Maximize compatibility problem

I've been using LR 2.5 and now 2.6 for a while now and am finally prompted to post. From time to time, I have problems importing files. If it's a PSD file, then typically I get the old chestnut about saving with maximize compatibility turned on. Which is something I always do, because the LR installation notes told me to do it. I also have problems importing the occasional JPEG, maybe no more than 1 in a 100. I can barely import TIFF files at all -
more than 50% of the time LR just gives me the familiar gray rectangle and the warning mark. Keep in mind that these TIFF files aren't fancy - they're just boring old 16-bit RBG or sometimes 16-bit grayscale straight from my scanner. I would estimate that I can't import about 80% of my PSD files (I have CS2) in spite of having "maximize compatibility" turned on. I've tried tried re-saving the PDF file. Doesn't work. I've tried adding a layer, then saving. No joy. I've tried SHIFT-CTRL-ALT-e to create a whole new rolled-up layer. No way. On larger files PS even confirms that it's saving a full resolution composite. Do you think it makes any difference to LR? No on your life.
I've put up with this for some time, and now I'd like to know if this is normal. I've almost given up trying to import PSD files, and that doesn't seem right at all. The problems seem to occur more on larger files (say, 100MB+) than on smaller, but that may be my imagination. I've most recently had the problem on a 16-bit greyscale PSD file on which I've made some extensive changes and re-saved (compat mode is ALWAYS on). LR keeps rejecting it. I've just now resorted to creating a 16-bit greyscale, single-layer file in PS (all of 1.5MB) and LR STILL won't import it! Bridge thinks it's fine. Bridge thinks they're all fine.
This is really getting me down. How on earth do photographers with large legacy collections of PS files (i.e. every last one of us) survive? Pity help people with TIFF files, I feel sorry for them. Perhaps it's just some fragility with my system? I'd love to know.
Thanks for any hints or tips. I must be missing something obvious.
Regards,
-darryl

Ed,
There may be a CS2 vs. CS4 difference which is just confusing things.
If you look back my original posting in this thread, you'll see that I had problems importing TIFF files as well. Those problems were fixed by removing my Lightroom preferences file. Since then, importing TIFFs has been fine.
I don't know what "com.apple.Photoshop.plist" is - I'm guessing it's where Photoshop stores preferences on a Mac? I am currently using a Windoze laptop, but am planning to get a Mac, so will soon be educated in the finer things of life!
Regading Photoshop "asking" or not: what I notice is that if I use Photoshop standalone, then it does indeed ask. If I start Photoshop from Lightroom, then it doesn't ask. Some magic must be happening behind the scenes because even from the very beginning, starting Photoshop from Lightroom on an existing image always worked fine (I would have had Maximize Compatibility set to Always in those days). My problems were always with importing pre-existing PSD files which were saved with Maximize Compatibilty set to Never.
I'm glad you managed to make some progress, though. The more I use Lightroom, the more I wonder how I ever survived without it.
Regards,
-darryl

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PS CS2 lens correction causes "Maximize Compatibility" issue in LR

Question: why does PS CS2/3 convert the layer "Background" to "Layer 0"?
This is the problem (and solution):
I encountered the widely discussed "Maximize Compatiblity" issue with a bunch of PSD files (slide scans) that contained only one layer. Puzzled as I was that the layer thing apparently could not cause the problem, I reopened some of those files in PS CS3 and I noticed that each of them had had a lens correction. Just to make sure I was on the right track I applied a lens correction to a file that had been already imported into LR successfully and used the SaveAs command and unchecked the Maximize Compatibility option. The new file could not be imported into LR. So no more lens corrections? - I thought.
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Now I write this for those of you who have the same problem and are still puzzled (to help out) but I also would like to have some insight into why PS CS2/3 lens corrections mess with the layers.
Thanks.

