P: Manual Transform + Rotation causes transparent edge gaps in Lr edits

[Daniele5C18]

Hello,

This is the second post I've written in recent days about Adobe products. I happened to update all my apps (I don't update them often to avoid this kind of thing happening). Now I'm facing problems that are slowing down my work.

In this case, I discovered that version 9.0 of Lightroom desktop eats part of the edge of photos. Not all of them, just some (probably all those that have been manipulated with the “Geometry” panel under “Crop”. The bug may be in this panel).

They are all raw files. And they were taken with a Sony A7III.

As you can see from the video I'm attaching, the side edge of about 20-30 pixels disappears, where in reality those pixels are there. As you can see in the video, I simply changed the software version: from 9.0 to Lightroom 8.3.1. The latter displays the images correctly. The former does not: the edges of the images I showed you (but there are many others) are eaten.

Now, I understand that these are problems that happen, but unfortunately I have to tell you that, like everyone else, I work. And I don't have time to report every bug that occurs (if you look at my history with Lightroom support, everything has happened: they even compensated me on one occasion).

You are working on a beautiful and powerful piece of software. But the impression is that, with every major change, something always breaks. I apologise for this. But it is really frustrating.

I am attaching a video showing what happens. I am also attaching the system information file, copied from Lightroom. My computer is a Microsoft Surface Pro 8, with Windows 11 updated.

Please note, important: this is not just a problem with Lightroom Desktop, it is a problem with the Lightroom engine in general: when I connect to lightroom.adobe.com and view my photos from the web, the error is identical (as in version 9.0).

I don't know if this is an error that only affects Sony.
What is certain is that it affects all systems, as it is identical in the web version. If I understand correctly. If necessary, I can attach a video showing how it appears on lightroom.adobe.com, but I assure you that the error is identical.

Thank you if you can resolve this, and have a good day,

Daniele Muriano

[Daniele5C18]

P.S.
I realized that I sent the system information file obtained from Photoshop, not Lightroom (due to another thread). If necessary to find a solution to the problem, I will reinstall version 9.0, generate the system information file from there, and send it (I now have to use an earlier version in order to edit my photos correctly).
I hope my report is clear; I have tried to be precise.
Thank you, have a nice day.

[Aleke]

Hi @Daniele5C18, welcome to the community!
Quick question, were these photos ones where you changed the geometry in the previous version? I haven’t been able to reproduce the issue on my end. Could you try a different file format and see if that’s also affected? Also, does it only happen after waiting about 5 minutes?
One more thing: your GPU drivers haven’t been updated in about 37 months according to the System Info. It might not fix this specific issue, but updating them definitely wouldn’t hurt.
Thanks so much!
Alek

[Daniele5C18]

Hi Alex, thanks for the reply!

Sorry, Alex, but I don't understand your question.
Maybe the problem is my bad English. I'll try to be clearer.

Lightroom 8.3.1 – works correctly, displays the edited image.
Lightroom 9.0 – doesn't work correctly, but slightly crops the edges of the image, as shown in the video.
What does "5 mins later" mean? It means this: I'm using Lightroom 8.3.1 and everything is fine. In five minutes I update the application. Everything is wrong. Dozens of images have cropped edges, like the ones I showed.
I've edited these images over the years, with various previous versions of Lightroom. Now Adobe has updated the software. And all those images are slightly cropped.
If I go back to version 8.3.1, the images display fine. But I don't want to have to stay on version 8.3.1 forever.

I'd like to add that the bug also affects the web version of Lightroom: Lightroom Web now behaves like the desktop version 9.0, cropping those images along the edges.
Lightroom Web didn't behave that way before. Just as Lightroom Desktop didn't behave that way before.
So there's a problem. Sure, I can use version 8.3.1 for now, but I don't want to go on like this forever.

NOTE: When I write “cropped,” I mean that those pixels are no longer there; they are no longer considered. It is as if the image ended twenty or thirty pixels earlier. As if those pixels no longer existed.

The images I showed are two RAW files from a Sony A7III.

Thanks if we can fix this.

And thanks for reminding me to update the GPU drivers: unfortunately, the strange behavior also affects the web version, where those drivers have little to do with it. Even if I export a JPEG (without even viewing it), the image is cropped. That is, the image has a white corner or a white stripe in one corner. To get a correct export, I have to use Lightroom 8.3.1 or lower versions, as I said.

(This problem has a consequence. Now Lightroom has decided to slightly crop some photos at the edges. I might be working on another two hundred photos, for example. In six months, the next version of Lightroom will fix the bug. But I edited the photos while that erroneus visualisation was still active. What happens? I'll end up with dozens or hundreds of "wrong" photos again).

