comes with these updates is the rebranding of Flash Professional. Beginning next year, the app will be called Adobe Animate CC, and while it still supports both Flash and AIR formats, the change reflects the shift of content, and use of the app, to web standards like HTML5. You can find out more about Animate CC here.
Adobe has also launched a new 3D modeling app called Fuse, which lets you create and animate 3D objects. Tight-knit integration within Creative Cloud means that you can then import the 3D models into Photoshop and manipulate camera angles, lighting and more. Still in preview form, Adobe is making Fuse available to anyone with an Adobe ID for free.
