Is it possible to open up multiple images from lightroom in CS4?

[Schiminiello]

Hi
I know that I can export images from LR as jpgs to a folder and then batch process in CS4. Just wondering if it's possible to open up multiple images directly from LR into CS4 or can you just open one at a time? Trying to eliminate the export to folder extra step.

Thanks!

 

[DonRicklin]

More than one at a time is possible. I've done it for Panos and HDR in CS4!

Don

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi Shannon, welcome to the forum!

Can you explain a little more about what you have in mind.... ideal case scenario? And also what you're doing to the files in PS? I'm wondering if we can find you a quicker way still.

 

[Schiminiello]

Hi Shannon, welcome to the forum!

Can you explain a little more about what you have in mind.... ideal case scenario? And also what you're doing to the files in PS? I'm wondering if we can find you a quicker way still.

Hi
Yes, what I am trying to do is open up a series of images from LR to either 1) run a batch action (instead of doing them one by one and saving them back to LR) or 2) open a series of images from LR into PS4 to do selective burning and dodging and sharpening one by one.

My current process is dreadful! I have tried selecting a range of photos and clicking "Edit in CS4" but only the first photo opens in CS4. I do a lot of series shots for storyboards and I am trying to cut down my time spent editing and also trying to be more consistent with my editing so they all look the same side by side... batch processing seems to be the way to go there- I think.

Any suggestions on a batch edit from Lightroom to CS4 (without exporting all as JPGS to a folder, importing them into CS4, editing and re-importing back into LR). I hope I am just missing something- it has to be easier than this! Please!

Any suggestions, step by step instructions, keywords to search on the internet, would be helpful and greatly appreciated!

Thanks
SC

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi Shannon

For a start, ideally you want to be doing all of your processing that you can in LR, and leave PS for truly 'artistic' stuff and retouching. Doing all colour/density adjustments to the raw files in LR will help your consistency.

Personally I'd take things from a slightly different tack. As you're obviously working on most, if not all, images in PS (is that right?), I'd do all my processing in LR first, and then export to jpeg. In the export dialog, you can check the 'add to catalog' checkbox to automatically import those resulting jpegs into your LR catalog if you want to track them there. Then I'd use Bridge to run through the jpegs, opening them into PS in whatever batches you fancy.

If you're not taking all of the files into PS, I'd be inclined to set up a couple of export presets with PS as the export action. Selecting that preset from the right click menu would export all of the selected images to jpeg and open them in PS.

But you mentioned that you'd rather not export all and reimport... what's your thinking behind that?

 

[billg71]

Shannon,

I just tried opening four .nef files from LR into CS4 and it worked fine. I selected all four in the Library, right-clicked and selected "Edit In Photoshop CS4" and Photoshop opened, the first file loaded and there was a pause, then the second, third and fourth with a short delay between files.

Tried again with 11 files and that worked, too. All were 14-15Mb .nef files.

You don't mention what computer/OS you're using, could this be different on a Mac? If you're trying to open a whole lot of files at one time, you could be running out of memory but I'd think you'd get more than one regardless...

Can you open more than one by selecting each one separately? If so, you could change your workflow to just send the file to PS after you finish each one in LR and just let them sit there until you're finished with them all, then switch over to PS for your batch work.

HTH,
Bill

 

[Brad Snyder]

Following up on Bill's thoughts, I've been playing, also on Windows. Selecting multiples in Library Grid View will open multiples in PS. Selecting multiples in the Filmstrip, only opens one in PS. (I didn't verify, it may be the first in order, or the most selected, not sure)

With PS droplets, there's a Windows command line length limitation that comes into play,which can affect the total number of files handled. I don't know if it applies to the Edit-in process, but we're certainly not pushing those limits here, with a dozen or so files.

 

[theMusicMan]

Following up on Bill's thoughts, I've been playing, also on Windows. Selecting multiples in Library Grid View will open multiples in PS. Selecting multiples in the Filmstrip, only opens one in PS. (I didn't verify, it may be the first in order, or the most selected, not sure)

With PS droplets, there's a Windows command line length limitation that comes into play,which can affect the total number of files handled. I don't know if it applies to the Edit-in process, but we're certainly not pushing those limits here, with a dozen or so files.

Selecting multiple files in the film strip to subsequently open in CS I think only opens the first one, whereas selecting multiple files in the grid in Library opens all of them.

This is certainly the case for the Photomatix LR plugin. If I select them in film strip it doesn't work, if in grid, it works.

 

[Mark Sirota]

Selecting multiple files in the film strip to subsequently open in CS I think only opens the first one, whereas selecting multiple files in the grid in Library opens all of them.

This is certainly the case for the Photomatix LR plugin. If I select them in film strip it doesn't work, if in grid, it works.

I know I'm late to this discussion, but I want to clarify something:

It doesn't matter where you select them. Selecting in the Grid is identical to selecting in the Filmstrip.

What matters is what viewing mode you're in on the primary monitor when you execute an action. If you're in a single-image view like Loupe or Develop, then most actions will act on only the primary image. If you're in Grid, then most actions will act on all selected images, regardless of where or when you selected them.