Adobe have just released info on Photoshop CS2 with some interesting new features.
Adobe Bridge is the new file browser (which was needing an overhaul) which looks nice. Just from an interface point of view, it was worth an upgrade, but it adds the ability for process multiple raw images, as well as other batch processing and scripting. It can also run as a stand-alone app, which I can see being useful. It’s got some powerful searching possibilities and can even read RSS feeds.
The raw support gets some useful additions with the ability to process multiple files (shown as a filmstrip) and access to curves. The sliders for exposure, shadows, brightness and contrast get “auto” checkboxes which seem to work nicely. As far as I can tell from screenshots, there’s access to Adobe’s shadows & highlights as well as cloning, cropping and rotation inside ACR.
A slightly crazy feature is the Vanishing Point which clones along a kind of 3D framework, as well as letting you paste or paint to perspective too. I won’t bother explaining it any more, check this movie of it.
Noise reduction gets added too – as so often the case, bad news for 3rd party NR software producers.
Other features that come into the same category are the 32-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) support, which lets you combine different exposures automatically to make a 32-bit image to reach into the detail in the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, and the one-click redeye correction. Yet another is the optical lens correction for barrel and pincushion distortion.
Of course, there are loads of others, but these seem the most interesting for digital photography. Once the demo comes out, it’s a must-try I think.