If you need me to send you RAW + xmp file that has this problem, I can do that. That way, you can check the bug yourself.

Please, Alex, reassure me that you understand the problem. Thank you. Have a nice day!

Daniele

[Daniele5C18]

I forgot to tag you, sorry. And I spelled your name wrong (Aleke, not Alex, I apologize).

Wishing you a good day, @Aleke 

[Daniele5C18]

Hi,

some time ago, I tried to report a problem, but I had no luck. After spending a lot of time with support trying to explain myself, I was directed here.
I tried to explain the problem, but no one understood the post (perhaps I didn't explain myself well). I added more information, but no one responded.

I am therefore forced to write another post to report the problem.
To summarize:

I upgraded from version 8.3.1 to version 9.0 of Lightroom, and I noticed that some edited raw files (Sony A7III, .arw) are not displayed correctly. And, of course, they are not exported correctly.
If the image is straightened/rotated/transformed (using the Transform panel), Lightroom desktop eats up several pixels along the edge. The result is that many images that were displayed correctly in all previous versions of Lightroom are no longer displayed correctly.
I have made a video (which I hope is very clear) showing the problem.
I am attaching the video and the system information file obtained from Lightroom.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you!

[Aleke]

Hi @Daniele5C18, thanks so much for sharing the extra details and the recording!
To help us test this further, could you send over a few sample RAW files? You can share them via Google Drive, WeTransfer, or any other file-sharing platform that works best for you.
Really appreciate your help!
Alek

[Michael J. Hoffman]

It's interesting that in the first example in the video, the edge is not streight - as if a lens correction or transformation is applied but the image is not cropped. I wonder if the "constrain crop" setting would correct the edges?

[Daniele5C18]

Hi @Aleke , thank you for your kind reply.
I am attaching this link to my drive, where I have uploaded the two files I showed you.

If you can, please read what I have written to Michael below, as it may be useful.
Thanks for everything, and have a good day.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16FhuQlRUK2DxCo2fi4p1DMep8uZV09fv?usp=sharing

[Daniele5C18]

Hi @Michael J. Hoffman, thank you for your interest. I'll answer you right away: most likely, the problem is due to a bug in the Geometry panel in association with the image rotation performed using Crop. Let me explain:

- The image has a slight lens correction, but this is irrelevant. In fact, if you disable lens correction, the problem persists.
- Yes, if you constrain the crop, the white part disappears. The reason for this is as follows:
- Strangely, Lightroom (only versions after 8.3.1) cuts the edge crookedly. The edge of the image inexplicably becomes rounded. Obviously, in versions 8.3.1 or earlier, the edge is perfectly straight.

Note: the edge only becomes rounded if the image is rotated. Or at least that's how it seems to me.
In other words, Lightroom seems to crop the image in a rounded way. Some pixels disappear. If I zoom in with Lightroom 8.3.1, I can see those pixels. If I zoom in with Lightroom 9.0, I can't see those pixels (they have been deleted).
In short, a small part of the frame is lost.

Thank you, have a nice day

[nikunj.m]

Hi, I'm unable to reproduce the issue you've described. I see the behavior in both version 8.3.1 and the latest version. This appears to be the expected behavior since we are applying a transform or rotating the image with respect to the canvas. 

To investigate further, it might be helpful if you could share a screenshot of the Crop panel from both versions for images where you are seeing this behavior, so that we can compare them.  

Thanks,
Nikunj

[Daniele5C18]

Hi @nikunj.m, thanks for your reply.

Can I ask you something to understand better? Did you download the RAW+XMP files I made available in the post above (DSC06867 and DSC00384)? Did you add them to Lightroom 8.3.1 and Lightroom 9.0, and do the results look the same? Can you confirm this, please?

A few days ago, I tested it with a photographer colleague of mine. We viewed the files on his Asus laptop. The problem occurs there too. After version 8.3.1, those images are not displayed (and saved) correctly.

Anyway, I reinstalled the new version and took some screenshots for you, which I am attaching to this message.

Note:

- as can be seen from these latest screenshots, some pixels are literally deleted.

- many (probably all) versions prior to 8.3.1 display images as in Lightroom 8.3.1.

Thank you for support, have a nice day!

    

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Daniele5C18,

Thank you for the detailed follow-up and for sharing the files and screenshots. I understand how disruptive this is.

To help move this forward, could you please try the following so we can clearly document the behavior for the product team:

• Update Lightroom desktop to version 9.1 and check whether the issue still occurs with the same RAW files and existing edits.

• If it still happens, please record a short screen video showing the full workflow:

• Open the same RAW + XMP file in Lightroom 9.1 and show the Geometry / Crop/rotation settings and the resulting edge behavior.

