Action with Raw files?

[frankg_photos]

I often use actions to speed up aspects of my workflow. Usually I select files in a Bridge folder >Tools>Photoshop> Batch>& select the action Ive created.

Now from Bridge I want to open & process a bunch of Raw files (.DNG) in Adobe Camera Raw or the Camera Raw filter in Ps.

I can't seem to get it...

After I adjust all the sliders - exposure, curves, black & white points etc., click done  and return to Bridge. 

But the adjustments made in camera raw aren't applied

Can someone help me with the steps to be taken please?

Or perhaps you can't record what you do in Camera Raw in an action?

[Chuck Uebele]

Actions only record what you did on the initial recording. So it might be that the action is actually resetting your edits to the original recording. When I had a large batch of files, I would go into Camera Raw, edit them all, then run a script to process the images: put boarders on, add file number and description, and add company logo.

You might be able to do what you want using a script, rather than an action.

[D Fosse]

FWIW, this is a core function in Lightroom, and even if you could get this to work, it would still be much simpler, faster and more efficient in LrC.

Make your adjustments, individually or in batch, then Export selected files to any file format, destination etc.

[frankg_photos]

I'm not following the first two replies. It's my lack not yours.

Perhaps I should rephrase some of my original post.

The Ps actions I've made and use are very simple -  like 'flatten layers' or 'add canvas area' etc.

Usually I start with an 'test file' open & strt recording

But I cant do that with a nraw file. If it's open in Camera Raw or in Ps>Camera raw filter then the Actions palette isn't visible/available.

So what I've been trying to do is start with Ps>Actions>New Action & start recording then File>Open or File>Browse in Bridge and go from there

[Jeff Arola]

in place of recording an action you could select your files in Bridge, go to Tools>Photoshop>Image Processor.

Then in the Image Processor dialog check Open first image to apply settings, which will then process the rest of the images with those same settings.

[frankg_photos]

Thank you. And would that "Open first image to apply settings" allow me to open Raw (.dng) files in Camera Raw and make slider, curve etc adjustment and then apply those same settings to the rest of the highlighted files in Bridge?

My first attempt failed after I clicked Done on the first file, with an error message that it couldnt process the rest

[Jeff Arola]

Yes that's the way it's suppose to work after opening the first camera raw or DNG file one applies the adjustments and then the rest of the selected files get those same adjustments.

What version of photoshop, Bridge and operating system are you using?

[frankg_photos]

Mac OS monterey 12.5.1

Br 13.01.583

Ps 24.01

I tried again with the same error.

In Image Processor one has to choose at least one of the listed file types, you can't keep it as a Raw(.DNG) file , right? -

Perhaps the nature of what I'm trying to do confuses the process - I had a bunch of old b/w negs scanned and they're Negatives (.dng)in 16bit. In Camera Raw I am flipping the point curve to make them positive, and setting the black & white points with those sliders in Basic and adjusting Exposure. Hope that makes sense

coreect

[Jeff Arola · Accepted solution]

In the Camera Raw dialog press Open instead of Done and see if that works

[frankg_photos]

Yes! You're on it !

Pressing Open instead of Done saved them as Positives - 16 bit Tifs

... is there a way that I can keep them as .dng/raw so that I can come back to them for further tweaking before saving them as Tifs?

I guess not because Image processor makes you choose jpg, psd or Tif

[frankg_photos]

Interestingly, the no longer available Image Processor Pro has the possibility of keeping the file type the same as the source (see screenshot) but alas it does not have the "open 1st image to apply settings" 😞

[Stephen Marsh]

Image Processor Pro is certainly still available and works with all versions of Photoshop:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/ps-scripts/files/Image%20Processor%20Pro/v3_2%20betas/

[frankg_photos]

Correct. Yes it is. But not generally available as it once was from 'The Russel Brown Show'. I should've been clearer. But as you can see from the screenshot it lacks the essential feature  'Open first image to apply settings'

[Stephen Marsh]

Correct. Yes it is. But not generally available as it once was from 'The Russel Brown Show'. I should've been clearer. 

I was only commenting on the general availability of the script.

[frankg_photos]

@Jeff Arola  If I press Shift+Open then it saves as a Smart Object allowing me to go back laterand further adjust the Camera Raw filter settings

[Jeff Arola]

When i tried that Same as Source setting on some dng files, the files were saved as PSD.

I don't know that the Image Processor Pro can save or write to DNG files.

[Stephen Marsh]

When i tried that Same as Source setting on some dng files, the files were saved as PSD.

I don't know that the Image Processor Pro can save or write to DNG files.

By @Jeff Arola

Photoshop can't save to DNG (which all scripts are leveraging), so no.

[frankg_photos]

same here - it saved as .psd

[D Fosse]

I'm sorry, but I can't keep quiet any longer. All of this could be done in two seconds in Lightroom Classic, as a batch operation (and individually tweakable if you wish) - just as a purely routine operation, using the standard native functions in Lightroom.

You could either keep the raw files with these adjustments, or export them.

I had a bunch of old b/w negs scanned and they're Negatives (.dng)in 16bit. In Camera Raw I am flipping the point curve to make them positive, and setting the black & white points with those sliders in Basic and adjusting Exposure.

... is there a way that I can keep them as .dng/raw so that I can come back to them for further tweaking before saving them as Tifs?

By @frankg_photos

[Stephen Marsh]

I'm sorry, but I can't keep quiet any longer. All of this could be done in two seconds in Lightroom Classic, as a batch operation (and individually tweakable if you wish) - just as a purely routine operation, using the standard native functions in Lightroom.

You could either keep the raw files with these adjustments, or export them.

By @D Fosse

Wouldn't the same apply to ACR as well?

All of this is purely in the domain of the raw editor, working with batches of input and working in batches for output with no need to render into Photoshop, nor mess with Actions or scripts.

Actions, Batches and Image Processing scripts are only required for rendered images, and there appears to be no need to render into Photoshop when all of this could be done directly in ACR or Lr Classic.

[D Fosse]

Yes, you're absolutely right - but when it comes to batch processing, Lightroom is in a completely different league than ACR. Applying an adjustment to 250 files, and then tweaking them individually where needed, is a breeze in Lightroom.

It all has to do with the Lightroom catalog. The catalog concept is hated by many, but this is the kind of situation where it shines and comes to its full potential.

Auto-sync on/off is controlled by a big button. You're not limited to a film strip, press G and get a full screen grid view. Or have it on two screens. When selecting multiple files, one is always "most selected" and can be used to control the others. And so on.

In short, Lightroom is streamlined for high-volume, high-speed work. ACR is more suited for working on a single file or two or three.

[frankg_photos]

Ive never used Lr and although I may in the future I have been quite comfortable with my Br & ACR workflow. I just hit a hurdle with this particular/one-time project. I'm an old guy & you know what they say about old dogs & new tricks 🙂