Hi, I’m using Impressions 2.0.5 on Windows 10 Home 64bit, and Lightroom CC.
I can find no way to do a Save As. Save As is greyed out - the only way I can save my changes is by clicking on the Apply Changes icon in the bottom right hand corner - this closes Impressions. (BTW - The manual says this is a Save As button.)
I want to be able to open an image in Impressions, make some changes and then do a Save As - make some more changes and do another Save As. Is this doable?
I wondered if this was caused by opening from Lightroom but it’s the same if I open it directly from Explorer?
Try launching Impression 2 first, then opening your images. Rather than using Explorer → Find File → Open With → Impression 2, just open Impression 2, then open the image.
Yes indeed - that works… Well the Saves As is no longer greyed out. However it insists I save to C:\Users\Public\Pictures - even if I change the save folder it ignores me and saves it there.
Anyway - this is really not what I need.
I’m finding the workflow with Impressions to be very difficult. I really want to to be able to open a file in Lightroom edit it - save it back to Lightroom, check it out in Lightroom - and then make changes in Impressions if I’m not happy. Then when I am happy I want to change it again in Impressions, Save As using a different name etc etc. I realise this might require synchronising the folder in Lightroom - but that’s not difficult.
Like going to Photoshop from Lightroom… If it would work the same as that then you would have succeeded on the happiness front!
I think the ideal solution here for you would be to just use the “edit copy” options when exporting from Lightroom. This leaves your original untouched, so you can go back and do something a little differently if you’d like.
We’re constantly working on improving the UX in our products. Thanks for your feedback!
I am already using “Edit a Copy” - in most cases “Edit a copy with Lightroom Adjustments” because I’m using RAW files. I can assure you it is far from ideal - hopefully you can see that.
“do something a little differently” is not an option - because when the last changes were saved they are also forgotten. Not helpful…
Take a look at this series and think about how many times I have had to go in and out of Topaz to do this - each time starting from scratch - Not ideal. Multiply this by 60 images for an upcoming exhibition and it becomes a pain.
It sounds like what you’re looking for is non-destructive editing, which is not possible in Impression. We have had many requests for this feature, but it’s not as simple as “let me go back and edit”. We have it on our list of potential features to add in the future.
There is nothing that will allows this from Lightroom as Lightroom maintains your images integrity by ensuring the image you process remains untouched in its original form and External Editors apply changes to the copy you select so they are final except that you can still apply non-destructive changes when the come back to Lightroom.
For what you are trying to do open in Photoshop CC as a Smart Object by first right-clicking on the image and select Edit in-> Open as a Smart Object in Photoshop…
Then apply Impression to the Smart Object created, it can then be re-opened and adjusted at will.
In addition to that, it’s a good idea to save your preset in Impression. That way, apart from masking, you will have the settings available to you, so no matter when you go back to edit again, even if you have used Impression with different settings in between edits, you can reapply those edits and then go from there to make further adjustments. Impression (and Texture) always open to the last used settings. Just remember to clear out your saved presets from time to time. I name mine for the document I’m working on so it’s easy to know which I need and which are no longer needed.
I started to investigate AiDon’s suggestion using a Smart Object and something became apparent that perhaps will help me greatly - it was cris272’s comment “Impression (and Texture) always open to the last used settings” that made me think.
It turns out that opening Impressions 2 from Photoshop does indeed open to the last used settings. I had not seen this before because I have only opened from lightroom, and, on my machine, it does not open to the last settings.
That is what I said in the last post, the last used settings from LR are the same as the reset button. It is as this and if you wish to have it changed I can place this post in the “Feature requests” category and then you and others can vote on it.
Sorry - my confusion - so when opening from LR the “last used settings” are not used.
Yes please - it would be great if this could be raised as a feature request.
So I guess what I would like to see is…
When called from Lightroom or Photoshop (I have no experience of other programs)…
For Impressions to have a “Save” button that applies the changes and saves the file that it’s working on. Impressions should not close - similar to calling Photoshop from LR - Saving in Photoshop does not close Photoshop.
For Impressions to have a “Save As” button that brings up a “Save As” dialogue to allow the user to save wherever and give it a name - Impressions not to close (see note above).
For Impressions to have a “Close” or “Exit” button. This should check to see if there are edits that have not been saved and ask if they need to be saved.
For Impressions, when closing, to remember the “last settings used”. When next opening, the user to be asked if the “last settings used” should be used on the new opened file.
For Impressions to respond to the Windows eXit button. To operate the same as the Exit button described above.
For Impressions to respond correctly to Ctrl+S and Ctrl+Shft+S - operating the same as the “Save” and “SaveAs” buttons.