• Then open the same file in Lightroom 8.3.1 and show the identical settings and how the edges differ.

• If possible, also export the image from both versions using the same export settings and include those exported files.

This side-by-side comparison will provide engineering with a clear, reproducible case to review, especially since you’re also experiencing the same behavior in Lightroom Web.

Once you have this, I’ll forward everything to the product team for deeper investigation.

Thanks again for your patience and for taking the time to document this so thoroughly.

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[Daniele5C18]

Hi @Anshul_Saini, thanks for your reply.

I did what you asked. In the link at the end of this message, you will find:

- the requested video (LR EDGE PROBLEM - video.mp4);
- the requested video in high resolution, if necessary (LR EDGE PROBLEM – video HIRES.mp4);
- the images exported in high resolution TIFF from both versions (export LR*.tif);
- the RAW + XMP files of the images.

I think I have done everything possible to help Adobe, I have spent a lot of time on this in the last weeks. Thank you if you can solve the problem.
Please just let me know if you have received the files correctly.

Thank you, have a nice day!

Daniele

LINK:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16FhuQlRUK2DxCo2fi4p1DMep8uZV09fv?usp=drive_link

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Daniele5C18,

Thank you for taking the time to put this together and for sharing the RAW files, XMPs, exports, and both videos. I can confirm we’ve received everything successfully.

We’ve now shared your full reproduction set with the Lightroom product and engineering teams for deeper investigation. The side-by-side behavior you documented between Lightroom 8.3.1, 9.x, and Lightroom Web is very clear and gives the team a solid basis to analyze what’s happening with Geometry and rotation handling.

At this point, there’s nothing further needed from you. We’ll follow up here once we have findings or next steps from the product team.

Thanks again for your patience and for the detailed reporting.

Best regards,

Anshul Saini

[Daniele5C18]

Thank you for your kind reply, @Anshul_Saini. I am glad that the material collected is ok.
We look forward to a solution to the problem.
Have a nice day,

Daniele Muriano

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Daniele5C18,

Thank you for your patience and for all the time you invested in documenting and sharing this issue so thoroughly. I wanted to close the loop with a clear update from the product and engineering teams.

Here is the outcome of the investigation:

• The behavior you’re seeing in Lightroom Desktop 9.x and Lightroom Web is expected and is not considered a new regression

• This change is the result of a bug fix introduced in the Camera Raw 17.5 engine, which corrected how transparent areas are handled when Geometry, rotation, and certain AI features are involved

• In versions prior to 17.5, transparent areas created by Transform + rotation could be incorrectly hidden in some cases

• From 17.5 onward, Lightroom and Camera Raw now render those transparent areas accurately and consistently across Desktop and Web

Because of this, older edits created in Lightroom 8.x may now reveal transparent edges that were previously masked by the older rendering behavior. This is why you’re seeing the difference when opening the same RAW + XMP in newer versions.

Recommended workarounds going forward:

• Enable Transform > Constrain to Image (Constrain Crop)

• Or adjust Scale, Rotate, or Offset values to keep the crop within image bounds

• Re-running Upright can also help re-align the image cleanly

I completely understand your concern about consistency across versions, and your feedback has been shared internally. At this point, no further action is required from you. I wanted to be transparent about the reasoning so you can confidently move forward with your workflow.

Thank you again for your diligence and for engaging with us in a constructive manner.

Best regards,

Anshul Saini

[Daniele5C18]

Dear @Anshul_Saini,

you are telling me that all previous versions (developed over years of updates) were wrong, while the latest ones (from the last few months) are right. In short: Lightroom has been displaying image edges incorrectly for years?
This means that many images developed over years of work are no longer displayed in the same way. Now I am forced to re-edit photographs developed over several years.

I am not insisting because I know it is useless. The development team simply has no interest in correcting this anomaly. After all, Lightroom's support has been largely unsatisfactory in recent years, as far as I am concerned (Photoshop's support, on the other hand, is more responsive and reasonable). If you have access to the history of my problems with Lightroom handled by support, you will understand that I am right. I have already had to re-edit hundreds of photographs due to a Lightroom error. I have also lost dozens of edits due to another Lightroom Mobile error.

I am not at all satisfied with the response; I do not find it rational or reasonable.
My opinion is that the product is not reliable. And if I can do without it in the future, I will try to replace it with a more reliable one, even if it is less powerful. In these cases, reliability is far preferable to software power. You risk losing hours or days of work unnecessarily.

Thank you for your personal commitment and for your work, Anshul, and best wishes for the new years,

Daniele Muriano