P: Support Common Image Formats (EPS, GIF, PDF, BMP etc.)

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Feature request: Please add Lightroom support for common Adobe publishing and Web image formats, such as EPS, AI, PDF, GIF, and PNG.

Many of us use Lightroom to manage client images in NEF, JPG, PSD and other formats. But the clients' associated images, which are used on their Websites and in their logos and publications, are invisible to Lightroom. If Adobe Bridge can display these other image formats, why can't Lightroom?

Even if Lightroom did not provide direct editing support for these other image formats, it would still be extremely useful if Lightroom could catalog and display them.

It would also elevate Lightroom from being "just" a photo editor into the realm of being a true Digital Asset Manager (DAM). Now that Lightroom includes basic video support - isn't it time to support all the common image formats that our other CS applications use?

Please vote for, as well as reply to, this request if you would also like to see Lightroom support these additional common image formats...

[Digital-Finger]

My point really was the Bridge simply did not work in one version, (on my system - and on quite a few other people's) it was as frustrating as blazes. I would just hate to have that happen in LR. Thanks for the reassurances:)

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Phil I'm with you on this. Lightrooms inability to access png files is a big, big drawback. I like the program a lot. It's wonderful in conjunction with Photoshop but it would sure be a lot more user friendly (for me personally) if I were able to access the png "parts" files that I create in Photoshop each and every day.

I can't remember if you said i, or another, but i concur, "Adobe is shooting itself in the foot" insofar as photographers using Lightroom as their DAM when Lightroom can't even access many of the images (or parts of images) used in their work. It just doesn't make sense out here in the real world.

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Thank you, Royal, for your hearty agreement that additional file support would make Lightroom an ever better product.

Now let's encourage everyone to VOTE for this feature request.

Regards. ...pt

[Digital-Finger]

OK- I voted;)

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Thank you, Simon, for voting to add support for more of the common file types we use all the time.

[flashXplorer]

Just voted to support this idea of your's Philip :-)
- w my extra suggestion for e prefs panel to choose which format to support.

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Thank you for your vote, Peter.

Yes, a preference panel that allows each person to specify which files types to support, would be a nice refinement.

...pt

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Just voted for it too. Hopefully this comes to fruition!

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Thank you for yet another vote for this feature request, Dino.

...pt

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Are there any plans to make it possible to import pdf files, view them and embed metadata in the same way as you can with other images in Lightroom?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I had an idea for those who have lots of PDF files and would like a similar cataloger function like which Lightroom provides.

You could have a collection of pdf files, but when each is clicked on you get a grid view of the pages, similar to the grid view you get in the Library module. You could switch between grid and loupe views.

It would also let you add other images/pages to the pdf (like adding to target collections) and also remove images. You would need to confirm changes for the pdf to be updated.

I have seen that Acrobat could do this but I feel that if Lightroom could be programed to at least have this minimal functionality as well as its inherent library it would be an added bonus to the whole package,

Thanks

Jon

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I'll settle for PNG export, which should be dead simple. Photoshop uses APNG extensively so it's not like they aren't familiar with the format.

Every time I want a PNG, I have to export as TIFF, fire up GIMP (an open source photo editor) and save. Every time I use GIMP, I wonder how Darktable (an open source version of Lightroom) is coming along.

One of these days I'll be able to save time by using free software instead, and that's not good for Adobe.

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Thanks, Splatigan (and Dan) for your support of having Lightroom manage PDF image files. I hope you have both voted for this feature request.

By the way, for people interested in cataloging and managing PDF text documents, applications like DevonThink and Eagle Filer are worth a look.

But with Adobe supporting PDFs in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, FrameMaker, and so on, it makes sense to add some support to Lightroom, too.

Regards. ...pt

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Yes, abivia.net, the sort of time-wasting workaround you cited is why many of us would benefit from additional image format support - right in Lightroom.

I hope you and others continue to vote for this. ...pt

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Let us INCLUDE at least the most common digital camera raw file formats too.

This can be done so easily, any manufacture could just upload them to an online repository, given how Adobe already has sufficient cloud space to provide them these tiny files or they forge an alliance to provide them.

