Considering upgrade of PhotoShop 5.0 to 6.0

What's the differrence?

[Drastic]

I have heard that the implementation of effects and gif transparency is easier, but that is all I know about. What else is of benefit to web graphics creation/manipulation?

Also, has anything changed in the interface or use of features/options? It took me a while to get a decent handle on this app, and I don't want to be forced to relearn any of it.

[mivox]

From what I've read, you can now type text directly into the composition window, and text is treated as a scalable vector-based shape. The new text controls and vector graphic support are supposed to be more than worth the upgrade price.

Sounds like if you're comfortable with vector graphics programs, 6.0 would actually be easier to use.

Anyone actually using 6.0 now? I'd love to hear for first-hand reports...

I'm planning on upgrading as soon as I make sure I can afford my first mortgage payment. ;)

[tedster]

If you upgrade from Photoshop 5.0, you'll also be getting ImageReady, which Adobe included starting with 5.5. It's a pretty good image optimizer program for the web, gif crunching, slicing, all of that stuff.

It's integrated intuitively into the Photoshop GUI.

BTW, I totally dig the new text engine and GIF transparency handling. Also there are several sweet improvements to the selection tools (especially the lasso) and filters.

[scott]

Yay Lasso! For me, the lasso has made all the difference! Can't say enough about how much I love the lasso!

[mivox]

OK, it's killing me... what about the lasso? Did they actually make the magnetic lasso feature work accurately? Or is it something better? C'mon, cough it up!

[tedster]

Well, its been many images since I upgraded, but they have a point to point lasso in 5.5 -- it draws a straight line from click to click.

You could already do this with keyboard combinations on the regular lasso in 5.0. But the nice thing in 5.5 is, if you already have an active selection, you can hold down SHIFT or CTL when you start the point to point lasso and it will add or subtract to that selection with great precision. Couldn't do that in 5.0.

The magnetic lasso is better than in 5.0, but it still needs some clean-up after the initial selection is made, so I rarely use it.

Another really sweet feature is "Transform Selection". This lets you edit an already active selection by scaling, skewing, distorting, etc. -- only the selection itself (the marching ants outline) transforms, and not the pixels.

This lets you tailor elliptical selections, for instance, to the exact position you need, instead of going trial and error with the elliptical marquee.

[mivox]

No significant difference between the 5.5 lasso and the 6.0 lasso then? Phoo. But what I've heard about the text/vector handling upgrades make me drool...

Anyone want to send me the $170 for the 5.5-6.0 upgrade? I'll be your friend for life!
::bats eyelashes sweetly:: ;)