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I sent away Smart Previews to an editor and cannot get them to show changes on my end

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
May 11, 2018
3 replies
4174 views

What are we doing wrong?

I built Smart Previews, sent them to my editor, and she can work on them and use them just fine. She applied my presets, straightened and cropped, added colour coding, and flagged images for rejection. She sent them back, but I can't see any changes!

Something is missing but I've never used these before. Any input would be very appreciated.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Rob_Cullen

We are seeing different opinions on this topic, and details are difficult to explain.

I have found some notes I made some time ago, so will inset the text-

WORKFLOW FOR OUT-SOURCING

CLIENT is the Photographer

EDITOR is the Contract person to develop images.

The CLIENT in the Master Lightroom catalog-

1. Select the folder of images for editing

2. Right-click to [Export this folder as a Catalog]

3. Save the exported catalog folder in a suitable location and name (eg. “Job for Edits”)

4. Set the Export options-

Export Negative Files (No)

Build/Include Smart Previews (Yes)

Include available Previews (Yes)

5. The Export result is a folder containing-

Catalog “Job for Edits”

Regular Previews

Smart Previews

6. Send this Folder to the EDITOR. (Dropbox is one method)

The EDITOR-

1. Opens the Catalog “Job for Edits” (No Importing from another Catalog needed)

2. Does all the Develop work.

3. Sends the Catalog “Job for Edits” back to the CLIENT as a .ZIP file (or Dropbox)

Preview files are not needed!

The CLIENT

1. Opens their Master Catalog

2. Selects Menu > File > Import from another Catalog.

3. Select the “Job for Edits” catalog returned from the EDITOR. (See * below)

No Previews to import!

File Handling: *~~Add New Photos to Catalog without moving~~.* Don't add new photos.

Replace: Metadata & Develop Settings only.

Preserve Old Settings as Virtual Copy (If you want to keep previous CLIENT editing.)

4. [Import]

5. Master Catalog Previews update with Development by EDITOR.

* If the EDITOR has created extra Derivative files from raw images- TIFF PSD JPG etc, then placing/copying the Catalog “Job for Edits” back within the original folder of images, will add these ‘New’ files into nearby folders in the library folder structure when the [Import from another Catalog] is invoked.

EDIT: The EDITOR could NOT make derivatives from the Smart Previews! (eg. Edit in Photoshop)- The original files would be needed.

I correct my notes on gained knowledge.

DdeGannes

Community Expert

I do not think that even if you have the "automatically write changes to xmp" option selected in Lightroom Preferences that Lightroom will be saving these changes to the "Smart Previews". By default Lightroom reads and writes to the Catalog File, writing to xmp option allows info to be shared with Adobe Camera Raw which default is to write to the file since it does not utilise a Catalog File and cannot read or write to the Lightroom Catalog File.

Does Adobe Camera Raw actually utilise "Smart Previews"????

I ask this question since, while I use Adobe Photoshop, I do not utilise Adobe Camera Raw or xmp files in my workflow.

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

DdeGannes wrote
I do not think that even if you have the "automatically write changes to xmp" option selected in Lightroom Preferences that Lightroom will be saving these changes to the "Smart Previews". By default Lightroom reads and writes to the Catalog File, writing to xmp option allows info to be shared with Adobe Camera Raw which default is to write to the file since it does not utilise a Catalog File and cannot read or write to the Lightroom Catalog File.
Does Adobe Camera Raw actually utilise "Smart Previews"????
I ask this question since, while I use Adobe Photoshop, I do not utilise Adobe Camera Raw or xmp files in my workflow.

It normally doesn’t. However, if the client sends only the smart previews, then all the editor could possibly do is use those smart previews as if they were originals (so import them in Lightroom, or open them in Camera Raw). Then it would be possible to write metadata to them, but the problem would be how to ‘relink’ them to the originals on the client side.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

but the problem would be how to ‘relink’ them to the originals on the client side.

Exactly!

And the reason why it has to be done by Export and Import of a CATALOG for the OP's purpose.

