How to get default full screen mode in CS4

J
Posted By
johnsbach
Oct 23, 2008
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2814
Replies
33
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Closed
When opening a file from Bridge, it opens in Photoshop in Standard Screen Mode. How do I get it to default open in Full Screen Mode? CS3 does that, but the CS4 default to Standard Screen requires an annoying extra step for me for each image to change to Full Screen Mode. I’ve tried defining a new workspace while in Full Screen Mode, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.
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B
Buko
Oct 23, 2008
Use the annoying application frame.
J
johnsbach
Oct 23, 2008
That seems to have done it- thanks!

John
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PeterK.
Oct 23, 2008
Maybe you should try it Buko, you might find it’s quite helpful. No more having to switch your mac desktop to grey, using 3rd party apps to hide desktop icons, etc. If you’re using exposé, (which any mac user SHOULD), there’s no need for doing the old os9 method of moving document windows out of the way and hunting for other app windows below, so you might as well have the colour-critical preferred grey backdrop.
Some of the users here jeered me, praising the fact that adobe seemed not to be listening to our requests to have the app window brought over to the mac side. I’m glad they were wrong.
Btw, can anyone confirm if double-clicking in the grey area brings up the open file dialog? (as it does in windows) I don’t have CS4 to play with yet.
B
Buko
Oct 23, 2008
I have, its annoying. I don’t like it. It ruins my workflow
NT
Nini Tj
Oct 23, 2008
I’m with Buko on this one. It’s in the way and very annoying.
P
PeterK.
Oct 23, 2008
In the way of what? Blocking out the icons and whatever non-colour-friendly desktop background you may choose? I never understood people’s position on not liking the grey app frame. There was never a good explanation for it, other than to say "it’s like windoze, ergo, it sucks."
B
Buko
Oct 23, 2008
Its in the way.

Its cumbersome.

It has nothing to do with Windows.

I have used it

I know what I’m talking about.

If you like it fine.

I don’t like it. I don’t have to.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 23, 2008
Sounds like a good explanation to me.
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Oct 23, 2008
Ditto!
P
PeterK.
Oct 23, 2008
so to recap, I asked:

In the way of what?

responses:

Its in the way.

followed by:

Sounds like a good explanation to me.

Ditto!

ok… just as I suspected.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 23, 2008
The desktop Peter. You were thick in the last post where you brought this up. The desktop. It’s in the way of the desktop. You know, where we store all our sh!t? The key to everything? An application frame is in the way of the desktop. But it doesn’t end there. I can tile multiple apps at the same time. Wow.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 23, 2008
Like now: I’m browsing a clip art library in Safari. Find the photo. Drag to DT. Drag to dock and open in PS. How would I accomplish that with an application frame? Right click.. save target as…, command-d, save, then command-tab or Exposé over to PS, then command-o, then command-d, then find or sort, then open. It’s longer. It encourages losing files. Working from the DT, I never have to save as… to figure out where that file went. All the working files are on the DT, ready to copy to a job folder. It’s simple and has been working since ’97 for me.

I never understood people’s position on not liking the grey app frame

That much is clear.
P
PeterK.
Oct 23, 2008
It’s in the way of the desktop.

If you used exposé, there would be no problem.

Like now: I’m browsing a clip art library in Safari. Find the photo. Drag to DT. Drag to dock and open in PS. How would I accomplish that with an application frame?

To start with, you could drag the image straight into your dock icon to open, no need to access the desktop, but besides that…
If it works anything like in windows, when you switch to safari, with your browser window floating on top of photoshop, you simply drag the image out of safari anywhere on to the grey frame. It’s even easier than having to go down to your dock to target the photoshop icon. If you’re using safari full-screen, click and drag the image to an exposé hot corner set to applications, then simply drag it on top of the photoshop frame. (at least I hope the frame will make photoshop show up in exposé now. As it is in CS3, without an app frame, you can’t access photoshop with exposé unless there’s already a document open. With a frame enabled, I’m assuming that photoshop will now show up in exposé, with or without a document already open. I don’t have CS4 to verify, so I’m making an assumption that it will work the same as it did in windows.)
JJ
Jim_Jordan
Oct 23, 2008
I was about to post what Peter just noted. J gave a good demonstration of how Mac is a bit more tedious without the application frame. Regardless of system, you can often drag images or other content from one document window to another. Mac users may be confused to think that an application window must always be maximized on the other OS.

The benefit of an application window is that you can drag content to the target app even if it does not have an open document yet.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 23, 2008
To start with, you could drag the image straight into your dock icon to open, no need to access the desktop, but besides that…

I want a copy of the download for obvious reasons. Background layers as archive seem dubious at best to me, but then again, I’m paranoid and prone to operator error.

I’m not a big fan of Exposé because it makes for a lot of scrubbing. I work on 10 job folders a day, all left open for quick access, and find that with their similar file structures, it’s very hard to differentiate them. To me Exposé encourages leaving _everything_ open and letting the software sort it out. I prefer to manage my applications in open sets using the hide feature.