I think all of the above (with the exception of 4) is already implemented when Impressions is opened stand alone, and would greatly improve workflow when used from Lightroom.
Interestingly, item 4 is implemented in Photoshop, once Photoshop has been opened.
Something I have just bumped into, and should probably be raised as a bug, is that Impressions crashes if Ctrl+S or Ctrl+Shft+S are used - when opened from Lightroom or Photoshop. Unless that is just a problem on my machine? NB - It works correctly when opened stand alone.
One other thing that I think should be raised as a bug is that when opened from Lightroom or Photoshop, if changes are made and then the Cancel button is clicked, Impressions exits without asking if the changes should be saved. NB - It works correctly if Impressions is used stand alone.
Hope this helps.
I will take a look at your suggestion about using Smart Objects later - bit busy at the moment. I really would prefer to just get to Impressions via Lightroom - but if there are real benefits to going via Photoshop then so be it.
I don’t believe these are suitable or recommended as Lightroom is a non-destructive cataloging environment and these mean that Lightroom will lose control over the image.
So the only thing I see out of these that would not be unacceptable is a Save button which saves the image, closes it, leaves Impression open and shifts the focus back to Lightroom.
Please post a request in the Topaz Products → Product Feature Requests category bearing in mind that any external editor has to comply with Lightroom requirements … note that because Photoshop is a Adobe and Integrated product it does not use a External Editor Preset …
Hmm… if it’s not recommended because Lightroom is a non-destructive cataloging environment, why does opening Photoshop from Lightroom work the way it does.
Once in Photoshop from Lightroom I can make changes, Save, Save As and stay in Photoshop - Lightroom doesn’t loose control over the original or Saved image. Saved As image - yes - but’s that’s down to the grown up user to look after. Works fine from Photoshop. I really don’t see why the recommendation should be any different for Impressions.
Are you saying it’s not possible for Impressions to implement it so that it works the same way - or is a conscious choice to do it that way because it’s recommended?
Firstly, Photoshop is a Adobe integrated product and is used to render the RAW images rather than Lightroom and will still force you to save or not on return to Lightroom … therefore, because it is integrated, it retains information about the image which it generates for Lightroom and has Lightroom re-import or PS deletes the image and Lightroom knows nothing about it.
So PS handles the non-destructive requirements because it is integrated and renders the image itself.
As for being able to do the way you want … you will need to render the images with Adobe RAW and there are no API’s to that.
Apologies for being so exasperating - I would just like to understand why/how it works - I don’t think I’m an idiot! Getting a bit long in the tooth now but am an ex blue chip software developer and manager. So I should be able to understand!
I will take the discussion to technical support.
As far as your comments above…
Firstly, Photoshop is a Adobe integrated product and is used to render the RAW images rather than Lightroom and will still force you to save or not on return to Lightroom … therefore, because it is integrated, it retains information about the image which it generates for Lightroom and has Lightroom re-import or PS deletes the image and Lightroom knows nothing about it.
I understand that Photoshop is integrated and that Lightroom doesn’t create a TIFF file as is the case for Impressions - but I fail to see how that makes what I have suggested impossible.
As for being able to do the way you want … you will need to render the images with Adobe RAW and there are no API’s to that.
Sorry - I don’t understand what you are getting at here. Prior to opening Impressions (assuming a RAW file) Lightroom (probably using Adobe RAW) creates a TIFF file. That gets passed to Impressions for processing. Why is an API needed to render an image?
Anyway - thanks for your help - apologies for not understanding.
I will take it up with Technical Support.
If I get a better understanding of how/why I will come back here and post - just in case anyone else in the future would like an ending
No - I don’t think I misunderstand the process at all.
Perhaps my wording of “same as Photoshop” is what is confusing you… perhaps “same effect as Photoshop” would be better.
Perhaps this might help…
In Photoshop (from Lightroom) I can do a SaveAs to whatever folder/name I like- lets call it Fred.jpeg on the Desktop. Photoshop doesn’t close.
Lightroom knows nothing about this new file - and never will without the intervention of the user.
What happens after that has no bearing on the fact that I have created a new file.
Now if I’m in Impressions having been passed a TIFF file from Lightroom I see no reason why I wouldn’t be allowed to do a SaveAs - say Fred.Jpeg to the Desktop. Impressions doesn’t close.
Lightroom knows nothing about this new file - and never will without the intervention of the user.
What happens after that has no bearing on the fact that I have created a new file.
Hope this helps you see what I’m trying to say…
I would just like to understand why that can’t be implemented? Maybe there is a good technical reason, but I haven’t seen it clearly described yet.
