Save changes from PSD to ACR (in PS6)

ford_kristo · June 23, 2014

I'm trying to find out if it is possible to save changes made to an open PSD file back to an ACR raw file.

Background:

1) Changes made to raw file in ACR

2) Raw file opened in PS6 as a "smart object". On inspection, further adjustment required to raw file.

3) Reopen raw file in ACR by double clicking on thumbnail in PSD layer to further refine ACR adjustments.

4) Make adjustments in ACR and return to modified PSD file in PS6.

Problem:

The new adjustments made in 3) are not reflected in the raw file (only the first set of changes is evident)

Is there a way to save the changes made when going back into ACR via the smart object displayed in PS6?

I hope this makes sense. Thanks.

john_wheeler6 · June 23, 2014

Hi Ford - Yes there is a way to do this in CS6

- Select Layer that has the Smart Object originally that came through ACR

- Use the command Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents and then choose the same image you were using originally. It will go through ACR again and update the original files metadata with the ACR changes

- If you use this a lot you could assign a keyboard shortcut

Hope that helps.

digitaldog · June 23, 2014

I'm trying to find out if it is possible to save changes made to an open PSD file back to an ACR raw file.

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Raw files in Adobe raw processors are treated as read only, there's nothing to write back to the raw itself unless you've converted it to a DNG. There are sidecar files which contain the proprietary instructions that could be used to render that raw to pixels that could be saved as a PSD or TIFF or JPEG. In Adobe raw processors, short of using DNG, the instructions have to be 'bonded' or synced with the raw but that raw itself isn't touched.

JDMvW · June 23, 2014

In your listing of the image files, the "sidecar" file of which Andrew speaks will have the .xmp suffix with the same name as the CR2 file otherwise. If, for some reason, you want to see the original CR2, just get rid of the xmp file.

In Bridge, you can tell which CR2 files have been 'edited' in ACR because a little 'deathstar' image shows at the upper right of the thumbnail.

blumesan · June 23, 2014

Ford,

In your workflow, step 4, when you return (to PS6), you are not returning to a "modified PSD" until you save your edited image to this format. When you do so, the resulting file should reflect all your edits done in both ACR and PS6, including any round trip to ACR via the smart object.

As Andrew has explained, none of these edits are written to the raw file (unless a .dng). The are written to a sidecar file (.xmp) and that file will incorporate all the edits you have made to the raw file in ACR (initially, or on a return via smart object). Edits which you subsequently make in PS6 are not saved anywhere until you save out of PS6 to whatever format you desire.

ford_kristo · June 23, 2014

Thank you kindly for your responses. Perhaps my original posting was a bit unclear. I understand the role of xmp files, etc.

In delving further into the ACR menus, I discovered the method. Maybe the following will explain the situation and solution more effectively for those having the same problem:

1) Original raw file is opened in Bridge and modified (call this "raw version 1")

2) Raw version 1 is opened as Smart Object in PS6 from ACR

3) Dust spot discovered in image. ACR opened via PS6 Smart Object layer thumbnail and dust spots removed. (call this "raw version 2")

4) Smart Object is reopened in PS6 from Raw version 2 in ACR and dust is not visible.

5) Save PS6 Smart Object to whatever file format and close.

6) Reopen raw file from Bridge and it is still raw version 1 with dust spot still evident.

So the question is, how do you overwrite raw version 1 with raw version 2?

Obviously, an xmp change - but how do you do it?

Method:

At Step 3) above, to save changes created in raw version 2 -

In the ACR "Basic" pane (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, etc) click on the menu button > select "Export Settings to XMP". This overwrites raw version 1 with version 2.

Thanks again to all of you for your help. If the menu terminology had been "Save Settings to XMP" rather than "Export", I would have probably cottoned on to this ages ago. My interpretation of "Export" was that the modified xmp would be applied to a different raw file.

john_wheeler6 · June 23, 2014

Hi Ford - Did you try my suggestion of "Replace Contents?" First post after you started the thread. Works great for me.

ford_kristo · June 23, 2014

Yes John W, following your post I thought I may have overlooked something when using the "Replace Contents" routine so I went through it carefully. However, this does not seem to overwrite "raw version 1" with "raw version 2" changes in the xmp file.

I am certainly no expert, but my experience has been that any changes made to raw files when when ACR is opened from a PSD file is that the changes only apply to that specific PSD. Hence you can have multiple PSD variants that may not resemble the currently saved xmp state of the raw file.

Thanks.

blumesan · June 23, 2014

Ford- Yes, I now understand. I find it very curious that, when one REopens a smart object in ACR and makes supplemental edits, these edits are not automatically added (exported) to the .xmp. Only the edits made during the first trip thru ACR are retained. The need to specifically request that the subsequent changes be incorporated into (exported to) the .xmp appears like a minor bug to me.

My first thought was that one should, when returning to PS6, choose "open as smart object" again. But this option is not available; only choice is "open", and this results in the problem you have described.

ford_kristo · June 23, 2014

Mike, I suppose the "Export Settings to XMP" ACR menu item is there to ensure that saving new changes on your second (or more) return visits to ACR requires a conscious intention and decision to do so. A "default save" may not be what you want to do.

john_wheeler6 · June 23, 2014

Hi Ford - Apparently Replace Contents works slightly differently in CS6 than it does in CC. Here is an alternative approach that I did try in CS6 and hope it works for you

- In Preferences, General section check the box "Place or Drag raster images as Smart Ojects

- Select the Layer with raw version 2 smart object

- Use File > Place and select raw version 1, make changes as desired and open in PS to create a Layer of raw version 3 (Note, raw version 1 will be updated)

- If you created any Smart Filters or masks in raw version 2 Smart Ojbect Layer, then drag those to the raw version 3 Smart Object Layer

- Delete the raw version 2 Smart Object Layer

--------------------------

Works for me in CS6 and fingers crossed it works for you.

blumesan · June 23, 2014

Ford, If one returns to ACR, presumably to make additional edits, under what circumstances would one not wish those edits to be saved? After one has returned to ACR the only options to go back to PS are "cancel" and "save'. Save ought to mean save.

ford_kristo · June 24, 2014

@ John W - Thanks for your detailed description. I'll give it a run and see how it goes.

@ Mike B - I suppose going back into ACR you might do "global" changes or changes based on Adjustment Brush selections made in ACR. Then when you bring your raw version 2 back into the PSD, you may not be happy with the effect of the changes on other filter layers, masks, etc already developed in the PSD. So if raw version 2 wasn't to your liking, you wouldn't want it saved by default. In any case, we know how to do it now. A small victory for mankind.

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Save changes from PSD to ACR (in PS6)

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