Beta 1.1 question - working inside of Photos

Discuss Photomator and photo editing.
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2019-09-13 02:21:18

Your beta notes say that it's now possible to use Pixelmator Photos and edit right within the photos app. I've been unable to determine how to do this. I can still use the share panel from photos, share to Pixelmator, and then once within Pixelmator photos, peruse the photo app albums. But, if I select 'edit' within the photos app, Pixelmator photos does not show up. Am I using the correct workflow ? I'm not really editing 'inside' of photos...

On a related point, when I use Pixelmator Photo to edit a photos app picture, it seems to save the edit as a new photo, and doesn't give me the option to save the edit on top of the photo that I started with. Is there a workflow that I should be using to achieve this kind of 'in place' edit ?

Thanks
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2019-09-13 03:53:51

Are you using the share sheet to save? Just click the back button to exit and the popup to modify the original will show up.
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2019-09-13 14:18:07

by Ross G 2019-09-13 01:21:18 On a related point, when I use Pixelmator Photo to edit a photos app picture, it seems to save the edit as a new photo, and doesn't give me the option to save the edit on top of the photo that I started with. Is there a workflow that I should be using to achieve this kind of 'in place' edit ?

Thanks
I don't have my iPad with me just now to confirm but from recollection, when editing an image, If you use the back icon at the top left to leave your image and go back to the gallery view, it will prompt you if you want to overwrite the existing image or cancel your changes. This is separate from using the top right (share?) icon to export or save as a new image.
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2019-09-13 14:35:57

The wording could probably be improved — what that was supposed to mean was: you can now manage all your edits in your Photos library while browsing it in Pixelmator Photo. It's actually a super natural and logical workflow but if you got used to the old one, it might seem a little weird at first. Pixelmator Photo does not yet, however, have an editing extension inside Photos.

Basically, before, you'd be importing everything to your iPad as a Pixelmator Photo file. Then, you'd have to manually save the changes to the same image in your library. Plus, you'd have the associated Pixelmator Photo file with all your edits as well. Then, if you went to open that same image from Photos, it would be imported again, creating a duplicate. So, not the best workflow.

Now, when you're browsing photos in your library using the Pixelmator Photo browser, you just tap Edit (instead of Import, as it was previously). Then once you close the photo, you get automatically prompted to save to the same image in your library. The .PHOTO file is hidden and linked to the file in your library. So you can reopen edited images from your library (while editing in Pixelmator Photo) and restore your changes, plus you can also manage your library (revert to original, delete photos) in the browser. I guess maybe that's not working for you?
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2019-09-16 01:17:05

Thanks Andrius. Yes, this now makes sense. I agree that the wording is critical. Editing within the the Photos app vs. editing within Pixelmator Photo that has direct access to your photos library.

I also now understand that traversing back up to <Photos is effectively the 'save' function. I think this has the potential to be confusing for your users, since it's not the way that they interact with the Photos app. In the later, as you know, you enter the edit mode, and then you exit out of the edit mode. Exiting out with 'done' is what saves the edit.
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2019-09-17 13:00:01

by Ross G I also now understand that traversing back up to &lt;Photos is effectively the 'save' function. I think this has the potential to be confusing for your users, since it's not the way that they interact with the Photos app. In the later, as you know, you enter the edit mode, and then you exit out of the edit mode. Exiting out with 'done' is what saves the edit.
100% agree, Done and Cancel buttons would be better with this new workflow and we'll do our best to make this improvement in time for the 1.1 release.
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2019-09-22 16:01:20

A related question: when I choose Modify Original, if the original was a RAW and the modified version is a JPEG, does it save over the RAW in Photos? If so, do you know how that works with iCloud storage size. i.e does the new modified JPEG still hog about 20 odd MB if iCloud space, because that’s the size of the original that I can always revert to?

Sorry if this is a bit down in the weeds, but just trying to work out if the workflow will end up costing me a fortune in iCloud storage as there are a load of effectively hidden RAW files saved as originals in Photos.
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2019-09-23 10:07:21

Yes, those RAW originals will still be saved in iCloud because the Photos workflow is nondestructive and lets you always revert to the full-sized original image. Sorry if that's not quite the answer you were hoping for!
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2019-09-25 17:48:13

No, that makes complete sense, and is definitely an Apple issue/design decision and I see there’s no way round that for you.

I’m still trying to workout a RAW workflow which more closely resembles the triage -> develop -> export of Lightroom. Feels like you are getting really close though! That and lens distortion correction and the product is perfect for me :)