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This article is from May 30, 2006, and is no longer current.

Photoshop Camera Raw Version Control

Completedigitalphotography.com has just posted a free set of simple utilities that make it possible for Mac-based users of Photoshop Camera Raw to easily manage multiple versions of a raw file.
Although you can use Photoshop Camera Raw to process a raw file in many different ways, neither Camera Raw nor Bridge provides any facility for managing multiple versions of the same raw file. With the Phototoshop Camera Raw Version Control package, users can easily create additional, editable versions of any raw file, each of which can contain a completely different set of raw conversion parameters.
Normally, Photoshop Camera Raw lets you define a single set of parameters for a raw file. These parameters specify how the file should be converted, and include everything from cropping details to exposure, white balance, and contrast adjustment. These parameters are stored in a special “sidecar” file that is associted with your original raw file.
The Photoshop Camera Raw Version Control package is a set of simple droplets that allow you to easily create and delete new versions, specify any version as the current version, and even automatically create batches of thumbnails or full resolution renderings of an entire set of versions. WIth just a few simple drag and drop operations, you can easily create and maintain several completely different interpretations of the same raw file.
Included in the pacakge are two Automator Actions that allow you to add some version control functions to your Automator workflows.
For users who like to experiement with their raw files, or who need to create multiple, different versions with the goal of creating composites, the Photoshop Camera Raw Version Control System makes it possible to easily switch back and forth between different sets of Camera Raw parameters.
The entire package is available for free download at https://www.completedigitalphotography.com/?p=430. While you’re there, don’t miss out on our exciting Paypal button. Attractive and easy to click, the Paypal button is fun for the entire family, and makes it simple to donate any sum of money – from the paltry to the profound – to the creator of the Photoshop Camera Raw Version Control System.

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