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Inspiring
May 5, 2011
Released

P: Allow Selection of Fast (current) or Accurate Rendering in the Develop Module

  • May 5, 2011
  • 26 replies
  • 835 views

Lightroom preferences should contain an option to enable the user to choose between "fast (but inaccurate)" and "accurate (but slower)" renderings in the Develop module. Currently, the setting is hardwired to "fast (but inaccurate)". The user should be given the choice of trading in speed for a better rendering (the latter is available in the Library module).

Some image operations (only noise reduction or more?) are not performed in the Develop module unless the magnification is 1:1. This means that at lower magnifications (such as "Fit"), one often sees grainy areas (such as grainy skies, when one has applied drastic HSL controls and/or the image has been pushed in exposure) which are shown to actually be smooth (e.g., due to activated chroma noise reduction) when one zooms in to 1:1. The graininess seems exaggerated in the sense that a normal downscaling of the noisy image to a "Fit" size should not show such course blotches of heavy grain, but something smoother. I find the resulting renderings very distracting and they make it hard to judge whether the overall colour of the blotchy area is as desired or not.

I agree that adjustments to sharpening levels, noise reduction, etc. should be made while looking at a 1:1 view. However, there should be a way to judge one's editing efforts on a downscaled image as well. Images are not always printed but sometimes just edited to be shown as downscaled versions, e.g., on the web.

I do not think that it is acceptable to be forced to go the the Library module to get a reasonable downscaled rendering of the current edits. It doesn't even make sense that the Library module shows a more accurate downscaled version of the 1:1 view than the Develop module. If anything, it should be the other way round as it would be excusable to lose accuracy in favour of speed while browsing (Library). However, the image editing activity (Develop) should always be supported with the best possible preview, no matter the magnification.

Ideally, this feature request would lead to the removal of any differences between renderings independently of the module in which they are displayed.

I do not only see differences regarding chroma noise reduction (resulting in Develop module views that are ugly in parts) but also in highlight rendering. There are quite non-subtle differences (regarding colour and extent) in how some highly saturated red/orange/yellow highlights are shown between the Library and the Develop module views.
Victoria Bampton has indicated that a bug is causing this behaviour.

The user should not wonder about which of several different renderings is the "correct" one, i.e., one that is closest to what an exported, downscaled image would look like. Will the latter look like in the Develop module, the Library module, or yet another way?

Summarizing, unless a user intentionally opts for faster, but inaccurate, renderings, they should be given the best possible rendering (which includes sharpening after downscaling) at any magnification. This should be true for all modules but in particular the Develop module should support this mode.

Ideally there would be a quick way (e.g., a keyboard shortcut, or a switch in the Develop module) to change the "fast" vs "accurate" rendering behaviour so that one may toggle between them, should the "fast" version be accurate enough for a particular set of images.

I had formulated this feature request as a bug report before, but is has been argued that the current behaviour ("fast but inaccurate") is "as designed" and hence, technically, there is no bug.

26 replies

Inspiring
October 16, 2012
I need to see my photos correctly in all preview view sizes in Library module.

Currently Lightroom is not applying Detail section adjustments to Develop module preview while zoom ration is set to FIT, and that is not acceptable. I need to be able to evaluate overall final look of the image no matter what module I am in. Currently I need to switch to Loupe view in Library module to evaluate the final look of a image instead of seeing it in Develop module.

I understand that noise reduction needs to be adjusted in 1:1 zoom view but that shouldn't mean I no longer can see correct preview of the image in FIT view.

areohbee
Legend
February 25, 2012
I think so, yes.
Inspiring
February 7, 2012
So, NR is full-time in Develop now in LR4 Beta. Should we call this one "Implemented"?
Inspiring
December 13, 2011
Yeah library = jpeg preview, developer = raw.

Topic is more about NR/other been disabled in developer view(for the sake of speed? which should be librarys job)
Inspiring
December 13, 2011
Not having NR in developer view with fit/fill is ludicrus. ITS NOT MEANT TO BE FAST, thats why we have library view isnt it? library = fast innacurite, developer = as accurite as possible irrelivent of time.

At the very least an option to enable NR fulltime in developer mode is a MUST.

I use alot of dark images with max NR. So what it should look like when zoom is set to fit and what it looks like without NR is massivly differant. Currently i have to switch to library mode but they your looking at a jpeg which i don't want.
Inspiring
September 2, 2011
I really hope this gets added to Lightroom 4, the inaccurate display in develop ia t leass than 100% makes it quite hard to adjust many of my log light images that need some noise touch up.

Jim
Inspiring
May 26, 2011
With Library, isn't viewer intent and therefore viewing quality intent embedded in the view type? That is to say if I'm in grid view, it's clear I'm in it for speed since I've willingly given up viewing area (I'm likely doing key-wording or searching or something) while if I've gone to Loupe and made my image huge (say greater than 80% of my screen) or Survey (because I'm comparing them) then it is very likely I'm actually viewing the picture and need an accurate rendition of the image (what's the point in comparing non-acurate images).
Inspiring
May 26, 2011
I like the idea, but feel there should be a global option to turn it on for all photos. Maybe worth having is a configuration under that global option that lets you set the effect on or off by things like ISO value (800 and up - show me the noise reduction!) or camera or both as ISO performance keeps getting better.
Inspiring
May 22, 2011
I have posted another FR suggesting Better Develop Module Performance that I believe presents a solution to the problem of inaccurate renderings in the Develop module.

The inaccurate renderings are a result of shortcuts taken because the standard pipeline performance is not high enough to support optimal renderings at all times. My performance enhancing suggestion might offer a solution that combines excellent interactivity with optimal renderings.
areohbee
Legend
May 7, 2011
Previews + cache can be redesigned for a unified purpose even if module UI is kept separate (develop module is already accessing shared lib views, lib module could also access share dev views). TK pretty much nailed it below, IMO, so I shan't regurgitate, but maybe just point out:

If viewing in library mode, why not view highest Q if available, and if not available, why not compute it, then if you switch to develop view there is no lag. If you don't, then at least you get to see a higher quality view if you stick around, and if you don't then fine - no penalty...