P: Large numbers of brush strokes leads to slowdowns and can cause an image's edits to reset.

[C.Cella]

In Lightroom it is impossible to edit a photo as much as we want or need, using Masking regardless of the hardware you have.

EXPLANATION 

Let's say you want to edit a photo with Masking to your heart's content OR because you need to change many aspect of the photo.

Logic tells you "we have Masking so obviously it's possible to do masking safely and as much as I want"

Reality is that in Lightroom Classic there is an "upper limit" of local edits that we can have on a photo: once we reach that "upper limit" the photo will be be reset.

So in Lr it's not possible to sue Masking as much as we want/need.

Usually if you have lots, lots of edits on an image other editing software struggle and get progressively slower and slower (if one has powerful hardware generally slowdowns don't happen or appear later) but in LR a photo can reach a point where it's no longer editable and it will be reset NO MATTER THE HARDWARE YOU HAVE.

All Masking tools (gradients, spot removal, brush, Ai, et...) contribute to reaching this "upper limit" of local edits BUT Brush is the tool that contributes the most because each strokes is made of countless of dab points that are heavy to process.

Here I have attached a preset for everyone to use.
Apply it on one of your photos that already has Masks and your photo will be reset. (Please be sure to undo, or use another another history step or Snapshot to revert back to your safely edited photo)

This "Reset Bug" is a huge problem/limitation AND as long as it exists we users will never, ever be able to use Masking as much as needed/wanted in Lr.

For the record this issue is not present in Adobe Camera Raw or other non Adobe softwares: it is totally unique to Lr.

As far as I have tested we can have "infinite" number of local edits in ACR...logically with many, many mask ACR becomes progressively slower but there is no photo reset.

Best Practice When Working in ACR and LrC using Masking

If you are doing Masking in ACR and import the photo in LrC (or import settings form disk if the photo is in the LrC catalog) then the photo will either be slower to edit OR be reset in LrC.

If a photo is resetting in LrC then you must go one step back beore the reset after that you can finish editing it in ACR but unfortunately you can't safely open/import that photo in LrC again as the edits will be unusable by LrC

Keep a Virtual Copy in LrC before you edit in ACR or import form ACR.

That Virtual Copy will be always usable in LrC.

Best Practice with Brush Tool

1. Create a new Brush Mask for every single stroke you do. This way you can delete the stroke(s) that you don't like, redo them better and go back to an editable photo when the reset happens.
2. I recommend to ONLY use Subtract as and never user Erase Brush that adds dab point but are not visible in the overlay. Subtractions are always visible in the overlay and can be deleted.
3. If you are working with Brush Density I recommend to ALWAYS keep the same Brush Density in the same Correction and ideally write it in the Correction's name. On the same correction a new brush with different Density will overwrite the previous stokes adding more dab points above the ones created but in the overlay it looks like you did fewer. It you find a that a brush at the current density is not giving you what you want then: create a new correction > use the same settings AND use Brush with a different Density in that correction.

I personally work with very low flow and keep always Density at 100 for all my corrections. When is see that a brush is not enough or too much and is not giving me the result I want I: delete it > create a different Correction with  higher/lower different settings and brush there but the Density is always at 100.

P.S.
I was the first to discover and report this back in 2017 in this thread. (The username is different but it's me)
I bring it back as a full fledged Bug Report upon request of the Adobe team so please moderators do not merge this with existing Bug reports as this needs to be traceable as a standalone.

[C_Cell]

I have encountered a bug/flaw in LR that resets photos to their original state and ultimately meas that I/we can't really edit a photo as much as I/we want.

This is what happens:

1) I import the photo and edit it (contrast, color correction, lens correction, etc...)

2) I then start do local retouching (dodge & burn, etc...) on the photo.

3) at one point if I add 1 one more dodge & burn stroke the photo resets to its import state as if the XMP was empty but it's not. (Going back in history one step saves the photo but I can't continue retouching)

WHAT I TESTED

1) I can add any other adjustments such as radial filters, graduated filters safely

1) I can continue to retouch, do dodge & burn, in Bridge and thus in theory edit in full BUT when I read the modification in LR the photo resets.

Bridge apparently has no problems in therms of how many retouches can be done/applied and it's way faster than LR.

2) It happens on MAC and PC.

3) If I sync the local adjustments to another photo, that photo as well will suffer the same fate so my guess is t's a problem in the way the XMP is written/read by LR.

4) photos that have been edited more extensively work perfectly so I can't tell why it is happening.

5) it takes often minutes to then load a photo already adjusted in LR in Photoshop so the workflow is terrible.

