Adobe Configurator

Adobe® Configurator is a utility that enables the easy creation of panels (palettes) for use in Adobe Photoshop® CS4, Adobe Photoshop® CS5 and Adobe InDesign® CS5. Configurator makes it easy to drag and drop tools, menu items, scripts, actions, and other objects into a panel design, then export the results for use in Photoshop or InDesign.

Configurator is ideally suited for Photoshop or InDesign users -- such as authors, trainers and other experts -- who want to customize the application interface without learning Flash, Flex & ActionScript.

Configurator is free for anyone to use. Running the panels it generates requires installing Photoshop or InDesign. A full 30-day tryout version can be downloaded from Adobe.com.

Download and Discuss

Getting Started

Follow these steps to get started with the Configurator prerelease:

You will need one of the following supported products: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Photoshop CS5 or Adobe InDesign CS5
Download the Configurator prerelease
If you chose not to install Adobe AIR while installing one of the supported applications, you’ll need to download and install Adobe AIR now.
Install and launch Configurator by double-clicking the .AIR file on your desktop.
To create your first panel, follow the instructions on the Configurator welcome screen, and consult the Configurator Help Guide for more details:
- Configurator 1.0 Help Guide
- Configurator 2.0 Help Guide
Once you have exported your panel, it can be accessed within the supported application under the Window > Extensions menu.
Ask questions and share your feedback in the Configurator forum
Please note that your submission of comments, ideas, feature requests and techniques on this and other Adobe maintained forums, as well as Adobe's right to use such materials, is governed by the Terms of Use.
Share your custom panels on the Adobe Exchange

Community

Below you'll find references and links to help you participate in the Configurator community.

Online Forum

Ask questions and discuss ideas with other Configurator users in the Labs forums.

Visit the Configurator forum

Please note that your submission of comments, ideas, feature requests and techniques on this and other Adobe maintained forums, as well as Adobe's right to use such materials, is governed by the Terms of Use.

Developer Center

Learn more about customizing Photoshop and InDesign in the Developer Center.

Resources

If you want to learn more about releases on Labs as well as other Adobe technologies, visiting a user group or connecting with an Adobe Community Expert is a great place to start.

FAQ

What is Adobe Configurator?: Adobe Configurator is a utility application that helps create custom panels for Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Configurator makes it easy to drag and drop tools, menu items, scripts, actions, and other objects into a panel design, then export the results for use in Photoshop or InDesign. These panels leverage built-in Adobe Flash support, making it possible to drag and drop audio, video, images, web pages and even other SWF and HTML content files into a panel design.
Who should try Configurator?: Configurator allows any Photoshop or InDesign user to customize the application interface without having to learn Flash/Flex/ActionScript. If you are an author, trainer, and other expert seeking to create and share panels that make Photoshop or InDesign easier to use - Configurator is created with you in mind!
Which platforms are supported?: Configurator runs on all configurations supported by Adobe AIR. See the AIR system requirements. Running Configurator-made panels requires installation of supported applications: Photoshop CS4, Photoshop CS5 and InDesign CS5. The system requirements for Photoshop and InDesign are available on Adobe.com.
Do I need to buy Photoshop or InDesign to use this Configurator?: Configurator is free for anyone to use. Running the panels it generates requires installing Photoshop or InDesign. A full 30-day tryout version can be downloaded from Adobe.com.
What are the differences between Configurator 1.0 and Configurator 2.0?: Configurator 2.0 supports both Photoshop CS5 and InDesign CS5, but Configurator 1.0 only supports Photoshop CS4. Configurator 2.0 features greater customization capabilities and layout control, including: HTML Widgets, Panel Loader, Popup Panel and Containers.
Can Configurator 2.0 work for Photoshop CS4?: Configurator 1.0 works only with Photoshop CS4, and Configurator 2.0 only works with Photoshop CS5 and InDesign CS5. To make a CS4 panel compatible with CS5, you need to open the Configurator 1.0 format file in Configurator 2.0, then export for CS5.
What is Adobe AIR?: The Adobe® AIR® runtime lets developers use proven web technologies to build rich Internet applications that run outside the browser on multiple operating systems.
How can I share my custom panels?: When you export a panel from Configurator, the application generates an MXI file for use with Adobe Extension Manager (which is installed by default with Photoshop and InDesign, and which can also be downloaded from the Adobe Exchange). Double-clicking the MXI file will launch Extension Manager & create a package file (MXP). Sharing this MXP file with anyone else who has Extension Manager will allow them to install the components of your panel in the correct locations. MXP files work identically across Mac & Windows, so there's no need to create separate packages or installers for each operating system.
Where can I post issues and comments?: Please use the Labs forum for Configurator to ask questions and post issues/comments.

System Requirements

To create custom panel extensions using Configurator, the Adobe AIR system requirements apply.

To test and use your custom panels, the Photoshop system requirements and InDesign system requirements apply.

Release Notes

This release of Configurator is a technology preview. The software contained within the installer is not final; but, many portions of the technology are fully implemented and ready for you to try and discuss.