2 Replies Latest reply: Dec 4, 2009 1:46 PM by gurglamei RSS

    More features for working with virtual copies

    gurglamei Community Member

      I use virtual copies quite a bit. Nice feature but the following would greatly facilitate their us:

       

      In library mode:

      Some way to add a version label,  - the best would be to have the posibility to add som text, like "HLnr1" to indikate it is converted to optimize the highlights version 1 etc. . I would like the option to have this appended to the file name and that this follows the file if I export to a dng or open it in photoshop.

       

      I do a lot of compositing using different exposures and conversions, and it is easy to mess upp which conversion version I am using. By implementing this it would be much easier to keep track of what I am doin or have done. 

       

      In develop mode:

      1

      Some indication that I am working on a virtual copy. If the above is implemented, it solves the problem as I would se it in the file name.

       

      I know I can se from the filmstrip that I am working on a virtual copy, however the filstrip has to be quite large to show this and that makes the developwindow too small. Perhaps the virtual copy sign in the corner could grow when the filmstrip is diminished.  

       

      Let history copy over to the virtual copy

       

      Often I want to have some small variations of an image, and then it would be really nice to have the history carried over to the virtual copy. It would also be nice if history could be copied over if I export to a dng, although this is of less importance.

       

      Sincerely,

       

      Christopher

        • 1. Re: More features for working with virtual copies
          john beardsworth Community Member

          Have you seen the Copy Name field? This is in the Default view of the metadata panel.

           

          You can display it using View > Loupe Info, using View > Options.

          • 2. Re: More features for working with virtual copies
            gurglamei Community Member

            Thanks for your suggestion John.

             

             

            Actually,the Copy Name function slipped my mind when I wrote this feature request. I used it a bit some time ago, but found it too limited to be really useful.

             

            However, I see now that it can serve to indicate that I am working on a virtual copy and not the original in the develop module.

             

            The reason I stopped using the copy name function was that I tended to mix up how Copy 1 is different from Copy 2 etc. I could think I was working on Copy x only to find out that I had messed up Copy y. I even started making 6 virtual copies reserving 1 and 2 for shadows, 3 and 4 for midtones etc - but it just turned into a mess. I would find it much more intuitive if one is HL1 and the other MTa v2dark and the third DTb v3meddark etc.

             

            My current solution is to export each virtual copy as a dng and add my version label in the export dialog box. Then I sync the folder. Unfortunately history does not export to the dng, so to keep track of that I stack each dng with its corresponding virtual copy.

             

            Now, when I open 2 or 3 versions as layers in Photoshop it is pretty easy to see which file is on which layer. If I decide I need to adjust one of the files, I can quickly find the corresponding dng-file, make a new conversion, export to dng etc.

             

            However, having more features directly in the virtual copies would make things easier.

             

            Christopher