P: Edit In External Editor does not work/function

I dont have a Mac to try on but, if the Mac Lr4 is affected by the same "bug" as the Windows version it appears it NEEDS a photoshop "plist" file much like the Windows version needs a photoshop registry key (even a fake one). Removing probably would be a bad idea. Try reinstalling CS5 if you own it.

I have a bit more time today so I will rewrite whats been happening over on the Lr forum I linked to earlier.

According to http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/401/kb401629...
On startup Lr looks for an install of Photoshop or Elements to link to. If either are present or not it affects how the "Edit-In" function calls things probably by giving a value of 0 or 1 to a small block of memory to let Lr know how to act. This is probable because to do this "check" every time the "edit-In" menu is called to open would be highly inefficient and create a very large delay.

However it appears (at least with Windows version Lr) if during the check to see if Photoshop or Elements is present, the little piece of code in the program that assignes the value to that memory block works PROPERLY IF the check indicates Elements or CS5 IS installed. However if the check shows Lr that CS5 or Elements IS NOT installed then the code "forgets" to set any value at all to the little block of memory. In windows it shows up as a "string [the memory format of that little block of memory] null [meaning that bit of memory has no value]"

****WINDOWS****
To get around this in WINDOWS create a "fake" registry key to force the Lr check to give a valid value by doing the following:

1) Open Notepad
2) Copy and paste everything between the ### marks NOT including the ### marks into Notepad (this does every thing that is said in the Kb article)

##############################################
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Photoshop.exe]

"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Photoshop CS5\\"

@="C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Photoshop CS5\\Photoshop.exe"

################################################

3) Go File --> Save As

4) In "File Type" Select "All files"

5) Name it "LightroomPatch.reg" or something like that as long as it has ".reg" at the end. Just remember where you saved it

6) Close notepad and double-click the file you just made.

7) When it asks if you trust the source, because you made it on your own computer and it only contains what is between the ###'s click "yes"

The fake key will be added and Lr4 Edit-In should now work while we wait for the official fix. No just because it says "CS5" does not mean you magically can edit with CS5 as it in not installed. You can click that option in the Edit-In and prep the Tiff file for editing but nothing will happen because CS5 simply is not truly on the computer.

Later this Key can be removed automaticly by runnning a registy cleaner like cclean, manually removing it yourself, or simply installing CS5 (will write overtop of it). Because it is not linked to anything it cannot affect any future patches or updates.

******On MAC*****

============================================================
|
| Note the following instructions (both sets):
| DO NOT SEEM TO MAKE A DIFFERANCE
| THEY DO NOT SEEM TO PACH THE PROBLEM
|
| I am keeping them here incase anyone wants to build off of them.
|
| Thanks to those who tried it for me as I dont have access to a Mac
| so only could |guess.
|
===========================================================

I dont have one but if somone wishes to try according to the KB article I am thinking the following has a fairly reasonable chance of working for you. If the user above (Michael Greenley) did find a PSE.plist file it appears this is not what Lr is looking for (accoring to the KB article). Mac system looks quite safe and much less intimidating that windows to try it on anyway. It is very easily removable.

---If you have Elements installed---
It does not appear that Lr4 check is looking for the PSE.plist file so you need to make it think there is CS5 installed aswell

1) Copy PSE.plist [actually named "com.adobe.PhotoshopElements.plist"] and rename it "com.adobe.Photoshop.plist" and place it back in the same place keeping the original PSE.plist aswell

That may or may not get elements working in Lr4 (defult will try and use CS5) but other "edit-ins" should work and you could easily make another preset (instead of the defult) point to PSE much like you would make for any other "Edit-In" program.

---If you do NOT have CS5 or Elements installed---

See if it will accept a fake plist file
But instead of trying to get the computer to remake the Plist file

1) Close Photoshop Lightroom
2) Start a text or document program and save a bank document as "com.adobe.Photoshop"
3) manully set or remane the file type as ".plist" (perhaps use the "save as all files option if you have one)
4) Navigate to the Users/[user name]/LIbrary/Preferences folder.
5) Move the file you just created to the Users/[user name]/LIbrary/Preferences folder.
6) Start Lr4 and hopefully it should all work.

That fake Plist file is easily removable if you ever need to.

Hope this works 🙂