option to Open RAW as Smart Object

[gregdixonphoto]

I wish there were a way in Photo Mechanic to quickly open a RAW file in PhotoShop as a smart object. It wouldn't even have to bring up the RAW processing interface first (since you could then double-click the smart object to bring up the RAW processor).

I am using Photo Mechanic 4.5.4 on Mac. I don't see any way to do this--in that or the current version.

Ideally, there would be a hotkey and a option-click menu option. In my old workflow, I selected the files I wanted to work with in Photo Mechanic, and then two-finger clicked and selected Edit, or just hit Command-E. But that was with JPG's. I'd like something as slick for RAW files (and if you try to open several of those with Command-E, it only brings up the RAW processor for the first file, which is not how you would want it to behave).

[Kirk Baker]

Greg,

I wish there were a way in Photo Mechanic to quickly open a RAW file in PhotoShop as a smart object. It wouldn't even have to bring up the RAW processing interface first (since you could then double-click the smart object to bring up the RAW processor).

I am using Photo Mechanic 4.5.4 on Mac. I don't see any way to do this--in that or the current version.

Ideally, there would be a hotkey and a option-click menu option. In my old workflow, I selected the files I wanted to work with in Photo Mechanic, and then two-finger clicked and selected Edit, or just hit Command-E. But that was with JPG's. I'd like something as slick for RAW files (and if you try to open several of those with Command-E, it only brings up the RAW processor for the first file, which is not how you would want it to behave).

Photo Mechanic only has the ability to send images to Photoshop.  Beyond that it has no control.  What Photoshop does next is up to Photoshop.

When I select several RAW files with PM 4.6.6 and send them to Photoshop CS5 all of them open up in the ACR window at the same time.

What happens for you?  What version of Photoshop are you running?

-Kirk

[gregdixonphoto]

You're right--I'm new to Camera Raw, and I did not see the navigator at the bottom (in PhotoShop CS3). That's helpful; I can process the whole set and then open them.

I will frequently want to open the images as smart objects, though. From a Google search, I found someone who had written a script to do that from Bridge into PhotoShop. But from what you're saying, there's no way you can program that from Photo Mechanic. -Greg

[Kirk Baker]

Greg,

You're right--I'm new to Camera Raw, and I did not see the navigator at the bottom (in PhotoShop CS3). That's helpful; I can process the whole set and then open them.

I will frequently want to open the images as smart objects, though. From a Google search, I found someone who had written a script to do that from Bridge into PhotoShop. But from what you're saying, there's no way you can program that from Photo Mechanic.

Not unless the Smart Object creation can happen from a Droplet.  If it can then PM can send photos to Photoshop Droplets if you like, but there are no keyboard shortcuts for Droplets.

-Kirk

[FVlcek]

[...]
I am using Photo Mechanic 4.5.4 on Mac. I don't see any way to do this--in that or the current version.
[...](and if you try to open several of those with Command-E, it only brings up the RAW processor for the first file, which is not how you would want it to behave).

First, that it opens only the first file in Camera Raw is, if I remember correctly, limitation of Photoshop CS3 Camera Raw, it can only work on one file at a time. You would have to upgrade to at least CS4, where it can open many at once (and allows you to either open all of them as smart objects, or to do individual edits in camera raw to each and every one).

Second, (Kirk, read this as well as you are on the Mac, you can easily assign any keyboard shortcut you like to every Photomechanic menu item, even from the Droplets submenu. Just go to System Preferences/Keyboard/Keyboard Shortcuts/Application Shortcuts and add PM there, with the exact name of the menu item (or droplet name as it shows in the submenu) and your desired shortcut.