Fastpictureviewer.com codec pack v3.1 supports raw file formats for 45+ Raw Image formats and 380+ digital camera models in just 22.8 MB! So what makes it difficult for Adobe to provide support for their own file formats, like DNG Codec v6.6 to display thumbnail previews in Windows 7 32/64 bit systems?

Even Microsoft has failed to demonstrate adequate adaption of current industry standards, with their own (lame) camera codec pack.

Link: www.microsoft.com/download/en/details...

Must everyone need a dozen different photo viewers and a dozen different media players just to view photos and videos? This doesn't even contend with ODF, DOCX, XML or PDF/WPS compatibility issues, as everyone would and will experience.

Even Lightroom LR4 when exporting v6.6 DNG photos will NOT be viewable by the Windows operating system basic programs such as Windows Explorer and Windows Photo Viewer, since Adobe only provided DNG Codec as v5.6!

This isn't even rocket science, it's only a matter of coordination before releasing their own product into the market by insuring it functions on that platform (operating system). But, I seriously doubt anyone at Adobe will read any of these comments.

It's all for "show"... The real way to get exposure is to put up your own web site, and get it syndicated by the media. So everyone joins in on the boycott as a measure of getting satisfaction?

Consider "Outlook's broken—Let's fix it" (www.fixoutlook.org ) or “Fixing Windows 8′′ (www.fixingwindows8.com ). These sites kindly show there is a need to fix the product, but fail to get satisfaction since both do not take any steps like boycotting the failure until reformed or fixed.

Gandhi had liberated India from the Crown of England, without having fire single shot. But it seems in this present development nobody wants to expect higher standards, certainly not in their leaders, as evidence of the usurper in office.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

You might want to take the time to read the site, and all the responses, before guessing about who reads it and what action might be taken.

[FMRhoades]

Now that CS6 is going to recognize (and perhaps even partly interact with) stereo photograph formats such as JPS and PNS, Lightroom should do the same.

[Geoff Vane]

For newsroom and webroom systems, Lightroom would be great.
But TGA and PNG files can't be read it.
TV Stations tend to have a lot of TGA files.
I'd really like to alter and catalog them with Lightroom.
It would be ideal.

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Thanks, Geoff, Fred, and other recent responders.

Please keep voting for Lightroom to include support for additional file formats. That capability would make Lightroom even more useful (and expand its market potential - are you listening, Adobe?).

As has already been discussed, one way to implement this would be through a preference setting, where users could check boxes for their desired formats. Each user could include the image formats they most need.

Regards. ...pt

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Bridge is essentially a folder browser tool that happens to be able to broker requests from other apps. So, in that respect it is completely unlike Lightroom.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The devil is in the details. What does "support for additional file formats" mean to you? Because it won't necessarily mean the same for someone else.

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

>>The devil is in the details. What does "support for additional file formats" mean to you? Because it won't necessarily mean the same for someone else.

Hi, John. At its most basic, support for additional image formats means that Lightroom would be able to display and catalog more formats. So when browsing, say, a client's photo shoot images, I could also see their logo and Web banner files too. Juggling Lightroom and Bridge to do this today is a real time waster.

While it would also be nice if Lightroom could edit more image formats, I can live without that if editing is too big of an engineering challenge. In that case, just open the image for editing in its native application. But let's at least be able to see and organize these other files from within Lightroom.

If that makes sense to you, please vote for this feature request.

Thanks. ...pt

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

If we export PNG, we have to be able to import it, too. This is a sort of contract the app has with itself.

For each supported standard format, there are a number of possible variations and options for the format. So, an app has to decide how much of the standard to adhere to, as well as what sorts of modifications are allowed (if any.)

There is a reason Darktable is moving slowly, and why a round-trip to a pixel editor is sometimes a perfectly reasonable alternative.

[Digital-Finger]

It still concerns me that this might introduce glitches or make it more sluggish - my experience with a previous itteration of Bridge is one I can't forget for the frustration and anger it caused

[Adept_Dazzle01AC]

Gee, Simon, let's not assume that the sky is falling - without even looking out the window to find out.

Proper software engineering and QA should be capable of preventing any performance problems.

...pt