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DevAdjust Lightroom Plugin
Define relative adjustment presets & combos for tweaking develop settings. Supports all photo file formats - virtual copies too.
ScreenShot #1
This is pretty out of date now, but still gives the idea...
ScreenShot #2
This is pretty out of date now, but still gives the idea...
ScreenShot #3
This is pretty out of date now, but still gives the idea...
See the readme file after downloading for usage and other notes.
These FAQs come partly from users, and partly from my imagination. Please let me know if there are errors or omissions in this FAQ - thanks.
NOTE: The following Q&A's assume that the plugin is working as I expect... If, after your best effort, still "no go", please let me know.
Question: What is this "DevAdjust" of which you speak?
Answer: DevAdjust is the successor to XmpEdit, but does not use XMP. It should preserve your previous presets and actions, but uses new capabilities introduced in Lightroom 3.0 - thus it won't work in Lr2.
Question: Does DevAdjust support all file types.
Answer: All photo file types that Lr3 itself supports, including virtual copies.
Question: What do I need to do to upgrade my previous presets and combos?
Answer: Run 'Optimize' from the Plugin Manager.
Question: What if I apply adjustments via the form, or a preset/combo and I want to undo it?
Answer: You have 3 options:
Question: What if I increase the post-crop vignette mid-point on a photo that doesn't have a post-crop vignette - and other stuff like that...
Answer: Presently, nothing will happen. I can imagine this being desirable or un-desirable depending on your intentions, and I am hoping to add an auto-enable switch to handle case when adjustments are made to things that aren't yet enabled.
Question: Hot metadata you say? Come again??
Answer: In the right-hand Library panel under 'RC Dev Adjust' - check the 'Hot Selection' drop-down list, and Show UI.
Question: Why isn't the multiplier working when I "Hot-Select" a preset?
Answer: Lightroom doesn't recognize the value of the multiplier field until the edit has been "closed" by using the tab or enter key.
Question: How come I get asked if I want to assign metadata to all these photos when I make a hot selection?
Answer: Lightroom is asking, not DevAdjust. Theoretically it shouldn't matter, although it does make DevAdjust slightly less efficient. To avoid this prompt and speed up DevAdjust when multiple photos are selected, make sure 'Metadata Menu -> Show Metadata for Target Photo Only' is selected in the Library module.
Question: DevAdjust seems to have made an inadvertent adjustment...
Answer: I've never seen this happen with DevAdjust, but I did have occasional problems with live-edit in DevMeta (which was using hot-metadata for altering develop settings). Its less likely to happen if 'Metadata Menu -> Show Metadata for Target Photo Only' is selected in the Library module. And its more likely to happen if DevAdjust crashes before it has a chance to clear out the hot-selection. Thus next time you select that photo it may appear to have been hot-selected by the user. There are safeguards in place to prevent this that so far have been working, but don't say you haven't been warned... Note: I just went and changed the Hot Selection to be available for library filters and smart collections. I also have a collection for "potential problems". One of the criteria of this collection is "Hot Selection" - is-not - "No Value". Thus I can see if any photos ever get stuck with a hot-selection pending due to a crash or bug in Lightroom. This may be a bit much for most users, but the point is: If a photo ends up with a hot-selection metadata value that should have been cleared, there's a slight chance they may get an inadvertent preset applied when selecting that photo again. Reminder: I have programmed safeguards and have never had a problem. But I did have a similar problem with DevMeta once before thats left me kinda edgy, granted DevMeta was a tougher nut to crack in this regard (details available upon request). Still I'm a bit paranoid now, but - bottom-line: so far, no problems...
Question: Why would I ever want to disable Hot-Selection?
Answer: Theoretically if everything is working correctly, you wouldn't, or at least I wouldn't. Hot selection works via a light-weight background process that periodically checks for changed metadata. If Lightroom is behaving funny, you may want to disable this process until you get it sorted out..
Question: What exactly is a develop preset file?
Answer: There are 3 things that could be considered develop preset files:
Question: What is this optimization stuff all about...
Answer: Optimization does these things:
Question: I can't tell if the optimizer is doing anything...
Answer: Try reseting the warning dialogs, then after running the optimizer, make 'View Log File' the default.
Question: I can't tell if the backup is doing anything...
Answer: Try reseting the warning dialogs, then after running the backup, make 'View Log File' the default.
Question: How can I see exactly what's in a DevAdjust plugin preset?
