After a well attended public beta(600k+ downloads of the beta), the team is proud to provide the final version of Lightroom 3.0.  This release has received significant feedback via the beta forums and we released an additional beta release(Lightroom 3 beta 2) to ensure that we addressed the top issues and solidified a Lightroom 3.0 release that is ready for daily use.

Here’s a quick list of what we’ve changed since the last public beta:

• Profile-based lens correction that addresses:
  • Geometric lens distortion(i.e., barrel or pincushion)
  • Chromatic aberration
  • Vignette effects
• Manual geometric lens correction
• Horizontal and vertical perspective correction
• Improved Web templates for updated color and design options
• Additional Print templates to utilize the new creative layout options
• New develop presets for creative B&W and Color adjustments
• Focal length filtering available in the metadata filter
• Updated SDK with publish collection functionality and access to collection and keyword metadata
• Improved interactive responsiveness
• Ability to upgrade Lightroom 1, Lightroom 2 catalogs as well as Lightroom 3 beta or Lightroom 3 beta 2 catalogs
  • Images edited in Lightroom 3 beta or Lightroom 3 beta 2 will migrate to Lightroom 3.0 with little to no visual adjustments.  Minor sharpening adjustments may appear.
• Ability to migrate Photoshop Elements 6, 7 or 8 catalogs to Lightroom 3
• Updated print resolution limits of 720ppi for local printing and 1200ppi for printing to a JPEG file.

There have already been detailed blog entries about what has been added to Lightroom 3 through the two beta release.(Lightroom 3 beta, Lightroom 3 beta 2) Below, I’ve provided a high level summary of the top enhancements across all three releases.  You can also watch a Lightroom 3 Overview video by Julieanne Kost.

• Completely revamped import experience including import presets
• Direct tethered capture support for popular Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras. (Full compatibility list here)
• Updated architecture for improved interactive performance and the ability to manage larger image collections
• Support for importing, managing, tagging and organizing common video formats, including DSLR video formats. (.MOV, .AVI, .MP4)
• Dozens of smaller workflow enhancements throughout the application. (Detailed in the first Lightroom 3 beta blog post)
• Tight integration with online photo sharing sites including Flickr.  A new Lightroom 3 SDK allows developers to connect to additional sites with the same high level of integration.
• High quality image editing enhancements including
  • Dramatically improved Sharpening and Noise Reduction results
  • Additional post crop vignette styles with more photographic qualities
  • The ability to apply lens correction manually or using profiles for automated correction
  • Vertical and Horizontal transform controls
  • Creative grain controls
  • “Point curve” tone curve controls
  • Process Version switch to preserve historical processing style
• Export slideshows as high quality H.264 video files that include selected music
• Fully customizable multi-page print layouts
• Flexible text or graphic watermark settings that can be applied to all output destinations

I’ll be posting links to various resources you can utilize to get acquainted with this new release in a separate post.

Thanks from the Lightroom Team and don’t forget to enjoy Rule Number 5!

The team would like to thank the 350,000+ photographers who have downloaded the Lightroom 3 beta and provided feedback on the new improvements.  We’ve worked on improving several key areas and have prepared a second public beta of Lightroom 3 as we get closer to our final release.  Because this public beta is closer to our final release we are more focused on receiving feedback on the improvements we’ve made since the original public beta. And more importantly, by utilizing broader testing from a larger community of photographers we can help ensure that you can trust the quality of the final Lightroom 3.0 release.

As per our first public beta we went back to the drawing board and revisited what we believe are the fundamental priorities of our customers:  Performance and Image Quality.  The Lightroom 3 public beta had been stripped down to the “engine block” in order to rebuild a performance architecture that meets the needs of photographers with growing image collections and increasing megapixels.  The raw processing engine also received an overhaul right down to the fundamental demosaic algorithms that now allows unprecedented sharpening and noise reduction results.  The feedback has been very positive but there were certainly areas where we received some valuable “tough love” and we’ve addressed that feedback in this update.

