Adobe has released Adobe XD CC platform to enable designers turn ideas into experiences across multiple devices and platforms. This includes the ability to use XD with other prototyping and hand-off tools, to switch between color models, to apply radial gradients and to export objects in a batch. Adobe XD users will be able to license Adobe Stock content and editing raster graphics in Creative Cloud Libraries in Photoshop with just a click. This is said to enhance the designers’ Creative Cloud workflows.
Adobe XD will support several platforms such as Zeplin, Avocode, Sympli, ProtoPie, and Kite Compositor. Users can do the designing in XD and compile it into their favorite tool. This method will help them speed up developer hand-offs and create advanced animations. Adobe has been continuously working on adding new partner apps that work with XD.
XD focuses on shortcuts without compromising with the quality of content. The company has been focusing on keeping XD as lightweight and as fast as possible. This is because no matter how many new features are present, it wont make a difference if one can’t design at the speed of thought. As per the release, Adobe has improved the zoom performance which makes the process zoom in and out of canvas with a number of artboards without any delay. It will be possible to preview XD files that will be saved to Dropbox. The users can look at the preview without having the need of downloading it initially.
Users will also have the option of switching between three color models (HEX, RGB, and HSB) from the dropdown menu in the color picker. Initially, users were only able to work in the HEX code or HSB value in the color picker. Using this platform, users can communicate colors to their developers and design teams. This makes XD compatible with Creative Cloud design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, which support HEX, RGB and HSB.
For improving the multi-tone effects, integral part of any design process, the release features radial gradients for the users. It is said that the users will be able to create unique color effects by simulating a light source or applying circular patterns. Moreover, users will be able to add, remove and manipulate color stops similar to the linear gradients.
Adobe has upgraded the Design Specs (Beta) helping the users in navigating and using it smoothly. Apart from these, essential keyboard accessibility features have been introduced for enabling the users use certain keys, such as tab when navigating and +/- when zooming in the browser. While sharing prototypes users will be able to view the designs at actual size in full-screen mode, rather than being scaled to fit the screen. This finds its application in web design where users are not able to predict a reviewer’s viewport size. When it is at actual size, the prototype will scroll automatically when some parts of the design are out of view.
In the past, users manually selected the objects each time before exporting. After the introduction of the batch export, the process of identifying and then exporting select assets has simplified. This is said to help the users when they need to export them to third-party tools or share with the developers. For marking the objects, users can click on the mark icon which is present on the layer panel. Thereafter, they can select “Batch” option under File > Export.
For the future, the company is planning to make the scaling options available to the users at the time of publishing.
