Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Adobe Lightroom Q&A => Topic started by: meyerweb on October 16, 2011, 03:33:02 pm
-
I'm not sure I quite understand the trade-offs of generating different preview types during import. I thought that generating "standard" previews during import would speed up switching between images in the develop module, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I also thought that previews only had to be generated once per image? But if I view an image in the develop module, move to the next image, and then move back to the prior one, the "loading" message stays on screen just as long as it did initially.
What am I missing, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of choosing the different preview types on import?
Thanks
-
Benefit: Generating full 1:1 previews will help when you zoom to 1:1. They don't help as you move from image-to-image, unfortunately. You'll still see the "loading..." message. :( However, you will see much faster "pop" response time for the image to become clear after you enable the zoom. 1:1 previews can be beneficial if you do a lot of macro work where zooming to inspect detail is a common part of your workflow.
Anti-beneifits: They are an overhead issue with your catalog and can bloat the size of it. Your best bet for day-to-day work is to let LR generate the standard previews, and then when you zoom, LR will generate the 1:1 as needed. According to Martin Evening, the longer you stay in a folder with the images in question, the more 1:1 previews will be created. One other thing - it will take much longer to import your images if you generate 1:1s on import. Go out for dinner if you do.
LR can be set up to help keep your catalog size down by deleting the 1:1 previews after a designated period of time. Or you can keep them. If you use one catalog as is now the common wisdom (my catalog as over 130k images and keeps on truckin), forcing the creation of 1:1 previews will bloat your catalog for sure.
Marty
-
While everything that Marty says is true, it doesn't really answer your question.
The previews aren't used in the Develop module at all. Rather, the raw file is rendered in Develop.
Previews are only used in the Library.
-
Thanks guys.
A bunch more searching on the 'net led me to that discovery. Import previews are only used in the Library module. I guess there's a good reason for that. I've come to two conclusions:
First, I've settled on Standard previews during import. It seems like a reasonable balance between speed of import and speed of navigating. If I were importing 2000 photos at a time I might choose differently, though.
Second, I've ordered more RAM for my PCs. That seems to have more impact on performance in the Develop module than anything else.
-
If you do have volumes to import, you can always start with creating the minimal previews during that import and then later on when you have the time, let LR create the previews you need, when you need them, as you have dinner.
-
While everything that Marty says is true, it doesn't really answer your question.
The previews aren't used in the Develop module at all. Rather, the raw file is rendered in Develop.
Previews are only used in the Library.
I only use 100% zoom in Develop, so the 1:1 previews are pretty much useless to me. Thanks for the info, you saved a lot of time for me!