Linked Objects / Images
Option to link objects (or generate smart objects) when pasted from a PSD or AI source to maintain a reference.
This would provide a simple method for single or multiple object updates (beyond the CC Design Libraries integration)—saving time and ensuring all objects are the most current.
Example: Revision to a microphone icon via Illustrator, which is used across 20 artboards
Peter DiBartolo
shared this idea
77 comments
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Scott
commented
Yes please!
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Julius
commented
As a lot of companies I'm designing my illustrations and icons in Adobe Illustrator and then move them over to other tools, be it Figma, Sketch or XD. Since these are always designed first in Illustrator, copying them over is a mess and something I would love to avoid.
It would be helpful to have the iconography as a file (icons.ai) in the creative cloud with the ability to connect it to a XD file as a library. This way you can see all the icons and maintain them still in Adobe Illustrator.
It would be helpful then to have some kind of Tint-feature like Sketch has to overwrite colors of these icons.
Boy oh boy would you guys be reconsidered by lots of teams out there...
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Nik Yabo
commented
In creating website I usually create it in Photoshop then copy and paste illustrations that I create in Illustrator.. Ps has smart objects to it's really really simple and nice that it encapsulates every layer of my complex illustration to a 1 layer..
In XD however it copies literally layer by layer.. When I create a very complex illustration my XD can experience a little bit of laggy-ness because of this.
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Shan
commented
Bumping this in case it's the feature I'm looking for, though I already posted this comment here (https://adobexd.uservoice.com/forums/353007-adobe-xd-feature-requests/suggestions/17308768-edit-original-in-photoshop-illustrator):
I want to be able to select a vector in XD and click "edit in Illustrator", make some adjustments with the more advanced vector editing tools (e.g. "outline path"), and then when saving the Illustrator edits, the item updates in XD. Much like editing a smart object works in Photoshop, where you can click through to either Photoshop or Illustrator to edit.
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Lukasz
commented
I don't think it will ever happen guys, they said "We plan to support this workflow via CC Libraries." in 2016...so...yeah...
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Lukasz
commented
I think a lot of people is making vector graphics for websites in Illustrator (because vector editing capabilities in XD are kinda crap) and then importing them to XD and it would be nice to have an option to place them as photoshop-like smart objects, which cannot be edited in XD, just marked to export as SVG/PNG etc.
Same with PSD files. Now when you import PSD it makes a layers from it and sometimes it breaks layers e.q. mockups with smart objects inside.
My solution: When files is copy-pasted or imported, show popup with two options: "import as layers" or "import as smartobject"
Imported PSD smart objects after right click could have an option "Edit in Photoshop" like now images have
Imported Vector smartobject could have "Edit in Adobe Illustrator"
Let me know what you think
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monaim mclay
commented
i can't drag and drop images into a rectangle or anything at all ... please i need a fix ASAP
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Jack
commented
Here's a practical scenario for this feature: I have a number of standard components containing placeholder images that I created for a webpage. Throughout the site the same images are used for various purposes: thumbnails, hero graphics, responsive breakpoints, etc.. I can drop an image into each of the components and set a crop, but what if I decide to make color corrections on the image? I need to re-drag the updated photo to all the locations it is used in the project and redo the crop. It's a lot of work to make a minor change. With a linked image you could make the update on the image file itself and it would update everywhere that image is used.
IMO this is one of the most critical features missing in XD.
Note: Making the image a component doesn't work in this scenario because if you change the crop on the instances XD counts this as an override and it no longer updates the photo when you update the master.
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Anna
commented
Such a basic workflow tool. Please fix!
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Marvin
commented
The big plus of XD is, that you really have to try hard doing design that is not able to be coded. XD works like the design-tool version of a CMS. if you have an image, drag and drop it and it works. including PSDs or ai/eps files into XD would mean that we have ppl designing websites in a way the person who has to code this gets a heart attack. so please - don't integrate this. there's no need for this feature.
if you want updates from vector stuff, just copy+paste it into XD and make a component out of it. -
Jerry Cooley
commented
Please do not support this workflow only via CC Libraries. That's an unnecessary hassle for people that simply want to be able to edit a layered image a week later.
Indesign does this. Illustrator does this. After Effects does this. Heck, even Photoshop does this now.
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Miguel Nunes
commented
I usually have to create an image in PS, export it to png or jpg and then import it to xd. If I need to make any changes to the image I would have to make all the process again and it feel kinda unnecesary. Importing psds to xd like as smart object would pretty much fix this issue, the idea is that everytime you edit the psd and save it, it would autoupdate in XD.
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Kux
commented
How do we make sure the assets from Sketch are currently updated (synchronized) in Adobe XD?
For instance, an image/vector asset has been initially imported into Adobe XD. Now that asset is further manipulated in Sketch (e.g. adjust the transparency and color contrast in Sketch). Since the asset has already been imported into Adobe XD, does this asset get updated automatically in XD (synchronize)?
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Chris
commented
Adobe, please incorporate this feature. I'm currently scoping out a plan to move my team's core workflow to predominantly XD but, this one major drawback which is stopping us.
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Freelance 1
commented
Another feature in the backlog since 2016 ? Wow Adobe, did you rush this to meet your competitors ? Ignoring common sense to meet the market with an incomplete product coupled with tonnes of propaganda on youtube telling us how simple and intuitive it is ? I think I'll look into your competitors...
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Anonymous
commented
If this could work similarly or exactly like smart objects in photoshop or linked images in indesign, this would be awesome! Sometimes I even like to create my boards in photoshop with linked smartobjencts, export to xd but whenever an asset changes in the project files its super time consuming to update my prototype in xd.
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Anonymous
commented
This is especially unhelpful when you have a massive repeat grid of image assets and you'd like to reuse some of those images for a different set of assets... nevermind the linking issue, even the image filenames are wrong!
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Edu Couchez
commented
by the way, "feature in the backlog" since 2016... suppose that it's not a user experience priority.
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Edu Couchez
commented
Still waiting this basic feature... I can't understand it is not yet there. Simply I can't move to Illustrator to XD to create complex user interfaces. I've been working on AI for more than a decade and now I can't afford a learning curve in a new tool that can't do what I daily use. So the only way is to create png's and imoport it right to XD.
This week, three days of stress and errors just to change a menu item name in a 50 screen view.
In Illustrator or Indesign it should be a matter of seconds...
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Lauren
commented
This really needs to be implemented! Re-importing images is a time suck.