Tif: Where's the Develop Settings

[Ron G3]

I've read all of Adobe's info on xmp (72 times).  And I'm under the assumption that after exporting a dng to tif, and re-importing the tif, LR should show the changes in the develop module (slider positions).  Is this correct?  I would add that I just did a brief test, selecting all four combinations of Catalog xmp settings in LR before exporting.  The result is four photos that show the develop changes but, do not show slider changes and will not show before / after views.  So what don't I know?

[JP Hess]

The exported TIF file is a new image. All settings will be at their default positions. The settings that were in the original image will not be reflected in the new file. And since it is a new image there will be no before/after view available, nor will there be any edit history.

[dj_paige]

There's no point in re-importing, and you won't find your develop settings that way. Any workflow that relies on re-importing is not a good workflow in Lightroom.

If you want to see the develop settings, you look at the original photo and not the exported photo.

[JoeKostoss]

Lightroom is doing exactly what it was designed to do.  The slider positions are all saved in the catalog and can be seen when you are viewing the original dng file.  In the tif file, the settings are "burned in" so you will see the edits but the sliders will all be set to default positions.  As stated by dj_paige, there is no point in reimporting; all you need in the catalog is your original dng file.  Use the tif file for whatever purpose you intended, keep it on the computer if you wish, but I usually delete it afterwards and if needed again, I simply re-export from the dng file.

[Ron G3]

Gentlemen:     Thanks for the advice.  For starts, let me say that I understand the benefits of LR catalogs.  However, exporting is a function in LR and I'm exploring exactly what it does.  So, forgive me if I ask for more clarification.  Mr Hess states that the saved tiff is a new file and that's why there's no slider positions.  However, I just exported a dng with a new name and re-imported it.  And, it does show slider positions on import.  Therefore either the new theory doesn't hold for all file types or, I don't know what LR calls "new". 

Mr Kostross:  You state that tif settings are burned in.  I'm not sure what that means technically.  And, what is the point of the catalog settings item, "Include develop settings in metadata inside jpeg, tif ..." if re-importing  doesn't show you what you've done.  I would also comment, that dng is an Adobe creation so, if I'm seeing slider values with dng, why not with PSD.

[dj_paige]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Ron+G3  wrote

Gentlemen:     Thanks for the advice.  For starts, let me say that I understand the benefits of LR catalogs.  However, exporting is a function in LR and I'm exploring exactly what it does.  So, forgive me if I ask for more clarification.  Mr Hess states that the saved tiff is a new file and that's why there's no slider positions.  However, I just exported a dng with a new name and re-imported it.  And, it does show slider positions on import.  Therefore either the new theory doesn't hold for all file types or, I don't know what LR calls "new". 

Exporting TIF and DNG behave differently. They have different properties. Exporting as TIF will have no edit history, and exporting as DNG will have edit history, this is the way things are supposed to work.

You state that tif settings are burned in.  I'm not sure what that means technically. 

The actual pixels in the exported file are changed from the pixels in the original file, based upon the edits -- this is what "burned in" means.

And, what is the point of the catalog settings item, "Include develop settings in metadata inside jpeg, tif ..." if re-importing  doesn't show you what you've done.  I would also comment, that dng is an Adobe creation so, if I'm seeing slider values with dng, why not with PSD.

I don't know what the quote you have there refers to (it certainly is not something said by JoeKostoss) but re-importing JPG, TIF, PSD will have the edits burned into the file (as I described above) and sliders at their default position. Re-importing DNG does not have the edits burned it, the edits are stored in the DNG file as text (for example, Exposure +0.25, contrast +15, Blacks –25) and when you re-import a DNG into LR, then Lightroom shows you the edited version and the sliders in the proper positions.

These file types are not supposed to behave the same, but furthermore, any workflow that involves re-importing photos into your catalog is not a good workflow, and is to be avoided.

[JP Hess]

If you export a DNG as a DNG then you are exporting a copy that includes the settings. If you export a TIF you are creating a new file, new file format, and all the settings that are used to create that TIF become the default settings for that file. There will be no history for that file because it is a new file that hasn't been edited previously by Lightroom.

[Ron G3]

Thanks again.  I'll stick with dng

[dj_paige]

And, Ron G3​, if you stick with DNG and you re-import the DNGs into the LR catalog, you will not have a good workflow, and you will potentially lose some information in the LR catalog because not every piece of information in the LR catalog is written to DNG when you export.

[JP Hess]

I guess I'm missing something here. Why are we worrying about exporting as DNG or anything else and reimporting? If we've got the original raw or DNG with all of the original editing, that's the original file with all the original work. We can export a TIF or JPEG or whatever for any special purpose. But we still have that original file. Why do we have to worry about reimporting anything?