# LR6 Applying auto-tone to more than one image at a time



## LRList001 (Sep 3, 2018)

'Evening all

LR6.14
Is it possible to apply the auto-tone command to more than one image at a time and if so how is it done? 
My workflow precludes applying it through a develop preset at import.
I have tried auto-sync, but that doesn't work either.

TIA


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## Jim Wilde (Sep 4, 2018)

LRList001 said:


> I have tried auto-sync, but that doesn't work either.


It should do. What happens when you try?


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## LRList001 (Sep 4, 2018)

Jim Wilde said:


> It should do. What happens when you try?



What I expect to happen is for the 'auto' button to be disabled (because it is already 'autoed' so to speak).  However, while true for some (say half), for the others 'auto' is still active and clicking it changes the settings.  Seems odd to me, hence posting here, to see if anyone can explain what I am doing wrong.


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## Jim Wilde (Sep 4, 2018)

OK, yes I see the same thing. There may be a simple explanation, but if none is forthcoming here I'll ask Adobe.


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## Zenon (Sep 4, 2018)

It is easy. Go to the Library folder, select all photos and apply it there.  Quick Develop - Tone Control. I recently installed Jeffry Freidl's Personalized Auto Tone to even further fine tune Sensei to my taste. I can now do this in the Develop folder and I created a keyboard shortcut.

It is the last tool.

Jeffrey's "Bag-o-Goodies" Lightroom Plugin

I also installed his Bulk Develop plug-in. This allowed me to uncheck ISO in LR preferences (presets tab).  You enter a range of if ISO and NR values and NR application is logarithmic. I created a second keyboard shortcut for this.

Jeffrey's "Bulk Develop Settings" Lightroom Plugin

Develop Default settings auto apply colour profile and  lens corrections at import. Personalized Auto Tone and Bulk Develop give me a good starting point for editing.


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## Johan Elzenga (Sep 4, 2018)

Note that the OP is using Lr 6.14, not Lr Classic. The new and improved Auto Tone was introduced in Lightroom Classic.


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## Jim Wilde (Sep 4, 2018)

It looks like a bug to me, both in LR6.14 and LR7.5 (and it doesn't matter if using Quick Develop or the Develop module). The interesting thing is that after auto-syncing Auto Tone to a bunch of images, seeing all images changing, then discovering that some of them still have the Auto button enabled, then clicking on the button again and seeing some very minor changes to at least one slider (often more)....at that point the two latest steps in the History panel  are now (obviously) showing Auto Tone/Settings, but when clicking on the older step nothing changes, i.e. both steps show the same slider values.

I'll flag it with Adobe to see if they can reproduce, though of course any subsequent fix will only make it into LR Classic.


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## LRList001 (Sep 4, 2018)

Jim Wilde said:


> It looks like a bug to me, both in LR6.14 and LR7.5 (and it doesn't matter if using Quick Develop or the Develop module). The interesting thing is that after auto-syncing Auto Tone to a bunch of images, seeing all images changing, then discovering that some of them still have the Auto button enabled, then clicking on the button again and seeing some very minor changes to at least one slider (often more)....at that point the two latest steps in the History panel  are now (obviously) showing Auto Tone/Settings, but when clicking on the older step nothing changes, i.e. both steps show the same slider values.
> 
> I'll flag it with Adobe to see if they can reproduce, though of course any subsequent fix will only make it into LR Classic.



That is it exactly.  So, a bug.  I can understand what is going on better if it is a bug.  Thanks Jim

(I was trying it out on a series of relatively similar images (same shoot), so thought at first that it was copying the same settings to each image, but then ended up confused as to exactly what was going on.)


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## Jim Wilde (Sep 11, 2018)

An update....

Apparently this is "as designed" behaviour. What happens when batch processing the "auto" option is that the original file is used for the first one or two, but  for subsequent images in the batch the auto is in fact applied to the preview, not the original. I guess the engineers decided that the performance gains are preferable versus the minor slider differences that can result when applying auto to the preview instead of the original.

