P: Revert UI to older Camera Raw UI (12.2.1) after Interface Changes

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

after updating photoshop , when i opened it for the first time there was option to use camera raw as it is (vertical film) or to change it to new UI (with new look and horizontal filmstrip ), i just clicked new UI to see how it looks , i thought if i dont like it i will just go back to using older UI but there is no option to select older UI , i contacted adobe but person who was helping me just suggested that i should install older version of camera raw or ask for help from this forum , i found it bit frustrating that if there was simple option to choose new UI so why not give option to revert back to older UI with newly updated software. maybe its bug or adobe forcing people to use new UI even if they dont like it

[TheDigitalDog]

"Missing features" that result from rolling back versions isn't a bug. You have the power to roll back or not. 

You didn't miss anything in terms of a possible so called "Classic Mode" for crop. The new behavior is the new beahvior. 

Hundreds of people complaining? Seems a stretch but if even so, the installed user base of which ONLY Adobe knows about is certainly many times larger. And in fact, there is one, yes one vote here so that is what Adobe here is looking at. 

There seems to be strong opinions about how software should be developed, by people (AFAIK) having no experience developing software. 

[TheMerchant]

Frankly, in the field that I work in (photojournalism), ACR was critical in editing large volumes of photos quickly and efficiently. The amount of editing required in photojournalism is quite minimal so the previous iterations of ACR were great for this. 

ACR has improved over time and has cool new features but the sacrifice has been in the efficiency of the tool itself. This is a similar reason as to why in the field, one does not want a catalogue. Just ingest (with Photo Mechanic), select, edit, and save. Adding more clicks to find the tools one needs makes editing slower. Just think of having to download 700 RAW files from one period of a hockey match, tag and select the winners, then edit in ACR and batch save, then write precise captions, and finally upload (~6 pictures) all in the 15m break between periods. This is the reason why people are frustrated with a change.

I'm certain that if I went over to Adobe and changed the keyboard of every employee to a brand new, fancy DVORAK keyboard, they would be frustrated to say the least. Of course, they'd have the option to downgrade to an older PS/2 QWERTY if they went through the trouble of going to their IT admin office and asking for one. 

The argument that few people are complaining is likely because few people bother, as it was mentioned, to log in to make noise about a change. In addition, lots of people will let things go without updates to avoid these kinds of workflow issues. The problem is that at some point, the update becomes necessary or one simply does it thinking of a new feature (enhance image quality, for example). It is then that one finds out that the workflow is now broken.

The "just downgrade" argument misses the point entirely. 

[TheDigitalDog]

The arugmement isn't simply  "just downgrade". You can do that of course. 

You can adapt to the new toolset. 

You can find another tool. 

You can maybe build another tool. Some of us have experience building software tools and not pleasing everyone. 

You can complain and vote. 

That's about it. 

Assuming what you'll find from Adobe engineers and PMs is rather silly and non productive. Unless you believe (incorrectly) that all the Adobe team members plot how to ruin tools for you because that's their aim. It isn't. 

You are entitled to have an opinion. I am just letting you know that not everyone shares it.

[JimDPhoto]

While the new ACR offers many advancements, the new crop tool is a time-wasting mess. There shouldn't be a need to lose all of the new features to get back the classic, superior, crop tool.

[TheMerchant]

JimDPhoto:
100% agree. I want all the cool stuff in the new ACR. And yes, the layout is different and I would be willing to get used to that layout as well even though change is always a bit uncomfortable.

The new crop tool, however, is a completely different matter. Like I said, it's the feeling of trying touch type on deadline with DVORAK keyboard. And yes, DVORAK is technically faster than QWERTY but who changes their keyboard just because they read this fact? 

From the replies we got, it seems they have taken a condescending posture regarding a very simple request. As if this change negates all of their other hard work in other areas. It doesn't at all. It simply overlooks the workflows of a lot of people. 

I mean, even in Canon cameras you can change the direction of the shutter/aperture wheel through custom function! And we are being obtuse for requesting a classic crop? It would be a bit funnier of a problem if wasn't frustrating in a professional setting. 

