P: New AI-powered Generative Remove (Early Access) available across all surfaces.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

This post applies to Lightroom Classic and the Lightroom Ecosystem products.
Post Camera Raw feedback here

The Lightroom team is sharing an early look at Generative Remove, which makes it easier to remove unwanted objects and distractions, even on complex backgrounds, with a simple brush stroke. Generative Remove is powered by Firefly AI.

How to use Generative Remove on a desktop:

• You can find Generative Remove under the newly renamed Remove panel (aka “Heal”).
• Make sure the “generative AI” checkbox is enabled before you start brushing (note: when unchecked, Lightroom will use Content-Aware Remove to fill your brushed spots). 
• By default, you will be given a moment to refine your selection with an add or subtract brush. Remember to include shadows for a more accurate result! You can also skip this step by holding down ‘CTRL’ on windows or ‘CMD’ on mac as you finish your brush stroke. 
• Once you’re ready to apply and have accepted the terms, Generative Remove will use Firefly AI to remove your distractions and intelligently fill in the space that’s left by the removed objects. 
• Note: stable internet connection is required to use this feature.
• Generative Remove also lets you choose from multiple variations, so you can pick the one you like best, giving you full creative control. 
  
  Checkout the FAQ and Best Practices

Please give it a try and share feedback and/or report variations in this community forum. It would greatly help to include details like which app you are using (i.e., Lightroom Classic or Camera Raw) and other system details. Our team will continually monitor this thread to track issues to improve the future experience.

Lisa Ngo: Lightroom Product Manager
Posted by: Rikk Flohr 

Update:

Here are some tips if you are having issues with the feature replacing your object instead of removing it. 

• Enlarge your selection - if your brush stroke is too tight, you will have unexpected results.
• Remember that removing an object means painting over it, its shadow, its reflection, and any non-contiguous pieces. If you leave behind a shadow, a reflection, or a disconnected piece (e.g., a hand on a shoulder), the AI will attempt to create something to cast the shadow, reflect, or complete the unbrushed discontinuous item. You can avoid these issue by following the guidance provided in this linked tutorial. https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace
• The recommended order for applying is: Denoise - Heal (includes Generative AI Remove) - Crop/Edit - AI Selective edits. If you deviate from that you may see the removed object remains as a ghost image. If this occurs you will have to use Update AI Settings, which can be found under the Develop module 'Settings' menu.

[michaelp40534489]

The few times that I have used have worked extremely well. Guess this will only get better with time, great feature.

[jasonb62467498]

This is working very well so far.  My only critique of this tool and the remove tool on its own, is that the output is softer than the surrounding area.  Other than that, I'm very happy with the outcome.

[johnrellis]

@jasonb62467498: "My only critique of this tool and the remove tool on its own, is that the output is softer than the surrounding area."

Sometimes Remove does a better job of matching the surrounding area when you increase the boundary around the object by a fair bit, more than you might initially do.

[Oliver35093935vjg2]

I have a really trick photo...the result is not 100% satifaction. 

[Oliver35093935vjg2]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalsublime/29457213097/in/album-72157672911150478/

Original pic

[Oliver35093935vjg2]

[johnrellis]

I'm surprised it does that well. It did a very good job on the pool, a passable job on the face, hair and clothing of the musician, not so good with the syntehsized guitar. It's got the right font, font size, and color for the sign, but it's pretty clueless about matching the actual words!  

I tried many more variants, and it sometimes gets a better face, or a better guitar, but then something else will be not good -- can't get all the elements at the same time.

[rjb138]

Another vote for getting the "Subtract" tool correct.  "subtract" means "take away (something) from something else so as to decrease the size, number, or amount."  Maybe "remove" is a better  word - "take (something) away or off from the position occupied.' and "eliminate or get rid of."

It does NOT mean "substitute" or "replace".

Many of us just want to remove something from our photo - a person, maybe just a stray arm that intruded on the edge of a photo, an animal that strayed into the frame, etc.  Using the tool to remove an item and then getting options to replace it with a cat, another person, etc. is frustrating.  Maybe after a few tries, you get it right, maybe not. 

Maybe program/teach to tool to always offer "remove" as an alternative. 

[johnrellis]

@jb138, see this article for how to more reliably remove objects:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

If that doesn't help, please attach the original photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. If the forum won't let you attach it, upload it to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here.

[Thomas333118870hqt]

I am really liking the AI removal tool for cars and unwanted features in photographs. However the one worrisome thing is that it can also remove watermarks and thus our way and right to protect our photographic work from those that wish to steal it. 

[Rgrenader]

Watermarking is the last step in my workflow, and it is done during the export process. The unwatermarked image is still available for future editing in Lightroom. 

