How can I use LR as an Editor while using Elements Organizer as the Database?

Question

I started this question in the LR newbie section of the forum but maybe a few more eyes should see the question. 
Simply put, I want to stay with Elements Organizer as the database of my holdings. (Yes, I've tried the LR analog and it does not do as well for me.)
I'd like to mouse a file ovfer to LR, do edits in LR, and then get the finished product back to Elements.  I suspect that is an EXPORT issue on LR's part but am not sure.
Are there others who have a similar requirement?
How should I proceed?

Answer 1

Hi Linus,
I'm admittedly out on a limb here, since I have zero experience with Photoshop Elements. On the plus side, I have lots of experience with Lightroom, and plugins which may help.
As Jim said, photos have to be added to Lightroom catalog to be edited, and the 2 possible ways which spring to mind are:
* Manual Import
* Automatic Import
Manual may not be so bad, since you can drag a file (maybe direct from PE, but certainly from OS) and drop it in the library grid, and Lr's import dialog box will open with only that photo selected and 'Add' as the way to import it (as opposed to 'Copy', 'Move', or 'Convert to DNG'). So, all you'd have to do is click the 'OK' (actually it's 'Import') button.
The problem with Lr's automatic import is that it only supports one watched folder, so you'd have to copy files to it, and then info needed to export it to the correct place for return to PE has been lost, so I recommend using Jeffrey Friedl's Folder Watch plugin, or my very own Ottomanic Importer if you choose to go that route. That way, when you export or publish them they'll be where you want them to be (same folder as original, if I understood you correctly).
For return to PE, I'd recommend TreeSyncPublisher. I mean, if you are only ever editing once, and always doing one at a time, then a simple export will suffice, but if you want to edit (and/or re-edit) in batch, a publish service will save you some confusion, since you don't have to remember which photos you edited - just click 'Publish'.
I assume you have some way for PE to recognize new files created by publishing in Lr, and updates to existing files...
You may have to experiment to come up with something that suits well enough - keep us posted..
Rob