P: Incorrect Help for "Apply Subject and Sky masks in batch edit"

[John R Ellis]

The Help for "Apply Subject and Sky masks in batch edit" has several errors. It says:

"1. Open a photo in the Develop module.
...
3. Click Copy at the bottom of the Presets panel...
4. ...select the photos you want to paste the mask to. You can use the filmstrip for this.
5. Once the desired photos are selected, click Paste. You can also press Ctrl/Cmd-V."

- The section title should be "Apply AI masks in batch edit", since the instructions apply to all types of AI masks.

- Step 5, clicking Paste, won't update all the selected photos in Develop or in Library Loupe -- it will only update the most-selected photo.

- The shortcut for Paste is Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+V, not Ctrl/Cmd+V.  And Adobe's convention is to use "+", not "-", in keyboard shortcuts.

* * *

The instructions should be rewritten to use one of the methods that does work:

- Do the Copy/Paste Settings in Library Grid view.

- Use the Sync Settings command.

- Right-click one of the selected photos and do Develop Settings > Paste Settings. (Yes, that behaves differently than the Paste button or the main menu command Photo > Develop Settings > Paste Settings.)

See here for the user who got tripped up by the incorrect Help:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/masking-on-batches-not-working-properly...

[MSaarikko]

I tried to apply subject and sky masks in batch edit as noted on https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/masking.html and when I hit Paste it pasted to only 1 image out of 299 selected and when I attempted to keep pasting the copied preset all of sudden LR crashed. 

Nice update, but I think you have to fix your software a bit more because this annoys me a lot, especially when I want to do timelapses out of my photos and editing them individually isn't an option!!

Maybe better to use Capture One or Luminosity than Adobe's software when it comes to masks.....

No, I won't be following this other than waiting for an apologize from Adobe and an update that fixes this "AI" pasting bug!!

[TheDigitalDog]

If LR crashes, try resetting your  preferences:

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/setting-preferences-lightroom.html
Also see: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/important-steps-for-manually-resetting-...

Quit Lightroom Classic.
macOS: Press and hold the Shift + Option keys.
Windows: Press and hold the Shift + Alt keys.
While holding down the keys, launch Lightroom Classic.
When asked, select "Yes".

[John R Ellis]

"I tried to apply subject and sky masks in batch edit as noted on https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/masking.html and when I hit Paste it pasted to only 1 image out of 299 selected and when I attempted to keep pasting the copied preset all of sudden LR crashed."

Those instructions are incorrect. When you're in Develop or Library Loupe (one image showing), the Paste command applies to the most-selected photo only, not all the other selected photos.  This is by design, but it's caused much confusion over the years.

There are a several ways to copy settings to a selection of multiple photos:

- Do the Copy/Paste Settings in Library Grid view.

- Use the Sync Settings command.

- Right-click one of the selected photos and do Develop Settings > Paste Settings. (Yes, that behaves differently than the Paste button or the main menu command Photo > Develop Settings > Paste Settings.)

[John R Ellis]

I filed a bug report:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/incorrect-help-for-quot-apply-subject-and-sky-...

[TheDigitalDog]

To be clear to all, the bug is in the documentation (I upvoted). 

The other issue is, why is LR crashing for the OP; that shouldn't happen. 

[SunilBhaskaran]

Thanks, John.
We are looking into this.

[MSaarikko]

It's a fresh installation of 12.0.1 and I have only 1 preset which I made for this batch, so I don't believe there is anything wrong with the preferences other than the internal system not working as it should.

Syncing in Develop mode asks me if I want to replace or merge, also confusing. Why in the bloody hell would I want that? I just want to get things to go smooth, not to be complicated. Hence why some people made their own softwares that go around your software and do the trick, although those softwares cost more than what Photoshop did back in the days...

I'm expecting Adobe to fix this, properly, and make it easier for us who do timelapses to have an option to just copy/paste and get it to all of the batched images without complications, restrictions, stupid requests etc!

[MSaarikko]

This is how it looks like when I attempt to do what John wrote on his guide.

The Copy/Paste Settings in Library Grid view doesn't work at all, no effect. While the Sync Settings command does this. Right-clicking > Develop Settings > Paste Settings does as it did before, 1 of 1 only.

Adobe, fix your damn software(s)! How many times do I have to nag about this until you actually start listening??

It's not worth paying $9.95/mo on something that never gets fixed, instead you focus on adding some other features in it but never fix the actual problems. Fix the problems, then add features!!

[John R Ellis]

@SunilBhaskaran, I see that the documentation is fixed already:

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/masking.html#batch_process

Excellent.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Document is updated

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Greetings all,

Updates for Adobe Photography products have been released.  The February 2023  updates contain a fix for this issue. 

If you do not see the update in your Creative Cloud Application, you can refresh it by hitting [Ctrl/Cmd]+[Alt/Opt]+[ R ].

Note: It may take up to 24 hours for your update to be available in your Creative Cloud app.

Thank you for your patience.