Error opening new folder from Lightroom

[smorgan42]

I have Lightroom set to open a folder of processed images in PhotoMechanic when it's finished processing jpegs. Recently I started getting an error message that says "Another instance of PhotoMechanic is already running. This instance will now terminate. Please quit the other instance of PhotoMechanic and launch this one again." I'm not sure if this is a Lightroom issue or PhotoMechanic issue, but it's new and it's screwing up my workflow. The error message is in Lightroom Any ideas? I can navigate to the folder and open it just fine in PM without having to close any PM windows.

iMac OS 10.11.6
PM 5.0 17719 (c8049ca)
Lightroom 2015.6.1

[Kirk Baker]

I have Lightroom set to open a folder of processed images in PhotoMechanic when it's finished processing jpegs. Recently I started getting an error message that says "Another instance of PhotoMechanic is already running. This instance will now terminate. Please quit the other instance of PhotoMechanic and launch this one again." I'm not sure if this is a Lightroom issue or PhotoMechanic issue, but it's new and it's screwing up my workflow. The error message is in Lightroom Any ideas? I can navigate to the folder and open it just fine in PM without having to close any PM windows.

Something is launching another instance of Photo Mechanic.  Check your Launching settings in the Photo Mechanic Preferences dialog.  Make sure Photo Mechanic is not listed as your Default application for editing, and check your "Assign specific editing applications for each file type:" by clicking on the "Set..." button.

If the problem persists, I suggest contacting our support folks at:

By email: support@camerabits.com

By phone: +1 503.547.2888  //  Fax: +1 503.547.2880

Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:00am-5:00pm [PST/PDT]

[smorgan42]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear in what is happening. Lightroom is trying to open another instance of PM.

Here's what I'm doing. I ingest with PM and cull my photos down to the ones I want to edit in Lightroom. I then import those photos into Lightroom (apple-e in PM) to tone them. When I export the photos in Lightroom, I have the Post-Processing option to open in another application (PM) after export. Previously, this would open the exported folder in a PM window so I could transmit the photos. Now I get the error message. So now I need to navigate to the export folder in order to open the photos.

Long story short, my workflow is PM>Lightroom>PM. Now something isn't letting me open a new PM window from Lightroom.

[Kirk Baker]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear in what is happening. Lightroom is trying to open another instance of PM.

Here's what I'm doing. I ingest with PM and cull my photos down to the ones I want to edit in Lightroom. I then import those photos into Lightroom (apple-e in PM) to tone them. When I export the photos in Lightroom, I have the Post-Processing option to open in another application (PM) after export. Previously, this would open the exported folder in a PM window so I could transmit the photos. Now I get the error message. So now I need to navigate to the export folder in order to open the photos.

Long story short, my workflow is PM>Lightroom>PM. Now something isn't letting me open a new PM window from Lightroom.

OK, I understand you better now.  Well, what has changed about your system?  Basically apps on Mac OS X use a system supplied service (LaunchServices) to launch apps/open files in an already running app.  If somehow LaunchServices doesn't think that PM is running, it would try to launch PM, telling the newly launched PM to open the folder.  And if PM is already running then the new instance detects the current PM instance and warns you and then quits.

So something is trying to launch PM again when it shouldn't and should instead be telling the existing instance of PM to open the folder.

Beyond that, I'm not sure how I can help you.  This doesn't sound like a problem that can be fixed directly in PM.

-Kirk

[smorgan42]

The problem must have been in Lightroom, as it has gone away with the most recent update from them. Thanks for your help. Always appreciated.