Adobe Lightroom Beta 1.1 Now Available on Labs

Lightroom looks really good; I think you've nailed it. If I can afford it (the target of between Elements and full-blown PhotoShop sounds good), you've made a sale.

My only suggestion so far: since Compare is 'C' and Grid is 'G', might as well make Loupe view 'L' and change Lights Out to 'O' and Ratings to none to '0'. I know that 'O' and '0' are sometimes confused, but I still think this would work.

Good stuff,

Dan

I was shown Lightroom by a friend and also think it's simply fantastic. However, why has there been no rush to create a windows version? On the Mac you are already competing with Mac's own software that has won critical acclaim and much more. Windows lacks any significant competition to your software! Why not grab a significant portion of the market on Windows and, since users will become familiar with the software on Windows, will use Lightroom when on a Mac becuase it's easier and portable?

Hi Dan R,

Your suggestions for keyboard shortcuts are interesting. Please be sure to post them in the Feature Request forum:

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/categories.cfm?forumid=72&catid=590&entercat=y

I am glad that you like the product so much. It seems reasonable that the price point would be less than Photoshop. The final pricing for the product will be announced closer to launch.

Hi Jason L,

From the perspective of Labs, I for one was very pleased to see a product released as Mac-only at first. Historically Macromedia has shipped Windows software before Mac-compatible versions. Although this move will no doubt cause Windows users to clamor for a Windows-compatible release, the fact that we are showing some love to the Mac world will be highly appreciated. One could also argue that we are trying to compete directly with the Apple software that you referred to in your comment; but, the products are unique and try to solve the same workflow issues using different methods.

Based on what the product team is saying about the Windows version in the forums, Windows users will have something to play with before this product is finalized. Please stay tuned to Adobe Labs so that you can check out the Windows build when it becomes available.

It would be great to see the Imacon/Hasselblad raw files (.fff) supported. Both Imacon/Hasselblad digital back users and Imacon scanner users would be added to your potential customer base!

Will you add select music in the slide show for the next release and including zoom and pan for image then output in Quicktime format

I like what I see so far but would like to see additional features ( which I will request in forum ). Namely, a "loop" feature similar to Aperture and a Lightbox pallet similar to Aperture.

Bill

I, too, am pleased to see this out on the Macintosh platform. While Aperture is nice, the requirements are in reality far higher than my Powerbook or my Dual 2Ghz. Lightroom works where Aperture would choke.

Hello
can you please tell me when i can expect the lightroom beta realese for windows?
im really looking forwart to it.
thanks leo

Hi Leo,

Please subscribe to the RSS feed of the Adobe Labs blog. We still do not know when the Windows version will be available; but, we will be sure to broadcast the news when it becomes available. You may find more detailed discussions regarding this topic within the Lightroom Beta discussion forums.

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/index.cfm?NoCookies=Yes

Hope this helps!

still no beta for windows? :/

very similiar to Google's free Picasa photo organizer, which isn't released for the Mac even after the 2nd version...hopefully will have the same "Search Desktop" for all image files on the computer, works great when working on a network...

please, please releas the PC version...looking for some high-end editing features that Picasa lacks!!!

Did a quick peruse and it is good to have an alt to Aperture which requires G5 or better. I tried importing tif files from scans and they did not preview or show. I have not tested if layer adjusted Photoshop files view. If they don't it would be good so that you have a complete system for completely organizing and archiving your images.

Maybe you can view but can't further adjust images that have already have layer adjustments. Also, how fast is the system with previewing really large scans and files that can be over 100mb.

Great looking software. Thanks for actually supporting the new Intel Mac. Apple's own software (aperture) has yet work with the new Intel chipped Macs. Great to see Adobe making the effort!

There's a great program called DxO Optics Pro which does lens compensation and I've seem some pretty amazing results from the program. Technology like this added into LightRoom would make this a pretty invaluable product.

Thanks for the feedback BuoyStretcher, David S., Rory, and Eric! Please be sure to direct all product-specific feature requests and bugs to the appropriate Lightroom web forum so the product team has a chance to respond.

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/index.cfm?NoCookies=Yes

na: The product team is still working on the Windows version with users like you in mind. Please signup to receive an e-mail update when the Windows version becomes available on Labs:

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=lightroom_win_earlybird

Call it sadistic, but it's refreshing to see Windows folk crying out for something we Mac babies are always crying for. It always seemed so undignified! Lightroom really looks elegant and I can't wait until PhotoElements 4.0 comes out for Mac with RAW and a "healing brush!" It will make for a great one, two punch!

Hi Brickmaker,

Lightroom has a very slick UI and the features that were added in beta 2 make the app even more powerful. We hope that you continue to use Lightroom and provide feedback to the engineering team via the Labs community web forums.

Windows users are having to wait for a build that will work on their machines. The glowing comments that we are receiving from Mac users like you certainly makes them more eager to receive the bits. Why must you punish them so? ;)

I am satisfied with Lightroom as it is. I have just uploaded small108 JPEG's I exported from Lightroom in a few strokes. Unbelievable!
As it is I have everything I need but maybe not since you will find something else to make me even happier.

Thank you Albert! The engineering team is still hard at work and creating additional features to make this an even more "unbelievable" release. I am looking forward to the next version almost as much as you appear to be!

Is the Windows version of Lightroom being written for Windows XP or Vista?

Also, does the delay in releasing a beta have anything to do with Microsofts delay in releasing Vista?

