Adobe poised to build cloud features into Creative Suite 6 with Maestro

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
The forthcoming Creative Suite 6 from Adobe will add a number of new programs and features to the collection of software, including Maestro, a cloud-based service for syncing and sharing files.



Last week, AppleInsider gave the first glimpse at CS6 with documents from an Adobe survey. Since then, confirmation from a number of independent sources has reaffirmed that the details included in that survey are legitimate.



Mentioned in the poll were new features for existing Creative Suite applications like Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere. But the survey also offered a look at new applications that are expected to make their way into the software package.



Adobe Maestro



The new Adobe Maestro will reportedly let users "sync, store, share and review" projects stored in the cloud. The addition to Adobe's Creative Suite aims to allow participants to quickly access and share documents between multiple systems and multiple users.



"Whether you're on a tablet or your desktop, it keeps all your work in sync and gives you the freedom to work how you want, where you want, and when you want," the description in the survey reads.



Adobe Maestro allows users to capture sketches using the Adobe Ideas mobile application, which is available for both the iPhone and iPad. Work can be synced with the cloud and accessed and edited with Creative Suite.



Key features of Adobe Maestro, according to the survey, will be:

Automatically syncs when new files are created or file changes are detected.

A copy of your files is stored on Adobe's secure servers, allowing you to access them from any computer or mobile device.

Includes 100 GB of storage.

Supports all file types including audio and video formats.

Allows you to convert your creative files to formats that can be easily shared.





Adobe Helium



Adobe Helium will reportedly allow designers to create animations, widgets and other interactive content with HTML5, CSS3 and other Web standards. The first version will be based on the JQuery Web framework, allowing developers to integrate the content into a website for application.



Features of Adobe Helium, according to the survey, will include:

Open HTML documents and visually select objects to add to timelines.

Create animation timelines with customizable start and end states.

Manipulate animation properties, durations, and timings visually live on a timeline and properties panel.

Import SVG designs and use in your animations and interactive projects.

Create HTML5 Canvas regions and write procedural JavaScript to draw in the browser.

Edit CSS, HTML and JavaScript code using a simple and fast open-score code editor.

Add JavaScript code and action to specific objects using a task-based scripting workflow.

Preview your work live on a WebKit powered design surface.





Adobe Muse



Adobe Muse is a new application that will reportedly enable graphic designers to create websites based in HTML and CSS without writing code. The "free-form design software" will let users lay out a website design visually, as they might do using Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign.



Using Adobe-hosted Web fonts will allegedly allow users to access a broad range of web-safe font types. Muse will also allow users to add dynamic elements to an HTML site with drag-and-drop widgets or embedded content. Free-form design tools will also allow users to customize the look and feel of widgets.



Muse will reportedly allow users to add content from other sites, like Google Maps or YouTube, without writing any code. They can also add a slideshow or place video without knowing any HTML.



"Muse is tightly integrated with an Adobe hosting platform so you can easily publish a trial site for testing, push the site live, make updates and manage the ongoing site," the survey reads. "You can even give your client their own admin access so that they can update their blog, monitor site traffic and more."





Adobe Time Tracker



Creative Suite 6 will also reportedly add the Time Tracker feature, which will allow users to track time spent working on files and assets directly within the suite of applications. Features of the time tracker, according to the survey, are:

Common Adobe User Interface - plug-in shares a common user interface with the Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Save Time - prevents going in and out of the Creative Suite products utilizing another tool to keep track of time spent working on files and assets ? track time utilizing plug-in that appears directly within the Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Creative Maintains Full Control - creative chooses whether to automatically track the time spent on files and assets or manually stop and start the time when needed.

View Status on Time Spent - provides a clear overview at anytime of time spent on files and assets associated to projects.

Extensible - can be easily integrated into a project tracking system, existing financial processes or an enterprise data analysis system.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 62
    AdobeInsider
  • Reply 2 of 62
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by womble2k2 View Post


    AdobeInsider



    It's sort of like how the New York Times sometimes reports on news that happens outside of New York, get it?



    Seriously, of all the totally lame criticisms of Apple Insider, this one, that its name somehow restricts what it can "legitimately" report on, has to be the lamest.