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in this release:

• Improved performance throughout the application for faster importing and loading of images
• Native tethered shooting support for select Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras
• Luminance noise reduction has been added to the previous color noise reduction improvements available in the first public beta for outstanding overall high ISO quality
• Support for importing and managing video files from DSLR cameras for better overall photographic workflow control
• Improvements to the import experience in the first beta to reflect public feedback
• Improved watermarking functionality from the first beta to reflect public feedback

Please read the following for additional details that are also included in the release notes for this update. These notes reflect a summary of changes since the original Lightroom 3 beta release. For more details on the original Lightroom 3 beta, please visit this entry.

Download Lightroom 3 beta 2.

Import
The redesigned import experience was an important improvement in speeding up your access to your images and improving your ability to effectively organize your images.  There was a significant amount of feedback in this area and we’ve worked hard to address not only the workflow improvements requested but also the performance of the experience.  Additional details below:

• The folder browsing view has been significantly improved to allow a clear view of folder hierarchy and the ability to quickly minimize the hierarchy view by double clicking or “docking” a folder.  The performance of this view has also been improved.
• Default selections have been improved so that the import experience waits for a folder selection before scanning for images and remembers the last folder you visited.
• The performance of importing your images into Lightroom has been improved significantly when copying from an external card or just adding a folder from its current location
• Import’s compact view is more powerful, allowing access to important, commonly used fields that can be customized on a per import basis while still relying on the fundamental choices provided by an import preset
• Lightroom will import commonly used video file formats. (More on that below)
• A full size preview of an image located on a memory card can be viewed in the import Loupe view

Video Format Support
Video files captured by newer DSLR cameras are becoming an important part of a photographer’s creative effort and has been a hotly discussed topic on the Lightroom 3 beta forums.  This update allows photographers to confidently import all of the still and video content captured on their Compact Flash or SD card and Lightroom will help manage and organize videos alongside still images.  Tagging, rating, filtering, collection and smart collection features are available for organizing video content and video filter will help narrow down your collection to just your video files instantly.  In the grid and loupe views of Lightroom, the duration of a video file is presented on the preview of the video content and playing video files is just a click away.

Tethered Capture
You don’t need to be a professional photographer in a studio environment to appreciate the instant feedback provided by a tethered workflow.  Any time you need quick access to an image immediately after capture, simply plug in your Nikon or Canon DSLR via USB or Firewire and start a tethered session to view key camera settings, control the shutter release or apply various metadata and develop settings to incoming images.  No need for intermediate software or “watched” folders, Lightroom will handle the communication with your camera and safely transfer images to the folder you specify.  For this first implementation we’ve certified a limited number of Nikon and Canon DSLR models and look forward to adding additional Nikon and Canon camera models going forward.

Canon
EOS 1Ds Mark II*
EOS 1D Mark III
EOS 1Ds Mark III
EOS 1D Mark IV
EOS 5D*
EOS 5D Mark II
EOS 40D
EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi/EOS Kiss X2)
EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i/EOS Kiss X3 Digital)
EOS 7D
EOS 1000D (Digital Rebel XS/EOS Kiss F)

Nikon
D3
D3X
D3s
D300
D300s
D5000
D700
D90

*Tethered support is not available on Windows 64-bit Systems for these cameras.

Publish Collections
The publish collection functionality has been improved with the following:

• Enhanced options for setting the Flickr Title field
• The ability to designate the target file size for the exported image
• Export original video file support

Image Quality
Sharpening and Noise Reduction
The quality improvements in the first Lightroom 3 beta have been well received but incomplete without the ability to utilize luminance noise reduction controls.  Lightroom 3 beta 2 introduces a much more complete solution that includes an outstanding luminance noise reduction control and we’re excited to hear your thoughts on the improvements. Open the metadata filter in the Library module to filter down to your high ISO shots and let us know if the combination of Luminance and Color noise reduction provide you with the quality you want.  In general the new processing technology should really bring out the best in your raw files.  The details and textures will be crisper and somewhat more naturally rendered. We are now applying minimal noise suppression in the new demosaic method compared to earlier versions like Lightroom 2.6. This means that surfaces will show more texture and have more “bite”. For example, a photograph of a fruit or a leaf will display extraordinary textured detail in the skin of the fruit and the crinkles in the leaf. It also means that very high ISO images will — by default, with Luminance set to 0 — appear to have more grain. Much better looking grain, to be sure, but if you’re just going by an absolute number telling you how much of it there is, that number will be higher.