Smart Previews, although they are DNG files (called "Proxy files" and pixel size limited), must be considered as a 'cache of previews' essential for the catalog, and not individual photo files.

OTOH You can use Smart Preview files (DNGs) independently by copying them from the SP cache, but they come with cryptic file names like 00E8AC00-FF66-4513-8D0C-E2D4CA97D0B9.DNG and once removed from the 'cache of proxies' they become 'new' files that are not referenced anywhere in Lightroom- hence cannot be re-linked to the originals in the Master catalog.

(A user who deleted their original images could use the SPs to recover photos- akin to the plugin to recover standard previews as JPG files)

Fun experiment-

1. Copy a Smart Preview file 00E8AC00-FF66-4513-8D0C-E2D4CA97D0B9.DNG and rename COPY.DNG,

2. Import COPY.DNG into LR (as a new file)

3. Develop

4. Save metadata [Ctrl+s]

5. Open COPY.DNG file in Photoshop from File Explorer (not LR)

6. Image opens in ACR with the edits!!

Proven: Can embed XMP edits into a Smart Preview DNG 'copy'.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .

L

littlecanoephotosAuthor

Participant

To Add: I have never used smart previews for outside editing before. I need lots of details please. This is super new to me

Rob_Cullen

Correct answer

Community Expert

We are seeing different opinions on this topic, and details are difficult to explain.

I have found some notes I made some time ago, so will inset the text-

WORKFLOW FOR OUT-SOURCING

CLIENT is the Photographer

EDITOR is the Contract person to develop images.

The CLIENT in the Master Lightroom catalog-

1. Select the folder of images for editing

2. Right-click to [Export this folder as a Catalog]

3. Save the exported catalog folder in a suitable location and name (eg. “Job for Edits”)

4. Set the Export options-

Export Negative Files (No)

Build/Include Smart Previews (Yes)

Include available Previews (Yes)

5. The Export result is a folder containing-

Catalog “Job for Edits”

Regular Previews

Smart Previews

6. Send this Folder to the EDITOR. (Dropbox is one method)

The EDITOR-

1. Opens the Catalog “Job for Edits” (No Importing from another Catalog needed)

2. Does all the Develop work.

3. Sends the Catalog “Job for Edits” back to the CLIENT as a .ZIP file (or Dropbox)

Preview files are not needed!

The CLIENT

1. Opens their Master Catalog

2. Selects Menu > File > Import from another Catalog.

3. Select the “Job for Edits” catalog returned from the EDITOR. (See * below)

No Previews to import!

File Handling: *~~Add New Photos to Catalog without moving~~.* Don't add new photos.

Replace: Metadata & Develop Settings only.

Preserve Old Settings as Virtual Copy (If you want to keep previous CLIENT editing.)

4. [Import]

5. Master Catalog Previews update with Development by EDITOR.

* If the EDITOR has created extra Derivative files from raw images- TIFF PSD JPG etc, then placing/copying the Catalog “Job for Edits” back within the original folder of images, will add these ‘New’ files into nearby folders in the library folder structure when the [Import from another Catalog] is invoked.

EDIT: The EDITOR could NOT make derivatives from the Smart Previews! (eg. Edit in Photoshop)- The original files would be needed.

I correct my notes on gained knowledge.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .

DdeGannes

Community Expert

@WobertC, so the crux of the issue is the original poster need to utilise the Export as a Catalog function to send the files for editing by the processing provider. Thanks for the detailed workflow.

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.

dj_paige

Legend

Your editor needs to send back an .xmp file with the changes (assuming these are RAW originals)

L

littlecanoephotosAuthor

Participant

Do you mean xml? I was told just to send them the Smart Previews (dng files) and they send the original file back to me. No exporting, just send back the previews. If this is wrong I need more detailed instructions. I don't understand how to use these files.

dj_paige

Legend

hourglassimaging wrote
Do you mean xml? I was told just to send them the Smart Previews (dng files) and they send the original file back to me. No exporting, just send back the previews. If this is wrong I need more detailed instructions. I don't understand how to use these files.

xmp

These are files created by LR (if you turn on the option) that store your edits. The editor needs to send you the xmp files.

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