P: Virtual export (virtual copy appearing as an unedited photo)

[parenglund]

Background:

My workflow:

1. Get a starting point for the edit
2. Fine tune the settings to make a technically good and neutral version of the image
3. Make a virtual copy
4. Add a creative look

So far I have used the auto setting to get a starting point. Though, the newly introduced adaptive color profile offers a more subtle way to get started. But when I want to add a creative look using one of the color profiles, the adaptive profile is replaced. Currently there is no way to combined the adaptive profile with a creative color profile. 

Idea:

Introduce the possibility to make a "virtual copy" that works just as if you had exported a 16 bit TIF and reimported the file into the catalogue. Then you can add a creative look on top of your basic edit with the adaptive profile.

Why not keep exporting TIFs? Well, it is timeconsuming and file size heavy as you have to make a copy/export of the file which eats HDD space.

[parenglund]

Edit:

Introduce the possibility to make a "virtual export" that works just as if you had exported a 16 bit TIF and reimported the file into the catalogue.

[JohanElzenga]

A virtual copy is just an extra set of non-destructive develop settings metadata, belonging to the same image. I don't see how you could have a vitrtual copy that shows something that is not a non-destructive edit, but a 'baked in' edit like exporting a tiff does.

[parenglund]

Thanks for your reply. Well, this section is not about what is possible today but what we would like to have in the future.

Virtual copies are good to have. But when you would like to build a new edit on top of an existing edit (like using two color profiles, "Adaptive color + Modern 10", today you have to export the photo, import it and then add the second edit. This seems unnecessary. A virtual copy would solve this.

[parenglund]

Edit: 

A virtual export would solve this. (I keep writing copy when I mean export.)

[JohanElzenga]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough. A virtual export won't be possible. Lightroom Classic needs to really export the image, because it will need to create a rendered intermediate image to enable what you want to do. I think it makes more sense to request the possibility to add more than one profile to an image. Only then you can add a creative look on top of your basic edit with the adaptive profile, without having to render an intermediate.

[parenglund]

@JohanElzenga Ok! That is a good point. I will add that idea as a separate thread in this forum. Thanks!