p: Save virtual copies' settings as xmps

[Ivan Zajats]

Would be great to save the develop settings of the virtual copies as xmp files as well. Often we make color & BW versions or use different presets for the same image. Why not to save all the versions either in one xmp or as separate xmps? So that we could share it with a retoucher, for instance, without converting to several DNGs. Or in case we lose the catalogue file, we'd preserve not only 1 version of the processing.

[Ivan Zajats]

Another advantage of this: if we developed the files in LR and then switched to another computer without LR, we still could open and edit all the variants in Phtoshop (ACR).

[JohanElzenga]

I like the idea, but I think it would be very complicated. In the end you would still have one image with two possible settings, so how is the receiving software going to know which one to use? It would mean that all the software packages in the world that can read XMP sidecar files, would have to be updated to understand this 'dual xmp' feature...

[johnrellis]

"So that we could share it with a retoucher, for instance, without converting to several DNGs." 

Another way to share edits, virtual copies, and other metadata: Use File > Export As Catalog and File > Import From Another Catalog. When sharing a small number of photos, this is very lightweight and fast.

[Ivan Zajats]

If you like the idea, why has it still 0 votes?)

The implementation is the Adobe's job, we shouldn't worry about it.

If adding the info to one xmp is complicated, they can just add a button "create real raw copies", so each file would have it's own settings as usual. Anyway, my main concern is to preserve ALL the variants' settings outside the LR catalogue.

[JohanElzenga]

It has zero votes because even you didn't vote for it yourself!  😉

The reason why I don't vote for it is because -although I like the idea- I do not think it is practical (for reasons I explained) and I would not want Adobe to spend resources on it. There are plenty of things that are much more important in my opinion, and this can be dealt with in other ways already (save as DNG, export as catalog).

[Ivan Zajats]

I'd love to, but I can't vote for my own topic.

[Ian Lyons]

You don't need to vote for it as it's your own 'Idea'

[GoldingD]

If it was a matter of very few upvotes, that is because most of us probably do not create those xmp files to start with. That most do not collaborate. That most do not share the process. Hence no need for the request for change.  As such, not intetested.

As to why no upvotes? hmmmm

I can see that use for this, so I will be polite.

[Jao vdL]

Not sure I understand. If you export as original you get the correct xmp sidecar for each virtual copy with your export and the raw files will get numbered automatically. So this is already implemented. 

[JohanElzenga]

As the OP explained, he wants this so he does not have to send the same raw file more than once. He could just send the original raw file and the two XMP files, but then the receiver would have to rename sidecars to get the second implementation. Doable, but not ideal. Exporting as catalog is better, but it does require the receiver to have Lightroom Classic as well. Camera Raw can't read Lightroom catalogs.

[JohanElzenga]

I'd love to, but I can't vote for my own topic.

I didn't realise that. In the old feedback forum you could, and it was advised to do so.

[GoldingD]

Jao Vdl wrote: "Not sure I understand. If you export as original you get the correct xmp sidecar for each virtual copy with your export and the raw files will get numbered automatically. So this is already implemented. "

OP does not want to export

[Jao vdL]

Ah that makes sense. The one way to accomplish this is by using snapshots instead of virtual copies. Camera Raw understands those. Not as nice from a "what do I see when scrolling through the catalog" perspective but a solution to sharing multiple versions in one raw/xmp combo

[DdeGannes]

Just my thought, xmp sidecar files sit alongside the original image file or in the file header for DNG, tiff, jpeg etc.

Unfortunately “a Virtual copy” is not an actual image file it is just data stored in the Catalog file.

When you are using LrC it is reading from the Catalog. As far as Lightroom is concerned the information is in the Catalog.

I acknowledge it's possible to also write data to the file automatically or manually, however this is a secondary function that allows the data to be shared with Camera Raw and other Adobe applications.

I utilize the default operation so I do not utilize writing data to the file.

To wit one of the main reasons I decided to use Lightroom in 2007 is to get rid of managing XMP sidecars which is a pain in the but.

[DdeGannes]

Interesting thread. What would happen if you selected a folder of images that also contained “Virtual Copies” and export as a catalog? Would the data be included?

[Jao vdL]

yes. Both exporting as a catalog and exporting as originals works to include the virtual copies. Exporting as dng also works fine. You just get multiple copies of the file that will be named with -2 etc. 

[Ivan Zajats]

Jao vdL is right, export as the originals makes the real raw copies with separate xmps for each variant of editing.

Certainly, it would be more handy to have everything in one xmp without making raw copies, but anyway this solution works. So, we can have a backup of all the settings outside the LR.