Problem when using external editors in PL

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MikeFromMesa
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Problem when using external editors in PL

Beitrag von MikeFromMesa »

I have a number of external editors defined in PL and the call/return functionality works very well (with the exception of a problem with Elements due to Adobe mis-naming a tiff file upon saving). PL picks up the modified temp file with the changes and I can continue to edit, or not, as I wish. Normally I would save the file if I was happy with the result or, perhaps, reset the image and start over again.

In addition, if I load an image, make some adjustments using only the external functionality or external plugins, and then select PhotoLine -> Quit PhotoLine I am asked if I wish to save the changed image. That is exactly right and how I would expect PL to work.

However, if I do the same thing, loading an image and making some adjustment, and then call an external editor (any external editor that I have defined), save the changes made in that external editor and watch PL reload the file, then select PhotoLine -> Quite PhotoLine, the app just quits without asking me if I wish to save the changes. There certainly are changes, sometimes quite a few layers, but the app just quits if the last thing I did was call an external editor. Any external editor. It is as though the call to the external editor is clearing the "dirty bit".

This is happening on my Mac and acts this way with both 18.52 and 18.53. I was wondering if anyone else has seen this kind of behavior, either in Windows or the Mac, and, if so, if anyone has reported this to the PL developers.

Thanks.
Zuletzt geändert von MikeFromMesa am Di 23 Dez 2014 01:58, insgesamt 1-mal geändert.
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photoken
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Re: Using external editors in PL

Beitrag von photoken »

I cannot reproduce that behavior with 18.53 x64 here on Win7 x64. You'll probably need to provide the precise steps you're doing, but here is what I did to test:
  1. Open a JPG image.
  2. Use Tool...Curves to adjust the lightness. This was directly on the image, and was not an adjustment layer.
  3. Called PSP as an external program with the "Edit Active Layer" option.
  4. Converted the image in PSP to black & white.
  5. Saved the image and exited PSP.
  6. The image is updated in PL.
  7. Used File...Exit to quit PL.
  8. I got a prompt to save the image.
Ken
Yes, I think it can be eeeeeasily done....
Just take everything out on Highway 61.
MikeFromMesa
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Re: Using external editors in PL

Beitrag von MikeFromMesa »

photoken hat geschrieben:I cannot reproduce that behavior with 18.53 x64 here on Win7 x64. You'll probably need to provide the precise steps you're doing, but here is what I did to test:
  1. Open a JPG image.
  2. Use Tool...Curves to adjust the lightness. This was directly on the image, and was not an adjustment layer.
  3. Called PSP as an external program with the "Edit Active Layer" option.
  4. Converted the image in PSP to black & white.
  5. Saved the image and exited PSP.
  6. The image is updated in PL.
  7. Used File...Exit to quit PL.
  8. I got a prompt to save the image.
Then I am guessing it is a Mac only problem. I will give a sequence of steps but, in my experience, the actual steps are not important. All that is important is that the last step be a call to an external editor where the image is changed forcing PL to reload the edited image. Then quitting PL. Here is a sequence I just did that caused this problem.

1) Opened a jpg image (have also tried with CR2, dng, psd and tiff. All show exactly the same issue),
2) Modified the image by adding a Histogram Adjustment layer. I did this to force a change on the image so it would need saving,
3) Called an external editor. I have set up PL to use a TIFF and to automatically reduce the layers to a single layer. This time I called Topaz's Glow, but I have also used Photoshop CC, Elements, PhotoNinja and Perfect Photo Suite 8 with the same results.
4) Modified the image. This time I selected a Brilliant on White II effect, but this was only so I could be sure visually that the new image had been reloaded. Saved the file, Glow closed automatically.
5) Waited for PL to reload the image, then PhotoLine -> Quit PhotoLine. Poof. Editor closed without message.

For what it is worth, I normally have a special action taken when a raw photo is loaded to merge the layers into a single one and rename it. Regardless, this special action does not have any affect on what is happening because, when I remove it so there are no actions taken when the image is loaded, the exact same thing happens.

In the time since I first posted this message I have done some additional testing. If I make any further adjustments after calling the editor, I get the proper message. If I load a second image, adjust it and then close PL I get the message for image 2, but not image 1. Something in the PL call process, when the edited image is saved by the external editor and reloaded by PL, is clearing the dirty bit (or doing the equivalent). It is really odd to see an image that has half-a-dozen layers just get tossed when PL is closed because the last thing I did was call an external editor.

As I said, this happens for both 18.52 and 18.53, but, based on your experience, apparently only on the Mac.

I am beginning to feel a bit like Cassandra reporting all of these issues ... I would happily record a video of what is happening to post, but it would be rather large and I am not sure it would add anything to the discussion.
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photoken
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Re: Using external editors in PL

Beitrag von photoken »

MikeFromMesa hat geschrieben:I will give a sequence of steps but, in my experience, the actual steps are not important.
Actually, the exact steps and settings are very important, and I can now reproduce the problem. I'll post the same thing as a bug report here, just to ensure it's noticed and more easily tracked:
http://www.pl32.com/forum3/viewtopic.ph ... 476#p32592
Ken
Yes, I think it can be eeeeeasily done....
Just take everything out on Highway 61.
MikeFromMesa
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Beiträge: 261
Registriert: Sa 22 Nov 2014 16:07

Re: Using external editors in PL

Beitrag von MikeFromMesa »

photoken hat geschrieben: Actually, the exact steps and settings are very important, and I can now reproduce the problem. I'll post the same thing as a bug report here, just to ensure it's noticed and more easily tracked:
http://www.pl32.com/forum3/viewtopic.ph ... 476#p32592
I do not wish to say that I am pleased that you could reproduce the problem because I would not wish others to have any problems with PL, but it is a bit reassuring to know that the problem is Windows as well as Mac.

I should point out that the steps you took (calling the Tools -> Curves adjustment and then calling an external editor) did cause the problem on my system. I even tried calling PSP X7 as the external editor on my Mac (I have Parallels installed and can call X7) but this resulted in a PL crash when it (PL) tried to reload the image. Probably some issue with how X7 writes out the saved image and how PL, on the Mac, has a problem understanding the byte encoding (although that, obviously, is a guess).

Doing the exact same thing, but calling Windows Photoshop CS 5.1, then saving the file and reloading in PL, did not cause a crash but did reproduce the same issue as calling a Mac external editor on my system - no warning message when quitting PL.