I have the same problem, and have been complaining about it, and many of the other CS4 interface ‘enhancements’ since the product was first released. Someone at Adobe decided that this information (and that of the dreaded Info palette) was so important that we’d have to see it even if we chose otherwise.
So far, I’ve been barking at the moon.
The Adjustment panel replaces the dialog box for the adjustment layers. Unlike the dialog box, it allows you to go back and forth between the image and the adjustments. Feel free to close it, just as you would have clicked OK to the dialog.
Dock the Adjustments Panel to the right of the open panels(you should get a vertical blue bar) and collapse it to show only its icon by first clicking on the Title Bar(the dark gray at the top with the double arrows) and then drag the left side to the right. Go to Edit->Preferences->Interface and select Auto-Collapse Iconic Panels. Now after you use the Adjustments Panel all you have to do is click off and it’ll collapse back to a small icon. You can also drag the Info Panel in there with it so that it too will disappear when you don’t need it
When you have your panels the way you like them, save it as a Workspace.
Zeno’s method works – but it would work even better if clicking on the adjustment layer actually popped open the adjustments panel, which it doesn’t.
If I worked on a single monitor I would have submitted a feature request on this. With two, the adjustments panel works wonderfully and is light-years ahead of the old modal dialog (if I could only find a way to kill the silly icons).
Zeno’s method works – but it would work even better if clicking on the adjustment layer actually popped open the adjustments panel, which it doesn’t.
A double-click on the layer icon will make the adjustments panel open as you desire. Two clicks instead of one but still pretty easy.
I’d like to know how you do that. I have saved and resaved my workspace at least a dozen times, and some of Photoshop CS4’s horrid defaults persist.
My last posting was supposed to go to John Joslin, regarding saving workspaces. However, it was misdirected.
To specifically address the original thread of this forum, Zeno’s solution does seem to work, but why would someone design a program interface that has to be bullied into behaving intelligently.
Whatever group Adobe put together to beta test this interface was oblivious to aesthetics and the workflow habits of long-time users. Advertising this product as usable on a 1024×768 display is as deceptive as Microsoft’s published minimum hardware requirements for Vista.
Photoshop CS4, I love (many of) your new features, but you sure are one butt-ugly creature.
