Workflow - Best practice

[D-Noc]

I am currently trying out a ACDSee Pro, and so far I like it a lot. It is very responsive and fast to work with, compared to, you guessed it, Lightroom.
Now, I do realize that ACDSee Pro is NOT Lightroom and this is not meant to be a “why doesn’t this thing look and feel like Lightroom??” rant. It is simply meant to be a question about how to solve a concrete issue that I have run into:
I have some RAW files, let’s say they are portraits. I would like to develop these, but I would like to have both a color and a monochrome version of each image.
In Lightroom my workflow would be:
- Develop a color version of each RAW file.
- Create a virtual copy of each color version.
- Give each virtual copy the monochrome treatment.

In ACDSee Pro I get stuck after having developed the color version for each RAW file. This generates an .xmp file for each, but how can I create the monochrome versions?

- Can multiple .xmp files exist for a single RAW file?
- Can a single .xmp contain multiple edit settings for a single RAW file?
- Would I have to have the RAW files in a Color folder and then make copies of the RAW files in a Monochrome folder?
- Is there actually a Virtual Copy concept in ACDSee Pro, but I just haven’t found it?

[GusPanella]

In develop mode, there is a little blue'ish icon that looks like a camera lens aperture.
Click on that icon opens a feature called "snapshots".
Clicking the "+" saves the status of the present Develop mode settings to a name you select. I have been known to have both color and BW "snapshots".

[Emil]

Here's a thread that discusses an alternative workflow. http://forum.acdsee.com/forum/main-c...are-back-great

[Len]

"In develop mode, there is a little blue'ish icon that looks like a camera lens aperture."

but needs to be turned on in "Panes" first.

[D-Noc]

Okay, so I have been trying your suggestions out:

GusPanella:
The Snapshot solution is a possible solution. Snapshots acutally also exist in Lightroom and seems to work the exact same way, although I have always used them for something else. I have always used snapshots as a way to save my work when I like what I see but want to do something else (try a different cropping, dodge/burn etc) and want to be able to get back to my starting point if I regret later on.
Your suggestion will work as an alternative way of doing multiple edits, although you cant actually see both edits in the Manage window, or export both edits in one run.

Emil:
If I understand you right, you want to kinda make Virtual Copies by making Hard Links in Windows. I am sure this will work, but as a Software developer I have found this to be a pain, especially if you should ever have to recover your system. I does come closer to the way multiple edits are done in Lightroom though, but I prefer to use the features provided by the software I use. Thank you for your suggestion though.

Len:
Got it. Thanks :-)

[Emil]

If I understand you right, you want to kinda make Virtual Copies by making Hard Links in Windows. I am sure this will work, but as a Software developer I have found this to be a pain, especially if you should ever have to recover your system.

After such a backup/restore disaster dupemerge (http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/dupemerge/dupemerge.html) becomes very useful.