In your defense PeterK, I’m still using windowshade. I’m a creature of habit and hate when what I feel is a good thing gets messed with, particularly, as you astutely point out, when it smells of Windows.
NA
Nathaniel_Agnini
Oct 24, 2008
Wait, I missed something. What is the application frame? I need the gray screen! Sorry if I am missing the very obvious, but if someone wants to fill me in I would appreciate it.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 24, 2008
It depends on your version, but you can always hit the f key to cycle through the screen modes.
NA
Nathaniel_Agnini
Oct 24, 2008
I can do that, but I’d like it setup as a default like it was on cs3. I am on cs4 now. Thanks.
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Oct 24, 2008
The Application Frame is a new feature in CS4.

It drops a solid gray background-panel behind Photoshop to give you a Windows-like application window.

It is in addition to the Screen modes (such as Full or Standard Screen mode) and is invoked from the Window menu.

It can be turned on or off at will at any time but is not saved as part of a Saved customised Workspace.
CC
Conrad_Chavez
Oct 24, 2008
Like now: I’m browsing a clip art library in Safari. Find the photo. Drag to DT. Drag to dock and open in PS. How would I accomplish that with an application frame?

You would use the drag-and-drop support in the Application Switcher or Exposé. That’s what I do, and it means every window I have, from Lightroom to Excel to Safari to Creative Suite, can cover the entire screen and yet drag-and-drop is still completely usable.

With Exposé, you can press the Exposé shortcut while you’re dragging, drag to the window (which highlights), press Return, and then you can drop it.

With the Application Switcher, if you press and hold Command-Tab after you start dragging a file, you can Command-Tab to the destination app and then drop the file there.

Even if you didn’t take advantage of OS X like that, there’s no rule that says you have to keep the Application Frame full screen. You can pull in one or more edges of that gray background and reveal the desktop and other apps.

The Application Frame neither fights with the Mac nor does it prevent a good workflow. It only appears to if you’re not taking complete advantage of the App Frame and/or everything OS X can do.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 24, 2008
First off, I’d quickly like to thank everyone here for being so great (seriously). I spent most of the drive to work "wasting" head space on this, and I appreciate it. It’s good to find a place where I’m not the smartest guy in the room (and I mean that with full irony).

Conrad: none of these tricks seem to work in Tiger. I get the white "prohibition" symbol. I must be doing something wrong. Is there any logic/structure to Exposé’s "all windows"? I find them a moving target for drag and drop. I find the app switcher, while more logical, still moves when compared to the dock. I think I can hit Ps in my dock with my eyes closed. 🙂

PeterK: thanks for making me poke around in Exposé. I’ve ignored the fact that you can key combo the hot corners (is this "new" in 10.4?), so I’ll set them up now. If an asshole like me can use it, there’s hope for anyone.

J
CC
Conrad_Chavez
Oct 24, 2008
none of these tricks seem to work in Tiger.

Not sure what might be going on there. The Mac I tried them on runs Tiger.
JM
J_Maloney
Oct 24, 2008
I’m fully patched (no migration assist yet), and my machine runs a treat. I repair permissions every day before I kiss the machine good night 😉 .

I’ll be installing Leopard soon enough… thanks for the suggestions.

J
JC
Jared_Christensen
Mar 31, 2009
I don’t think the original question got answered. Using the Application Frame does not make documents open in Full Screen mode. You still have to hit "F". Very annoying. Is there a way to make all documents open fullscreen by default?
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Buko
Mar 31, 2009
No.
VS
Vee S
Mar 31, 2009
Btw, can anyone confirm if double-clicking in the grey area brings up the open file dialog? (as it does in windows) I don’t have CS4 to play with yet.

Hey Peter, yes, this is how it currently works.

Is there a way to make all documents open fullscreen by default?

Jared, yes, you’re able to do this by enabling tabs.
B
Buko
Mar 31, 2009
Tabs do not show in full screen mode. and having tabs on does not open documents in fullscreen mode.
VS
Vee S
Mar 31, 2009
Tabs do not show in full screen mode. and having tabs on does not open documents in fullscreen mode.

You’re right, I interpreted full screen as him wanting it "maximized".
B
Buko
Mar 31, 2009
There is no maximized in CS4
VS
Vee S
Mar 31, 2009
There is no maximized in CS4

Ok, I was using quotes because I was guessing at the terminology. Insert whatever terminology you’d like to use for "taking up the entire screen as opposed to floating". Cool?
B
Buko
Mar 31, 2009
taking up the entire screen as opposed to floating".

That is called full screen mode. and you can’t have full screen mode as default.

What you may be thinking about is the application frame, my answer in post #1.
VS
Vee S
Mar 31, 2009
What you may be thinking about is the application frame, my answer in post #1

Yeah, maybe I’m confused here… I thought Jared was asking in #24 how enabling the Application Frame would get full screen mode (taking up entire screen). I responded by saying he would need to enable tabs (because I interpreted it as taking up the whole screen, not full screen mode).
R
Ram
Apr 1, 2009
I’m confused here

Yup.

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