Importing EPS files

I like Lightroom, but I can't get it to import EPS files. It simply won't recognise them. If I open an EPS file in Photoshop and resave it as a JPEG ... no problem, Lightroom sees it and will import it. Any suggestions?
Importing EPS files
Well, keep doing that? LR isn't designed to handle all formats, and eps is one it doesn't.
Importing EPS files
6000 times? Ouch. Thanks anyway John.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave it there. Of course, I'd make a quick little batch process action, and go have a couple of cups... depending on why the files are being imported into LR, of course.

As a strong believer that all photos are graphics, and that all graphics can be pixel captured -- by camera, scanner, or PDF -- I'd also like to lend my voice to the chorus of those interested in seeing EPS, ai, and PDF files supported. Indesign would be nice too!

'' seeing EPS, ai, and PDF files supported''



Nope...get Bridge. The intent and design of Lightroom is to concentrate on digital photo files (raw or jpg) first and foremost to avoid the same problem Bridge has which is it has too many masters to serve. The fact that Lightroom was extended to import tiff and psds is enough of an expansion. Originally, LR beta 1 couldn't even import psds...

I feel the issues with Bridge are more related to it being the first stab at a digital asset workflow. The next generation DAM will benefit from the lessons of LR, but it doesn't negate the fact that with the suite a photo can be a bunch pixels glued together in any popular adobe format.

Lightroom is not a Photoshop substitute; it's much narrower in both purpose and design. Photoshop is like a swiss army knife -- it is designed to do things that are useful to web designers, photographers, digital artists, graphic artists, videographers, law enforcement officials, scientists, etc. It's mostly a pixel manipulation program, but it includes a fair amount of vector stuff as well. As I said, it's like a swiss army knife, but (unlike a swiss army knife) it actually is very good at most of what it does.



Lightroom, on the other hand, is designed as a photographer's workflow database. Its primary function, other than to operate as a database, is to allow images from the camera to be manipulated similarly to how Adobe Camera Raw handles them. This means that the core functionality of LR is linear color space manipulation.



Some parts of this are directly pixel-related, but all of the functions are based on RGB pixel files. Even when it was extended to manipulate the color space of non-linear color space files (TIFFs and JPEGs), it did so in a way that was very close to what it does with the ACR functionalities. This cannot be easily extended to vector-based file types, such as Illustrator or EPS files. Likewise, it cannot be easily extended to CMYK files.



Modifying LR to handle vector file types or CMYK files would be a departure from its purpose and design concepts similar to modifying a car to fly or go across water. Most users of cars don't want to pay for this or need this; likewise, most digital photographers don't want to pay for or need a photographic workflow program that will handle file types that they don't use in their workflow. To the extent photographers need to convert their work for final publication to CMYK, they can use Photoshop, which they likely also have.

%26gt;This cannot be easily extended to vector-based file types, such as Illustrator or EPS files.



I don't think this is what anyone was asking.

I can confirm it's not what I've been pitching for.



%26gt;Modifying LR to handle vector file types or CMYK files would be a departure from its purpose and design concepts similar to modifying a car to fly or go across water.



??? I guess that depends on what you mean by handle. Modifying LR to render previews of these files isn't rocket science -- for those that think rocket science is hard. The most important asset of LR is the tracking and processing of the digital assets it ingests. I'm only interested in generating a flattened preview of those assets -- much as Bridge and some other applications and OS's already do. Photos of photos are used much more widely than the original photo itself.



Given that these standards were developed ''in-house'' by Adobe, I don't think they need to fly or walk across water to incorporate this request. They have the technolgy. Perhaps it's just the comprehension of this potential that's missing and appears to be putting people on the defensive.



%26gt;most digital photographers don't want to pay for or need a photographic workflow program that will handle file types that they don't use in their workflow. To the extent photographers need to convert their work for final publication to CMYK, they can use Photoshop, which they likely also have.



While you may presume to speak for all photographers, I only speak for that portion which is interested in tracking their assets and keeping a photo of them on file. I suspect that's a lot more people than you think.



A few years back, before and during the launch of ACR, many photographers (check the DPreview and photo.net archives to statisfy yourself) argued that RAW files were unnecessary as JPEGS were as good as a photographer ever needed. As people become aware of how to use their assets -- their minds changed. I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted Jeff or myself to have taken your position back then that photographers didn't need or want to pay for something they didn't understand -- like RAW files.



Hope this clears up any misunderstanding.

If Lightroom allows psd files with vector data for clipping paths and text it should also allow EPS files that are RGB pixel based. As part of a photographers workflow keeping track and stacking of related image files in the photoshop eps format is important.



I agree that Lightroom should not be designed for vector only eps files.



A line can be drawn, like that which presently exists for psd files, that would disallow vector only files.



On the subject of CMYK files - it would be great if they could be added only for the purpose of Digital Asset Management.