Annoying LR issue

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GaryDavies

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May 16, 2019
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Lightroom Version Number
9.2.1
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  1. macOS 10.14 Mojave
I have a workflow issue specific to creating interactive panoramas in PTGUI Pro. I shoot raw and prior to importing the images into the stitching software I make various development adjustments. The problem is when using camera presets or any adjustments to the shadow/highlights, LR effectively destroys the image. This is specific to the nadir shot, where it is rendered with an opaque glaze that reveals the edges. This makes it unusable. This does not happen in other RAW editing software I have investigated. I want to use LR as it's the most familiar and actually quite quick. Any advice on a workaround is appreciated.
 
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Hi Gary, welcome to the forum! I think we might need some pictures to understand what you're seeing there.
 
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Here is an example of how the nadir shot is affected. This view of the ground should blend in seamlessly. Not only does the look down shot appear considerably darker but the edges have a blurred/opaque effect with loss of detail. It's particularly noticeable on grass and sandy ground. All images for blending are shot in manual everything so they should be consistent. This effect does not happen if the use of shadows & highlights is avoided. Nor does it happen in other RAW converters. I have had it suggested that LR applies global changes which is the cause.
Screenshot 2020-05-29 at 13.25.38.jpg
 
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Does it have the Exif XMP tag, "ProjectionType=equirectangular". You won't be able to see that in Lightroom, but an exif editor should be able to tell you.
 
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Hi Victoria, I have looked at the XMP file with Text Edit and there is no mention of Projection Type, but I can tell you that when working in PTGUi I work to produce an equirectangular projection. This has something to do with LR and PS not recognising that it's a panorama. For instance if a filter effect is applied you will see an edit line where the left and right edges join. I wish I could understand why the nadir shot is rendered unusable like this.
 
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RoyReed said:
You might be better off asking in the PTGui forum.
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This has been a topic as been discussed on a leading 360 pano forum and with the creator of PTGUi himself. The conclusion was that it was the way LR applies adjustments that was the cause of the issue, however no workarounds, other than not using specific sliders, was forthcoming. I was hoping to shed some new light on it to see if there was a better way.
 
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Thanks Victoria. I read that edge aware was a new feature but I have never used it. In PS I use a script that extends the canvas for edits to avoid the issue of seams. I have to say too that Affinity Photo is much better than Adobe for live editing equirectangular projections. I've had feedback from the gurus at PTGUi. They simply advise that any adjustments that act locally should be avoided. These are not only Shadow/Highlighs but also Clarity and Vibrance.
 
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I'd be fascinated to mess with that file, if you'd fancy sending it over. My 360 knowledge is largely theoretical as I haven't needed it to date, but I'd like to investigate.
 
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Or just the merged file, if you don't mind. The nadir file, I think you called it?
 
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The nadir is the single down shot. There are six around and one up also to make the panorama. I'm sure you don't want me sending you 8 NEFs, although I can if you wish. I would love it if you were able to discover a way to improve workflow.
 
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I'd love to take a look at them to see if I can replicate the problem.

So are you editing the images before you merge them, rather than after merging?
 
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Yes, ideally before merging as one of the Nikon camera presets is a good starting point as it adds a bit of oomph, especially to flat images. Unfortunately this also introduces the problem of the nadir being destroyed by LR. Doing the processing after stitching introduces the problem of a seam line where the left and right edges join as PS, Affinity Photo etc do not recognise that the image is a panorama. Is there an email address I can send a WeTransfer link?
 
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GaryDavies said:
Unfortunately this also introduces the problem of the nadir being destroyed by LR. Doing the processing after stitching introduces the problem of a seam line where the left and right edges join.
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The workaround for this is to double the width of the 360° image and duplicate the image (and merge to one so that it appears twice butted exactly together), do whatever processing you need to do, then crop the image back down to half the width, making sure not to use the left or right edges.

I think Erik Krause has some Ps scripts that can do this automatically here: Tips, Tools & Techniques for Panorama Creation

(I don't use Photoshop, so I'm just repeating what I've been told.)
 
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Indeed. PTGUI has a script for extending the canvas as a download on their website however it's not perfect as it sometimes produces a vortex at the polar region in some circumstances!
 
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GaryDavies said:
Yes, ideally before merging as one of the Nikon camera presets is a good starting point as it adds a bit of oomph, especially to flat images. Unfortunately this also introduces the problem of the nadir being destroyed by LR. Doing the processing after stitching introduces the problem of a seam line where the left and right edges join as PS, Affinity Photo etc do not recognise that the image is a panorama. Is there an email address I can send a WeTransfer link?
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[email protected] is good, or the members@ email address. I suspect it's the editing before merging that's causing the problem, they're still individual images at that point, so handled separately. Once it's merged, I believe it should work seamlessly since 8.4.
 
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Thanks for the images. Very interesting. I haven't played for long, but it looks like applying just the camera profile before merging, and then doing all other edits on the merged file (but only since 8.4) seems to get a better result. Am I missing something?
 
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