    (And that's even taking into account all the DED haters who don't even bother to read his articles before they come here and start complaining about them. We know they don't read the articles, because the complaints are directed at DED, not the article content.)
  • Reply 3 of 62
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    It's sort of like how the New York Times sometimes reports on news that happens outside of New York, get it?



    Seriously, of all the totally lame criticisms of Apple Insider, this one, that its name somehow restricts what it can "legitimately" report on, has to be the lamest.



    (And that's even taking into account all the DED haters who don't even bother to read his articles before they come here and start complaining about them. We know they don't read the articles, because the complaints are directed at DED, not the article content.)



    Agreed.



    Back to this Adobe news ... I can imagine along with constant and most times out of sequence and competing updates to Kaspersky, Windows and all else this will just add to the joy of using a PC!
  • Reply 4 of 62
    A huge proportion of Adobe software runs on Macintoshes. Apple products represent the default hardware tool for print and digital design. By the same token, Adobe products represent the default software for much of this design.



    Personally, I think the expansion of font usage through an Adobe-hosted site could really notch up beautiful on-line design...as long as Adobe doesn't get any ideas about charging outrageous fees for the service.
  • Reply 5 of 62
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Sounds good. Looks like Adobe got the memo.
  • Reply 6 of 62
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The forthcoming Creative Suite 6 from Adobe will add a number of new programs and features to the collection of software, including Maestro, a cloud-based service for syncing and sharing files.....



    And the cloud service will cost a (relative) fortune to use, will be incompatible with all other cloud services you may already be using, and will require you to update all your Creative Suite apps on a yearly cycle at a cost of hundreds of dollars a year. It will also be immensely complicated, be designed to "work for everyone from the casual user to the imaging professional," and thus have an absolutely impenetrable UI that no one will understand.



    All these things are a given with Adobe software.
  • Reply 7 of 62
    Personally, and I have no idea of the real world consequences, I really wish Adobe would announce discontinuation for all their products on the Mac, with that space open am sure more companies would spill in with more mac like products to fill the gap.
  • Reply 8 of 62
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    I hope the Muse application feature that includes an Adobe hosting development site isn't based on Coldfusion, It really needs to be multi-platfom compatible. Some like php others asp.net. Rails popularity I would think is dying and Coldfusion is pretty much dead, maybe because it costs too much.
  • Reply 9 of 62
    Muse has my attention as a Graphic Designer who also uses the timeline features of Flash for animation. I think a Flash type of timeline with WYSIWYG design field is the way to go for web design.



    As far as design though... I've been really surprised that Adobe hasn't taken Photoshop and Illustrator and combined them into one robust app that handles vector and raster in one place. Photoshop could really use the ease of creating Spot colors that Illustrator is known for and Illustrator could really use the ease of effects that Photoshop is master of.
  • Reply 10 of 62
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KindredMac View Post


    ... As far as design though... I've been really surprised that Adobe hasn't taken Photoshop and Illustrator and combined them into one robust app that handles vector and raster in one place. Photoshop could really use the ease of creating Spot colors that Illustrator is known for and Illustrator could really use the ease of effects that Photoshop is master of.



    They are probably worried it would negatively affect their revenue stream.
  • Reply 11 of 62
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Sounds good. Looks like Adobe got the memo.



    All the bitching when the actual heavy lifting is done through WebKit. Their software is being compiled with LLVM.



    Need I say more?
  • Reply 12 of 62
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 764member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by uberben View Post


    Personally, and I have no idea of the real world consequences, I really wish Adobe would announce discontinuation for all their products on the Mac, with that space open am sure more companies would spill in with more mac like products to fill the gap.



    If the Adobe software is so horrible, wouldn't companies see an opportunity and 'spill' into this space? What happened to the idea of competition? Also, getting software at this level right is tough to do even for Apple (check out http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2009/09...erture_09.html and yes, I know it is Sept 2009 data but does show that Apple didn't just 'spill' into the space and displaced Adobe Lightroom and 3 years in at least, they were, <gasp> losing ground to Adobe). Apple now seems to be facing a growing problem with Final Cut Pro where Adobe could start appealing to more Pro video users if Apple does not really deliver a brilliant update early this year.
  • Reply 13 of 62
    min_tmin_t Posts: 74member
    I have the same confidence in this new Adobe service as I do for their Flash and Reader products. The only way to ensure that it's secure is not to install it.
  • Reply 14 of 62
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    Their software is being compiled with LLVM.