>My conclusion would be that LR can only import PSD files that meet the following requirements:
>1. must contain only one layer
>2. that layer must be called "Background"
Your conclusion is only partially correct.
Lightroom will import multi-layered PSD files that have been saved with the preference for "Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility" set to On. This is clearly stated in the Release Notes and Help documents:
>Photoshop format (PSD)
>Photoshop format (PSD) is the standard Photoshop file format. To import and work with a multi-layered PSD file in Lightroom, the file must have been saved in Photoshop with the Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility preference turned on. Youll find the option in the Photoshop file handling preferences. Lightroom saves PSD files with a bit depth or 8 bits or 16 bits per channel.
As to the original point -
PS CS2 lens correction causes "Maximize Compatibility" issue in LR.
Photoshop renaming Background Layer to Layer 0 is a Photoshop issue, not Lightroom. When it occurs the files effectively becomes a multi-layered file, even if there is only one layer (i.e layer 0). Why using the Lens Correction filter causes the background layer to be renamed is currently unclear, but I have raised it in the "appropriate" place. In the meantime, I recommend that you set the Maximise Compatibility preference to
Always. Doing so will save non layered files as normal and multi-layered will have the
necessary* composite preview. You can continue to use the flatten command to fix the errant files.
*Enabling the Maximise Compatibility preference ensures that Photoshop creates a composite preview of multi-layered images. It is intended to enable applications that can't read layers to preview the images. Lightroom cannot read multi-layered files, therefore the composite preview MUST be present in such files.
>Has anyone noticed different behaviour with the Lr v2 beta? I'd hate to double the size of all my multilayer PSDs just so they can load into Lr(?)
Lr 2.0 will function as per Lr1.x; i.e. not using Maximize Compatibility when saving multi-layered files will mean that they are not compatible with Lr2.0.

Maximize Compatibility vs Storage Optimization

I'm working on a new project that will require me to store thousands of PS files. I have noticed that the maximum compatibility option affects the end files size significantly. For example the original autogenerated PS file starts at 32 MB, and jumps to 57 MB when saved to maximize compatibility and shrinks to 21 MB when the option is not selected. What exactly am I losing by not maximizing compatibility? If it is just the file preview image and the ability to use on very old builds of PS, it might be worth the savings on storage space. The PS files don’t contain any new features where backsaving will be an issue. I was able to open the non-max comp file in CS2 with all its layers. I've attached a link to the example file I'm referring to. Thanks for the help.
https://app.box.com/s/35ssi02qaiz48jxgaten
-Brennan

Nothing more than you mentioned comes to mind.
Only thing about the composite previews (that won't be generated/saved) is that non-Adobe software may rely upon them. That said, many 3rd party programs now can see into .psd files and deal with the contents. The FastPictureViewer codec pack is one such example - it can thumbnail even .psd files not saved with Max Compat.
For what it's worth, I switched to Maximize Compatibility: Never quite a while ago, and I have had no problems. I don't share my .psd files with others much.
-Noel

Compatibility problem importing .psd files

I have a lot of .psd files that I want to import into LightRoom. They were saved without the Maximize Compatibility option checked so I need to open them, check the box and save them.
I was going to set up an action or a droplet to do the job. However, it seems that simply saving then doesn't have the desired effect. The only way I've been able to get LR to accept the import is to choose "Save As ...", enter the same file name and overwrite the file that way.
I have a feeling that using "Save As..." and entering the file name is going to complicate the automation process.
I was wondering if anyone else has run into this problem, and if you found a solution.
Thanks,
Keith

I am not sure but I think the reason that just opening the file and checking
save with compat. doesn't work is because you aren't actually changing the
image. If you have the action do something (non destructive) to the image
like turn the background in to a regular layer or something like that and
then save it would then update the file the way you expect. I suspect that
simply turning on the max. compat. option isn't enough to get Photoshop to
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anything to the file. This is just a guess.
If you images have layers then try applying a layer effect and then remove
it with the action, do the max. compat thing and then save. You could do
other non-destructive things that would change the image so that Photoshop
saved it.
Robert

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samuelg0rd0n wrote:
Is there a way to have maximize compatibility disabled and at the same time be able to use previews with QuickLook?
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