[krs]

As a bit of a LR/CS5 beginner, I recently shot some pictures as RAW+JPEG. I then loaded them into LR3. In LR3, it seems to know that I shot RAW+JPEG, but it is not clear which I am viewing/editing. If I then launch into CS5, I go straight into the normal CS5 editor, not the raw editor. If I edit the raw file directly from the file, adobe launches the raw editor first.

My questions are then as follows:

1. In LR3, what am I really editing - the jpeg or the raw file?
2. Similarly, which am I editing if I then launch into CS5?
3. If the raw file, why am I not first placed in the raw editor in CS5.
4. Can I tell LR or CS5 to edit either the jpeg or the raw file?

Note: If I shoot just raw or just jpeg, I think it operates as would be expected!

Any general insights or pointers would also be appreciated!

[Miguel]

My questions are then as follows:

1. In LR3, what am I really editing - the jpeg or the raw file?
2. Similarly, which am I editing if I then launch into CS5?
3. If the raw file, why am I not first placed in the raw editor in CS5.
4. Can I tell LR or CS5 to edit either the jpeg or the raw file?

Note: If I shoot just raw or just jpeg, I think it operates as would be expected!

Any general insights or pointers would also be appreciated!

1A. In the General and File Handling preferences of LR you can manage how RAW + jpeg files are managed. This is how Adobe explains it. Note the third bullet point in paragraph 2. I find it helps if you show file names in LR's Grid view. View>Loupe Info menus.

1B. In reality, you are not really editing either the RAW or jpeg files. LR is different from many post-processing tools in that it works on parametric data about the image file. All of the editing work is completely non-destructive as your original file data is untouched. A database approach basically.

2. If you send an image file from LR to CS3/4/5, a different model happens. A copy of your Lightroom changes becomes baked into either a PSD or TIFF file that Photoshop then works on. After your Photoshop work is completed and saved, that file is round-tripped back into Lightroom. This PSD or TIFF file has been changed permanently.

3. Because LR and CS3/4/5 share the same ACR RAW rendering engine. LR's done all the work already.

4. Yes, see 1A above.

HTH,

M

[krs]

Hi Miquel,

Thanks - this helps....

No where in this flow am I given the option to edit the picture with the adobe raw editorer (that I am aware of). What work has LR done already here, and how can I get the option to do the raw edits myself if I so chose?

[Miguel]

LR is the RAW editor. Same thing internally as ACR. Click on Develop and go for it.

M