Answer: Load it into DevAdjust's adjustment form, or look at it in the above mentioned preset folder using a text editor.
Question: How'd you get all those great names in the Edit History List?
Answer: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you ;-}
Question: what can/can't be used in preset and/or combo comments?
Answer: Anything that won't break a Lua "long" comment - stay away from '--[[' and '--]]' and you'll probably be OK.
Question: Can I specify a combination of presets, and combos, in a combo?
Answer: Not any more. Nobody who has yet complained was making combos of combos, and it just makes the code simpler to restrict combos to presets.
Question: What's legacy mode?
Answer: In legacy mode multipliers for '>' & '>>' buttons (also '<' & '<<') are 1/3 and 1.0 respectively. In "normal" mode (legacy mode unchecked), they are 1.0 and 3.0 respectively.
Question: The changes don't seem to be taking effect - what's wrong with this thing?!
Answer: These are some possibilities:
Question: Can I nest preset and combo folders as deeply as I want.
Answer: Nope - Like Lightroom, presets and combos can be either in the root of the preset directory or in a folder, but not subfolders of subfolders... - This limitation mostly just makes the code easier to write - let me know if you find it too limiting.
Question: Sometimes I get an error: Unable to apply preset ...
Answer: DevAdjust is smart enough to tell whether DevAdjust initiated adjustments have had enough time to percolate before issuing another round. However, it is NOT smart enough to tell whether Lightroom initiated adjustments have had enough time to percolate before initiating DevAdjust adjustments. The results of this are adjustment errors. This usually only comes into play when you are adjusting several images in bulk after importing with auto-tone on or some other develop preset, or in any case issuing a bulk adjustment in Lightroom, then shortly thereafter issuing a bulk adjustment with DevAdjust. I have two suggestions for now: Wait for the "..." to turn into a down-arrow (upper right corner of thumbnail - indicating Lightroom adjustments have finished percolating) for ALL photos after initiating a Lightroom adjustment, before initiating a DevAdjust adjustment. Failing that, UNDO the incompleted DevAdjust adjustments (see Edit Menu -> Undo) so as not to leave some photos adjusted but not others, or worse: leaving a photo partially adjusted (or just undo the first failed adjustment using the edit-history of the photo that wasn't adjusted properly). Then redo the DevAdjust adjustment, subject to the timing considerations mentioned above.
Question: How can I tell the difference between a preset file and a combo file.
Answer: You can't tell just by the filename extension, which is why I recommend keeping combos in a separate folder(s) from your presets, or at least using a naming scheme that allows you to identify at a glance. You can also try loading as a preset, or combo and seeing whether DevAdjust complains; or open in a text editor... Also, you can add notes that provide a clue.
Question: What good are these notes you can keep with a preset or combo?
Answer: DevAdjust displays them as a tool tip in the 'Apply' dialog box. You can also load them into a text editor for inspection and modification if desired - its the comment at the top between the '--[[' and the '--]]' markers.
Question: Is there a keyboard shortcut for quick access?
Answer: On, Windows - Yes:
Also, as of v2.0.0, you can add ALL your presets and/or combos to the file menu, accessible via Alt-F,S (on Windows).
Question: Why don't you show which preset is being edited, so you know which file to save it back to?
Answer: You can load any number of presets into the adjustment form, so it kinda loses its identity... The good news is that you can still see which preset was selected initially on the 'Apply' form if you position them to both be visible, so you can see which to save back to that way.
Question: I tried loading multiple presets into the adjustment form and it asking me whether to add or overwrite. Add what? overwrite what??
Answer: If you choose 'Add' the values you see in the adjustment form will be the same as if you had applied these presets in succession. Choose 'Overwrite' when you want to choose just the incoming preset's adjustment for a setting that's already on the form.
Question: Why are all my photos on the 'Misc' tab? - How to create "folder" tabs?
Answer: When you save your presets, just create a folder in the presets directory and put it there. You can even move your presets into folders (1-level deep within the preset directory) using Explorer/Finder and DevAdjust will "adjust".
PS - 'Misc' really just means "in root of preset directory". Note: folders beginning with '1' will not be present in file menu or library hot-selection drop-down list. folders beginning with '_' will be completely ignored. (the '1' prefix is intended to mean "singular adjustments already available in Lightroom proper, whose sole purpose is to obviate the need to close dev-adjust, then re-open just to adjust one thing...)