[CreeDeaux]

I gave the new interface a chance. It sucks. This isn't just some old dog who can't adjust. I've adjusted, and the new interface is objectively slower and clunkier. This is bad design. 

Yes, we can manually downgrade, but let's convince Adobe to un-botch ACR for future updates. 

• The single biggest issue: The collapsing panels on the right means that each correction category constantly moves, depending on what panels are collapsed or expanded. Under old ACR, if I wanted to go to sharpening, I didn't have to look for it: the button to access sharpen controls is in the exact same place, every time. My hand can flick to it immediately without thinking.

Under this new layout, I always have to visually hunt for every category, every time. Because sometimes what I want is 300 pixels from the top of the screen, sometimes 600, maybe 900, it depends on what panels are open. NOBODY LIKES THE BUTTONS THEY USE FIFTY TIMES A DAY TO MOVE CONSTANTLY.

• Because everything is lumped into one super tall column, you have to scroll to access some controls. And some controls are now hidden/collapsed, presumably to save vertical space. I don't want the controls I use every day to be hidden, and I don't want to scroll. You can avoid both, with the old horizontal tab layout.

• Lumping every control to the right side creates visual clutter. There's a reason Photoshop keeps layers and other panels separated from the toolbar. We don't want controls stacked 2 or 3 layers deep when there's plenty of room for controls along the top (or left side, if someone uses the horizontal filmstrip). 

• Simple, common controls like leveling, or the transform tool, are not immediately accessible anymore. 

And while I've adapted to it, why did someone move the general "Save" button away from its partners ("open", "cancel" and "done") and to the top right, where no program on earth puts its save button? And why convert the panel headers into full english words, but change an already crystal clear "save" button into a mysterious download icon? And if you HAD to go with an icon, why not the floppy disk that's meant "save" for 40 years? 

I know this is very ranty, but try to look at it as an idea. A very good idea, from a very good designer. Not me, the person Adobe hired to create the previous ACR interface. That person really knew how to save people time. You should listen to that person.

[jlhider]

I do not agree with this being marked as the "Correct answer" as it seems to overlook what I consider a fundamental crop tool issue. I have given the revision to the crop tool some time to see if I can get used to it (or if an update will provide the option to normal crop behavior). I have figured out what the tool is doing and technically, I can crop with it, but not with any sense of precision.

The problem that I encounter is that when I grab, let's say the right handle of the crop tool and drag it to the left, the handle itself moves with my input motion, but the image also moves (in the opposite direction). I can see that this behavior is keeping the cropped image centered in the workspace, but the resulting motion of the image is changing the context that I am working with (I am trying to move the handle to a specific part of the image - the image itself is what I consider to be the context). In real-world physical space, if I am cropping a photo, when I move my straight edge, my photo stays put. So, my expectation is that when I move a handle, the image is going to stay still while I make the adjustments. 

Perhaps many people find the "new" behavior helpful for experimenting with the cropped composition as a whole - I don't know. But what I do know is that I would find it useful if the image could be kept stationary when I am moving the handles.

Perhaps a lock button as an option, which would keep the image stationary, could be a step toward addressing this particular issue.

[Matteo Grander]

I'm surprised someone managed to turn this into a generation thing.

[charlesb12994120]

The new style interface is much less clean and intuitive vs the old (12.2 and before).  Can we get an option to revert without losing new features?  

[Max23264295jy9c]

Indeed, the older version is far superior, reverting back after every update is tedious.

[TheDigitalDog]

Indeed, the older version is far superior, reverting back after every update is tedious.
By @FeedbackCommunityMember

Turn off Auto Update in Adobe Creative Cloud, you'll be locked into the old versions you now prefer.

[peterb86513089]

I duuno. When it first came out I didn't like it much. I wasn't (and still am not) a Lightroom user. But you know it kind of grew on me, and I am hooked on those new masking tools and being able to add, subtract, invert, and interset them. I used to spend for ever trying to paint complex masks before. I don't think I would like to go back to the old UI now.

