Update Process Version

[otto_c]

With LR Classic CC v17.0.1/Camera Raw 10.0 (Windows 8.1) -- in Develop mode under the Histogram on the right-hand side there is an icon looking like a lightning bolt, that when you hover over with a mouse shows Process Version 3 with a pop-box that says, Update to Current Version.

First of all. I have no idea what happens if I tell it to update, and,

Secondly, if I decide that the update is appropriate, how do I update all my photos without laboriously going through them one by one? This also leads to the question of what happens if different camera models have been used? I have digital photos going back 15 years, some of which have not yet been imported into Adobe.

Perhaps this all makes no difference but I just do not know. Thanks.

[kglad]

[moved from Adobe Creative Cloud to Lightroom Classic CC]

[JP Hess]

You're probably not going to notice a lot of difference, depending on what process version you have been using. If you choose the option to update all the images in the film strip, then Lightroom will update all of the images in that particular folder. You can also go to an image that you haven't done any editing on at all and change the process version and then save new camera defaults. Then a new process version will become the default version for all new imports. As far as all of your old images that haven't been imported yet, they would then be processed with the latest process version.

If for some reason you feel compelled to apply the current process version to all of your images, you could go to the library and choose "All Photographs" under "Catalog", and then go back to the Develop module and highlight them all and turn on auto-sync and change the process version to the current one. Then watch the  progress bar to ensure that Lightroom completes the task.

[johnrellis]

PV 3 (PV 2012) images will be automatically updated to PV 4 unless they use Auto Mask.  Here's what the Lightroom Queen says:

• New Process Version for changes to local adjustment masking (Auto Mask, Range Mask).
  • New Process Version is called PV4.
  • Old Process Versions renamed to PV1, PV2, PV3.
  • PV3 images that don’t use Auto Mask automatically update to PV4 when you make Develop changes.
  • PV3 images that use Auto Mask remain as PV3 unless you use Range Mask.
• Auto Mask now respects image noise reduction settings to help reduce “speckling”. Results may be different than previous versions, so only applies to Process Version 4.

The automatic update appears to happen the minute you adjust a develop setting on a PV 3 image.

[JP Hess]

Thanks, John. I haven't really paid a lot of attention to the new process version. It seems that when I imported new images they were importing with version 3. So I changed my default settings. I wish I were a little less technically challenged.

[johnrellis]

I haven't noticed yet what my pics import as, but I have noticed that PV 3 automatically changes to PV 4 when you edit a photo.  So it probably doesn't matter whether they import as 3 or 4.

[twometrebill]

Some statements above are incorrect:

1. Selecting all images in the Develop module and choosing Update Process does not affect any of the photos.

2. Adjusting a slider in an old process photo sometimes updates the process and sometimes it doesn't. Haven't found a pattern yet. Appears to be camera sensitive but that would more likely indicate the age of the image. I'm confused about this one for sure.

The only thing I've found that always works is to update them one at a time in the develop module. While the changes are usually invisible (calibrated 5K monitor on Windows), the huge improvement is the activation of the new sliders for Highlights, Shadows...

So one at a time, guess I can live with it.

Best check with Lightroom Queen to see what she has to say.

[johnrellis]

Adjusting a slider in an old process photo, does not update the process.

I observe what the Lightroom Queen stated: If I edit a Version 3 photo and change Exposure, the process version changes immediately to Version 4, unless the photo has a local adjustment with Auto Mask set, in which case the process version remains at Version 3.

Selecting all images in the Develop module and choosing Update Process does not affect any of the photos.

I observe it working differently: In Develop, I select all the images in the filmstrip and click the lightning bolt in the lower-right corner of the histogram.  When I click the button Update All Selected Photos, the process version on all the selected photos changes to Version 4.

The only thing I've found that works is to update them one at a time in the develop module.

I don't know why you're observing something different than what the Lightroom Queen describes and I observe.  You could try another method for updating a batch of photos: Change one photo to Version 4. Do Settings > Copy Settings, Check None, check Process Version, Copy.  Then select all the photos in the filmstrip and do Settings > Paste Settings.  (Alternatively, you can use Sync or Auto Sync, but Auto Sync is dangerous when you forget to turn it off.)

[twometrebill]

After doing more testing, new results.

In the attempt to update them all to the latest version, I did:

1. in the Develop module
2. select all the images
3. Settings dropdown
4. check Update to Current Process
5. nothing happened
6. no progress bar
7. using the Lightning bolt in the Histogram worked
8. but to make it work, first select an image on the old version
9. then select them all and the Lightning bolt will show
10. if an image at the current version is first selected, then all selected, the Lightning bolt does not appear

Regarding the sliders not updating the version, I've narrowed that down to JPG images taken 13 years ago with a Nikon E880. I've tried all the sliders and none of them update the version. Going back and updating my whole library and these did update. This old images had been imported but never had any editing of them.

[twometrebill]

For those who would like to repeat the slider test, here is one of the images not updated with a slider. Don't you just love the dynamic range of this camera.