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Develop Edit History

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sgf322

New Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2020
Messages
17
Location
Houston, TX
Lightroom Experience
Beginner
Lightroom Version
6.x
Lightroom Version Number
6.0
Operating System
  1. macOS 10.15 Catalina
Not sure if I am asking correctly; I made some Develop Edits to a jpeg file from the Library and then Exported it. Now I need to edit another one and cannot remember the previous edit settings. Does the edit history disappear or is it embedded into the exported jpeg file? I know I should have written it down, did not think I would need it again. Thanks.
 
Hopefully you didn't remove the original photo from the catalog, because then you can just reselect the original photo and see what you did.
 
And to add to Victoria's comment. It is not the "history" but the last edit setting used for each editable adjustment. If you can't get to the original edit in Lightroom, but have access to the exported JPEG, you can pull the edit adjustments from the XMP section of the derivative JPEG file using Jeffrey Freidl's EXIF Viewer http://exif.regex.info/exif.cgi
 
Hi, I made the edits then exported it into a jpeg file. Where is the file I edited? I don't think I deleted it, however it appears that it is not in the "Catalog". Once I exported to a jpeg file, I renamed it and made a .psd file.
 
Lightroom takes the original image content and adjustments (saved in the catalog as instruction) and merges the two together when it creates the exported JPEG. A set of those instructions are stored in the exported JPEG file header.

You need to find the original file as referenced in the Lightroom catalog. The referenced file when opened in Lightroom will merge the original image data with any Lightroom image adjustments stored in the catalog. If the original image file has been removed from the catalog, then all image adjustments were removed from the catalog. At that point your only recourse is the header of the Exported JPEG.
Which of these do you possess?

FWIW, you can not change a file to a PSD. By changing the ext from .jpg to .psd. It sounds like you did this in your last post


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I am not sure if the original image was removed from the "Catalog". Is the "Library" same as "Catalog"? How would I have removed a file from the Catalog? The images are stored in my Finder folder and I Import into the Library. Correct? Then I edit and Export back as a jpeg file into the Finder folder with a "TC" added designation in the filename. Then, using Photoshop, I create a .psd file. It appears I have have the all original files but cannot find any record of the edits in any file. I can tell by looking at them which is modified, they are the "TC" labled files. Thanks.
 
I am not sure if the original image was removed from the "Catalog". Is the "Library" same as "Catalog"? How would I have removed a file from the Catalog? The images are stored in my Finder folder and I Import into the Library. Correct? Then I edit and Export back as a jpeg file into the Finder folder with a "TC" added designation in the filename. Then, using Photoshop, I create a .psd file. It appears I have have the all original files but cannot find any record of the edits in any file. I can tell by looking at them which is modified, they are the "TC" labled files. Thanks.
Lightroom 6 does not use a .Libary file type. It stores all of the information about your image files including the path to where they are stored in the filesystem. Any edits adjustment are stored in that catalog too. The Catalog is a file usually stored in the Pictures folder in a Lightroom Subfolder. Although it could be anywhere you choose. It will have a file type extension of ".lrcat" When you open Lightroom it should open this catalog file .

When you open Lightroom 6, doe the catalog that opens have an image file listed for the original file that you want?
 
This is a snip of what is in the Folder. The edited image does not show any record of the edits I made. Yes, I have a lrcat file that opens.
 
Can you see in the bottom row, there's a +/- icon on one of the photos? That shows that edits have been applied to that photo and stored non-destructively. I don't know whether that's the same photo you're looking for, but that's what to look for.

You might want to grab the free Quick Start eBook from the Downloads page on the menubar to get a clearer idea of how Lightroom stores your edits.
 
Hi, Yes I did see that. That is the one on which I am currently editing and trying to match the settings of my previously edited file.
 
That suggests you may have removed the photos from the catalog and reimported them, so Clee's recommendation of Jeffrey's EXIF viewing is about as good as you'll get.

Then it'll be worth reading the quick start to avoid it happening again.
 
I just want to thank all of you. I guess I deleted or removed the image from the catalog. I do not recall doing that except I may have moved some original jpeg files to the trash thinking I would not need them. I since recovered and restored them to the folder. I then opened Jeffrey's EXIF viewing app and opened one of the files. There it was, the edit values I needed! Also reviewing at the Quick Start manual. Thanks again.
 
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