Generator-like functionality - export many assets in a batch, auto update later
It'd be really handy to be able to output completely app-ready assets through a sort of PS generator-like functionality.
Although it is possible to manage all of your assets in Photoshop, XD would seem to me to be a much more logical place to control and ultimately output them.
e.g:
First of all when you create a document you are more or less defining the platform that the app is for, so you already know what type of output that is needed, or it could be defined at export time.
If you need to export for an Android application (for example) you would be able to specify the size buckets you need to support (e.g a bunch of checkboxes for mdpi, hdpi, xhdpi etc,) and then the XD can create and update the appropriate drawables folders with all of the properly-scaled artwork based on what you import into the project.
This assumes that people are working with vectorised artwork of course, but who isn't.
If you wanted to get really fancy (and who doesn't?) then there could also be code output for other elements that may exist such as text styling, SVG drawables, etc.
Then, just like Generator does, if anything in the project is changed or relinked in the future, those particular files are automatically updated without the need for anything else. A lot of time saved.
For bonus points, combine with Git so that designers can push new icons/etc. to their projects from inside XD.
Simon Field
shared this idea
10 comments
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Terry
commented
Just please do exactly what Photoshop allows - tell the app what artboards or elements you want to auto-generate, and then they magically export after every change you make. It's wonderful, simple, and save some time. It's also a good advantage over other UI design apps. Photoshop even creates and names a folder for you, automatically writes over old files with the same filenames, let's you set export parameters, etc.
It's way better than constantly having select artboards, press buttons, select the folder to export to, reorganize the folder when old files aren't automatically deleted...you get my point.
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Jamie
commented
We like how this works in photoshop and generate has streamlined our work flow. It would be nice to have this in XD as well.
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Anonymous
commented
Generate Assets Like the one in Photoshop, automatically generates files next to the current xd file with all the layers having extensions .jpg, .png e.t.c.
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Peter Hilgersom
commented
In Photoshop I use the image assets options in the layer name to Automatically export to the filetype and quality I need. For instance: 'logo.jpg80%'. This is super super handy when I have 12 banners in artboards and I can simply export all the assets at once. I'd really like to use XD because PS is just really slow when using artboards. But im missing this feature. Assets for html5 banners can't be 100% in png or jpg size.
So my request is: can we set filetype & quality per asset for exporting?
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Cervantes
commented
I agree and the Photoshop generator is one of my favorite feature. But that's where I'm getting a bit confused about what the Adobe team wants us to adopt as a workflow. I guess the whole point is to move the UI design from Photoshop/Illustrator to Xd and by that I mean to build the layout only in Xd with some assets created with whatever software you like? In that case I would definitely need a generator feature like in Photoshop. Otherwise I'm still a bit hesitating on what software using to build my final mockups.
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Anonymous
commented
Photoshop's original generator feature is my favorite and most used feature.
Over time the Photoshop team has placed more emphasis over the export dialogues/GUI, however, the automatic image assets generator is the deciding factor for me. It is the reason why I use Photoshop to assemble my mockups over Illustrator (I have given this decision much thought for quite a while), as both a designer and developer. The generator feature allows me to add an extension (E.G. .png, .jpg, .svg) to the end of the file name and it will generate the files and update them without me having to click through a GUI every time I need the assets updated. This saves me time and makes the transition from design to development absolutely painless.
If XD were to integrate this generator feature for asset export - along with an asset panel or a layer panel where I could manage assets - it would become my number one mockup and prototype tool. Without it, it is very difficult for me to leave Photoshop as a prototyping tool.
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Thomas Hallgren commented
Export at 100% size cleanly with structure folders to multiple platforms at once. SEE PROTOTYPE: http://adobe.ly/2bGiR1p
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JQ Sirls
commented
One thing that I liked about what you guys have done with photoshop is allow a user to select many files in a folder or artboard, right click and choose to export all files as separate pieces. Right now, if you highlight, you export the whole screen as one or have to export one at a time.
By giving us a layers panel to see whats in front, in back, and be able to group, that would give us a better opportunity to bulk export pngs separately.
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Tomás
commented
Actually it is not very clear. Can you please describe you idea a bit better for the rest of us. Thanks.
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Cris Lindner
commented
Automated GUI generator and assets exporter