Vignette
By popular demand we returned the original post-crop vignette style to Lightroom 3 beta 2 that had been removed in the first Lightroom 3 beta.  There is now a choice of three separate vignette styles: Highlight Priority, Color Priority and Paint Overlay. 

• Highlight Priority is the default vignette style and resembles the same vignette effect provided naturally in a traditional lens vignette.
• Color Priority is a variation of the highlight priority vignette style that is designed to avoid hue shifts in the vignette areas.
• Paint Overlay is the original post crop vignette style that was introduced in Lightroom 2.  The effect is based on blending black or white in a graduated fashion to create the vignette effect.

Point Curve
Many photographers have requested more control when working with the tone curve than is currently allowed with the previous “guided” or “photographic” tone curve control.  This release includes an option to enable a traditional point curve commonly found in the Camera Raw plug-in or Photoshop.  Our goal for this implementation is to allow advanced Lightroom customers to achieve the power and control they’re looking for without complicating the experience for photographers new to digital imaging.

Crop Orientation
Ever shoot a horizontal image and realize it looks better when cropped vertically?  There was a bit of magic in convincing the crop tool in previous versions of Lightroom to swap orientation but now you can just tap the X key to change the orientation.

Process Version
The process version specifies which version of certain Camera Raw image processing technology should be used when rendering and editing files.  The image quality improvements in this release are so fundamental to the visual results of your image adjustment settings that we’ve needed to add the concept of a process version for the first time since the Camera Raw plug-in was introduced in 2003. The process version allows Lightroom to maintain identical visual presentation of images you’ve edited in the past but still allow you to take advantage of the latest processing technology by updating an image to the latest process version.  All images edited prior to Lightroom 3 are associated with Process Version 2003. Moving images to the latest processing technology is suggested but depending on what adjustments are applied to the image, different image characteristics will change more dramatically than others.  For example, any images with sharpening and noise reduction adjustments will be affected the most but the demosaic changes apply across the board, so there will always be some visual change.  By default, we’ll leave your images just as they were but if you want to take advantage of the latest processing technology, you can update to the latest process version by selecting the notification icon in the lower right corner of the image.  (Or from the Settings -> Process Version file menu available in the Develop module)  By default, all new files in Lightroom 3 beta will receive the latest process version.

We received quite a bit of feedback from photographers confused by the process version options in the first Lightroom 3 beta so we made several improvements that are intended to ensure that photographers can access the absolute best raw processing quickly and easily:

• The graphic to let you know that the current image selected in the Develop module is a previous process version has been enhanced and relocated to a more prominent position over the lower right corner of the image.
• Clicking on the process version graphic provides additional details about what will happen if you should chose to update to the current process version, the ability to see a before/after view of the old and new process versions and the ability to update all the selected images or all of the images in the filmstrip at the same. 
• The process version levels have been renamed 2003 and 2010.  The names represent the year in which the processing technology was introduced.  That should give you an idea of how often we plan on updating the process version.

Watermarking
Several improvements to watermarking have been included in this release:

• Additional text options have been added including shadow controls for opacity, angle, offset and radius.(This is not currently available in the Windows version of Lightroom 3 beta 2)
• The location of the watermark can now be set by relative anchor positions within the image or specific insets.
• The size of the watermark can be set proportionally or to fit or fill the image dimensions
• Watermarking is now available in the Slideshow module

Additional improvements

• A new Slideshow option to prepare previews in advance will ensure that a slideshow is never interrupted waiting for image information to render to the display.
• The maximum print resolution has been raised to 720ppi
• A “Rotate to fit” option and a “rotate cell” command were added to the custom print package layout tools
• Developers can now utilize ActionScript 3 galleries in the Web Module
• In the 2010 Process Version, the algorithms for Fill Light and Highlight Recovery have been changed to reduce the possibility of tone inversions. You will likely need to fine tune the settings on these sliders after you upgrade the process version

What’s Next?
We’re much closer to the final release of Lightroom 3.0 and this beta release represents the majority of improvements planned for this version.  However, we still want your feedback on the latest improvements and we still might have a few new things in store for the Lightroom 3.0 release.

