+ Camera Raw Feature Requests +

Carol, <br /> <br />Hmm camera make and model is displayed on the very left in the ACR title bar. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1AYnuEgBu6CsZFDepsdBPG0g5a1df30" /></a> <img alt="Picture hosted by Pixentral - http://pixentral.com" src="http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1AYnuEgBu6CsZFDepsdBPG0g5a1df30_thumb.jpg" border="0" />

Thomas, I would also like to see the camera model displayed there too. I shoot with three different camera models and have different calibration sets for all of them so that I can get the same 'look and feel' across the 3 different cameras. If I haven't checked which camera the image was taken on before opening the image in ACR, I have to close ACR go and check which camera was used and then open it up again.

I'd like to support the concept of pushing ACR towards being a complete image processing solution for photographers. I'm not talking about a saving money thing (I don't mind if it comes bundled with PS), I'm thinking about workflow and archiving. It would be a king-hit IMO. I really like the idea of staying in the linear data format as long as possible. To that end I would like to add to the above list:

1. Being able to simply store multiple processing runs with different processing values for individual images. To a large extent I already do this by manipulating xmp sidecars, having multiple sidecars per image, but building it in would probably be even better (for me keeping things as xmp data rather than saving the 5x larger tiff is enormously attractive).

2. Now something of a leap, what about linear layer masks to attach to raw images. This might seem mad but a linear mask of an image in most cases is closely equivalent to the image itself, it might be possible to store the mask as a series of standard commands also in the xmp sidecar (find edges, Gaussian blur X, saturation -100, contrast +80). So, in line with 1, from a data retrieval perspective, the mask becomes just another set of processing run data with just a few more instructions built in.

Put these two together and you could have the equivalent to a 300 Mb multilayer tiff stored as a 10Mb raw file with one or more 4 Kb sidecars. To push the point, this is not just archiving, it is workflow and file organisation.

3. Another step further would be to encourage / help plug-in makers to develop plugins at the linear / ACR level - I am particularly thinking of noise reduction and sharpening.

LOL, just a few ideas

Andrew Hall

Please note that posts: 16,17,19,20,22,23,24,27,29 and 30 will be deleted on Monday 3 October.

I would also remind folk that we can do without the sarcasm!

IanLyons
Forum Host

My 2 US cents (1.6 Eurocents?) ..

1. For the cancel warning, use the image counter and show dialog only if > one (or insert favorite warning threshold) images are being cancelled.

2. A way to quickly display the non-processed histogram of the raw file "As Shot". Is this the same as displaying with every slider set to 0, the curve to linear and the WB set to "As Shot" (I'm still confused why it doesn't display the original camera-selected WB setting for reference :-)?

3. A way to display individual channel histograms (checkmarks next to each R-G-B reading above the graph?). My simple brain gets overwhelmed by the integrated display after a while when detailed analysis is required.

4. Adding an EXIF user comment to the actual RAW file, to multiple selected files. This could also be applicable to the Bridge app. I use this to add lens information for non-Canon lenses to my Canon body, which is most of the time. I currently use Canon's Zoom Browser app to do this but it's a very tedious part of the workflow.

5. Moveable toolbox - it would be nice to at least be able to position it next to the preview checkmarks. I use 1792x1344 on each monitor and constantly moving the mouse from one end to the other gets tiring :-).

6. Center the display on the pointer when using the mouse menu to switch magnification.

7. A way to quickly save and recall multiple settings for the current image. One example would add a section between the histogram and the settings. It has (left-to-right) a recall button, a dropdown with "---", "One", Two", etc., an increment button (increments the dropdown to the next saved), a decrement button, and a save button. Buttons are individually disabled when not applicable.

Don't you just love it when people come up with ludicrous "Great Ideas" for somebody else to work on :-)? Cheers!

DJ

> Bruce Fraser's "Real-World" ACR-for-PSCS2 book is a fantastic resource

I've got that book and the one that came before it. Read them both. It's just not possible to memorize all those shortcut keys (at least for my gray matter)...

--John

> tsk. tsk. sarcasm begets sarcasm. :-)

Sarcasm. Sarcasm? Every word was deeply infused with the sincerest of warm and fuzzy heart-feelings! I mean, I even thought for a moment there about proposing a group hug! Mega-kudos to you, by the way, for having the patience and stamina to read through all that. :)

> As it turns out this feature exists already.

Bruce Fraser's "Real-World" ACR-for-PSCS2 book is a fantastic resource for learning about those kinds of ACR features and for digging into the subtleties of the program. That book is worth its weight in gold...

mike ...

>And commendations in turn for (evidently) having neither the stamina nor patience to read through all that, thereby neatly avoiding the (probable) irritation of having to summon the stamina and patience to read through all that ...

tsk. tsk. sarcasm begets sarcasm. :-)

>4) The point locator feature for curves like curves has in PS so you can find out what tone area on the curve a given area in the photo is, just by clicking/dragging over an area on the photo.

As it turns out this feature exists already. I just discovered it by accident. If you hold down the control key and move the mouse around the image, you get the point on the curve for that image tone in ACR. I only discovered it because I was zooming (Ctrl+) and noticed I had a point on my curve for the current tone while zooming (because the Ctrl key was down).

I guess this is another vote for increasing the discoverability of these gems, but I'm glad they are there.

--John