Updates

[BobT]

Lightroom Version Number

12.1

Operating System

1. Windows 11

On checking the Creative Cloud app, I noticed that both Ps and LrC were up to date but not Camera Raw. Am I right in thinking this is an independent standalone Camera Raw that has no impact on the others?

 

[Topflyer]

As far a I understand it, yes it is independent. The Camera RAW updates are usually to add new camera models to the Camera RAW. Unless you have a new camera that is not already covered by Camera RAW, I don't think it will make any difference to Ps and LrC. My Ps opens files into RAW first and then after making any desired, I then open the file in Ps.
I keep all the apps up to date as a matter of good practice.

 

[Jim Wilde]

Am I right in thinking this is an independent standalone Camera Raw that has no impact on the others?

Not entirely. It has no impact on Lightroom, as the Camera Raw engine is built in to the Lightroom apps. But as the "stand-alone" program it is actually a plug-in to PS, and as such it is used when you try to open a raw image directly in to PS (PS cannot process raw data, it requires the Camera Raw plug-in to convert the raw to RGB data for subsequent processing in PS). The Camera Raw plug-in is also silently used when you use the Edit in PS command in Lightroom on a raw file.....the raw file is converted by Camera Raw first before being opened into PS.

So if it's not up-to-date, it can have an effect on your dealings with PS.

 

[Califdan]

Jim, Good info.

Let me mention that if your LrC is up to date but your ACR is lagging and you use Lrc to "edit in PS" you get a popup about the difference. In this popup one of the choices is "Render using Lightroom". I presume if you choose that option that LrC's Camera Raw code is used to create the RGB file rather than the ACR plugin you talked about.

 

[BobT]

Thanks guys. Question answered.

 

[Conrad Chavez]

Just to extend the answer a bit in a “big picture” kind of way…

The separate listing of Camera Raw in the Creative Cloud installer is for the Adobe applications that use the plug-in version because they don’t have Camera Raw built in. So when you update the Camera Raw plug-in, that affects Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, and Adobe After Effects.

But that won’t affect Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, because they use their own integrated version of Camera Raw. For them, raw engine updates come with application updates.

Adobe says Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements also use Camera Raw, but because I don’t use those I’m unclear on whether updating the plug-in independently also updates those applications. I’ve been under the impression that they get raw engine updates only with application updates, but I could be wrong.

 

[GregJ]

Hey Bob, this is an interesting thread. I knew that LR had its own camera raw built in, and that PS and Bridge used the external camera raw. I just have my Creative Cloud set to automatically update all apps, so I don't pay attention to it. Just update it and forget about it. And of course, all of those apps are stored on my internal SSD.
But this made me think. I love Bridge. It is a fantastic photo organizer and viewer, and it displays your raw files with all LR edits applied if you have sidecar files (which in my opinion everyone should have). I wish two things:
1. That LR would use Bridge in its library module. In other words, LR closely tied to Bridge or have Bridge embedded.
2. That Bridge was linked to the LR cat so that we could use the much more powerful Bridge to do surgery on our file and folder system and have it applied to the cat.

 

[BobT]

Hey Bob, this is an interesting thread. I knew that LR had its own camera raw built in, and that PS and Bridge used the external camera raw. I just have my Creative Cloud set to automatically update all apps, so I don't pay attention to it. Just update it and forget about it. And of course, all of those apps are stored on my internal SSD.
But this made me think. I love Bridge. It is a fantastic photo organizer and viewer, and it displays your raw files with all LR edits applied if you have sidecar files (which in my opinion everyone should have). I wish two things:
1. That LR would use Bridge in its library module. In other words, LR closely tied to Bridge or have Bridge embedded.
2. That Bridge was linked to the LR cat so that we could use the much more powerful Bridge to do surgery on our file and folder system and have it applied to the cat.

I've never tried Bridge. I really can't imagine anything better for controlling my images than LrC but when I get a chance, I'll have a look at Bridge.

 

[Gnits]

While Lr has evolved into a functionally rich application, it still does this thru a single screen. On multiple occasions it would be so useful to open a second or third Lr window. While this is not possible in Lr, you can use Bridge to open many views of your image collection at the same time, with lots of options on how you wish to view your images. So Bridge can become a friendly tool to work in parallel with Lr, rather as is sometimes expressed, as a pseudo competitor.

 

[GregJ]

While Lr has evolved into a functionally rich application, it still does this thru a single screen. On multiple occasions it would be so useful to open a second or third Lr window. While this is not possible in Lr, you can use Bridge to open many views of your image collection at the same time, with lots of options on how you wish to view your images. So Bridge can become a friendly tool to work in parallel with Lr, rather as is sometimes expressed, as a pseudo competitor.

Gnits, yes you are right, and I play around in Bridge a lot. But you have to be careful and resist the temptation to start playing with the files and folders there in Bridge. You can't rename, move, delete or do anything to the files or folders in terms of organization or the changes will not be recognized by LR and the catalog. You have to do that in the library module of LR, as you know.

 

[BobT]

Gnits, yes you are right, and I play around in Bridge a lot. But you have to be careful and resist the temptation to start playing with the files and folders there in Bridge. You can't rename, move, delete or do anything to the files or folders in terms of organization or the changes will not be recognized by LR and the catalog. You have to do that in the library module of LR, as you know.

That adds another layer of risk to the integrity of the LR catalogue. I'm not sure I want to go there. Some sort of security interlock with warnings would be good. Bridge would have to recognise that there are one or more LR catalogues related to the images being viewed. A hard task.

 

[GregJ]

You are right Bob. It won't happen, but I do wish the library module was a little easier for file and folder reorganization efforts. It's a little clunky but works and things stay tied to the cat. You have to do it that way.