Where did Raw go?

[bulldog413]

Hoping someone can help me out here! I appreciate it!

okay... so I don't get it... Camera Raw is a plug in. I open in Bridge, select to edit it (as a smart object), it opens in Raw, I say "open file" and it opens in Photoshop, but Raw disappears. I can do the same thing in Lightroom, but I have to open the next file in Lightroom, then make it a smart object. These lessons have guys doing the work in Raw, opening in Photoshop and they click the little smart object icon and it merges layers, then opens the one I want in a new photoshop window.

If it's a plug in and not it's own app, I don't get how to keep it open. They go back and forth to C.R. I could go back to bridge to edit, then reopen as a smart object and paste, but these guys are able to make changes in Raw and when they say "okay", it's edited but in it's rightful place/layer when I left it.

Arg!

[OsmosisStudios]

Youre not explaining things very clearly: I have no idea what youre trying to do. You need to give us the intended goal for us to understand what you're getting at.

[Doug Sundseth]

To the extent that I understand your question:

If you open a RAW file as a smart object, you can double-click the smart object layer and PS will open ACR to allow you to change the edits. When you close the RAW file, the ACR window close and the changes are applied to the smart object layer in PS.

The next time you want to change the RAW edits, double-click on the layer again and repeat.

In addition, of course, you can make edits in Photoshop as well, though you might need to understand how to clone to a different layer than your source.

[bulldog413]

Thanks Doug. Here's what happens:
I dbl click on the smart object icon, and I'm given this message:

After editing the contents, choose File > Save to commit the changes. Those changes will be reflected upon returning to _MG_8220.CR2.

The file must be saved to the same location. If the Save As dialog appears, choose Cancel, and flatten the image before saving.

That's when it does not go back to Camera Raw, only opens it as a new layer in Photoshop.

I am under the understanding that it should open the layer selected in Raw, and as I make any adjustments in Raw, when I select "done", it would be adjusted in photoshop, in it's layer position. Again, when I dbl click, it gives me the error message and opens it in a new photoshop window. It never goes back to the Camera Raw window.

Ps. I am using CS5, Camera Raw 6.3...