External editing

This dialog is sometimes confusing to people: the upper part configures the default result for the default Photoshop that's found, when you choose the main "Edit in PS" option or simply press Ctrl+E.

The lower part allows you to make and manage any number of alternative ways to externally edit. The result is a custom named external editing preset (analogous to named export presets, named metadata presets etc): therefore, highly specific. When such a preset is used you get whatever has been configured into that - no prompts for anything different. If you ever do want something different that would require making and then using a different named preset.

In the case of external editing the specifics written into a preset are:

• choice of program executable to be invoked -need not be PS, and PS has no special status here
• choice of file type (PSD, TIFF, JPEG)
• choice of bit depth
• choice of (standard working) colourspace  

it is of particular note that when such a preset is used, a different interaction happens than with the main Ctrl+E behaviour. Remembering the external app chosen may not be PS and may not have ACR available, hence cannot be relied on to itself render LrC's edits: instead, LrC renders its own edits, immediately saves a file in the format stated and alongside the source image without any option to override; only then tells the external application to open this already created file. Even if you were to cancel out of the external application without saving any further changes, that file is already in existence on disk and is already imported to the Catalog.

These external editing presets are invoked by name, presented as additional nested options of "Edit In" both in the main menu and in the right-click context menu.