Personally I'm not convinced this is optimal design, especially when using embedded previews, so I'll carry on talking to Adobe about this.


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## LRList001 (Sep 11, 2018)

Perhaps w


Jim Wilde said:


> An update....
> 
> Apparently this is "as designed" behaviour. What happens when batch processing the "auto" option is that the original file is used for the first one or two, but  for subsequent images in the batch the auto is in fact applied to the preview, not the original. I guess the engineers decided that the performance gains are preferable versus the minor slider differences that can result when applying auto to the preview instead of the original.
> 
> Personally I'm not convinced this is optimal design, especially when using embedded previews, so I'll carry on talking to Adobe about this.



Thanks Jim
Long, long ago, it might make some kind of sense, when machines lacked horse power.  Today such thinking is obsolete.  And, I'm with you, I'm not sure it was ever right to do what was done.  At least it explains why it is close but not 100%!
Regards


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## Zenon (Sep 11, 2018)

I'll have to do an experiment to see if Personalized Auto Tone opens and applies treating every file as a new one.


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## Zenon (Sep 12, 2018)

Jim Wilde said:


> It looks like a bug to me, both in LR6.14 and LR7.5 (and it doesn't matter if using Quick Develop or the Develop module). The interesting thing is that after auto-syncing Auto Tone to a bunch of images, seeing all images changing, then discovering that some of them still have the Auto button enabled, then clicking on the button again and seeing some very minor changes to at least one slider (often more)....at that point the two latest steps in the History panel  are now (obviously) showing Auto Tone/Settings, but when clicking on the older step nothing changes, i.e. both steps show the same slider values.
> 
> I'll flag it with Adobe to see if they can reproduce, though of course any subsequent fix will only make it into LR Classic.



I'm a little puzzled by this. Adobe messed up Auto Tone and  Default Develop Settings. After Sensei was introduced I'd select Auto Tone on the Import Page (Apply During Import) and it corrected each image individually. I think after the update when presets went to XMP applying Auto Tone at import overrode any other Default Import settings like lens corrections, NR, etc and set them all back to factory settings. I mentioned this here several times, called Adobe and submitted it at Adobe. I checked applying Auto Tone at import and 7.5 did not correct it.           

Johan helped me find a workaround by using Auto Tone in the Library module. I believe he told me that Auto Tone is applied for each image individually when used in Quick Develop. I can look up the conversations. I'm pretty sure all I did was Select All and then just pressed the Auto button beside Auto Tone and it applied to all the images. I have not used that for a while because I now use Jeffery's Personalized Auto Tone.

I just tried it on the library page and it only applies to the first image. If you try to Sync it just copies the first files settings. I shot an event before the 7.5 update. I'm sure I just pressed the Auto button (not sync) and all the files were tuned individually.

I can confirm that Jeffery's Personalized Auto Tone applies settings to each file individually. It counts down as it does it's thing.


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## Zenon (Sep 13, 2018)

I'd like to reproduce this but when I select several flies and apply Auto Tone it only applies it to the first file in both Library and Develop modules. Anyone know why this might be happening?


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## Victoria Bampton (Sep 15, 2018)

Zenon said:


> I just tried it on the library page and it only applies to the first image. If you try to Sync it just copies the first files settings. I shot an event before the 7.5 update. I'm sure I just pressed the Auto button (not sync) and all the files were tuned individually.



Make sure you're in Grid view. That's key.


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## Zenon (Sep 15, 2018)

Right that was the way I did it before. Not sure why I tried it in the develop module. Seems like Auto Tone applies different values to each file. Syncing would not properly. Thanks for responding.


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## Zenon (Sep 16, 2018)

So aside from my brains speed bump during this thread what difference does it make if it doesn't Sync? You can apply AT in the Library module. I guess if someone uses sync and doesn't notice it will mess up the edits. I always viewed Sync as syncing to the original file you made changes to.


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