P: Relative Develop Presets

I'd Love to see this!  I usually start my workflow making necessary adjustments to get a consistent, uniform "base" between the images I'm working on.  Essentially each "base" has a perfect exposure and white balance and together they have a consistent tone.  Once they all look consistent, I want to make creative edits, but presets in LR don't work easily between images because presets don't take into account the different settings needed to achieve my "base" look.  I usually choose to make my creative edits in photoshop so I can work with a blank slate and keep a consistent look through actions, saved levels and curves.  But I'd love to stay in Lightroom!  I just don't think presets have to be so hard!!  

Seeing this post got my mind going and I came up with a LR world where we can use "Base copies" to implement Relative Adjustments.  A "Base copy" is updated via snapshots to retain the look of the snapshot without affecting adjustment sliders (sliders start at default/zero when created).  

My solution to Relative Develop Presets via "Base Copies"
(complete with fake toolbar buttons and commands):

1.  Make basic edits to original images until all images have desired/consistent look. 

2.  Select all adjusted images and click the option to make base copies for all selected images.  A "Base copy" retains the look of the original image, but the adjustment sliders appear at the default (zeroed out) position when created.  Creating a "Base copy" automatically creates a snapshot for reference.  

3.  Creatively edit one of the "Base copies" using presets or adjusting sliders/tone curve.  Quickly select all other base copies (see details below) and sync as desired.  Syncing only transfers the current values for the selected adjustments (inherited values from the original image will NOT sync).  Essentially a relative adjustment-images should maintain a consistent look because of this feature.

4. There needs to be a way to edit/update "Base copies" once they are created, and snapshots are the perfect way.  So, if an original image (or a virtual copy) is edited after a "Base copy" is made and you want the adjustments to be reflected in the "Base copy", selecting both copies and clicking update from the toolbar will automatically create a new snapshot and apply it to the "Base copy".  The "Base copy" will then have the updated look of the new snapshot, under any new adjustments, and the sliders will not be affected or reset.  You can undo the changes by selecting previous snapshots. 


More Details:
•In order to work well, I think the background of the "Base copy" thumbnails need to be visibly different than the other thumbnails.  So, after selecting as many original images (or virtual copies) as you want "base copies" of, you'll select a pattern for the "Base copy"backgrounds. It could be a dropdown menu in the toolbar with square patterns to choose from: thin diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines; and/or various shades of gray, etc..  You can create multiple "Base copies" for each file, each with a different background trait for quick selecting and sorting.   Instantly select all "Base copies" with a common trait by clicking on the matching pattern in the toolbar.

•As they are now, snapshots would be available for all copies with the same filename (original, "Base" or virtual copies). Selecting a snapshot from a virtual copy duplicates the settings and the look of the snapshot. Selecting a snapshot from a "Base copy", however, would NOT affect any adjustment sliders, and it would inherit the snapshot's look UNDER any additional adjustments applied.  Therefore, using a snapshot to update a "Base copy" that has additional adjustments applied would result in a different look than a virtual copy updated to the same snapshot.

•Syncing  would remain the same as now: all selected settings are synced from the initial image and changes are reflected in the adjustment slider values of the remaining selected images.  The values that are synced are the ones reflected by adjustment sliders.  Even though a "Base copy" retains settings from its original, it will only sync it's current slider values to another image.

•Presets would be applied the same as they are now (except they would finally work).  When applied, all adjustments sliders would reflect the values of the preset when saved.  

Sample Scenario:
1) Edit Original copy:
White Balance: temp: 4900, tint: -13
Exposure: +.30
Highlights: -40
Whites:  +10
Blacks: -10
Tone Curve: Custom preset called "Lift Mids"

2) Create a "BASE copy" (original copy's settings retained, but the sliders begin at zero).  A snapshot is automatically created as a reference point.  

3) Apply a B&W preset to "BASE copy":
WB: Temp: 28,000; Tint: -55
Contrast: +20
Shadows: +70
Blacks: -41
Tone Curve: Preset called "BW Clipping"

4)  Let's say you realize you need to bump up the temp +500 for an image to maintain consistency.  You could adjust the "Base copy", but you want to change it on the original copy so that it can be reflected in other "base copies" you may make for that image.  You go back to the original copy, add +500 temp; and create and name a new snapshot.  Select the original and the "Base copy", and click update button in the toolbar to create a new snapshot and update the look of the "Base copy."  The update will appear UNDER the existing adjustments, without affecting the current WB slider values (ex: Temp still= 28,000, even though you just added 500 to it via the snapshot).  

5)  Select all your "Base copies" and sync the desired settings!  While you're at it, create a preset to use for the next batch of pictures.  The chances of it working just went up exponentially (or something like that)!

This could make presets so much more useful and editing more efficient!!  And fun!  I wish I could implement it myself...