Today at Adobe Max 2024 I sat down to watch the latest Adobe Sneaks reveal, and came away impressed. For anyone new to Adobe Sneaks, these are teasers of new tech and tools that may come to Adobe apps sometime, somehow in the future.
These new early-stage tech innovations are literal sneaks into what Adobe is working on behind the scenes, and include new tool and software developments designs to improve the workflows, and lives, of digital artists, designers, 3D artists, photographers, video editors and anyone creative who simply wants to see their ideas realised.
At Adobe MAX 2024 nine new projects were highlighted and demoed by the researchers and scientists developing the ideas, and joining the dots on stage was the award-winning actress Awkwafina, who co-hosted the evening’s reveals.
You can see all of the art focused Sneaks below, with brief descriptions, to get an insight into the kind of technology Adobe is aiming to bring to creatives in the future. Some may turn up in Adobe software, some reworked into new apps or products, some may never see the light of day. Regardless, every Adobe Sneak is a glimpse into the future.
Adobe Sneaks: 3D and design
Project Scenic is a new tool that is designed to make 2D generative AI image creation easier and with more control by embracing 3D. The tool enables you to build a 3D scene layout using a copilot prompt, from here it's possible to change the camera angle, adjust objects in the scene and guide the image generation process for better results.
The tool aims to reduce the trial and error of prompting alone, by giving you the power to tweak layouts, camera views and through precise editing of a 3D scene. It also makes use of Firefly's new 'Regional prompting' for changing specific objects or areas of the scene.
Project Hi-Fi enables you to capture any part of your screen to use as a guide to generate AI images. This tool effectively turns you on screen content into detailed visuals using real-time technology, in doing so enabling you to turn concepts into high-standard images, which can the be taken into Photoshop to edit and develop into a final image.
Project Remix A Lot is a deceptively simple idea that aims to enable you to turn a sketch into a finished design. Your early sketch is the base idea, from here you can use another image to refine it using generative AI to guide you to the finished artwork. Adobe describes this as "like having a personalised creative assistant that helps you convert sketches into editable graphics and keeps your style intact across different canvases".
Adobe Sneaks: video
Project In Motion uses generative AI to turn a custom shape into a video simply by describing what the final outcome needs to be. The Adobe press release states: "Using generative AI, you can explore new animation workflows and convert text into animation based on an initial After Effects project. Plus, you can add a style reference image to mix and match styles with your prompt for a unique touch."
Adobe Sneaks: photography
Project Clean Machine is a tool that many photographers, pro and hobbyist, will love, as it removes any unwanted flashes from subjects like fireworks and even objects that briefly block the camera and ruin a shot. This works on still photos as well as video. A note from Adobe states: " It can even detect and automatically remove camera flashes in videos, making it super handy for cleaning up footage."
Project Perfect Blend is designed to make it easy to add people and objects into images. Many AI tools to date focus on removing objects, so this is a refreshing change. One added to an image you can adjust the colour, lighting, and even shadows to blend naturally.
Adobe states: "Masking technology has improved for better foregrounds, and generative AI helps create custom backgrounds. This project focuses on natural blending and realistic shadow casting to make the process smoother and more lifelike."
Adobe Sneaks: illustration
Project Turntable enables you to easily rotate 2D vector art in 3D, meaning it will always look like a 2D artwork even when rotated. The tool works by simply clicking and dragging a slider to spin the art, just like you would a 3D object. For more on this, read our exclusive look at Project Turntable from earlier today.
