UI issues

[Takeone.Digital]

Photohsop 27
LightRoom Classic 15

intel i7

Nvidia Gforce

64 G RAM

SSD Drive 

I want to enable to run the smooth face filter in Photoshop. There's a bug report. No big deal - went to read a discussion on Adobe's unusable forums.
Found a thread where one of the postsers say that a previous version works. I unistall the latest and re-unstall a previous version through the mamgement- spyware (that runs a zillion processes at the same time called Cloud (I never use that) so that Lightroom knows about the old Photoshop version so I can "link" from edit in - to the right version. It doesn't help. I went to Lightroom and looked for Photoshop connectivity - and once again, the menus make no sense and there's no order by importance or operation!
Adobe -Instead of releasing 12 new who ha look AI new features versions every year, stop everything and just fix your mess.
I hate your ecosystem, your menus, your twisted logic and needs to hide from the user things that are especially important to him (such as know bugs, installation location, dozens of process etc.
Stop your marketing focus and start producing software that respect us and not behaving as a initial beta version! 
Stop your marketing
many leave to Devici resolve and Avid because of your continued disrespect for customers.
Customers are the company - you forgot that a long time ago!

2 hours 

[richardplondon]

I am not going to comment on your personal reactions to the software, which are a matter for you, apart from on the specific issue of "logic". Very often we find most logical whatever we are most accustomed to. And there is a large user-base that has used Lightroom Classic - and its predecessor product naming - for many years, and whose familiarity with the present interface is a given, and thus IMO a constraint on any revolution in what the software does, or in how we get it to do that. There has been some more measured evolution nonetheless, and will continue to be so I expect.

The detection of a given version of Photoshop with which to "partner", is largely about order of relative installation of Lightroom Classic and of the particular PS version number or variant (such as a Beta).  That detection is what is seen in the upper part of the External Editing config screen in your screenshot. 

The lower part of that screenshot appears to show just one set of configuration but in fact is an interface for setting up, and for later updating or removing, any number of external-editing named presets. These presets free you up from reliance only on whatever particular PS instance and settings may be, or may not be, shown in the upper part of the dialog. So that can employ literally any editing program or utility which is capable of opening a file saved to the format chosen (not limited to Photoshop): as invoked by browsing to that program executable. 

These external editing presets are then available to choose instead of the default detected PS whenever you want, as part of starting a fresh external edit for an image. A new external file is saved first and only then is the chosen external app told to open that, so that constitutes a different workflow behind the scenes. Consequently that workflow is image-by-image and cannot involve sending multiple images for HDR or Pano combining, nor use as PS Layers, of a single file. Those options are specific to the more integrated partnering with PS (if any) seen in the upper part of that dialog.

I think once the desired version of PS is chosen / detected after reinstall as needed, things will get a lot easier. So, activating under the Ctrl+E / Cmd+E shortcut. Otherwise, benefits for these external editing presets include if one exceptionally may want to send out images to an unusual external file format + bit depth + colorspace combination.

[Takeone.Digital]

thanks Richard,

In user interface design, there is a major logic - how quickly the user manages to perform the task. That is, when something is important or is used frequently, then it cannot be in a third submenu with a small button - and without explanation.
The claim that old timr users will find the interface (which remains consistent) more comfortable across versions is questionable because it can only be tested against another interface. If you believe that Adobe's interface design is aimed to make it easier for old time users, you can check Photoshop's preferences in the same version on several screens and that there is no consistency (position, size, element type, shape etc.) From my experience, I think Adobe underestimates users and therefore we accept their poor interfaces - including tiny buttons in a remote location of important things.
The corporation's interest is to enforce it's ecosystem and make it difficult to switch to another company iterfaces. This is not unique to Adobe but it's still terrible.

The whole thing with presets and connectivity to other versions of Adobe software should be managed and configurable during installation through their inefficient "cloud software".
Why they don't let you choose the installation location if you they let you upgrade and install many product in one button?  
P.S
the smooth face works on Photoshop 26.03.

[JohanElzenga]

Try this. Uninstall both Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. Reinstall Photoshop (whatever version you prefer) and then Lightroom Classic. This order is important.