Another release from Adobe®…kinda. It’s the beta version of Lightroom® 2.0! It’s now available for free download at Adobe® Labs. You can try and test it for 30 days, or, if you Lightroom® 1, you can play with it for as long as until the full version is released.
If you don’t know what Adobe® Labs is, it’s the center for all of Adobe®’s products that are under development. You can get the latest scoop on what new software Adobe® is working on. Check it out here.
A few key elements from the release notes and the official Lightroom® Journal:
Library
- Streamlined Library Layout
- Smart Collections
- Powerful Filter Bar to search and refine images
- Suggested Keywords for simplified keywording
- 10k pixel size limit raised to 30k pixels
- Output-based Collections
Multiple Monitors
- Four flexible modes for an alternate window: Grid, Loupe, Compare, Survey
(Check out the Live Loupe mode!)
Photoshop® CS3 Integration
- Open files in Photoshop® as a Smart Object
- Select multiple images to merge as a Panorama
- Merge multiple exposures into a single Photoshop® HDR image
- Load multiple files or virtual copies into Photoshop as separate layers in a single document.
Export Functionality
- Auto-add exported images to the Lightroom® catalog
- Auto Output Sharpening for images on export
Develop Module
- Non-Destructive Localized Correction for dodging and burning specific areas of an image
- Post Crop Vignette
- Basic Panel Keyboard Shortcuts
- Improved Auto Adjustment
- Improved memory handling through 64-bit support on OS X 10.5 and Vista 64-bit.(Not limited to develop module)
Print Module
- Picture Package for multi-page layouts
- Print Module output directly to JPEG
- Enhanced Print Sharpening based on PhotoKit Sharpener algorithms
- 16-bit Printing for Mac OS X 10.5
Primary Known Issues
- Lightroom® 2.0 beta will not upgrade Lightroom® 1.x libraries. The beta is intended to be used for testing and feedback purposes. Lightroom® 1.x and 2.0 beta libraries will be migrated to the finished version of Lightroom® 2.0.
- While data loss is not expected, this is a very early beta quality build and you should always work on duplicates of files that are securely backed up.
- Lightroom® 2 beta will not overwrite or interfere with a machine that currently has Lightroom® 1.3.1 installed.
- Develop settings applied in Lightroom® 2.0 beta are not guaranteed to transfer correctly to the final version of 2.0. This is particularly true for localized corrections.
- The new Photoshop® integration functionality is only available with Photoshop® CS3 (10.0.1) and should only be used for testing purposes. Metadata associated with the original file may not carry over to the subsequent file saved from Photoshop®.
Check out the official release notes here.
There are also some awesome tutorials and guides that have just been published. Julieanne Kost has a few video tutorials, and she’s creating more. And, once again, the NAPP has created a great online learning center.
A bunch of stuff…go check it out.
