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Is there a feature in Photoshop CC18, to automatically create the union of two smart objects?
If I combine these two layers with two blue bars, which are two smart objects for example (ignore the gray background for now), i want the following result:
+
=
I know, that I can do this with a mask. But as I said, those two bars are smart objects. If I change something, I want the "mask" to automatically update as well and from my knowledge, thats not possible with a simple mask.
Another way of phrasing your question would be: "How do I use the transparency of one Smart Object as a mask for another Smart Object?".
That is actually pretty easy to achieve:
Make sure the two Smart Objects are adjacent in the Layers panel.
Hold down Alt and click between the two Smart Objects to create a Clipping Mask.
Double-click the lower Smart Object to enter its Layer Style.
Under Blending Options, set Advanced Blending > Fill Opacity to 0 % and untick Advanced Blending > Blend Clipped Layers as Group.
