The last couple of weeks I have been looking at our PSD import functionality. We offer a way that you can create a Storyboard project from a PSD file in our tool. It works fairly well, but what happens if you have more than one PSD file? The current implementation just creates a new GDE file in the existing project. If you want to import a second PSD file in to that project, you have to compare and merge those two GDE files. Another option would be just to bring in the images from a PSD file in to an existing project, but that means that you have to create the controls and layers yourself from those images.
We here at Crank wanted to improve this workflow, so now you can import multiple PSD files in to an existing project. What this will do is create a screen for each of the additional PSD files that you are trying to bring in. The screen name will try and match the name of the PSD file that it maps to. I say try because we have a "no duplicate names" policy. If that name already exists, we rename it by adding on a post-fix to the name that is acceptable.
Where would this be useful? I'm glad you asked, because I like explaining things. Lets say that your designer is designing screens one at a time. They have an idea of how they want some screens to look but they aren't sure about others. So they pass off what they have to you with the promise of more PSD's in the future. They say they are good for them, they just have to call in a couple of favours. No really, you will see more PSD's. Not wanting to be held up until you have all the PSD's, you start working, bringing in the ones that you already have. Now as you receive more PSD's (with or without persuasion, as how you get them is really up to you), they can be brought in easily to the existing project that you have been working on.
So when you get the next release of Storyboard Designer, version 1.3, give this a try and let us know what you think. When you do get it, you can be a little more relaxed with your designers. No need to call in favours of your own.
-Rodney