Lightroom 2 is now available on Adobe.com. We’ve been very pleased with all of the feedback during the public beta and we’re happy to provide the finished version.

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/

• Price: Lightroom 2 is $299 or available as a $99 upgrade for Lightroom 1 customers.(Clarification: US Pricing listed above)
• 30 Day Trial Available

Camera Raw 4.5
Camera Raw for Photoshop CS3 has been updated to version 4.5.  It will provide exactly the same rendering obtained in Lightroom 2 but will not have all of the new controls provided in Lightroom 2.   Download Camera Raw 4.5 and DNG Converter 4.5 (Mac, Win)

Camera Profiles and DNG Profile Editor
Download the new Profile Editor and Profiles that are available to help provide photographers with a starting point that is appropriate for their raw workflow.

Community Help and Resources
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/photoshoplightroom/

Lightroom 2 SDK
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/photoshoplightroom/

New in Lightroom 2.0

Some abbreviated notes to get you started

Library

Streamlined Organization and Worfklow

Layout: The entire Library layout has been revisited to provide a more intuitive image organization experience.  The left hand panel of the Library has been streamlined to include only the most relevant image sources: the folders the images are physically stored in and collections of images that the photographer creates. 

 

Folders:  Photographers working across multiple hard drives will find that the enhanced volume and folder layout will make it a much more intuitive experience to manage images on one or many hard drives.  The volume indicators clearly indicate the hard drive that you’re working with and provide the option to show the online/offline status, the amount of space available, the number of photos you’re working with and there’s an indicator light that migrates from green to red as your hard drive fills up.  Now it’s visually much easier to move your images from hard drive to hard drive and understand where your images are stored when a external hard drive is no longer connected.

 

Collections: The Collection panel has received significant attention with the addition of improved iconography and collection sets that allow photographers to create a hierarchy while maintaining collection-specific sort order. There is also the ability to save output specific collections for Slideshow/Print/Web.  This can be accomplished by creating a new collection item while in the specific output module.  The subsequent icon in the collection panel will provide a quick reference and link to the images and output settings you created.  Collections still maintain their auto-save capabilities when it comes to on-the-fly output creations that don’t require a persistent entry in the Library. 

 

Smart Collections are now available.  Specify the criteria for a smart collection and images will be automatically added to the collection if they meet the criteria. An expert user tip: Try alt/option clicking when adding a new search criterion. 

 

Target Collection functionality allows you to specify any Lightroom collection as the destination of the quick collection shortcut key, B.

 

Filter Bar:  With the source location of the images clearly defined in the left hand panel, the top of the grid view provides a panel that will filter the content.  Use the ‘\’ key to hide or show the filter functionality and expand one section at a time to filter the content.  Each category below can be toggled on or off by clicking on the name and multiple filter categories can be shift-selected to provide additional control.

Text: Search across your images using text search field

Refine: Filter your grid view by flags, star ratings, color labels and the type of file, Master or Virtual Copy.  This functionality was previously located only in the right hand side of the filmstrip.  It still remains in that location now labeled ‘Filter’ as a quick tool that can be used in any module.

Metadata: A wide range of metadata is now presented in easy to browse filter columns that can be added, removed and customized per your organization workflow.  Choose the field to filter on by clicking on the column header and select menu icon at the right side of each column to add or remove a column.   The column arrangement and selection can be stored as a preset that is defined in the upper right hand corner of the filter bar.  Note that the Date and Location fields contain the option to show hierarchical or flat representations of the data.  The Date field also includes the day of the week in addition to the numerical date.

 

The Keywording pane has a new Keyword Set called “Suggested Keywords.” Keywording is simplified through Lightroom’s ability to suggest keywords for the current image based on existing keywords applied to that image as well as keywords applied to images that are close neighbors in terms of capture time.  For example, if a number of images in a catalog contain the keywords dog and beach, an image assigned the keyword ‘beach’ will cause the suggested keyword panel to automatically update to show ‘dog’ as a suggested keyword. The Keywording panel also includes a dedicated keyword entry field below the larger box that displays all of the assigned keywords. The Keyword List provides a convenient filter to help find and manage your keywords.  Checkboxes are available to quickly apply additional keywords to the selected images and arrows to the right of each keyword are a link to view all of the images tagged with that keyword.