I have 16Gb of RAM + 4GB dedicated GPU so hardware isn't the source of the problem.

I contacted Adobe support in hope they can help and fix this but I wanted to share this as well.

If anybody has a solution for this I would really appreciate.

[john beardsworth]

Remember that LR saves your work in its catalogue, not in xmp. xmp is irrelevant to LR, except as a way to communicate with other apps such as Bridge. It can write and read xmp, and there is a setting to automatically save it.

It sounds like you are reading in the metadata without having first saved it.

[C_Cell]

I set so that LR saves changes to XMP that's why in Bridge I can open the same file and continue retouching using the same adjustments.

The issue is that LR at some point "acts" it is as if the photo was zeroed but it's not.

The fact is I can't fix it, with the support we tried everything in remote session and they could not do anything.

[Just Shoot Me]

So the question I have is why are you going to Bridge, and I guess ACR from bridge (because Bridge is a File Manager), to do more edits because all edits you can do in ACR can be done in LR using the exact same tools as in ACR. LR Includes ACR, the Develop module.

[C_Cell]

@Just Shoot Me

I go to bridge because I can't continue editing in LR...I wish I could

One more brush stoke in LR and the photos goes to zero...it's a nightmare.

Using Bridge it's a workaround, but it's not practical because those changes are only accessible in Bridge.

[NTomMac]

When I move to the Develop in LR Vibrance and Saturation are already corrected. Not adjustments that I normally make. I checked my camera settings, thinking I was doing something there; reset everything. Now I know it's LR Classic. Any help would be appreciated. I've looked for two days on the forum for help and this is the first time I've seen anyone with a similar problem.

[Just Shoot Me]

Does this happen with every image from every camera you have, or and have those images in the LR catalog?

Sounds like you have set the Defaults for that camera model and serial number. You can reset that back to adobe default settings by selecting an image from that camera then go to the Develop menu item, in the Develop module, and select Set Default Settings. Then in the dialog that comes up select "Restore Adobe Default Settings".

You also might want to delete the LR preferences file. That fixes a lot of inconsistencies in LR.

[C_Cell]

I have only one camera and it happens with certain photos as I retouch (dodge & burn) them in LR, can't explain why!

I tried as you said and reset the default settings and it doesn't work: I add one more brush stroke, as soon as the action it's registered in the history the photo goes to zero.

Deleted the preferences several times with Adobe support, the issue is still there.

[NTomMac]

It started happening in September with Exposure being set at -1.25 and the camera model was automatically set from Sept. forward. I've changed to the default setting to see if that will help. It didn't change the vibrance and saturation on the image until I Reset. I haven't deleted Preferences yet.

[C_Cell]

I have a different problem.

In my case LR literally resets my photo on its own.

(I don't understand you issue specifically but if Vibrance and Saturation are corrected on their own without you doing it then you might have have some develop preset applied on import by mistake, without noticing it...that's my best guess)

[NTomMac]

I'll keep looking!

[axmelissarios1]

Hey C.Cell​,

Just saw your Tweet about this issue - I reviewed the case notes about this issue. I have a few questions so we can narrow down where exactly the issue is stemming from. However, your answers will be specific to your system and some personal files you have. I'll continue our correspondence on Twitter for your privacy so please look there for a reply from me.

Thanks,

Melissa

[C_Cell]

Ok an update on my situation.

Abode has my files and they too have experienced the issue.

[DdeGannes]

@C.Cell Just so you will be aware Lightroom and Bridge function differently with respect to the use of XMP files.

Lightroom default method of operation is to read and write to the Catalog file and stores all your work done in Lightroom.

Bridge on the other hand default operation is to store information as a XMP sidecar file with respect to raw files and in the file header for dng, tiff, jpeg files.

It is possible have Lightroom also write to XMP file either manually prompting to do so from the Lightroom menu or selecting "Automatically write to xmp in the preferences".

Writing to xmp from Lightroom allows Bridge/ACR to read the Lightroom edits. Bridge cannot use the info in the LR Catalog file.

However if you subsequently make additional edits using Bridge the info in the XMP file will be changed. These changes are not immediately changed in the Lightroom Catalog. The next time you are working with Lightroom and select files that has a mismatch of info between the LR Catalog and the xmp you should get a prompt which provides an option to make a change and read from the file. When you select this option the info in the Catalog will be overwritten and replaced with the xmp data from the file. If you are not seeing this popup warning in LR you may have selected the option to stop the error prompt and this is now happening without your knowledge.

