Why not use Bridge CS4 with PsCS3?

[Andre...@adobeforums.com]

I will post this on both the Bridge and Ps User-to-User forums as it applies to both.

I have PsCS3 and PsCS4 installed side by side in the default folders assigned by Adobe but have shifted my Bridge CS4 Cache (containing all the thumbnails and previews) from C:Documents and Settings\etc to a subfolder within My Documents, which I had previously moved to my F: drive - my main data drive.

I have found Bridge CS4 to be much more stable than Bridge CS3. Additionally, Bridge CS4 has certain features which make it more attractive and easier to use than Bridge CS3. I want to use Bridge CS4 in conjunction with PsCS3 until Adobe has sorted out the problems with PsCS4 - which at the moment is simply unuseable on my rather old and humble system.

On my system, I seem to be able to use Bridge CS4 with PsCS3 without any problems detected so far. I even have things set up such that any JPEG, TIFF or PSD file double clicked within Bridge CS4 or within Windows Explorer (Win XP Pro SP3) automatically opens the file in PsCS3 and not PsCS4 (provided, of course, that PsCS4 is not itself already running). Furthermore, even with PsCS3 running beside Bridge CS4, from within Bridge CS4 I can open any RAW, JPEG or TIFF file in Camera Raw 5.1 and use its new features (Adjustment Brush, Graduated Filter, extra vignetting capabilities, etcetera) which were not available in the last release of Camera Raw (4.6 I think) associated with PsCS3. The only problem comes when trying to open edits made in Camera Raw 5.1 in PsCS3 using the "Open Image" button in ACR - it does nothing/won't work, this is, it won't open the image with the ACR adjustments in PsCS3. That's not a big deal for me - as I am currently not doing any work within ACR (any version) and if I needed to I could simply save the ACR edits and then open the files in PsCS4, save the files as PSDs and then open them in PsCS3 to finalise them there.

Has anyone else had a similar experience, or does anyone else know of any reason(s) why I should not continue to use this workflow, at least in the short term?

[Andre...@adobeforums.com]

I got one unhelpful reply on the Bridge forum. No-one here able to express even an opinion?

[John Joslin]

Your question was phrased in a way that does not invite an answer unless someone had tried your set up and found problems. Obviously nobody who read it had.

If it is working for you, carry on.

[Bart_...@adobeforums.com]

Andrew: So your problem seems to be that a function that you do not use won't work the way you'd like it? Hm-m-m-m-m-m-m!

[Buko]

The only problem comes when trying to open edits made in Camera Raw 5.1
in PsCS3

That's because CS3 can not use ACR 5.x

[Andre...@adobeforums.com]

I've been away. Thanks John, Bart and Buko for your responses. Think you misunderstood my post Bart, but it does not matter now. John got the correct message. Buko: of course CS3 cannot use ACR 5.x - that was implicit in my post.