Question: Where's the crop settings?!
Answer: Sorry Lightroom doesn't support them, yet (hopefully they will - I submitted a request, but my experience dictates it won't be until Lr4 - hope I'm wrong) - so DevAdjust doesn't support them. Note: crop settings are supported by XmpEdit, and may be the only reason it isn't completely obsolete (I mean other than supporting good ol' Lr2 that is...)
Question: What's that busy light do?
Answer: Well, it looks like a disabled radio button input, but its actually an output. It indicates that DevAdjust is still chomping on an adjustment that must be completed before attempting additional adjustments.
Question: Why does the 2x box do?
Answer: Increases the strength of an adjustment by a factor of 2.
Question: Whats up with this "all selected" versus "most selected" business?
Answer: Unlike Lightroom proper (whose target depends on whether you are in the grid or not...), plugins by default will either target just most selected photo or all selected photos (depending on how they're coded). Having this option makes it unambiguous and clear - which is my middle name...
Question: DevAdjust doesn't seem to be working perfectly - is there anything I can do to help it along?
Answer: Yes (well, maybe...) - make sure a log file is specified, and log-verbose is checked, then reset all warning dialogs. Do an optimization, then restart Lightroom. Consider test-mode if you want to ensure no files are written or deleted (although this may affect normal functioning as well so de-select test-mode as soon as you're done with it). Look at the log file in your documents folder and if you can't figure things out for yourself - send it to me.
Question: DevAdjust seems to be working OK - but is there any way to speed it up?
Answer: The biggest bottle-neck seems to be Lightroom itself, not DevAdjust. So, first thing is to optimize Lightroom performance as much as possible. Then, you may be able to get a little boost by setting log-file-path to blank in the plugin manager, and making sure log-verbose is de-selected (contrary to intuition, the log-verbose flag is used to indicate a debug-mode even if no log file is being written).
Actually, the DevAdjust Main UI will come up a lot faster the less presets and combos you have. Rename all the '1{preset}' folders, and prefix them with a '_' character (to hide them) and the main UI will come up a lot faster. On the other hand, a lot of this is less of a concern since v2.0.0 - with all the presets/combos on the file menu and library hot-selection drop-down.
Question: Temperature adjustments seem about right on raw files, but are sometimes a little light-handed on the jpegs and tifs.
Answer: I just divide the temperature by 100 before applying to the tif and jpeg targets. It tends to be a little light handed, but there is no perfect formula I could find to convert raw/kelvin temperature to rgb/incremental temperature - I figured light-handed was better than heavy handed. Please inform me if you know of a better way to do it.
Question: How can I keep my combos from breaking when I re-save, rename, or move a preset.
Answer: When re-saving, the saved preset will assume the identity of whatever file you are overwriting. This is good if its what you want, and bad if its not. If you want it to be seen as the same from your pre-existing combos, then re-save over an existing file - then you can rename, or move... If you don't want it tied to any existing combos, save as a new file.
*** After renaming or moving a preset that is referenced by a combo, re-run the optimizer.
*** After renaming or moving a preset that is referenced by a combo, re-run the optimizer.
*** After renaming or moving a preset that is referenced by a combo, re-run the optimizer.
Question: How can I import (or export) relative preset files?
Answer: There is no feature built-in per se, but you can merge somebody elses preset files in with your own using Explorer/Finder or your favorite folder sync utility. Likewise if you want to share yours with somebody else, you can just zip 'em up and send 'em or post 'em...
Question: How can I edit presets and have them show up in the Main UI (Apply Form) immediately?
Answer: Just clicking a preset name button will allow you to edit it, but no changes made in the preset editor (Adjustment Form) will show up in the MainUI (Apply Form) without exiting and re-entering. A work-around is to click the generic 'Adjustments | Presets | Combos' button, then load which ever presets you want to edit from there - then they will be immediately reintegrated in the Main UI (Apply Form).
Question: What are the preset and combo version numbers?
Answer: Preset and combo files are given version numbers to identify format, so far we have:
PS - I try to make each revision of DevAdjust be able to read all previous versions of presets & combos, but you're better off to backup then optimize your presets and combos each time a new revision of DevAdjust is released that uses a new file format version - I will be sure and let you know in the revision history.
Question: How can I reorder the folder tabs and presets/combos they contain?
