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Rikk Flohr_Photography
Community Manager
Community Manager
January 22, 2023
Answered

P: New AI-powered Generative Remove (Early Access) available across all surfaces.

  • January 22, 2023
  • 894 replies
  • 706766 views
This post applies to Lightroom Classic and the Lightroom Ecosystem products.
Post Camera Raw feedback here

This thread is now closed. Please update to LrC 14.x or LrD 8.x. If you wish to provide feedback, please go to the new article.



The Lightroom team is sharing an early look at Generative Remove, which makes it easier to remove unwanted objects and distractions, even on complex backgrounds, with a simple brush stroke. Generative Remove is powered by Firefly AI.
 
How to use Generative Remove on a desktop:

  • You can find Generative Remove under the newly renamed Remove panel (aka “Heal”).
  • Make sure the “generative AI” checkbox is enabled before you start brushing (note: when unchecked, Lightroom will use Content-Aware Remove to fill your brushed spots). 
  • By default, you will be given a moment to refine your selection with an add or subtract brush. Remember to include shadows for a more accurate result! You can also skip this step by holding down ‘CTRL’ on windows or ‘CMD’ on mac as you finish your brush stroke. 
  • Once you’re ready to apply and have accepted the terms, Generative Remove will use Firefly AI to remove your distractions and intelligently fill in the space that’s left by the removed objects. 
  • Note: stable internet connection is required to use this feature.
  • Generative Remove also lets you choose from multiple variations, so you can pick the one you like best, giving you full creative control. 

    Checkout the FAQ and Best Practices
 
Please give it a try and share feedback and/or report variations in this community forum. It would greatly help to include details like which app you are using (i.e., Lightroom Classic or Camera Raw) and other system details. Our team will continually monitor this thread to track issues to improve the future experience.
 
Lisa Ngo: Lightroom Product Manager
Posted by: Rikk Flohr 

Update (Dec 2024):  With the new release, it is no longer necessary to perform Generative Remove Operations prior to Cropping. 

Update:
Here are some tips if you are having issues with the feature replacing your object instead of removing it. 
  • Enlarge your selection - if your brush stroke is too tight, you will have unexpected results.
  • Remember that removing an object means painting over it, its shadow, its reflection, and any non-contiguous pieces. If you leave behind a shadow, a reflection, or a disconnected piece (e.g., a hand on a shoulder), the AI will attempt to create something to cast the shadow, reflect, or complete the unbrushed discontinuous item. You can avoid these issues by following the guidance provided in this linked tutorial. https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace

 

The recommended order for applying edits is:

 

  1. Denoise 
  2. Heal (includes Generative AI Remove)
  3. Crop (includes traditional Cropping, Lens Correction, Transform, or any operation changing the geometry of the image, including round-tripping to PS to use Gen-Expand)
  4. Global Edits
  5. AI Selective edits (Sky, Person, etc)

    If you deviate from that, you may see the removed object remain as a ghost image. If this occurs, you will have to use Update AI Settings, which can be found under the Develop module 'Settings' menu.

 

Correct answer daleducatte

Hi, I'm getting the same error messages, as are some other people.  There's a recent post on Reddit from an Adobe employee that Adobe is aware of the problem and is working on it. See here:

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Lightroom/comments/1fka2el/suddenly_unable_to_use_the_remove_tool_due_to/

894 replies

Participant
June 23, 2024

This new arase tool is amaising!

Participant
June 23, 2024

Spot removal sucks now. It doesn't remove all that I select even with the opacity all the way up. The size also sets itself for some reason. It just keeps getting smaller and I have to resize it a million times. I really hate this update.

johnrellis
Legend
June 23, 2024

[This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

 

@samantha382101567ggi: "Spot removal sucks now. It doesn't remove all that I select even with the opacity all the way up."

 

To which Remove mode (button) are you referring: 

 

Remove (), Heal (), or Clone ()?

 

The names of these have changed a few times over the years, and the current naming is very confusing. There are separate issues and bugs with each, so it's important to know which one you're using. 

 

Also, please post a full-resolution screenshot (not a phone pic) showing the problem.

 

 

johnrellis
Legend
June 23, 2024

@samantha382101567ggi: "The size also sets itself for some reason. It just keeps getting smaller and I have to resize it a million times."

 

Unfortunately, this is a year-old bug for which Adobe hasn't prioritized a fix:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/camera-raw-bugs/p-retouch-circle-automatically-becomes-smaller-on-images-with-transform-adjustments/idi-p/13902283 

 

Please add your upvote and details of how it occurs to that bug report.

joshuap5291131
Participant
June 23, 2024

I'm finding it really struggles to remove things from the edge of the frame smoothly. It tends to leave a messy blur behind.

johnrellis
Legend
June 23, 2024

@joshuap5291131: "I'm finding it really struggles to remove things from the edge of the frame smoothly. It tends to leave a messy blur behind."

 

The current Remove design (for better or worse) looks at all the pixels of the original photo, including those that have been cropped out by Crop, Lens Corrections, and Transform. If you don't select all the pixels of an object (e.g. because they're cropped out), Remove will try to match the remaining pixels. So temporarily disable those tools, apply Remove, and then re-enable them. 

 

See this article for details and other tips for how to get Remove to reliably remove objects:

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

 

If this doesn't help, please attach the original photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. If the forum won't let you attach it, upload it to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here.

alexskunz
Inspiring
June 23, 2024

This is a great tool for speeding up the process of removing more complex distractions from photos. What used to be a round-trip to Photoshop and back that could, before the days of generative AI, take half an hour, is now a matter of seconds. Thanks!