 

Multiple Monitors: Lightroom 2.0 offers a dual monitor solution that can adjust to fit your particular monitor set up.   The main Lightroom window that includes the Module picker can be positioned on either monitor and the following views can be provided on an additional monitor. To activate a multiple monitor environment, choose the monitor icon in the lower right hand side of Lightroom, just above the filmstrip.  If a second monitor is not attached, a second window will appear on a single display.

• Grid: Place the grid on a secondary monitor for quick image selection while the develop module is displayed on the other monitor.  Or use the grid to reorder images while creating slideshow, print or web output.
• Loupe:  Allows an image at a preferred zoom level display on an alternate monitor. 
• In Normal mode, the image displayed on the alternate monitor is changed when the selection is changed in the primary Lightroom window.
• Live mode is continually updated based on the image and area of an image the mouse is currently hovering or passing over.  Zooming to a 1:1 view allows for quick focus checking across a number of images displayed in a grid view on the primary monitor.
• Locked mode fixes the image displayed on the alternate monitor until you wish to change the selection by selecting alt/option-Enter to make the current selection visible.
• Compare: Offers the same powerful compare functionality previously in the Library but can now be used to compare images while selections are made in the grid view in the Library or while adjustments are made in the Develop module.
• Survey:  View multiple images at once while organizing or adjusting in another display.

 

Photoshop Integration:  Lightroom can now open images directly in Photoshop without writing out TIFF or PSD files first. The previous ‘write file to disk first’ behavior was inefficient and the new behavior enables a faster a more functional workflow that includes:

• Open files in Photoshop as a Smart Object: Utilize the non-destructive smart object workflow by opening the image as a smart object directly into a Photoshop document.
• Select multiple images to merge as a Panorama utilizing Photoshop CS3’s incredible new panorama functionality
• Merge multiple exposures into a single Photoshop HDR image
• Load multiple files or virtual copies into Photoshop as separate layers in a single document.
• Important Note:  This integration is only available with Photoshop CS3 (10.0.1)

 

Export Functionality: Managing and organizing exported images is much easier now with the following capabilities:

• Export files automatically to the same folder as the original or a subfolder of the original
• Add the exported images to the Lightroom catalog with the option of stacking the export file with the original
• Sharpen images on export for Print or Screen usage utilizing an adaptive algorithm that takes into account the intended use and resolution.
• Send exported images directly to another third party application selected in the export dialog

 

More notes on Library functionality:

• The 10k pixel limit has been lifted and now images with up to 65,000 pixels per side or 512MP total may be imported into Lightroom.  This is particularly useful when utilizing the new Photoshop integration for panorama creation.

 

Develop Module

Localized Correction: The develop module now provides the ability to correct specific areas of an image without affecting other areas.  A common example of this in traditional photography would be the dodge and burn experience in the darkroom.  Lightroom provides brushes that a photographer can ‘load’ with different types of corrective techniques that were previously only available globally including exposure, brightness, clarity and saturation.  Images can also be tinted locally using specific hue and saturation values that can provide an excellent way of counteracting mixed lighting environments.

The tools previously available in the toolbar have been relocated to the right hand panel just below the histogram. (Crop, Clone/Heal, Red Eye and the new local correction brush)  Selecting a tool from the panel will reveal the options for that tool.  Click on it again to hide those options and return to the standard develop panel.

Adjustment Brush

The controls available for the local correction brush are segmented into three basic areas: Mask, Effect and Brush.  A quick walkthrough of the correction technique is below:

