Option for Smart Object edits in ACR to update source DNG file in LrC & vice-versa

Question

It would be very helpful to have an option for ACR edits carried out on a Smart Object in Photoshop to update back to any source RAW file/s in LrC. It would also be useful to be able to do it the other way round, i.e. to update a source file in LrC and have it update in a Photoshop layer if embedded in the PS file as a Smart Object (ie similar to the way source files used in InDesign will update inside InDesign if edited in another app).

Use case: photographer edits a series of DNGs in LrC, also needs to edit some of the series in PS. Opens file as Smart Object in PS; adds some other elements (eg head-swap from same series); realise other elements on Smart Object layer needs editing to look right, so double click Smart Object to edit in ACR, then save file back to LrC. Realise this treatment is better for other images in series and want to copy to other RAW files, but can't because source DNG layer edited in ACR does not update source file in LrC.

It would be equally useful to be able to update a series of files in LrC and have them optionally update within PS file/s.

Suggested workflows:

PS to LrC update: LrC > Edit in > Open as Smart Object in Photoshop > make PS edits inlcuding edits to Smart Object in ACR > Save > Alet message with option 'Update source DNG file/s in LrC? Yes/No'.
LrC to PS update: LrC > edit RAW file/s > alert message to say This file is embedded as a Smart Object in [filename/s]; update in PS? Yes/No.' (If LrC source file used in multiple documents, there could be checkboxes to pick which files to update).

I had always thought this combination of Edit as Smart Object using ACR in PS was supposed to allow, and my search for a solution when it didn't work reveals this as a common confusion (and frustration!) amongst other users. However I learned via Adobe Support Chat support that the software is not designed to work this way. I wish it did 🙂

D Fosse · Answer

Here's how it works:

Opening a raw file as smart object in Photoshop embeds a copy of the raw file in the Photoshop master file. It is disconnected and separate from the original file.
Lightroom Classic writes all edits to the central catalog file. ACR writes all edits to the file header (DNG) or a separate sidecar .xmp. They don't read each others' edits.
To move edits between LrC and ACR, you need to use the Lightroom Classic commands "Save metadata to file" and "Read metadata from file" (which can be synchronized across selected files). You can also set LrC Catalog Settings to "automatically write changes to xmp", but this will slow LrC down a little bit.
It is possible to use linked smart objects in Photoshop, instead of embedded smart objects. These are updated live as you work. You can do this with raw files too, but there is no LrC command for this and LrC will still not see it until you "read metadata from file".

In short - given the current architecture - connecting all these edits would probably require very elaborate scripts to connect all the dots.

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