Open Smart Objects as Layers in Photoshop

[kathyb36448023]

I've been having two problems with getting multiple raw files to move from LR classic into one PS document.  I've tried to use the Edit in-Open as Smart Object Layers in Photoshop, but only the first selected file opens in PS.  I've also tried to open each raw file as a Smart Object separately.  With multiple files open as Smart Objects in PS, I tried to select all/copy/paste one of them onto another.  The file I copied lost its Smart Object icon when it was copied into the other file.  Even if the Open as Smart Object Layers was not working, I would think the copy/paste method could give me multiple Smart Objects in one file.  What do you suppose is the problem?  I'm using the latest updates for both LR classic and PS, operating on a Windows 11 desktop, also updated.  Thanks for your help.

Kathy B

[JohanElzenga]

I just tried it on my Mac, and it works just fine.

[kathyb36448023]

Thanks very much for your reply. I want to work with two Smart Objects in one Photoshop file. The raw files are in Lightroom. I can open each separately as Smart Objects but can’t get them together in one file without one of them rasterizing.

[Michael J. Hoffman]

You should be able to drag and drop the smart object layers between documents in Photoshop, both of the reposes above have been people confirming they can do that. Perhaps you can describe your work flow within Photoshop more precisely?

[JohanElzenga]

Thanks very much for your reply. I want to work with two Smart Objects in one Photoshop file. The raw files are in Lightroom. I can open each separately as Smart Objects but can’t get them together in one file without one of them rasterizing.
By @kathyb36448023

I understand that, but you should not have this problem. Sending two raw files from Lightroom to Photoshop as smart object layers is a new menu option (until recently you could not do that) and when I try it it works fine on my Mac. Even if it doesn't work for you, you should still be able to open the raw files as separate smart object documents and then drag & drop one of them onto the other to get them as layers in one single document. The fact that you cannot do that either may suggest you need to reset the Photoshop preferences.

[GoldingD]

I attempted this on my Windows 11. and it works fine.

[GoldingD]

 I want to work with two Smart Objects in one Photoshop file

Ah, I think we (well I) misunderstand what you are trying to do.

You want two images in LrC, to merge into one image in PS?

I read you wanted to Edit in PS as Smart objects. Missed the as one image part. My test is as shown in the video:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pg676t29p0yzv9fnkk5bn/2024-07-12-12-16-07.mp4?rlkey=8m4d0yqhe4b12litm...

edit/followup,  my test is invalid, wrong edit in PS method.

[GoldingD]

with getting multiple raw files to move from LR classic into one PS document.

OK are those multiple images, perhaps a bracket of shots, that you apparently want to merge:

• for a Focus bracket, for a Focus Stack
• for a Exposure Bracket, for a Dynamic range merge (HDR)
• for a Panoramic
• for a collage
• Other

[kathyb36448023]

I appreciate these questions and hope this clarifies. I am taking the images into PS to manually blend the exposures. Most of my processing has been done in LR. Once I have the two files as layers in PS, I will use masks to blend them. It would be really helpful to preserve the LR edits as Smart Objects so I can tweak the edits directly in ACR. Perhaps there’s some setting in either LR or PS that needs to be changed?

Kathy
Sent from my iPhone

[GoldingD]

Ah, I see I need to revisit when I get back to my PC. My test was using the wrong button.

[GoldingD]

Revisit.

I am not a PS person, I stumble around in it, primarily use PS for odd bits that LrC does not do well. Photo Merge via Smart Objects is not one of those I visit. So keep that in mind.

/followup/ Hat tip to JohanElzenga, this is a new option in LrC ( Open as Smart Layer Objects in PS), perhaps back in April 2023 (v12.3?)?

In my first test, this time using in LrC:

/Edit In/ Open as Smart Layer Objects in PS/

I have problems. Oh PS opens, I see the Layers, but dang if I cannot accomplish the merge in the way I am used to. You might want to tell me just what the heck I am doing wrong.

see this video:

• https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hdyghs0w7e5mo8mk4yqcf/1.mp4?rlkey=tdz00wksipdggcxuz8azhvord&st=3ubw9l...

Now, going back to how I would have done this in the past, in LrC:

/Edit In/Merge to HDR Pro in PS/

I do not have an similar issue. Note that I can turn the resultant file into a smart object before closing.

see this video:

• https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wa2u1029wsvznsprmsjzu/2.mp4?rlkey=aa4qtyh27r4a5b7on7yb5bmll&st=779lzh...

And if:

/Edit In/ Open as layesrs in Photoshop/

• https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/te09jx41as0hvamnse33x/3.mp4?rlkey=72tevjgvex0cq3u8m517b7i68&st=bwya63...

[Conrad_C]

I've tried to use the Edit in-Open as Smart Object Layers in Photoshop, but only the first selected file opens in PS.  I've also tried to open each raw file as a Smart Object separately. 

By @kathyb36448023

That is unusual, Open as Smart Object Layers in Photoshop works on my Mac, so I am not sure what’s causing the problem on your side.

Recently, one possible cause of Edit In Photoshop not working was someone using one of the very new Snapdragon X Elite laptops that run Windows on an ARM processor instead of Intel. But if you are using a standard Windows PC with an Intel or AMD processor, that should not be the cause.

Have you tried the completely manual way? It takes a few steps, but it should always work.

1. If you want existing edits applied in Lightroom Classic to be visible in Photoshop, select both images in Lightroom Classic, and choose Metadata > Save Metadata to Files. This writes Lightroom Classic edits out to XMP sidecar files so that Adobe Camera Raw will see the edits from within Photoshop. (You never have to do this step when using the Photo > Edit In commands in Lightroom Classic, but again, I’m describing the fully manual way.)

2. Switch to Photoshop, and create a new document of the pixel dimensions you want. If you want it to match the uncropped raw images, set the new Photoshop document to those pixel dimensions. For example, if I am combining images from my camera that records 6000 x 4000 px images, I create a Photoshop document at 6000 x 4000 px.

3. In Photoshop, choose File > Place Embedded, select one of the files, and click OK. The file is placed through Camera Raw (click OK there to apply existing edits), and it’s added to the Photoshop document as an embedded Smart Object layer that displays the edits from Lightroom Classic.

4. Repeat step 3 for the other image. At this point, the Photoshop file should contain the two images as separate embedded Smart Object layers, and you can go on to combine them however you intended.

5. If you aren’t going to do anything with the default Background layer, you can delete it. That should reduce the Photoshop file size somewhat.

At this point, the Layers panel should equal what you are supposed to get when, in Lightroom Classic, you choose Photo > Edit In > Open as Smart Object Layers in Photoshop: There should be one raw Smart Object layer for each of the raw files you added, for two layers total in this example.

Advanced options:

If you want the Photoshop file to use less storage space, you can import the raw files as linked Smart Objects instead: In step 3, choose File > Place Linked instead of Place Embedded. Place Linked does not copy the actual raw files into the Photoshop document, but instead it refers back to the originals.

If you want to be able to send raw edits back and forth between the originals and the instances in the Photoshop documents, place them as linked Smart Objects, and in Lightroom Classic:

• To send Lightroom Classic raw edits to linked raw Smart Objects in Photoshop, choose Metadata > Save Metadata to Files. 
• To have Lightroom Classic pick up raw edits made by double-clicking linked raw Smart Objects in Photoshop, choose Metadata > Read Metadata from Files. 

This workflow is not completely reliable, and should only be used by someone who fully understands how to troubleshoot how Lightroom Classic and Photoshop each handle changes to metadata and previews.