 

I'm sure this has been mentioned in this long thread, so here's another voice of concern with regards to the detail quality of the generated patches: they are generally rather low in resolution, and the bigger the generated patch, the easier it is to spot it. I'm working with 36-45 mp raw files on a 5k monitor and am hoping that this will improve in the future.

 

Again, thanks for a very useful tool.

johnrellis
Legend
June 23, 2024

@alexskunz: "I'm sure this has been mentioned in this long thread, so here's another voice of concern with regards to the detail quality of the generated patches: they are generally rather low in resolution, and the bigger the generated patch, the easier it is to spot it. I'm working with 36-45 mp raw files on a 5k monitor and am hoping that this will improve in the future."

 

There are indeed other posts here about textures and details not matching, sometimes on small patches and sometimes larger. I've observed it in some uses but not others. I think it would help Adobe to understand the scope of the issue by attaching here a full-resolution JPEG of the original photo plus a screenshot (not a phone pic) showing the selection you used.

Inspiring
June 23, 2024

Great impressive start !

I like not having to go to Photoshop to do it.

I found one problem when trying to remove human being, it generates an other human being instead of removing it.

However, very nice tool.

johnrellis
Legend
June 23, 2024

See this article for how to more reliably remove objects:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

Most complaints about Remove are addressed in the article. But if it doesn't help, please attach the original photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. If the forum won't let you attach it, upload it to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here.

hidenise
Participating Frequently
June 22, 2024

If it has been mentioned before, pardon me, I was not going to read 1K+ responses.

The feature (AI generated remove) is amazing. What took me 10 minutes to take out (export to Photoshop and clone/heal for a more accurate removal) takes 10 seconds.

I've noticed that the red dot appears under remove button when I reopen the image file that have AI generated remove in a new session. I am perfectly happy with the results at the time I've quit the application. Could you rewrite the code so that Lightroom won't prompt me to update the remove setting that I am already happy with? I understand when AI generated masks and such needs an update after certain operations but is there a way for the user to"ignore" these prompts and turn off the red dot?

 

Thank you.

johnrellis
Legend
June 22, 2024

@hidenise: "I've noticed that the red dot appears under remove button when I reopen the image file that have AI generated remove in a new session. I am perfectly happy with the results at the time I've quit the application."

 

LR normally remembers all the removes you've done and doesn't require you to update them when you restart LR. See here for one possible way to fix your LR:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lightroom-classic-generative-ai-remove-tool-not-saving-edits-or-reverting-after-finishing-a-photo/m-p/14695970#M369810

Inspiring
June 22, 2024

I think it's worth making it easy for people to flag if generative AI has been used to create parts of the photo. Either for their own editing/photo/catalog management, or if they want to be transparent about generative AI use as they use/share/publish the image. 

 

I don't know if that's keywording, like you can specify with Enhance; a separate type of flag; a separate filter/Smart Collection selection option; or what. Just... something. Nothing forced, just an option.

 

You can already create a Smart Collection/filter that looks for something with any AI-based removal. Maybe just add Generative Remove as a separate option there. While it's billed as another removal tool, it really is different in the ability to create a full-on replacement with something entirely new in a way the others don't.

 

(It is in the file if you save metadata to file and truly dig for it—run exiftool on the file to find "Retouch Area Fill method : firefly".)

Ian Lyons
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 22, 2024

@umlautnord 

Adobe are rolling out a technology called 'Content Credentials'. It's currently in many of the products utlising FireFly. Lightroom Desktop and Adobe Camera Raw currently include Content Credentials as a Technology Preview but not yet Lightroom Classic. I expect that it will probably be incorporated into Lightroom Classic at some point in the future. More details on Content Credentials can be found at https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/help/content-credentials.html#:~:text=Adobe's%20Content%20Credentials%20cloud%20is,t%20yet%20support%20Content%20Credentials.

Inspiring
June 23, 2024

Ah, sweet. I will dig in on this on that page and in LrD. Thanks.

MNauman
Inspiring
June 22, 2024

This is a great Feature for restoring old photographs that I'm doing for a researcher, and also removeing objects in Photographs I took on a trip... truely amazing.  I even removed cars, parking lot, and Motel cabins in a Momumeny Valley Photograph to get a shot of the way it was before it was developed... did a fantastic job... took 10 seconds.  Takes a little getting use to of what to select but your guidance I discovered after the fact is right on.  Sometimes I have to do it in two stages.

Ian Lyons
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 22, 2024

Great that you found the information provided in the thread was useful.

Inspiring
June 22, 2024

There is a workflow issue with this tool.
Lets say you use gen fil, and then move to a new image. You chose to use the heal tool, but decide you need to try remove it will automatically start the gen fill process.  If you click cancel its take you back to the heal too.  What about if I want to try plain old remove? I have to click on the remove tool and try to click the Gen Fill check box before the progress dialog box appears!

 

holding control whilst selcting remove removes your selection.  
Surely a better paradigm is to separate the selection part of the process (including the new object aware option), and then have a three-way choice - heal/remove/gen fill.  It is very clunky at the mo.


Participating Frequently
June 22, 2024

Lightroom Develope Visualize Spots function does not perform in the same way as in ACR (Which I prefer)