Photo Develop Persona - Save changes to RAW file

[Ferdinand13]

Coming from Adobe Camera RAW, I am used to be able to make changes to my RAW images inside the dialog and then have these changes "saved" into the RAW file itself. Using .DNG files this is saved inside the file, using any of the proprietary camera RAW files, this usually generates a sidecar file. Of course this being a RAW file, the original/default state is still kept, so I can always go back to the beginning, if I need to.

Either way, in Affinity Photo there is no way to save the changes to my RAW in any other way than to "develop" the RAW and then save the resulting Affinity Photo document (ideally with the RAW file embedded into the project file). This makes for a rather cumbersome process and hides the rather versatile RAW files inside an Affinity project file.

I would therefore highly appreciate, if the Serif team would add another functionality next to the "Develop" button that would enable the user to "save" the changes made back to the RAW file, as is possible inside Adobe Camera RAW.

[HVDB Photography]

In the toolbar you can choose Output : RAW Layer (Embedded)

and save your changes as an .afphoto 

 

[Ferdinand13]

1 hour ago, HVDB Photography said:

In the toolbar you can choose Output : RAW Layer (Embedded)

and save your changes as an .afphoto 

 

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I know of this function, however it doesn’t quite do what I need it to. The RAW layer (Embedded) function will open an AF Photo project and add the RAW file as an embedded layer with the settings you’ve set up in the Develop Persona earlier. If you’d like to do changes, you can go back into the layer and change the Develop settings. 
 

What I’m after however is to save these changes to the RAW file (i.e. the .DNG, .ARW, or whatever else file format is out there). In the case of .DNG the changes will be stored right inside the file, in the case of other formats a sidecar file will be generated. 

Either way, my development settings are saved and I don’t have to keep track of another file - the AF Photo project. 

This is a lot more streamlined and would allow you to switch between RAW develop applications without losing your work. 

[Old Bruce]

59 minutes ago, Ferdinand13 said:

Either way, my development settings are saved and I don’t have to keep track of another file - the AF Photo project. 

I wonder how many other raw developer applications can read and apply the settings in the sidecar files generated by Adobe RAW? 

[Ferdinand13]

11 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I wonder how many other raw developer applications can read and apply the settings in the sidecar files generated by Adobe RAW? 

That’s a good question. I’ve heard good things about Capture One, but not sure about the interoperability between ACR. 

However, given that .dng is an open standard, there’s no secret about what’s being saved in these files and the Serif team should be able to adapt Affinity Photo’s Develop Persona accordingly. 

[Bit Disappointed]

17 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I wonder how many other raw developer applications can read and apply the settings in the sidecar files generated by Adobe RAW? 

The compatibility of sidecar files generated by Adobe RAW (typically XMP files) with other raw developer applications varies. Adobe's XMP format is an open standard, which means other software developers can use it to ensure compatibility with Adobe's products. However, the extent to which different applications can read and apply the settings stored in these sidecar files depends on each application's support for the XMP standard and the specific settings stored in the file.

Many non-Adobe applications can read basic metadata from XMP sidecar files, such as exposure settings, keywords, and ratings. However, more complex adjustments like local adjustments, gradients, or proprietary Adobe features may not be fully supported by other applications. This is because each raw processing software often has its own unique way of interpreting and processing raw files, and some settings may not have direct equivalents in other applications.

Some popular raw developer applications known for their compatibility with XMP files include:

• Capture One: Known for its high-quality image processing, it offers some level of compatibility with XMP files, primarily for basic metadata.
• DxO PhotoLab: Offers compatibility with XMP files to a certain extent, especially for basic metadata.
• ON1 Photo RAW: This application can read XMP files and apply some of the settings, though it may interpret them differently than Adobe software.
• LightZone: An open-source application that can read basic metadata from XMP files.
• Darktable: Another open-source program with some level of support for XMP files.

It's important to note that while these applications can read XMP sidecar files, the results may not always match what you see in Adobe applications due to differences in processing engines and supported features. For the most seamless transition of settings, staying within the Adobe ecosystem (like moving between Lightroom and Photoshop) is usually the most reliable approach. However, if you're looking to use another application, it's best to experiment with a few to see which one meets your needs and how well it interprets the XMP files generated by Adobe RAW.

[v_kyr]

9 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I wonder how many other raw developer applications can read and apply the settings in the sidecar files generated by Adobe RAW? 

• Extensible Metadata Platform (Wikipedia)
• Sidecar file (Wikipedia)
• XMP standards - Extensible Metadata Platform (Adobe - ISO standard)
• What are XMP files?
• Photo Prism - Adobe XMP
• ... etc.

Reading is not that much of a problem, but instead applying and mapping functions 1:1 to other RAW software is more a challange here.

[Ferdinand13]

7 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

• Extensible Metadata Platform (Wikipedia)
• Sidecar file (Wikipedia)
• XMP standards - Extensible Metadata Platform (Adobe - ISO standard)
• What are XMP files?
• Photo Prism - Adobe XMP
• ... etc.

Reading is not that much of a problem, but instead applying and mapping functions 1:1 to other RAW software is more a challange here.

As I said though, if you’re dealing with actual .dng files the transition process might be a lot easier. Adobe has updated this file format continuously, so whatever functionality ACR offers at the moment, should be mirrored in the file structure pretty clearly. 
 

I never keep my RAW files in their original format, but instead convert them to .dng before making any changes to avoid the whole XMP file business. 

Having XMP support as well though would be much appreciated of course.