Answer: As it stands, these are organized alphabetically. So you can control the ordering by prefixing with alphanumeric characters, numeric digits as example - just don't prefix with '1' unless you want to use a naming convention contrary to design and intent, or keep it off the file menu and library hot-selection list.
Question: How can I enter a line-break in the notes field?
Answer: Ctrl-J on Windows, Option-Return on Mac. - Same holds true of metadata fields in Lightroom proper.
Question: I just installed the latest DevAdjust, but I don't see any of the new default presets - what now?
Answer: Two choices:
Note: As of v2.0.0, the default preset folder is within the plugin proper. I did that because they've all been modified for the new multiplier value (1 & 3) and thus are not compatible with legacy mode presets (multipliers of 1/3 & 1).
Question: Should I keep my presets in with DevAdjust, or merge DevAdjust presets with mine.
Answer: Doesn't matter, but if you keep yours with the DevAdjust presets just make sure you don't overwrite them when you upgrade DevAdjust. I'd be inclined to recommend that you change the preset-dir, then merge new DevAdjust default presets with your own, instead of the other way around.
Question: Do I have to leave the default preset directory where it is?
Answer: No - it can be moved anywhere, just remember to point to it using the plugin manager.
Question: How can I share my DevAdjust presets with others.
Answer: Please submit them to me. If they pass my rigorous QA, I will make them available separately on this website, or incorporate into the DevAdjust default set.
Question: How can I control the size of the Main UI (Apply Form) window?
Answer: Scrolling is not supported in plugin UI components (other than text in an edit-field using the cursor). So, the vertical length of the frame is defined by the folder with the most presets, for example 1HSL. If you divide those into 1Hue, 1Sat, & 1Lum folders it will be smaller vertically. Width is defined by the longest preset name, in this case it's the '. (lots of space but doesn't do anything) .lua' preset, whose sole purpose in life is to allow you to adjust the width of the frame. So rename the '. .'.lua file and add some spaces to make wider, or remove spaces to decrease frame width. Funky I know, but works well enough...
Question: How come after editing notes in my text editor everything's on one line in the notes field of DevAdjust.
Answer: Notes fields like both Carriage Return & Line Feed together. Most text editors will just use one or the other - if you can configure a DOS-compatibility mode (CR+LF) it will solve the problem.
Question: Any other hot tips?
Answer: Yes:
Question: Why do I have to exit DevAdjust to do anything else in Lightroom?
Answer: You don't anymore. Just click the Lightroom or Lr button (you can adjust number of seconds) and you'll be able to fiddle in Lightroom for a moment. Sorry, but Lightroom does not support non-modal plugins, so that's the best I can do for now...
Question: Why am I getting extra settings in the tooltips?
Answer: As of v2.7, all settings are appended to your notes to make the tooltip. So, you can delete all settings notes from your preset comments. Likewise, all presets are appended to the tooltip now for combos, so delete them from notes if they're now redundent. You can delete them one at a time when saving, or load them all into a text editor and delete them in bulk from the top comment block. Then run an optimize from the plugin manager. Always backup before optimize, and consider reseting warning dialogs before backup.
Question: Known bugs, limitations, and plans for the future of DevAdjust?
Answer:
- Fixed error that could occur when loading values from preset into adjustment form.
- Fixed bug in dialog box button handling.
- Robustened the error handling.
- Rearranged the buttons in the lower left corner of the forms.
- Automatically appends settings (preset adjustments or combo presets) to your notes for tooltip, when saving preset and/or during optimize. Soooooo - if you've been keeping notes that includes these, I'd recommend deleting them when you edit/save, or if you want to do them all at once, load them into text editor, delete all the settings from the top comment block, then do an optimize, which will add the settings to the tooltips. (Always backup before optimize, and consider reseting warning dialogs before backup).
- Fixed 'Parametric Highlight Split' adjustment.
- Added "Previous/Next Photo" buttons. - I should have done this a long time ago - how come one of y'all didn't say something? ;-}
- Fixed bug in adjustment form: There was sometimes an error if temperature/tint adjustments applied to multiple photos when a photo that was not most selected did not already have custom white balance.
- Reworked the adjustment form to have multiple sections (as tabs) and sliders more like Lightroom proper.
- Enhanced Adjustment Form to assure white balance is set to custom before setting temperature or tint. This has always been done when applying presets, but not when applying adjustments using the form.
Enhancements:
-
Adjustment form added to file menu and hot selection drop-down.