• On entering the local correction panel the brush will become active. 
• The type of desired correction should be selected from the Effect section.  A photographer can paint in a positive brightness effect for the shadows and a negative exposure effect for a bright sky.
• Combinations of effects can be selected and saved as presets by showing the effects sliders. (Horizontal toggle in the upper right area of the effect panel)
• The brush size, feather and opacity can be set before applying the correction.  An Auto Mask option is available to help confine the brush strokes and subsequent mask within an area of similar color.  The airbrush option provides a diffused correction application relative to the standard painting mode. 
• Once a brush stroke is applied, a circular point or pin will appear on the image where you first applied the brush stroke.  Additional brush strokes can be applied that will add to the current correction area. To refine the area hold down the Alt or Option key to begin erasing with the brush.
• To adjust the amount applied to the entire area click down on the circular marker or pin and move the cursor to the left or the right to decrease or increase the amount setting.
• To refine the correction settings, click on the pin and detailed adjustments are available in the right panel and will be applied to the selected pin. 
• Create a new correction mask or brush stroke by selecting the New option.
• The pins can be hidden or shown with the H shortcut key.
• Use one of the tint presets provided to apply a color tint or use the Lightroom color selection dialog by double-clicking on the rectangle to the right of the presets.  Change a preset by selecting a color in the dialog then click-and-hold on the preset box to be populated by that selection.
• There are two brush presets represented by A and B in the brush section.  After modification of the brush controls, a preset can be updated by clicking and holding on the specific preset letter to be associated with the settings.

Graduated Filter

Recreating the effect of a graduated neutral density filter, this tool goes even further allowing the ability to modify all of the effect parameters in a single graduated effect.  Select the effect and click and drag the gradient onto the image.  Rotate and adjust as necessary.  You can also return to the specific effect settings and modify them after the filter is applied.

 

Shortcut Keys

Local Adjustment Keyboard Shortcuts

• Toggle Adjustment Brush – K
• Toggle Graduated Filter – M
• Graduated Filter Scale from Center – Alt/Option + Drag
• Hide/Show Pins – H
• Always Show – Shift + Command/Control + H
• Show Selected/Never Show – Shift + H
• New Adjustment Pin – Enter/Return
• Switch Brush – /
• Increase Amount – Right Arrow
• Decrease Amount – Left Arrow
• Erase – Alt/Option
• Increase Brush Size – ]
• Decrease Brush Size – [
• Increase Feather – Shift ]
• Decrease Feather – Shift [
• Set Flow Amount – Number Keys
• Auto-Mask – A
• Show/Hide Mask Overlay – O
• Cycle Mask Overlay Colors – Shift + O
• Constrain brush stroke to straight line – Shift
• Invert Gradient – ‘

 

Vignette: The previous lens correction vignette effect was only applied to the entire image frame and as an artistic effect could be obscured after an image was cropped.  An additional framing vignette effect has been added that will apply a vignette to an image, respecting the cropped borders.

 

Basic Panel Keyboard Shortcuts:  Photographers who prefer to utilize their keyboards for basic image adjustments will find that the +/- keys are linked to the Exposure adjustment in the Develop module.  Adding the Shift key will boost the increment amount, the comma and period keys will cycle through the basic panel controls and the semi-colon will reset the control currently in focus.

 

Improved Auto Adjustment:  The Auto adjustment has been modified in response to feedback that previous adjustments were too bright.

 

Improved profiles for Raw data:  An enhanced set of profiles has been released on Adobe Labs in order to provide an improved default rendering of raw data. (Many Canon photographers complained that our reds were too orange.)  In addition to the improved Adobe default profile, there are additional profiles for each camera that emulate the results that would be obtained were those settings chosen in the camera manufacturers software or if the photographer chose to shoot JPEG.

 

Print Module

Picture Package: The print module now provides the ability to create multii-page layouts for a single image arranged in multiple sizes. This allows photographers to quickly and easily print a package of images quickly and easily. 

• Choose Picture Package from the Layout Engine in the top right corner of the print module and a blank page will be presented.
• In the Cells panel click on one of the preset size to add an image cell to the page or use the drop down option to edit and create your own custom size.  Cells can be added to the page until the page is filled and a new page will be added to the layout automatically.  Up to six pages can be included in a layout. 
• After all of the required cells have been added, choose Auto Layout to automatically create an efficient, easy to cut print layout or manually move the cells to your liking.
• To move a cell, click on the image and move the cell to the desired location.  To delete an image cell, click on the image and choose delete.  A page can be deleted by mousing over the page and clicking on the ‘X’ in the red circle.
• When an image aspect ration is much different than the cell aspect ratio, the image can be moved within the cell by holding the CMD/CTRL key down and clicking on the image and dragging it.

