Nov 13 2009
Please DON’T put it on my tab.
=======================================
Don’t you just love the tabbed document display in Creative Suite 4 applications?
If you do, you’re in the minority, judging by the number of people who ask “How do I change that?” often followed by “What were they thinking?!” I can help a bit with the first question, but I can’t answer the second one. I guess it’s part of the increasing Macromediafication of the application interfaces: perhaps the flat gray architecture is meant to be chic and soothing, and maybe the tabs are intended to conserve screen real estate. Whatever the explanation, here are some tips for returning to the Land of Floating Windows, as nature intended.
Photoshop
Open Preferences > Interface. UNcheck “Open Documents as Tabs” and “Enable Floating Window Docking.” If you just uncheck “Open Documents as Tabs,” document windows will still insist on docking if they’re dragged near each other.
=======================================
InDesign
As in Photoshop, open Preferences > Interface and uncheck “Open Documents as Tabs” and “Enable Floating Window Docking.” Heave great sigh of relief.
=======================================
Illustrator
Alas, Illustrator only lets you get halfway there: You can turn off the option to open documents as tabs, but you can’t prevent documents from docking if you move them too close together. Some strange magnetic force compels them to huddle together for warmth.
- Illustrator offers no option to prevent documents from docking to each other once they’re open. Bummer.
=======================================
Feature Requests
Here’s an idea: if you dislike the tabbed interface, put a note in the suggestion box. Fill out the Feature Request form on the Adobe website and ask that this compulsive behavior be an option, not the default.
I just want to go on the record as saying that if you don’t like tabbed documents, you just haven’t used them enough! I LOVE having my documents tabbed. It is far, far, far more convenient than having to deal with a stack of document windows, some hiding who knows where… Gah. I hate going back to CS3 and having to do all that window management. Just my two cents.
Glad you like ‘em
When I poll students and seminar attendees, though, the majority of them don’t like the tabbed interface. So I thought it might be worth this Public Service Announcement. It would be interesting to see if it’s a regional thing, or if users of FreeHand or other Macromedia apps are more prone to like the tabs. Maybe I can get a government grant to study that!
I suspect you might find “like its” heavy lean Windows and “hate its” heavy lean Mac.
David W., I think you might be right about the Mac/PC division. I’m in Florida, where the Tab aficionados won the poll in my survey today. Be fun to see if there’s a North/South axis of preference
I’m with David Wolfe on this one. I think it’s a Mac/PC background thing. The first time I used the tabs I felt like I was on a PC. I’ve gotten used to them but I’m sure glad they can be turned off globally. As I’m sure you know, they can also be turned off in the control panel under Arrange Documents. Wish I could turn off that flat gray background on the PC side though… got a trick for that? It’s harder to get to your computer’s desktop with that thing in the way. I guess I’m just a Mac guy.
Phil,
While you can choose “Float All in Windows” in the Control panel, they still want to snuggle together as tabs if you don’t change the preferences. I’ve learned to live with it for the most part (since I have to keep the default interface for training), but I much prefer tiling if I’m planning to borrow content from another open document.
As for the gray background in Windows, that’s just PC Reality: it likes for you to be alone with your application, so you won’t be distracted by your desktop.
Why to use those fancy tabs if there is old good keyboard shortcut: ctrl+`
If someone knows how to bring classic PC windows look&feel – please write here! Also – maybe someone knows how to remove tabs from windows version? :/ It is not as easy as on macs…
I don’t like new CS4 interface.
“User,” [if that's your real name...]
The options are exactly the same on Windows, and the behavior is the same: try my suggestions in the post. I don’t know about the “classic PC look and feel,” though.
bless you and google for getting me to your site.
hate hate hate tabs and docking. (i’m mac all the way).
Diane,
So glad I could give you some relief