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FrostyOfTheNorth
FrostyOfTheNorth
Known Participant
February 23, 2019
Question

External editors disappear

  • February 23, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 7383 views

I thought I'd spend some time today trying out a few photography editors to work in conjunction with Lightroom.  Simple, right?  Just install the editors and use the standard right-click > edit in > app sequence in Lightroom?

Nope.  None of the editors I installed showed up in Lightroom as external editors, even after installing, uninstalling, rebooting, checking support articles, and other time-wasters.

And then I read this:  "Occasionally, after running a Nik Collection installer, the software may not be installed correctly in Adobe Lightroom. This seems to occur because the “Store Presets with Catalog” option in Lightroom's Preferences is checked. This option is in Edit > Preferences > Presets OR Lightroom > Preferences > Presets. Un-checking this box will make all of the plug-ins appear in the Photo > Edit In menu."

Yep, that was the problem.  If I uncheck "store presets with catalog" the external editors all appears.  If I check it again (which is what I want), all the external editors disappear again.

C'mon Adobe.  Why???  I want to store my presets with catalog and use external editors.

What's the solution to this?

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

GoldingD
GoldingD
Legend
February 24, 2019

Adobe does have a very specific folder where third party plug-ins should go, and it is up to the third party producer to code their installers appropriately. Mind you, several versions back, the location changed.

If one third party plug-in has issues, it is not Adobe’s fault, nor responsibility to run thru hoops to make say DxO happy.

As for storing presets in the catalog, if you want to, Ok, but causes all sorts of issues in new catalogs. of course, you can fix that by copying any missing preset to your catalog.

The number one reason that Adobe included that option, is so if you gave someone a copy of your catalog, the presets would go with it (nit optonal way to do that at all)

FrostyOfTheNorth
FrostyOfTheNorthAuthor
Known Participant
February 25, 2019

davidg36166309  wrote

Adobe does have a very specific folder where third party plug-ins should go, and it is up to the third party producer to code their installers appropriately.


Right.  Although I'm talking about external editors (not third party plugins), the idea is the same.  No doubt Adobe has mandated a standard for third-party installers to follow for apps to be added automatically as external editors.  And whatever that standard is, these installers have followed that protocol.  The external editors appear -- but only if "Store Presets With Catalog" is unchecked.

davidg36166309  wrote

If one third party plug-in has issues, it is not Adobe’s fault, nor responsibility to run thru hoops to make say DxO happy.

Please re-read my original post.  I'm referring to multiple products from multiple vendors.  Their installers all seem to follow the proper installation procedure, because they do show up as external editors -- but only if "Store Presets With Catalog" is unchecked.

As soon as that option is exampled, they disappear from the list of external editors.  So yes, it is Adobe's responsibility to fix a bug (or unintended consequence or whatever you want to call it), and not anyone else's responsibility.

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2019

"store presets with catalog" is not the 'norm' for most Lr users, so the common default location that External Editor presets are created is in the default folder like-  C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\External Editor Presets.

Installers, like NIK, do not know 'where' you store your presets (with catalog!) and so install in the default folder.

You can use the OS to Copy&Paste the {External Editor Presets} from the default location to the "with Catalog" location and carry on.

The disadvantage of "store presets with catalog" also means if you have more than one catalog you have to copy&paste presets to each catalog folder.

Using the default location means that each and every Catalog you use will all access the same presets in the default folder.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
FrostyOfTheNorth
FrostyOfTheNorthAuthor
Known Participant
February 23, 2019

Surely Lightroom should intelligently account for the "Store Presets With Catalog" option -- otherwise why offer it as an option at all?

I don't use more than one catalog so that doesn't apply to me.

FrostyOfTheNorth
FrostyOfTheNorthAuthor
Known Participant
February 26, 2019

Hi 'Frosty'

Thanks for an interesting discussion.

I DO see your point of view-  Why can't Lightroom (automatically) 'copy' presets for EEs from the Global location folder to the Catalog folder when option is set to [Store presets with catalog]?

Maybe your post at Photoshop Family Customer Community will eventually prompt Adobe to code Lightroom as you want.

All the best to you.

Robert


Thank you.

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