Can LR monitor changes to JPEGs made in other applications ?

I am starting to realize that I am not yet ready to use LR as my only editor; I actually get better results faster with PSP sometimes - it all depends on what I am trying to achieve and using the best tool.

However since I am using LR as my main organizing tool, I need a way to have it recognize that the previously imported JPEG was changed in PSP, and ask me what to do with it (or better else, automatically import all new JPEGs in my Photos directory and sub-directories). And if it could automatically stack them based on the file name, this would be even better.

Can it be done, and how ?

Thanks !

I don't know of a way of one app "recognizing" edits done in another app, aside from some stuff that is visible in Photoshop done in Lightroom since they both use Camera Raw...but then, there is a lot of stuff I don't know when it comes to what apps put in skf files and such!

It is not automatic for most directories, you have to right-click on the folder name (in Library, of course) and select Synchronize and it will then update already cataloged and changed files or import new ones. If you send a photo to PSP from inside LR it will consider that folder a "watched folder" and automatically update the file after it has been edited and saved in PSP.

Elie,

Thanks will try this today.

I don't like sending from inside LR, it seems to take for ever no matter what settings I try. I was trying to use LR as my sole mean of editing but it became rather obvious that I can't yet get the same results as when using PSP, at least not as quickly. It's the matter of my LR skill (or lack of). Things like auto levels, clarity (different in PSP and honestly the result seems to be much cleaner), sharpening, skin smoothing are easier and faster in PSP, while LR excels in highlight and shadow recovery and noise reduction. To each their own, I guess.

My understanding (could be wrong though) is that once you have imported you images into LR, the preview and any changes made LR are created and stored in the LR Catalogue but the original Jpeg in its storage folder remains unchanged. So my guess is if you make the changes to the JPEG with any other editor and save them overwriting the original file the LR catalogue will be out of sync and the preview and changes will be incorrect. I would expect then that if in LR you open the JPEG into the Develop module it will load up the edited version and then apply the know LR changes to that which may end up with completely different result to what is previewed or expected. Will making new edits and saving them in LR then update the preview or use the original incorrect preview ? Hence, IMO I believe if alternative editor is required these should be done from within LR so that the catalogue stays in sync or out of LR a duplicate should be made for the external editing and then imported into LR as a separate file after editing in the external editor. My normal workflow is to us LR for organising the images and making the appropriate changes fro Exposure/Cropping/LB etc within LR and then any images that I feel would benefit from additional processing in PS I make a virtual copy and edit in PS from within LR.

I don't find it slow having LR 5 and PS CC open and editing in PS from within LR, my system is a few years old with a quad core AMD processor and 8GB RAM with LR cat and files on external drive, If you finding slow and tedious to do this you may need to look at your hardware to see if improvements could be made.

It took me a while to jump on the LR bandwagon as I thought it was unnecessary software and had no real advantage but since using it like this for the last couple of years I can only say I wish I had got into much earlier.....definitely one of the most useful software available to photographers...