- Added "switch to Lr for a moment"
to the adjustment form - next best thing to a non-modal dialog box (main UI already had this feature added a while back).
Bug Fixes:
- Adjustment form was only doing most selected photo, even if "all selected" was checked.
- Added a momentary DevAdjust hiding button, so you dont have to close DevAdjust just to twiddle a slider or two in Lightroom proper.
- Added a new default preset: 'Highlight Recovery - Alternative' that uses negative exposure + fill-light and some fine tuning, instead of highlight recovery, to recover highlights - eliminates the "flat n pink" effect sometimes caused by Lightroom's highlight recovery.
- Targets must be selected - i.e. it will no longer target all photos in the filmstrip when nothing is selected.
- Bug fixed causing problem with log verbose not being initialized, which could cause plugin to fail completely for first time users (funny story available upon request).
- Default presets now exclude 1-zeys to make UI load faster - you can change this if you don't like it: see readme file in plugin default presets folder.
- Added Rob's version of "Active D-Lighting" emulation ala Combo - works for all camera models...
- Tweaked some other of the default presets a smidge.
- Fixed the multiplier in the adjustment form (non-legacy mode ).
- Added button to plugin manager that puts all your presets / combos on the file menu, so they can be accessed instantly in library or develop module. Although I still think hot metadata is more convenient in the library module (plus you can specify a multiplier).
- Added "unconventional' hot metadata items to the library panel to quickly apply presets and/or combos, or bring up the main UI.
- Presets are now applied at 1 and 3 strength from the main menu form, instead of 1/3 and 1 respectively (unless legacy mode is checked in plugin manager). Default presets have been changed accordingly.
- "1{Preset}" folders/presets could have been disabled in the default set (prefixed with '_' which means ignore) but weren't. They slow the UI form way down. But now that all the presets and/or combos are available on the file-menu and library panel, the main menu is reserved more for defining new ones and testing them...
- Changed 2x to persist only for the course of a single session, rather than being remembered forever. (I got tired of having to always see if the 2x box was checked from before... - better for me to have it start in a known (off) state, so I don't forget it was on and inadvertently apply double what I meant.
- Changed handling of 'All Selected'... - you'll see...
- Made the 'busy' light (radio-button) un-input-able. Although fainter, at least its not masquerading as an input.
- Folders and presets begining with '_' will be ignored everywhere. Also, folders begninning with '1' are not included in the hot selection drop down list, nor the file menu.
- Improved fix where potential problem contending for catalog with dev-meta's auto-update.
- Fixed a potential problem contending for catalog with dev-meta's auto-update/live-edit.
- Minor change to support people who want to assigned keyboard shortcuts to specific presets and/or combos.
- Removed the label from the 'busy' light (radio button) so people are less tempted to play with it - its an output, not an input, so leave it alone!
- Added a few more default presets.
- Major enhancements, including but not limited to:
- Re-instated optimization and fixed test-mode.
- Added bounds checking to clamp out of bounds values at min/max instead of reverting to default.
- Added tooltip to 'Misc' (root) folder tab to hint at how to get your presets and combos into folders on the disk and therefore onto tabs in the UI.
- Added 'Busy' detection & "light" - to eliminate error that occurs when insufficient time has passed between adjustment button presses.
- Added 2x checkbox to double effect of '<<', '<', '>', & '>>' adjustment buttons.
- Disabled Optimization due to a bug - hopefully fixed soon as v1.1.1.
- File formats have been changed so you may have to redo your 0.0.0 presets and combos - at a minimum load and re-save. Future versions will be backward compatible.
- User interface for applying presets has been re-vamped to be more Lightroom-like.
- Robustification and fixation galore! (and stuff like that...)
Rough first draft - Its up and running but still needs some work - see readme file in downloaded zip file.
DevAdjust should read your pre-existing xmp-edit presets (but you must re-save them - see readme file) and actions(combos). Please (IDENTIFY THE PLUGIN) let me know what you think - its a work in progress... And, please (IDENTIFY THE PLUGIN) report bugs.
Please let me know if there is a problem with the newest release - thanks.
acceptance of Download Terms & Conditions will be required
DevAdjust 2.7.3 - this is the one to download.
DevAdjust 2.7.1 - for fallback, in case there is some problem with the newest release.
| Static content updated 2010-06-15 | Copyright 2007 - robcole.com - all rights reserved. | Dynamic content updated 02:42:13 AM |