Here is something I discovered while poking around in Lightroom 3: the cache for Adobe Camera RAW 6 (the engine behind Lightroom 3) is independent of the cache for LR3. Why is this significant? Because you can move this cache to somewhere rippin fast, and see a huge increase in the LR3 response time.

Now, this is not for everyone because it involves spending some money on a very fast SSD drive, installing it and formatting it. But any working photographer will appreciate the speed enough to easily see the value.

So, like I mentioned, LR3 uses ACR6, and the cache for ACR6 is independent of the cache for LR3. And from what I can tell, the ACR6 cache is the one that now creates the preview files, which are the ones LR3 uses to show you the effect of your adjustments. And loading the previews is one of the bottlenecks as you switch between images in LightRoom.

So the tip is simple: buy a smallish SSD drive, and put the ACR6 cache on it. I use a 40GB Intel SSD for this, and the difference is dramatic. The 40GB Intel I got cost about $140, to give a frame of reference.

Once you get your SSD installed and formatted (no I’m not going to describe how to do that), open LightRoom and go to Preferences, File Handling, Camera Raw Cache Settings, and set the path to a folder on your new SSD. Set the cache limit to 35GB, and restart LR.

Presto: huge speed increase.

…Mike

There is a feature in Adobe Bridge that allows you to see a preview of the selected image by hitting the spacebar. The problem is that the previews always look blurry, or soft, when previewing if you use the default settings that Bridge ships with.

The fix for this is simple, but you have to know where to look. Here’s where:

1. Start Bridge, and open the Preferences.
2. Go to the “Advanced” section and turn on “Generate Monitor-Size Previews”
3. Click “OK’ to save

Now the drag about this is you have to re-create your entire cache. So first, purge it:

1. Open the Preferences again
2. Go to the “Cache” section and click “Purge Cache”
3. Click “OK’ to save

If you want to bulk-create thumbnails and previews, do this:

1. In Bridge, select the folder
2. In the menu, select “Tools, Cache, Build and export cache”
3. Make sure to leave both options un-checked, and click OK

This will scan all subfolders to create the cache for the files found.

I hope this helps!

…Mike

Have you ever tried to back up your actions, and realized what a pain it is? Using the actions palette within Photoshop means selecting each action set one by one and exporting them individually. Such a waste of time. It also can’t be automated, so you can’t back up your actions as part of a regular backup procedure this way either.

Happily, there is another way The contents of the actions palette are stored in a special file, in a special folder on your hard drive. So all you need to do it back up that file, and your actions are backed up.  Easy!

The file is called Actions Palette.psp and it lives in the preferences folder for Photoshop. Where to find this folder depends on what operating system you use.

On a mac, it’s in <your home folder>/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CS4 Settings

On a PC, I can’t keep track since it seems to vary with what version of Windows you are running. So search for “Actions Palette.psp” and you’ll find it.

Bonus: you can also copy this file to another computer, which copies all the actions from one to the other, in one simple file.

…Mike

As far as I am concerned, a Wacom tablet is mandatory for anyone who does image manipulation. The level of precision is unmatched, the ergonomics are dead on (you basically are holding a pen) and the programmability is sweetness. I use a Wacom Intuos3 6″ x 11″ which is perfect for my wide screen.  The tablet itself is wired to a USB port, but the stylus is not. I have three styluses, because at any one time I can only ever find one of them.

(At this point I should mention that my wife thinks I am crazy for posting about mice. To which I reply: Yep.) Read the rest of this entry »

Every once in a while, a new computer bit comes along…something you maybe weren’t expecting, and it makes your computing life so much easier that that going back is painful and frustrating. The Logitech MX Revolution is like that.

I’m a skeptical person, and I had my doubts about a $130 mouse. But after having used it, I can see how that $130 is, if not totally justifed, at least not out-of-this-world crazy. Read the rest of this entry »