Having the automatically write to xmp in Lightroom needs to be managed if you are also using Bridge to make changes to your files.

[C_Cell]

@DdeGannes

I am very aware of that.

The problem is that even if I write the changes on the XMP in Bridge once I read the changes form XMP in LR, for some unknown reason LR decides to resets the photo/edits anyway effectively making me loose everything.

This is part of the issue for me.

If the edits are effectively written on the XMP by ACR/Bridge why is LR unable to read them properly?

Why does LR resets everything?

Why can ACR write changes to XMP safely but not LR?

Also this happens on DNG as well.

[DdeGannes]

Quote

"I am very aware of that.

The problem is that even if I write the changes on the XMP in Bridge once I read the changes form XMP in LR, for some unknown reason LR decides to resets the photo/edits anyway effectively making me loose everything.

This is part of the issue for me.

If the edits are effectively written on the XMP by ACR/Bridge why is LR unable to read them properly?

Why does LR resets everything?

Why can ACR write changes to XMP safely but not LR?

Also this happens on DNG as well."

That's the point when you read the xmp from Bridge if it is different from what is in the Catalog then, what is in the Catalog will be overwritten i.e. replaced.

[Just Shoot Me]

Not sure this has been asked before.

When going back into LR is there a symbol, icon, with 3 lines and an upward face arrow in the upper right hand corner of the image?

And if you click on that symbol, icon, are you selected "Import Settings From Disk".

I am not having any problems going from LR to Bridge/ACR or Bridge/ACR back to LR and having LR either write or read the XMP settings.

Could you post one of the images you are having this problem with to Dropbox or the like so we can try working with it.

[C_Cell]

@DdeGannes

Please read what I wrote.

I understand how xmp works perfectly.

The problem is that LR rests the changes when it reads them from the xmp.

I can chose "read from metadata" or "import settings from disk" in LR and yet what happens is that everything goes to ZERO.

Zero edits, zero of everything.

I can work 10k hours in Bridge, then save everything but if I dare to open that photo in LR and read the xmp & the changes I made, I loose everything.

Bridge was my workaround, a way to finish editing what I could not finish in LR but it poses a threat not work because i have to keep a metadata conflict  and read the photo in LR it resets everything.

I can't do non destructive editing of my photos in LR itself or with an external app (ACR) without risking to loose everything.

[C_Cell]

Just Shoot Me

Yeah I get that.

The problem is that if I click "import settings from disk" then what I get is a photo with zero edits, not even the basic ones.

LR basically can't read what I did or decides to rest all to zero.

I can't send you my files, sorry it's my work and I really can't put it online.

I can send you a replacement file/photo with the same adjustments on it and if you try to work on it the issue will appear.

I sent already the original files to Adobe, they have encountered the issue and now it's up to them to fix it.

[dj_paige]

Are you sure that the XMP file actually has edits in it?

Have you opened an XMP file in a text editor to confirm that it has the proper edits in it, before you try to read it in Lightroom?

[john beardsworth]

Do an import, and review the right hand side's Apply During Import section. Is there anything specified against Develop Settings?

Are you absolutely sure you are looking at the same files in LR and Bridge? Remember that LR's Import includes a Copy option.

[C_Cell]

@dj_paige

Yes my xmp has edits, it is proved further more by its size which is, depending on the photo, is several MB.

LR is doing something wrong and I have no idea what.

[Just Shoot Me]

C.Cell  wrote

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Just+Shoot+Me 

Yeah I get that.

The problem is that if I click "import settings from disk" then what I get is a photo with zero edits, not even the basic ones.

LR basically can't read what I did or decides to rest all to zero.

I can't send you my files, sorry it's my work and I really can't put it online.

I can send you a replacement file/photo with the same adjustments on it and if you try to work on it the issue will appear.

I sent already the original files to Adobe, they have encountered the issue and now it's up to them to fix it.

In Bridge go to Edit > Camera RAW Preferences and make sure in the General area on the "Save image settings in:" line it is set to "Sidecar".xmp" files" and not in the "Camera RAW Database".

[C_Cell]

@john breadsworth

No I apply zero dev setting on import.

Same files, absolutely the right ones.

[C_Cell]

Just Shoot Me

Done already.

Bridge saves the edits right.

The problem is that those edits become inaccessible to LR because LR resets my photos as soon as it reads/loads the edits form ACR.

Another problem is that the number of edits/local adjustments I can do before LR decides to rest the phot is random, unpredictable.

For photo I worked it a lot, another photo I worked very little in comparison and yet both were affected.