PM 5 Video Tutorials and editing in Lightroom

[marlin_spike]

Hi,
I'm trying out PM 5 and like it so far. I want to edit photos in Lightroom 5 then export them back to Photo Mechanic, keeping track of the changes. I watched the new video tutorial on how to do this and (I thought) followed the instructions exactly BUT now I have two copies of the photos in my PM folder: edited (with a new name) and original. On the originals I can see, for example, where a crop was made by the rectangular outline however that crop and any other edits to not carry over to the original; they are only visible on the newly re-named and edited file.
Was I supposed to over-write the original file with the edited version of the same name? This was not how the video tutorial was setup and not what I want to do so, what am I missing?? Thanks in advance.


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[Mick O (Camera Bits)]

Hi there Marlin_spike,  I've a suspicion that it's your Lightroom settings.

Make sure the Import module in Lightroom is using the "Add" option at the top and not the Copy. Copy will create a new set of images making it so Photo Mechanic won't see any of the LR updates.

To make sure LR writes all updates to the same set of files, go to the Lightroom menu -> Catalog Settings and then make sure the option is set to automatically write updates to XMP. Now any LR updates, including raw adjustment settings, will be written to the original file.  You won't need to save out a new set of files using the Export option.

I hope that helps.  Let me know if that doesn't work as expected.

-Mick

[marlin_spike]

Hi Mick,
Thanks for the prompt reply. I just tested again with same results. My import settings in LR are 'add' (not copy) and my LR catalog settings are to Automatically write changes to XMP. Then I export from LR to PM with the settings in the image attached. You'll note it says "Choose a new name for existing file" and that is what LR is doing. However, with the same settings on your video tutorial, this seems not to happen. Since the only other options in that particular window are to 1) overwrite the existing file or 2) to ask what to do there is not a third choice to update the original, which is what I want (and what, apparently happens in your video tutorial). What am I missing??



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[Hayo Baan]

Marlin (and Mick),

While I haven't watched said tutorial, I'm sure it was using raw files as examples. From the screenshot I gather you are editing jpgs instead. With raw files, there would be an xmp to which Lightroom saves its edit steps (but not an updated preview!). This is not the case with jpgs. With jpgs, Lightroom basically only has two options for saving your edits and making them visible to anything other than Lightroom itself: 1) by overwriting the original (unless you have a safety copy, generally not a good idea), and 2) creating a new file. This is what seems to happen in your case and would probably be the recommended choice.

Does this help?

[Mick O (Camera Bits)]

Ahh I see.  In the tutorial, you can see that the JPG file was saved with the "-2" in the filename as well. With the settings in the tutorial, the original unedited JPG would still be in the Contact Sheet, but it might just be off the side of the zoomed-in screen (I don't remember what the sort was for the Contact Sheet)  As Hayo said, this is the only possibility for editing JPGs.

If I understand you correctly, then overwriting the existing file seems to be what you want. (Same as updating the original file, no?)   As you pointed out, this is an option in LR.

-Mick

[marlin_spike]

Hayo and Mick,

Usually I do shoot in RAW, but not this time (and the video tutorial does not distinguish). It is interesting that PM "sees" my LR crops on the original jpg images….not sure what's going on there. Anycase, I'll test to confirm RAW files work for me as advertised and get back to you if still a problem. This most certainly does help and is good to know - thanks both of you! Do you know if  DNG files will behave same as RAW on exporting between LR and PM?

[Hayo Baan]

Hi Marlin,

sorry about the delay, but DNGs actually behave better than raw files with Lightroom; if you enable updating the embedded preview (in LR), PM actually is able to show you the LR edit results. For normal raw files LR does not update the embedded preview so you will still see the out-of-camera version. (This is one thing that makes the e.g. Canon DPP and Nikon Capture NX2 software so nice; they do update the embedded preview of the raw files)

Does this answer your question?

Cheers,
Hayo

[Bob M]

(This is one thing that makes the e.g. Canon DPP and Nikon Capture NX2 software so nice; they do update the embedded preview of the raw files)

I must be missing something; how do you make DPP do that?

[Hayo Baan]

(This is one thing that makes the e.g. Canon DPP and Nikon Capture NX2 software so nice; they do update the embedded preview of the raw files)

I must be missing something; how do you make DPP do that?

Ehhhh, are you saying DPP doesn't? From what I read, I was always under the impression it did (Nikon shooter myself so no hands on). If not, I stand corrected and apologise for letting you hope otherwise.

[Luiz Muzzi]

Hi, Hayo
As far as I know, and I do use DPP, there is no way to update the embedded preview of the raw files. In DPP, you can see the updated version of them (if you have saved). And you can always revert to "shot settings" (original raw file before editing).
Regards,

-Luiz Muzzi