P: Ability to batch process Photo Merge (HDR and panorama)

Autohotkey isn't available on Mac.  There are several equivalents available in the app store, though.

If AutoHotKey has OS X version... I don't know.

If I start 15 HDR merges at around the same time, Lightroom uses more memory than my 16gb of RAM, and it ends up taking ~5 minutes. If I start 5 merges, it only takes 20 seconds.

Instead of queueing operations once it gets to capacity, Lightroom is trying to get more virtual memory and the PC ends up thrashing (constantly swapping RAM to disk). This is really slow (about 5 times slower on my machine).

It would be nice if Lightroom was aware of memory usage, or at least let you set a limit for concurrent jobs.

Is this script working on OSX as well?

Hi.

This is script for quasi batch HDR merging in Lr. It is written for AutoHotKey.

1. Install AutoHotKey
2. Save script in text file using .ahk extension
3. Edit script accordingly to number of images in HDR sets, number of HDR sets, power of your computer
4. Load script (run it as you start any application)
4. Go to image folder in Lightroom and make sure first photo is selected
5. Press SHIFT+H
6. Don't touch your computer till end of process - go for coffe, for a walk, sleep etc.
7. Be happier. 🙂

How to edit script?
This one is for 6 sets 3 photos each. If sets have 4 images change each {right}{right} ocurrence with {right}{right}{right}.

sleep, 35000 - this command is for waiting till Lr end merging previous set. If you have faster computer, you can change 35000 (miliseconds) for 20000 (miliseconds) for example. Better to check this time in tests and add a couple seconds - Lr slows down when many sets in queue and can stuck.

So this two  lines:

   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000

are for one HDR set.

Just copy this as many as many HDR sets you have.

I suppose more sophisticated script can be written with pop-up parameters dialog box. Does someone want to play with it?

That's all. Have good sleep. 😉

Ps. I count 1$ per saved hour of your life. 😉

---------------------------------------------------script------------------------------------------------
+h::

   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000
   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000
   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000
   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000
   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000
   send, {shift down}{right}{right}{shift up}{shift down}{ctrl down}h{shift up}{ctrl up}{alt down}{right}{alt up}
   sleep, 35000

return

Still no batch HDR merge?  How long will it take me to press Shift-Ctrl-H 800 times while only being able to run 8 consecutive processes concurrently?

It would be nice if stacks were treated like this throughout LR and not just with the HDR option. 

Put me down for requesting a batch capability for LR HDR function. This is pretty much useless for me without batch capability. Until this gets implemented, I am stuck using Photomatix -- a decent enough tool, but not a great one. Help us out, Adobe.

I know this has been suggested already, but it would be great to have:

A WORKING HDR FUNCTION

With simple features like batch processing and a better use of system resources, come on, this is 6.4 and we still have to select bracket after bracket, LR becomes unresponsive when you try to do more than 12-16 processes at the same time, activity monitory shows that it makes little use of my 128 Gigs of ram or 12 available cores, neither does it make any use of the GPU when available. This should be addressed by now!

Thanks in advance Adobe

an option to render a panorama in complete auto mode without preview would be nice.

preferably by having the option to queue them up and have set simple presets, like 10% boundary wrap, spherical.

click path would be
– select photos
– right click – merge panorama – queue spherical, 10% boundary
– repeat
– one finished: file – start queue processing

presets click path:
- select photos
- right click - merge panorama - edit rendering presets