Hi Steven,

The Lightroom team is working very hard on the Windows release of Lightroom. To request features or discuss the Windows version, please use this web forum:

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/categories.cfm?forumid=72&catid=593&entercat=y

Beta 2 of Lightroom is a Universal application that will run natively both on PowerPC systems and on the new Intel-based Macintoshes.

One suggestion would be to have the "Loupe" tool have more functon.

How bout a re-sizable circle of magnification (simmilar to a real-world loupe) so you can move it around your pics to enlarge desired sections so you can quickly weed out inferrior pictures?

Thanks Lee! I will pass this comment along to the product team.

I really like the idea of being able to see the last import, but it would be great if you could scoll back through previous imports in a history type way that you may see in photoshop. this way you could look at, say the import just before and so on - for us with poor memories where filing is concerned - which is why I like this application so much in the first place: it's easy to find system of filing.

This application is very exciting, and I'm sure that by the time it's released it'll be a top product. And I'm sure we all will find stuff that we can add to the wish list.

I have my pictures on a main raid drive and also on a portable 100gb dirve. I would prefer to make all my changes on the raid but I am almost always carrying the smaller one with me and find that I would like to make changes there and then but wait until I get back home - which can be days or weeks.
Would it be possible to link the two so that when Lightroom detects that the two drives are together then it will act on both. And when one drive has been used to make changes and then you plug in the other at another stage (regardless if the first is connected or not) then it will automatically update it when the app is opened (the choice to do this should appear in a dialogue of-course)
That would be the cherry on the cake as far as I'm concerned as this is the most vital part of keeping all things straight.

How about making Lightroom the central pivot of all Adobe products. It's a great startong point for management of assets, and especially necessary for raw images.
From here, assuming you have the applications installed, you could access the tools and power of Photoshop, Illustrator etc without leavinh the interface and never having to import/export constantly to each app just to be able to use certain tools and functions. It all stays within one framework, with sidebar interfaces changing just as easily as the switch from Library to Develope, Slideshow and Print.
Any newly saved files can be automatically added to a collection for edited pictures, entitled say, Modified or something, and when a picture is selected you have the option of viewing a list of all related pictures used, pictures using this one and all variety of versions of this one picture (basically all linked files)

This would make all adobe products a cohesive, rock-solidand most advanced editing machine that we could possibly desire.

OK, I know I want the world with all my suggestions and requests, but I think that they are important in making a great product really work for us.
I notice that when scrolling through huge amounts of pictures that I end up putting in a request with the app to load them all or render them into a viewable format. This can slow things down.
Also, when scrolling down the list of folders of shoots or collections, I end up having to wait for that folder to load before being able to move on or do anything else (and very large collections can stop you working for some time).
It would be great if you could over-ride any background actions the computer is taking and pause them for the moment that you need to view just the specific photo you need - or to switch folders so that whatever you demand you get - there and then, and it can carry on loading whatever needed while you look at what you need to.

I would like to use this app for multiple libraries without anyone being able to access any that I don't want them to. The ability to hide whole categories of albums or a way of separating out what people could view when left on the system to browse on their own i.e. you could leave a client to have access to only portfolio or professional photos no matter which sessions or collection they clicked as others could be hidden. You may need to have private or family photos etc, inappropriate to professional work, completely unavailable to clients, or even your own collection of reference material for that project hidden from view (even projects for rival clients) - you should never be worried about what may be viewed if you need to leave a client, or anyone for that matter, alone with the computer if you need to leave the room.
Another button such as 'Library' at the top, but called something different like 'categories' which would have tick-boxes with the collections allowed to be shown in both the full library and session/collections list. And the ability to password any if required.
Also, the ability to add certain tags to any within a shoot that can be hidden from view (say an adult tag or 'taste' tag that can be switched on and off via passworded checkboxes with as many categories as we decided we need.
Again, not hidden within preferences but within a side panel once the 'Access' or 'Categories' modules are activated much as the 'Print' or 'Develope' modules are.
You may be a Helmut Newton or even document distressing documentary photographs that you don't want Mum or children accessing when you're not there to supervise, but also, don't want to not have them loaded into such a great central place as LR and then needing to hunt them all down when you need to be able to quickly work with them.

I have noticed that when in Grid view you can see which pictures are selected and added to quick view via a small black dot in the corner of the pictures' box. Great idea!
However, when you are in loupe view and selecting pictures to be added to the quick collection there is no such confirmation. And, when using the light's dim mode you see nothing. An option to change the dot to a white one during this mode would be great - as well as the option to not show it atall for those who want a clean view would be fair to them (maybe by clicking on to that dot itself to clear it from all subsequent viewing until lights dim mode is back to normal again)

Moving pics from one shoot to another (as in a file browser system on the mac generally) should have the option to move the files to the new location so that eventually all files can be organized on hard-drive as well as LR. Renaming of the folders and movements of subfolders to higher or lower levels (as well as being able to create new subfolders) would be a great help so that we don't have to constantly move from LR to finder and back again for different functions.

Many of the 'non-proffessional' cameras have the ability to shoot small movies. I use both a Canon EOS 1d MKII and a little point-and-shoot type. I know that this application is for photos, and I wouldn't want it any other way. But, as the organization abilities of this app is so special, and because many video files are related to pictures in their conext when shooting references etc, the ability to simply view these videos and keep them in related collections would be an enormous help - seeing as they coexist on the cameras' chip in the first place and will need uploading onto the drive to be kept safe.
Thanks, and sorry for all the demands.

Hi Manex,

This all great feedback. I will make sure that the product team sees your comments; but, I do suggest that you post your thoughts within the Labs web forums so other users can chime in and foster more ideas.

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/index.cfm?NoCookies=Yes