Updating the virtual copy after editing the original file

[Malthouse Photography]

Hello,

I've seen this thread https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/how-do-i-change-a-virtual-copy-into-the... which talks about "Photo>Set Copy As Original" and that's not my problem nor what I want to do.

I've got a CR2 file and I've edited it and saved it as a TIF.

I now have 012345-Edit.tif and 012345.cr2 in my folder.

I then create a virtual copy of the TIF. I have 012345-Edit.tif Copy 1 and I convert the virtual copy to B&W and do various tweaks (dodge/burn etc).

On reflection I decide to alter the TIF. In this case I change the original to extend the canvas upwards above the original image and make a square image when the original was 3:2 ratio.

I close Photoshop and the B&W virtual copy does update. It takes a few seconds but it does so.

So far, so good.

If I go into Develop mode the Virtual Copy looks odd. It looks squashed from above.

I go to the original TIF to look at the ratios and in R mode I see a 1:1 ratio on the TIF.

I go to the virtual copy to look at the ratios and in R mode I see a 3:2 ratio!

I tried pressing "reset" on the crop and straighten tool. That didn't fix it.
I tried choosing 1:1 on the crop and straighten tool and it cuts off the sides (remember I extended vertically above the original image).

What I have done to get around this is that I have created a new virtual copy 012345-Edit.tif Copy 2 and done a copy and paste of everything but the crop from the Copy 1 version.

I'm simply wondering if there is a more slick way to do it than that!

[GoldingD]

Hmm, was not aware that editing a master, would alter a virtual. Will have to try that out (normally I create a virtual, with the first history state selected, starting the virtual from no edits)

At any rate, curious as to why you are creating a virtual copy of the exported TIFF as opposed to the edited RAW. Then making your alternate edits to the virtual RAW. Then editing that in PS.

[Malthouse Photography]

@GoldingD I didn't re-edit the original RAW. You've either mis-read or mis-understood the intent of what I wrote. I'll explain in more detail.

I get a RAW file I like and I do basic edits to it in the develop module.

Some of the required edits are going to need a round trip into Photoshop - I've got some stuff I want to clone out and Q just won't cut it!

That gives me a colour TIF.

Whilst that could be job done in this case I want to do some B&W conversions and try alternative crops.

So I make a VC of the TIF.

(I did do the edits before and applied a crop but Photoshop crop is destructive and cuts off the edges not allowing me to try other crops in future so I've re-done the whole lot and will apply crops only in Lightroom on VCs.)

I like my B&W conversion (which has further dodge and burn and a vignette compared to the orignal edits that the TIF got from the RAW edit) so I don't want to lose that... however I decide that the crop isn't working for me and the easiest thing to do is to add a little height at the top of the image to allow for a square crop.
Clearly I can't do that on the VC so I go back to my TIF and edit that.

I wasn't sure if the edits would run through or if I'd have to create a new VC.
The edits of the TIF *do* flow through to the VC which is what I wanted (I actually edited out another couple of bits of distracting elements that I spotted at the same time) and the extra height shows in the VC in Grid view but crucially when I go to Develop module the VC looks squashed vertically and R tool shows a landscape 3:2 rather than the new 1:1.

Does that make more sense?

[TheDigitalDog · Accepted solution]

Short answer (if I understand your workflow/questions): You want to create a new VC.

The VC is just a 'snapshot' of what you produced when you made it up until you edit that VC itself. Just think of it as just another independent document. 

FWIW, you can non-destructively crop in Photoshop. Look at the Crop toolbar options. It is possible to crop without deleting the pixels. But LR probably will not see that newer crop. 

Moving from parametric edit (all edits in LR/ACR) to actual pixel editing (in Photoshop) and back has some issues and as such, ideally, you'll do all parametric edits first, even if that means multiple VC's before you end up in Photoshop.