Print to JPEG:  Many photographers have asked for the ability to send their Lightroom print layouts directly to a lab that will print JPEG files.  Choose JPEG as the option in the Print Job dialog to specify your print output as a JPEG file for lab delivery. (Select a custom ICC profile for your lab in the color management area)

Print Sharpening:  Lightroom previously provided three levels of print sharpening.  Impressive new algorithms have been added to automatically determine the correct amount of print sharpening required based on the output media and resolution of the file.

 

Lightroom 2 SDK

The Lightroom SDK allows you to customize and extend certain Lightroom features by creating plug-ins. In the current release these features are extensible:

 

Export functionality: You can create an export plug-in, which customizes the behavior of Lightroom’s Export dialog and export processing. You can add or remove items from the Export dialog, alter or augment the rendering process, and send images to locations other than files on the local computer.

 

Metadata: You can define customized public or private metadata fields for Lightroom. Public or private metadata can be associated with individual photos.

 

Web engine functionality: You can create an HTML web-engine plug-in, which defines a new type of HTML photo gallery. The engines you define appear in the Gallery panel at the upper right of the Web module.

 

A Lightroom plug-in consists of Lua-language files (scripts) that define the plug-in functionality, and an information or manifest file that describes the contents of the plug-in. The information file must have a specific name, and be placed in a folder with the Lua source files and resource files; the folders may need to be in specific locations.

 

Lightroom 2 beta vs. Lightroom 2

Changes from LR2 beta to LR2 below:

• Hierarchical Dates and locations in the Library Filter. (Including days of the week for the date)
• The Volume Browser in the folder panel. 
• Improved iconography for folders, collections, collection sets and output collections.
• Dedicated keyword input field in the keywording pane.
• Ability to add or remove metadata filter columns.
• Improved Keyword List interface. (Including filter by keyword to manage and organize keywords)
• Repositioned and refined dual monitor support location and experience. (Moved from right to left and the ultimate dual monitor experience is much more polished in terms of performance and stability
• Ability to set target collection for quick collection shortcut(b). (Target any collection as the target when you hit the B key)
• Lightroom Web, Metadata and Export SDK available on the Adobe Dev Center
• Local control improvements
• Complete list of local controls including, Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Clarity and a color toning option available for the brush or gradient adjustment tool
• Additional gradient adjustment tool
• Improved auto-mask functionality
• Improved brush performance
• Additional post crop vignette options: roundness, feather
• DNG Profiles Concept
• DNG Profile Editor available on Labs
• Profiles for our current raw support list available
• Match camera JPEG looks in the Calibration tab by selection Camera Standard profile
• Export to JPEG functionality in the Slideshow Module. (Intermediate format for additional authoring tools)
• Enhanced output sharpening
• 64-bit memory handling improvement

 

Last but not least, don’t forget to enjoy Rule Number 5!

The Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 updates have been posted to the following locations: Lightroom(Mac, Win), Camera Raw(Mac, Win).  The updates include support for the following new camera models:

Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 include corrections for the following issues:

• Previous camera profiles identified in the Calibrate panel of the Develop module may have displayed poor results at extreme ends of the temperature and tint ranges. A new camera profile identified as Camera Raw 4.4 is now available and will be applied by default to all images without existing Camera Raw or Lightroom settings. The creation of new default profiles will also include the updated Camera Raw 4.4 profile. Images edited in Camera Raw or Lightroom with earlier profiles will retain the earlier profile value and visual appearance.
• In previous grayscale conversions the Color Noise setting was disabled and this could result in an image with excessive noise when grayscale channel mixing is applied.  Both the tool and effect have been enabled in Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 providing the ability to reduce noise in grayscale conversions.  In order to return to the prior visual appearance, Color Noise reduction can be set to zero.

Lightroom 1.4 includes corrections for the following issue:

• Compatibility with legacy printer drivers on OS X 10.5 (Leopard) has been updated. I’d like to thank everyone who commented on my earlier post regarding this topic.  Some valuable feedback was provided and by working directly with Apple and Epson we are able to provide a resolution through this Lightroom update. 

As always, don’t forget rule #5!

Note: The Camera Raw plug-in won’t be automatically updated via the Adobe Update Manager(AUM) until early next week.