But that's just me and my opinions, and I am just an amature - I don't rely on these products to make a living.

Peter

[kcodunn]

Thanks Chris, you are great. 

[Max23264295jy9c]

Couldnt have said it better myself!  Find the designers of the old ACR and let them fix this mess!

[BCNisly86]

It looks like this thread got combined with another one again? I'm glad for the additional upvotes for adding a legacy/classic cropping option to ACR, but I'm no longer seeing my original post "Camera Raw: Revert Cropping Behavior" and this current thread seems much broader than just the changed cropping tool behavior (where you move the photo behind the cropping tool instead of moving the cropping tool). I was just looking for the same option in ACR that is available in Photoshop. There are some other good points here though.

[Lumigraphics]

I do believe the UI ship has sailed, hit a reef, sunk, and been salvaged by now. This isn't the first uproar over changing the UI and likely won't be the last. Adobe does listen (the Lightroom import fiasco from a while back) but rarely.

[bruceb76700895]

Reverting? Wouldn't want that to happen now that ACR has been updated post
the original a few weeks ago. The newest UI is just great.

Kindly cancel this request. And thank the programmers at Adobe. And
remind me to wait for fixes after updates.
Cheers,
Bruce

--

[bruceb76700895]

Wait!! Please do not close this thread !!! I mistook this for another
issue concerning the latest update to ACR. There is an issue with the crop
tool in ACR that is still unresolved.

Thank you !!
Bruce
[please turn off signatures]

[Ash Mills Photography]

Evolution is not always progress and often ends in extinction.  We had simple, logical steps that could have helped some people without changing anything for those happy with the changes, but they have been trampled sadly by obfuscation, deflection and agression.  Adding an option for legacy cropping etc was hardly asking for square wheels.

[Colorado22]

Well said! I ran a photography business for 10 years - routinely processing 2K images per event.  Bridge, Camera RAW, and Photoshop were my bread & butter.  In an emergency, I was asked to shoot an event w/a rapid turn around.  Got on to process it tonight and I am dead in the water Command B doesn't work, Camera RAW adjustments are gone, called customer service 3x's and finally got someone, after another 13 minute hold, and he hung up on me as I was trying to ask what I should do. I am just beginning to figure out what has happened but this is BEYOND frustrating and time consuming.

[PECourtejoie]

HEllo, I fail to see the link with this discussion...

[wl88758290]

Today after installing PS on my new PC, I realized that it came with the hard-to-use awkward CamRaw 14. In order to revert it back to the UI that Everyone (that's right) likes I had to install CamRaw 13, 12.4 and then 12.1, but after that PS just crashes everytime. Eventually I had to install PS 2021 + CamRaw12. I THANK YOU Adobe for not listening to the users on CamRaw.

[davescm]

Hi , I've moved your post from the Photoshop forum.

Don't make the mistake that you speak for 'Everone'. Many, including me, prefer the newer layout.

Dave

[pixelfor]

Adobe support did a remote and it took about 10 minutes of pressing buttons to figure out how to get the Bridge screen the way it was before the update came out. I don't feel so bad when Adobe support has to guess at what to do. This is about the Bridge 2023 update that let you select to leave everything the way it was before Adobe walked in and out of the room.

[michaelgfx]

Still incredibly frustrated at the infficient, illogical interface from recent ACR versions. Forcing power users to use Lightroom-style interfacing. I still, years later, work at around 50% the speed editing raw files. I switched back to old ACR as a test and my raw editing speed dramatically improved within an hour. The interface is just superior for people that don't batch process everything.

Less clicks, shorter distance between clicks, the interface better represents information such as color (the color sliders are still incorrect on later versions). 

Unfortunately 12.2.1 no longer works well with the latest versions of photoshop - it crashes when opening files, most of the time. So the end has come for those among us that preferred editing using ACR. If anyone has a tip how to keep running 12.2.1 with photoshop 2023 I'd be grateful!