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Zampa1973
New Participant
May 6, 2025
Question

Load RAW files as smart objects in a single file

  • May 6, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 180 views

Maybe I am really missing something here, I've searched a lot but found no solutions. I take light painting photos with a tripod, I need to stack them one over other in a single file, so I can mask the part I need of each file. I would like to retain the ability to retouch every layer as a raw file, as a smart object, until I flat down everything. Until now, I've found just two solutions, one is load files into a stack from Photoshop script menu or from Bridge Tools menu (load files as layers in photoshop), but layers become normal layers and I lost the raw (altough I can apply modifications in camera raw BEFORE doing this and the layer will get this modifications, but just once). The other is to open all the files manually as smart objects, and then MOVE the layer to a single file, but there is no auto align (just snap). It's a very simple task, and it could be very useful for a lot of activities, that's why I think I'm missing something very obious here...

1 reply

Stephen Marsh
Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
May 6, 2025

@Zampa1973 

 

AFAIK, you're not missing anything.

 

A script can automate stacking the separate raw smart object layer files to a single file, retaining the separate smart objects..

 

It may not be possible to auto align smart object layers (I don't know, I haven't tried)..

 

You may need to use difference blend mode to manually align each layer above the base layer (visually and with histogram evaluation).

 

Can you provide links to some sample raw files and their XMP sidecar files via a file sharing service? At least 3 raw files for testing would be useful.

Z
Zampa1973Author
New Participant
May 6, 2025

Stacking via script tool is working, I do not need auto align as I use a tripod. the problem is that each layer is not anymore a RAW file (a smart object). Doing this will also use XMP informations attached to the raw files so I can adjust everything before. But I would like to make adjustments using the full power of raw files even after. As I'm writing now, I'm using the second method I provided, so I open camera raw with all the files I need to stack, select all and then open them as objects. Then in photoshop I choose the base one, and start dropping layers taking them from all the other files already open. You need to drag the layer icon and drop it to the window title of the destination file. Then, using snap, I can easily put them in the right position (remember that I'm using a tripod so as long as one of the image corner is in the right place, I'm ok). This is working, but it's a little bit time consuming. Imagine when you maybe have 20 or 30 layers, it would be nice if you can start the batch, have a coffee, and when you come back everything is done

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