[M S S]

I wanted to delete a ghost hand ina portrait and it didn't work.  so what is the delete action for?

[johnrellis]

@M S S, what's a ghost hand?  Please attach the original photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. If the forum won't let you attach it, upload it to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here.

[Javo Agudelo]

Hola , tengo problemas al utilizar el relleno generativo y muestra error y me toca llevarlo a Photoshop y tengo actualizado el Ligtroom que puedo hacer , alguna solucion ?

Saludos .

[johnrellis]

@Javo Agudelo: Translation of error: "Generative Erase has failed. We have detected an issue and are unable to complete your request at this time. Try it again later."

Sometimes firewalls and anti-malware / anti-virus utilities incorrectly block some network requests from LR. If the problem persists, try these troubleshooting steps:

- Temporarily disable all the firewall / anti-malware on your computer. If that solves the problem, then add a specific exclusion for LR to firewall's rules.

- Connect to another network, preferably one serviced by a different ISP. E.g. a Wifi connection of a neighbor, a coffee shop, work, or your phone's hotspot.

[Javo Agudelo]

Hola .
Perfecto voy a revisar con estas opciones si mejora por que si es curioso que no de conectar a la nube y desde el celular si me deja hacer la coreccion.

Saludos.

[eye=art]

Generative AI Remove in LRC mostly generates a smaller version of the item selected for removal, instead of removing it and generating a decent background without that item.

I've tried this multiple times and the same thing keeps happening. This needs to be improved.

Thank you.

[johnrellis]

@eye=art, see this article for how to more reliably remove objects:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

[mattzory]

I could not work around this outcome wityh any of the LR remove tools. In PS? Poof...clean as a whistle.

[Ian Lyons]

If you're referring to the 3 ghosts on the horizon, then note that they're caused by you applying the Gene AI Remove to an image that already has an AI Mask (check for red dot below the Maks icon on toolbar - see attached screenshot) or the Opacity is not set to 100.

Fortunately, it's easy to fix both  - set the Opacity to 100 or in the case of an existing mask just use the 'Update AI Settings', which can be found in the Develop module Settings menu. Alternativel, use Update AI Mask as shown in the screenshot.

To avoid the masks issue in future you should use the Remove tools before Masks.

[mattzory]

I think you nailed it -- there was already a mask applied. I ahd alreadfy tried the refresh and checked opacity but didn't know about the first Mask issue. Went back to the original and tried it without the Sky Mask. Thanks!

[Zăvăleanu380238669zhj]

It worked for a few days but since 11.06.2024 i see "Generative Remove Failed - Please check your internet connection and try again". I excluded Lightroom from Bitdefender Firewall and also resintalled it, without any effect. I also changed the DNS servers from the ISP with 1.1.1.1 and 9.9.9.9 but it's the same.

What else can i try ?

[johnrellis]

@Zăvăleanu380238669zhj: "I excluded Lightroom from Bitdefender Firewall and also resintalled it, without any effect."

Double-check by temporarily disabling Bitdefender entirely.  Also it's possible the Windows Defender firewall is active -- disable it temporarily too. If it now works with both fully disabled, then you've got to fiddle with the exclusions.

If that doesn't help, connect to another network, preferably one serviced by a different ISP. E.g. a Wifi connection of a neighbor, a coffee shop, work, or your phone's hotspot and see if it works there. I've had infrequent cases of customers of my LR plugins experience blocked network requests from local and network routers, especially in authoritarian countries like China.

[fueledbyfbr]

i've been getting the same error for the past 2 days too. it worked totally fine previously, and i'm using the same home wifi connection with no firewalls etc. could this be a bug on adobe's server?

[johnrellis]

@fueledbyfbr: "it worked totally fine previously, and i'm using the same home wifi connection with no firewalls etc. could this be a bug on adobe's server?"

It's not a server bug, it's a firewall incorrectly blocking some of LR's networking requests. It could be a firewall on your computer, your local router, your ISP, or your national government. (I've had customers of my LR plugins experience all of those issues over the years.)

You may have a firewall configured and not realize it.  I believe Windows Defender Firewall is enabled on Windows by default, but you may have third-party security packages (anti-malware, anti-virus, etc) that install their own firewalls. This post shows how to fix one issue arising with Windows Defender:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/p-new-ai-powered-generative-remove-earl... 

If you've triple-checked you don't have a firewall installed on your computer, connect to another network, preferably one serviced by a different ISP. E.g. a Wifi connection of a neighbor, a coffee shop, work, or your phone's hotspot. Sometimes the routers in these networks block LR's requests, especially in authoritarian countries like China.