Nik Silver Efex - Lightrom question

[Rawcoll]

From what I understand SEP2 when used as a LR plugin (as opposed to Photoshop) doesn't save any of it's settings to metadata, so in order to return to the image and tweak it would require all of the settings to be replicated prior to modification. One could save all of the processing settings as a custom preset, and save that file along with the original. It would then be straightforward to import the specific preset, do any further tweaking, and saving as a new custom preset as necessary.

The problem is that it seems SEP2 stores custom presets within the Windows 'Documents and Settings' hierarchy. I'd prefer to keep them on another drive; does anyone know if it is possible to configure SEP2 (or Win 7 for that matter) to do so? Otherwise I am left with manually copying the custom preset files to the location of my choice and deleting the ones in docs and settings. Not a very tidy approach.

Ian

[john beardsworth]

Noit quite the same thing, but maybe you could use the symbolic links technique I outline in this post on Lightroom where I keep its presets and support folders on Dropbox so they are available on both my PC and Mac. For Windows, look at the example file "app support.txt" which tells Windows the folder is somewhere else.

John

[howardm]

John,

What about locking or corruption possibilities of the .lrcat when it's on Dropbox?

[john beardsworth]

Howard, that's a different point entirely. Just in case it wasn't clear, I am putting on Dropbox only the Application Support folders.

Putting the lrcat on Dropbox might work, because the file is stored locally - only when it is closed does the Dropbox app copy the file up to the cloud. I think there is some risk, perhaps of corrupting the catalogue, but more probably of opening a slightly older version of the lrcat file on one's other computer and soon not being sure which lrcat version contains the most up to date metadata. The previews lrdata folder would also go to Dropbox as well, and that's potentially much more data. I wasn't successful in using the symbolic links technique to put the lrcat on Dropbox and move the lrdata to a purely local folder. So basically I saw too many shortfalls to make it worth pursuing these options.

John

[Rawcoll]

That's a bit above my head, John, but thanks for offering a possible solution. I also don't feel comfortable storing files outside of my own control, and would most probably put up with cutting and pasting the preset files in preference. I would only have a sporadic need to do so in any event.

Luddite? Well, maybe!

Ian

[john beardsworth]

OK, I thought you were asking from a slightly geeky angle.

Incidentally, why not use the route Lightroom > Open as smart object in Photoshop > Silver Efex. This way your SFX work is saved with the image as a smart filter and is easier to transfer to different images by (a) opening again in SFX and saving as a preset or (b) in Photoshop by dragging the smart filter from one file's smart object to another's.

[Rawcoll]

I have gleaned from other posts that using smart objects in Photoshop allows one to return to tweak the settings. However, I use Picture Window Pro rather than Photoshop, and I'm not sure that I would gain much by adding yet another application, even if it was just Photoshop Elements (assuming that this cut down Photoshop version would also allow smart filters).

Ian

[john beardsworth]

No, it wouldn't. So ignore that extra comment from me.

[Rawcoll]

I've come to realise that what I was proposing won't work because it looks as though custom pre-sets don't include any control (U) point settings.

Frustrating really as I know the parameter settings are in there somewhere, but it looks as though access can only be gained through Photoshop Smart Objects.

Ian