February 3, 2007
From Beta 4.1 to Version 1.
A lot has changed in the few short months since Beta 4.1 was released. Here’s a list covering some of these changes. It is by no means a comprehensive list, but should whet appetites for this information:
- Library
- Export Presets: One click export options for quick output to email, ftp, etc.
- Metadata Browser: Search in Lens, Camera, Creator, Date, File Type and Location.
- Toolbar: Press T for the toolbar to access Ratings, Flags and a host of other tools.
- Virtual Copies: Create different looks to your image with no disk space overhead.
- Stacks: Bundles similar images together. There is an Auto Stack by Capture Time Feature.
- Folders: The Library now reflects the hard drive. Moving files and folders in LR will move them on the drive.
- Flagging: You can rate an image as Pick, Unflagged or Reject.
- Labels: You can now apply a colour Label to a file.
- Cmd/Ctrl Del change. Rather than sending to trash or recycle bin, this now brings up a dialog to remove or delete Reject images.
- Filters in Filmstrip: You can now select any combination of Rating, Flag and Label in the Filmstrip.
- Quick Develop additions: QD has blacks added, along with collapsible sections and large increment options.
- Keyword Sets: You can now create sets of keywords relevent to events, people, assignments etc, for quicker keywording. The keypad is used to assign the keywords.
- Library Backup: In Preferences you have a large number of options to backup the Library automatically.
- Auto Import Refresh: Auto Import refreshes the view to show the most recently imported file.
- More sort options: Extended list including filename, aspect ratio and flags.
- Survey View: Multiple images can be viewed and rearranged in this new light table feature.
- More Zoom options: You can now zoom from 1:4 to 11:1.
- Spot Removal: You can Clone or Heal spots and blemishes. The tool operates with a circular selection area only.
- Red Eye Reduction: Lightroom allows you to remove red eye.
- Target Adjustment Tool: You can click-drag up and down in the image to affect Tone Curve, Hue, Saturation, Luminance and Greys using this tool.
- Develop Pane On/Off: You can swtich off each pane in Develop.
- HSL additions: There are now 8 sliders per section: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Aqua, Blue, Purple and Magenta.
- Color: The HSL tool has a little brother in the Color tool. 3 sliders for HSL and the same 8 colours as HSL in clickable blocks.
- Crop improvements: You can now click-drag to crop as in Photoshop.
- History and Snapshots: These are now separate Panes. Making a snapshot no longer clears History. You can clear the History list without resetting the image.
- More Web Templates: A lot more HTML and Flash Templates.
- More options: Many more options including Add Copyright Watermark
- Adobe Camera RAW compatibility: When V1 is shipped on the 19th, ACR 3.7 will be released giving interoperability between the two.
Develop
Web
General
In the “didn’t make it” category we have:
- Photo Binders: With a need to change how it operates, a descision was made to leave these out.
- Shoots: As a shoot could be a virtual or real location on the drive, it was too confusing for most.
- Filter Pane: This is replaced by the filters in filmstrip and the Find Pane.
Not sure this makes sense
“In the didn’t last catagory we have:”
cheers
Richard
I was changing that when you posted Richard. I felt it needed quotes to make it more sensible. Hopefully it reads better now.
Ugh, this is really depressing news, if I’m reading this right (that shoots have been replaced with folders). Previously I was only pulling in my selects for processing (leaving the garbage out of the database that I wouldn’t be working with). Now it sounds like the entire folder will be sucked in whether I like it or not? As a workaround I guess I can just move all the non-selects out of the way, but this is supposed to improve, not slow down your workflow! :)
-/\/
Norby,
The change from Shoots to Folders has been previously documented in the forums.
One feature not mentioned is Import now has a preview window where you can select what to import. You can Uncheck all and then flag only the selects for importing.
Hi Sean,
Love Lightroom. Using it to process all my jobs past couple of months. One annoyance that I’m curious about is the “delete” function.
Will it be possible to “delete” while working in the Develop module ? Having to go back into the Library module to perform a “delete” is a drag.
Thanks,
Tony Bonanno
Tony, Hitting backspace will bring up a dialog asking if you want to delete, cancel or remove in Develop.
Rather that Delete immediately, you could use the flagging mentioned above. Hit X to Reject the file. If you click the Picks and Unflagged option in the filmstrip the Rejected image will disappear from view. At some time after this you can use Ctrl/Cmd delete to delete all the Rejects. This is handy because by clicking the Rejects filter in filmstrip you can review your rejected image and make sure you haven’t accidentally rejected the wrong images, before final deletion.
Or if like me, you’re sick of having LR ask you about deleting, use the Alt/Option key and it’s gone without a warning.
Sean,
I thought the web also had xslt capability so people can create there own templates. I thought that is what I heard in a podcast.
Randy
It does, but this has been in place since Beta 3, so is not a new addition.
I should also mention that the template creation takes place outside Lightroom. Personally I use Taco HTML Editor on the Mac and reload the template and/or restart Lightroom to view changes.
I will certainly miss the binders option. I work in conjuction with several photographers over several systems. It has been great using the binder function and importing the binder complete with changes at a new workstation or studio.
Any hope of it coming back?
Adobe will be implementing something along the Photo Binders line in the future. I’ve no idea what and if I did I couldn’t talk about it anyway. I know a method of archiving and syncing files is on the list. Maybe some of the others can jump in and say more.
I am also worrying about the lack of the Photo Binders feature. Is there any way to import my edited photos from my laptop to my workstation? Or do I have to export them as DNGs, and forget about the original?
If you use the option to write out XMP, you can simply import the folder off the laptop onto the desktop and all edits will be saved. If you have the same folders on the desktop, there may be issues. You can’t for example edit photos on the laptop and then move it to the desktop and edit further and then back to the laptop without first deleting the files off the laptop. Ideally you should be able to sync the metadata without deleting files.
Any word on importing my Photoshop Elements Organizer database to LR? That’s really the thing holding me back from making the purchase when it’s released.
Thanks for the clarification. Fortunately, I never want to move files back to the laptop, it is just for temporary importing and editing while on the move. I always clear the entire library on it afterwards.