Adobe Debuts New Software and CC Updates at MAX 2017

Adobe has unveiled what the next generation of their Creative Cloud (CC) offerings will look like.

The announcement came at the Adobe MAX 2017 conference in Las Vegas, and the biggest component is Adobe’s four new offerings for CC: Adobe XD CC for experience design; Adobe Dimension CC for 2D to 3D compositing; Character Animator CC for 2D animation; and a brand new cloud-based photo service Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC.

Along with these new products, improvements to the existing suite of CC offerings were also showcased, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.

An important aspect to these new updates is that they all include capabilities powered by Adobe Sensei, the company’s AI and machine learning platform. Sensei harnesses trillions of data assets, from clicks to high-res images, and analyzes it all to improve a user’s interaction with Adobe software. This may mean recreating elements in photos where they once didn’t exist or recognizing images in your work and adding searchable tags for CC users, or transforming paper into editable documents for Document Cloud users.

“Adobe continues to lead the creative revolution, driving modernization and innovation that will accelerate the creative process across all platforms and devices,” said Bryan Lamkin, executive VP of digital media at Adobe.

“Today, we unveiled a new generation of Creative Cloud, with a wide spectrum of capabilities—from new experience design, 2D animation and 3D rendering apps to an all-new, cloud-based photography service. These tools enable creative professionals and enthusiasts to express themselves and reach their full creative potential anytime, anywhere, on any device.”

Today’s announcement marks the first time the widely-used Lightroom is being offered as a cloud-centric service, now dubbed Lightroom CC. Photographers will be able to edit, organize and store their work from anywhere. This all comes with a more intuitive user interface and powerful editing in full-resolution. The old Lightroom offering will now be re-named Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC.

The other flagship Adobe services are receiving updates as well.

  • Photoshop CC now offers expanded photo support and major improvements in learning and getting started with the software.
  • Illustrator CC now delivers multiple workflows along with user experience and performance improvements.
  • InDesign CC expands the ability to work more efficiently and create multi-page layouts.
  • Premiere Pro CC is introducing deep collaboration features, cutting-edge 360/VR workflows, and responsive motion graphics control.
  • After Effects CC is improving the efficiency of motion graphics creation by streamlining the ability to make data-driven graphics and high-quality VR and 3D results.
  • Stock is expanding its asset collection with the addition of hundreds of motion graphics templates.
  • Typekit is leveraging the AI-driven Sensei to provide a new way to search for fonts. Users can now submit a photo of a font and Typekit will find a similar one.

These updates are all available now for Adobe CC users and subscribers. Adobe will be unveiling more announcements over the entire MAX 2017 conference—tune in to a live stream here to stay updated.