image processor in CS3 - not saving

05/16/2008 09:51:44 PM · #1

OK, trying to work this sucker out.

I'm trying to learn some things about using ACR in my workflow instead of Canon DPP. I do most of my stuff right now with DPP to PS, but I've got a batch of around 100 images that need a stronger hand for shadow recovery. I like the results I get from ACR better than DPP for this.

I've got about 3 different classes of lighting within 100 images and I want to run three passes with different settings, then just go through and select the ones that look the best. My class schedule is fairly heavy right now, so I don't have a lot of time for doing stuff the long way. Just batch, walk away, batch, walk away etc...

So my first step was to go to google for advice.

First result said to select the source image, control-alt-C (or go to the edit>develop settings>copy settings), then select target images and control-alt-V. This would be fantastic because it's very fast, and it still allows me to do the bulk of my editing just with the ACR settings. I'd therefore be able to set up my image groups in Bridge, then apply settings, double-check, then process in just one pass. What a time-saver!

One problem there is that my edit menu has no such animal. There is no develop settings option. Control-alt-c and V do nothing. I can find nothing in the help files regarding develop settings. I tried to check updates and my bridge appears to be updated.
QUESTION: Does this option appear in your version of Bridge? What version are you running? THANKS I'm running Bridge CS3 2.1.1.9
I read on one site that different workspaces can sometimes lead to menu options 'disappearing'... I use a custom workspace, but I tried them all to no avail.

So that sucked. But OK. I can deal with multiple passes. no big deal.

Next, I tried the image processor. Now there's a handy little beast. Kinda like batch processing made simple. I started getting excited.

Image processor allows you to load the first image in the series to build settings preferences, then gives you a chance to run an action. However, I'm not really sure what this is for since it only keeps the settings on the first image... (I just grabbed the batch action that I had built earlier for the other images in the series with sharpening, NR etc... and added the importing of a raw profile...), and then gives you an option to save as a JPG, PSD or TIFF in a specific location. Woo. Yummy.

So I ran that and after it motored through all the images, and it works fine. But one caveat is that since it's a much simpler version of the batch processor, it doesn't work that well with save and close as a part of an action. It has no ability to override as does the batch engine of Photoshop and if you have these in your action, you will have errors. I wasted a good bunch of time figuring that out since it's not stated in any of the info I found with Google, so I thought I'd share. It's nice that the errors aren't actually reported until the whole process is finished... Good one.

The other thing I ran into was the Dr Brown's services version (it's free). It also has this weakness. (and others... Image processor can be stopped quite easily, but the Dr Brown script version can't be stopped without actually killing photoshop)

Apparently Dr Brown is the guy who wrote the Image Processor and his own version has a few minor tweaks. It works pretty well and has a couple of advantages, specifically the ability to do resizing and specify when to run the action, before or after the resize. This is good since it's not terribly intelligent on its own when it comes to portrait vs landscape orientation.

Anyhow, those were a couple of fun tools I found in my adventures with learning... now if only I could figure out how to get the danged bridge to do the control-alt-c thingy... From browsing the web, it looks like a rare problem that adobe has responded to but not fixed. It has started showing up since version 2.1.0.1... that's like 18 subversions ago...

No idea.

Message edited by author 2008-05-17 03:20:36.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

05/17/2008 07:25:19 AM · #2

I have now substituted 4 different versions of Bridge.exe, replaced the entire photoshop cs3 directory, the entire bridge directory and found no joy in solving this odd problem. I updated each time and no change there either. whew...

The really strange thing is that when I installed the demo on my spare HD (which is small and flaky, but still has a runnable winXP - with no sound), the develop settings showed up instantly.

I am now doing a few re-installs with various levels of thoroughness to try to find out if I can reverse this irritating problem.

If all goes well, I hope to have an answer before midnight!

CEJ

Canon EOS-40D

05/17/2008 07:57:08 AM · #3

I have Bridge 2.1.1.9 and Develop is on the edit menu - right in the middle.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/17/2008 08:50:43 AM · #4

For bulk processing, give Lightroom 1.0 or Lightroom 2.0 Beta a try.

The nice thing about using Lightroom is that there is no "going back and forth" between bridge and ACR. It's all one user interface. You could think of "Library mode" and "Develop mode" as somewhat analogous to Bridge and ACR but switching between them is near instantaneous. Plus, there is so much cross-over between the two modes that you can do a lot in either one without switching. I usually use Library mode to quickly cull my images (rate them to see which ones I most want to process). Then I switch to develop mode to quickly apply settings, adjust crop, etc. But library mode allows you to adjust WB and exposure as well, and Develop mode also lets you cull the images. So it's really up to you and how you want to use it.

If, as you described, you have only three lighting scenarios ... you adjust the first one, then highlight everything in the series and click Sync. Do that for the 2nd series and again for the 3rd series and you're done. Now just highlight all of the images and click Export ... walk away and come back a few minutes later when all of your images have been exported. (for larger batches, I'll actually have Lightroom exporting some of the images while I'm still going through and applying settings)

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

05/17/2008 09:05:19 AM · #5

Thanks guys. I gave lightroom a quick look, but I like photoshop and I don't have the funds to buy lightroom as well. (I'm not doing paid work, just school projects and 'freebie' wedding jobs, so the educational license is sufficient for now)... and I *will* eventually have to bite the bullet and upgrade to full license after school's done in a couple of years.

Actually I just want to keep things simple and I don't want to install more adobe stuff on my comp. I know that the Bridge can do what I want, and do it very quickly, but for some inexplicable reason, installed on one HD, I get a develop settings thingy in my right click menu, but when installed on my main HD, I don't.

I've uninstalled once already, going into my second re-install cycle as I type. hrmph.

Now entering the 7th install cycle, still got other things to try. MMMMMM.. good use of time....

using cs3clean from adobe now... Boy, sure hope nobody else has to deal with this PITA problem.

Message edited by author 2008-05-17 11:00:12.

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

05/17/2008 02:14:04 PM · #6

Originally posted by CEJ:

I have Bridge 2.1.1.9 and Develop is on the edit menu - right in the middle.

Me too, exactly the same place.

Louis

Nikon D800

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D

05/17/2008 06:04:46 PM · #7

Bridge is just such a resource hog that Lightroom seems lightweight by comparison.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

05/17/2008 08:27:53 PM · #8

Thanks for the attention. I have no idea what is causing this bizarre bug. I found a couple more instances of people reporting it on the adobe forums and the adobe representative there was rude and unhelpful. The one thread that had the most information belonged to an italian guy who never got a resolution to his problem. He also could not understand why installing in place A would be ok but place B would not work.

He said that the problem was that they had installed the camera raw incorrectly. What a load of BS. I'm going to download a couple of "copies" and try them to see if it fixes itself. Otherwise, it looks like lightroom might make it on to my computer after all. But what an incredible pain in the a$$.

9th uninstall coming up.

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

05/17/2008 08:44:34 PM · #9

I'm not entirely certain if this is similar to what you are talking about, but I started having a problem with the ACR 4.4.1 dialog box, and processing. I will normally open a bunch of files in ACR, make my adjustments to them, then apply the adjustments to all of them and save them that way. Starting a week ago, when I go to save the changes, I get a write permissions error. (Conversions could not be completed; there was a write permissions error.)

I have been emailing back and forth with Adobe since this started happening, but so far they have been of no help whatsoever.

Still trying to figure it out.

Message edited by author 2008-05-17 20:44:52.