Thanks for the idea’s Tom and bestcpu-
In reply to questions:
** I’m using CS5 and ACR 6.7, Nikons .NEF (not DNG), I save raw edits in the XMP sidecar per ACR Pref’s, I don’t use Lightroom. As for forcing/exporting to XMP via ACR “snapshots” drop down menue, I’ve tried every combo of that with and without using presets (I saw you can do it with presets also) exporting this way never made any difference, in any combo with snapshots and/or presets.
Tom, not sure what you mean by “b)” saving to a temporary file. I’m guessing it doesn’t matter since the saving a preset does work, and is probably easiest.
Here is what I found with my system:
Snapshots & Presets
After saving a .NEF file as a .tif in CS5, ACR saves all snapshots prior to opening the NEF as a smart object in CS5, (not necessary to “export settings to XMP”). This is also true if you return to ACR 6.7 to save from ACR “Save Image” button.
Up until the point of saving an image in CS5 or ACR, ACR will save all snapshots made before and after originally opening the NEF as a smart object into CS5, once it’s saved (using CS5 or ACR) only snapshots before opening as a smart object are retained in ACR (all presets are saved no matter when made).
Creating Presets are the only way to save steps after a smart object has been created (exporting to XMP will not force it’s identical snapshot to save after saving as .tif). When you reopen the original NEF (after editing & saving a copy) I have the snapshots made prior to opening as a smart object and the presets made before and after the created smart object.
At least I know how to make it work for me so I retain 1 original and a few steps till I’m done with the file.
One other point……
I assume this is true for those not on the CC also. A real drag, every time you come back to ACR from CS5 you can’t see any of the photoshop edits in ACR. It requires lots of back/forth & quessing to tweak things unseen.Guess it all comes with developing a work flow-
Thanks for your input, it was a help-
Robes