    Need I say more?



    More or less. Doubtful they use LLVM for the Windows apps since it barely works within VS.
  • Reply 15 of 62
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bulk001 View Post


    If the Adobe software is so horrible, wouldn't companies see an opportunity and 'spill' into this space? What happened to the idea of competition? ...



    Adobe essentially has a monopoly. Monopolies stifle competition rather dramatically.



    They should have been busted up when they bought up the last few of their competitors, not to integrate them but to kill them. It was really pretty obvious what was going on and there are actually laws against it.



    This is what 30-40 years of conservatism, and the promotion of pure anarchy and barbarism (which is bizarrely referred to as "the free market") in the USA, has done for you.
  • Reply 16 of 62
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    They should have been busted up when they bought up the last few of their competitors, not to integrate them but to kill them. It was really pretty obvious what was going on and there are actually laws against it.



    As far as I know, they only bought one competitor, Macromedia, whose primary product was Flash which nearly everyone on this board has screamed at the top of their lungs is a worthless piece of crap. Every other company Adobe has acquired was in a complementary industry, not a competitor. Even with Macromedia the only competitive apps were Dreamweaver and Fireworks which they didn't kill. Almost everything in CS Suite is built around Postscript which Adobe invented.
  • Reply 17 of 62
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    And the cloud service will cost a (relative) fortune to use, will be incompatible with all other cloud services you may already be using, and will require you to update all your Creative Suite apps on a yearly cycle at a cost of hundreds of dollars a year. It will also be immensely complicated, be designed to "work for everyone from the casual user to the imaging professional," and thus have an absolutely impenetrable UI that no one will understand.



    All these things are a given with Adobe software.



    I think you nailed it!
  • Reply 18 of 62
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 764member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Adobe essentially has a monopoly. Monopolies stifle competition rather dramatically.



    They should have been busted up when they bought up the last few of their competitors, not to integrate them but to kill them. It was really pretty obvious what was going on and there are actually laws against it.



    This is what 30-40 years of conservatism, and the promotion of pure anarchy and barbarism (which is bizarrely referred to as "the free market") in the USA, has done for you.



    1. So I assume that in countries where there are heavily regulated economies that there are a slew of companies coming out with software to compete with Adobe?

    2. 30 or 40 years of conservatism? Democrats held the US House for 40 years till they lost it in 1994 and then regained it in again 2007 only to lose it again last year. It might make more sense to argue that both parties are equally inept or that there has been a general lack of leadership or over sight etc. but to make a blanket statement not supported by the facts is silly. As someone who has lived and worked in 4 different counties before settling in the US, for all of its shortcomings, I proud to live here and thankful for the opportunities afforded to me. As for the barbarism of the free market, it has been a great county to live and work in and last year was our best ever business wise. And if where ever you live and work in the world is great, why not just say that instead of trying to tear down the US with ignorant statements?
  • Reply 19 of 62
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Adobe essentially has a monopoly. Monopolies stifle competition rather dramatically.



    They should have been busted up when they bought up the last few of their competitors, not to integrate them but to kill them. It was really pretty obvious what was going on and there are actually laws against it.



    This is what 30-40 years of conservatism, and the promotion of pure anarchy and barbarism (which is bizarrely referred to as "the free market") in the USA, has done for you.



    You can't blame Adobe for being normal in that regard Remember, the US 'Free Market' has a disclaimer on the flip side in tiny print that says Caveat emptor. Heck we even have 4G advertised as being available here when it isn't and no one seems to care.
  • Reply 20 of 62
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    As far as I know, they only bought one competitor, Macromedia, whose primary product was Flash which nearly everyone on this board has screamed at the top of their lungs is a worthless piece of crap. Every other company Adobe has acquired was in a complementary industry, not a competitor. Even with Macromedia the only competitive apps were Dreamweaver and Fireworks which they didn't kill. Almost everything in CS Suite is built around Postscript which Adobe invented.



    Don't forget Aldus. That resulted in FreeHand being killed off (and ultimately PageMaker come to think of it)
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