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 edits is:

1. Denoise 
2. Heal (includes Generative AI Remove)
3. Crop (includes traditional Cropping, Lens Correction, Transform, or any operation changing the geometry of the image)
4. Global Edits
5. AI Selective edits (Sky, Person, etc)
   
   If you deviate from that, you may see the removed object remain 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.

[johnrellis]

@LongView: "Why is it that it seems to be impossible to completely remove an object from the edge of an image?"

The photo probably has Crop, Transform, or Lens Corrections applied, all of which crop the photo. Apply Remove first then those commands. See this article for how to remove objects more reliably:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

Most complaints about Remove are addressed in the article. But if it doesn't help, please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.

[LongView]

Thanks! I read all the related links and it's working much better now!

[ChristianFrank]

Teilweise überraschend gute Ergebnisse. Leider bringe ich es nicht zustande, ein kleines Stück unpassenden Hintergrund, zu entfernen und dafür den daran anschließenden Hintergrund einfügen zu lassen.

[johnrellis]

@ChristianFrank: "I can't remove a small piece of unsuitable background and have the background inserted in its place."

Please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.

[Sara38921655kblf]

Love the added feature, but it doesn't remove completely.  There's always a faint outline left before at 100% opacity.  Photoshop does a better job than lightroom.

[johnrellis]

@Sara38921655kblf: "There's always a faint outline left before at 100% opacity."

Are you applying Remove on top of a Sky mask?  If so, then do Settings > Update Ai Settings?

If not, then there have been some reports about replacements not matching the background color exactly. You can often work around that by making a much larger and/or raggedy selection around the object, e.g. 

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

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

If these suggestions don't help, please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.

[Gerard38305403cjab]

All AI functions are NOT remebered 
My computer crashed 
And after i can go further with the foto's i must restore all pictures with AI

[johnrellis]

@Gerard38305403cjab, see if the fix in this post helps:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/quot-some-remove-settings-need-to-be-up...

[Gerard38305403cjab]

The REMOVE tool is NOT a replacement tool
Please delete / remove selected

[johnrellis]

@Gerard38305403cjab: "Please delete / remove selected"

See this article for how to remove objects more reliably:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

Most complaints about Remove are addressed in the article. But if it doesn't help, please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.

[JBedfordPhoto]

I'm guessing it's been mentioned already, but the blending between areas of subtle gradient variation is one of the tool's weaknesses. The occasionally successful workaround employs the use of the original healing brush which does a far more accurate job in blending tones.

[johnrellis]

@JBedfordPhoto: "blending between areas of subtle gradient variation is one of the tool's weaknesses."

There indeed have been a number of reports about replacements not matching the background color exactly. You can often work around that by making a much larger and/or raggedy selection around the object, e.g. 

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

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

[tom38971491noxg]

I assume its probably been mentioned, but it really doesnt work well with film stocks. in particular film grain. where ever you apply it's left smoth without grain. So theres a clear line from the effect to the image. 

[johnrellis]

@tom38971491noxg: "it really doesnt work well with film stocks. in particular film grain."

There have been a number of reports about not matching sky and other uniform backgrounds but none here about grain. Please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so Adobe can see the issue in detail.

[gary_sc]

@tom38971491noxg, I'm not at all surprised about this. For reasons that are beyond my pay grade, a photograph of an slide, negative, or photo does not respond the same way as a scan of the same. For example, if you try to "Transform" an image in LRC that was photographed, it doesn't work right. If you scan that same image, it works just fine. While I've not tried it recently, using Manual Noise Reduction on a photographed photo, it just doesn't understand film grain. The scan works "better," but is still a challenge.

For speed purposes, you cannot beat photographing other media, but for quality, you need to scan.

I'll do some tests later today on using Generative Remove on some of the images I've photographed and some I've scanned and get back to you.

[gary_sc]

OK, in a nutshell, it didn't make much of any difference when removing objects if the analog image is photographed or scanned. As far as the grain is concerned, IF when taking the photo of the analog image, you also introduced digital noise, that could be removed with either ACR's noise removal or Topaz (sorry, if you have another third party noise removal, that's the only two I have to test with. However, I think it's safe to say that the results would be similar.

Film grain, however, still remains a big issue for digital repair. Grain is best removed at the time of capture using scanning and using Silverfast, I was able to remove the vast majority of grain very successfully. 

I found that Adobe's Denoise did little to nothing to remove any grain, but Topaz did an OK job unless it got very dense. But light grain was removed was removed by topaz. Again, Topaz is the only 3rd party noise removal software I have, so I cannot test them.

But again, I found no difference from removing objects following the Lightroom Queen's guidelines whether the image was digitally created, photographed, or scanned (plus a bit of luck).

[photoprosa]

Funktioniert garsde mal eben so was von überhaupt nicht. Entfernt die markierten Linien kein bisschen. Ganz großer Murks.

[johnrellis]

@photoprosa: "It doesn't remove the marked lines at all."

See this article for how to remove objects more reliably:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

Most complaints about Remove are addressed in the article. But if it doesn't help, please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.

[Tony37092199t2ye]

I have been loving this feature in Lightroom Classic, however, randomly this week, with a new update presumably the Generative Remove feature now does not remove the object selected, it merely tries to recreate it, which is  frustrating.

[johnrellis]

@Tony37092199t2ye: "the Generative Remove feature now does not remove the object selected, it merely tries to recreate it"

See this article for how to remove objects more reliably:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

Most complaints about Remove are addressed in the article. But if it doesn't help, please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.

[Dewalt0101]

since LR can show spots easily they should be able to add a feature to automatically remove the spots as well.

[gary_sc]

Sorry, @Dewalt0101, I'd rather be shown a possible spot and for me to remove than trust that what it shows is what I'd agree with to be removed.

Not all regonized spots should be removed. That's the human brain at work.

[Dewalt0101]

Agree I would not want to automatically remove the spots but at least select all and then give me the option review and edit the choices to remove.

with underwater photography we get a lot backscatter/spots which can take significant amount of effort to select one by one for removal.

[Gordon28902884axxe]

I'm not able to remove (AI) high tension wires from the sky. Any idea why those are not recogniced.

[johnrellis]

@Gordon28902884axxe: "I'm not able to remove (AI) high tension wires from the sky."

There's a couple of possible causes of that. See this article for how to remove objects more reliably:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

Most complaints about Remove are addressed in the article. But if it doesn't help, please attach a full-resolution JPEG exported from the unmodified original photo, so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. With nearly everyone who has posted a problem photo, we've been able to show how to quickly remove the desired objects.