Lightroom/Photoshop: Fails to export with droplet if more than one file selected

[jsmith1642]

I’ve tried the forums and Google regarding the following issue. It seems that after updating to PS 2019 v20 or later, the dropletfeature in LR’s export fails if more than one file is selected at a time.  The only workaround seems to be to create thedroplet’s shortcut on the desktop or other directory, then manually select (byFile Explorer or File Finder) and then drag the whole folder to the shortcut.  Not sure if this is the case with Mac since I’mon Windows, but others on the forum are having the same problem with notresolution as late as 10/16’s post (before mine today).  Yes, this workaround  seems to work, but that goes against all objectivesof Adobe to make things easier and more efficient, not less so by requiring anintervening export, then an out-of-application drag/drop.  Please passthis along to the appropriate  to see if we can get a fix a.s.a.p.   I used this feature many times fordirect-to-slideshow alterations to cataloged files such as applying custom stroke lines or borders.  Thanks for any help you can lend.

[Sunil_Bhaskaran]

Thanks for letting us know, James.
We are investigating.

Thanks,
Sunil

[johnrellis]

I just tried my export preset with a droplet post-processing action with multple photos selected, and it worked fine on LR 8.1 / PS 20.0.1 / Mac OS 10.13.6.

[jsmith1642]

John R,
Curious:  Are you using Mac or Windows?  I wonder if it is a Windows-specific issue.  I just tried mine again, but haven't yet updated to LR8.1, so will do that and try again. 

[johnrellis]

Mac OS 10.13.6.  In years past, there have been Windows-specific issues with droplets and invoking Photoshop.

[jsmith1642]

Since first posting this, I think I've found that it is a bug with Photoshop, not LR.  I'm currently running PS 20.01.  That is where I first noticed the problem. At the suggestion of another forum, I back-dated to a previous version of LR thinking that was the problem.  Same results.  Curiously thought, droplets made with previous versions of PS worked fine with current version of PS.  Lightbulb:  Maybe it's PS. So, I back-dated all the way to PS2017, created actions and droplets in each version from then to now.  No problem in the latest version of LR.  But, when I finally updated to the current version, any droplet created with 20.01. failed with LR (oh, BTW, with previous versions of LR also).  I've concluded that there is a bug in the way PS 20.0.1 creates droplets, at least in Windows.  Also, since originally discovering this issue, I've left PS 2018 installed and created dropets with it for current LR - no problem  So, I urge the team to look and test how PS 20 is creating droplets.  I'm convinced that is where the problem is.

[johnrellis]

Great detective work.

[winterho1]

Since the update to version 20.0 I get this message when I try to run a droplet: 

Could not run the droplet because the file could not be found. 

Whenever I select 1 photo the droplet runs fine and does what it has to do. But whenever I select 2 or more photos the droplet gives me the error-message.

[Jeffrey Tranberry]

A workaround posted on another forum, at least for running directly on the droplet is to put all the images you want to process in a folder and drop that the single folder on the droplet.

[johnrellis]

Here's another possible workaround (for Mac only) that lets you invoke the Photoshop action directly from LR Export without using a droplet: 
https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-6-4-export-problem-with-droplets?to... 

I wrote it to work around a previous droplet bug several years ago (they seem to happen every year or two), and I haven't tested it with this bug, since I can't reproduce the bug.

[johnrellis]

As a workaround, I wrote a Windows version of my script that invokes the action directly rather than via droplet:

1. Download and install the Run Any Command plugin.

2. Download the runaction.vbs script and place it in some convenient folder.

3. Change the export preset to do After Export: Do Nothing (instead of running the droplet).

4. Insert the post-process action Run Any Command.

5. Enter this command line in Run Any Command's "Command to execute":

"c:\users\john\runaction.vbs" "Auto Levels" "Default Actions" "{FILE}"

Replace "c:\users\john" with the location of where you placed the downloaded script. Replace "Auto Levels" and "Default Actions" with the Photoshop action name and containing action set that was formerly being run by the droplet (make sure they're quoted).

 

[Pete.Green]

This should now be fixed in the Photoshop 20.0.3 release.
Feel free to update Photoshop and let us know if this is resolved for you.

To update Photoshop CC to 20.0.3, click "Update" in the Creative Cloud desktop app next to Photoshop CC.
More detailed instructions for updating

Thank you for the report James!
Regards,
Pete

[jsmith1642]

Thanks Pete.  I was hoping this would fix the problem. But, it persists although in a form that causes the droplet to not even be created.  I updated PS to new v.20.0.3 and created several "test" actions in that version.  The attached screenshot shows the latest test action ("Droplet Stroke Test", highlighted), the settings, and the resulting failure message.   The only difference in these screenshot settings and the latest test is that I added a "close file" step at the end of the action, still with no success.  

Previous PS v20 attempts made the droplet, but they would not work in LR if more than one file selected as a post-process droplet.  This time, the droplet wouldn't even create in PS v.20.0.3.  

As I did in previous troubleshooting (mentioned above), I retained the older PS CC2017 version, tried the exact same action, and the droplet was successfully created as in the past.  Still unclear why this latest update that is supposed to fix this appears not to do so, at least in the Windows platform.  Please continue to have this looked at.  


Thank you.