Where does ACR save info?

If I make changes to a raw file (exposure, wb, cropping, noise reduction, etc..) where does Bridge/ACR save these changes? Is it in the file ie if I take this CR2 file and send it to someone when they open it up all of my changes will load too? Or does it save this info to some master file somewhere on my computer? I'd like to know because I'd hate to backup all my raw files and not backup all the changes I've made. Thanks

If my memory serves me correctly, ACR saves all this information in the xmp files which appear alongside the RAW image in your folder. So if you backup the entire folder then you will save the xmp data too....

I believe if you convert to .dng, it can save the data directly into the file, but otherwise it uses the .xmp sidecars as philzi said above. (There may be an option to use sidecars with .dng files too... I can't recall.)

i don't use the xmp files, i found them to be too much clutter. i looked in my options in adobe bridge and in how to save image settings, i chose 'in camera raw database'. anyone know where this database folder or file is so i can back it up as well? also is the only point of a dng file to protect against your software not being able to read your camera's raw files in the future, or is there some other benefit to creating and archiving these file types vs just archive the .cr2 file?

Not sure about the database location but to answer your DNG question there are several benefits to DNG. Adobe created the DNG as an open source file format so that anyone can use it. It is not proprietary like a CR2 file. Also DNG allows you to save the edits directly in the file rather than using XMP files or having a database. THis means that when you archive the DNG your edits go with it. Or if you use another program to open it your edits take effect.

In2Photos wrote in post #2971456
THis means that when you archive the DNG your edits go with it. Or if you use another program to open it your edits take effect.

As long as that program can read the edits made by the other program... IE: some edits made in Lightroom might not be visible when opened using an older version on ACR, or some other programs.

davidcrebelxt wrote in post #2972083
As long as that program can read the edits made by the other program... IE: some edits made in Lightroom might not be visible when opened using an older version on ACR, or some other programs.

Very true David. Thanks for clarifying.

In2Photos wrote in post #2972105
Very true David. Thanks for clarifying.

No problem... You've helped me out numerous times, thought I'd throw one back your way.

I know we try to keep everything short and to the point. If we listed every caveat we'd may as well write a book... and people much more qualified than I have already done so.

Back to original poster: if you do a thread search for dng, there's been a few lengthy discussions about benefits/drawbacks here over the past few months... you may want to check those out to see what others are doing, and why.

The more I think about it the whole 'save to PS Database' is a little mysterious to me. I would think you would want to be able to back it up
but a Google search reveals nothing on back up.

I did finf the the below which is quoted from this page

The Camera Raw Database is a proprietary Adobe file that is hidden in the bowels of you computer and remembers what settings are used for each file. If you move your raw files around on your hard drive or even rename them, the Camera Raw Database can still figure out which settings go with which image since it relies on data recorded inside the file itself by the camera. This works great if you only work on a single computer and don't share raw files with others. It means that even though the settings aren't saved in your raw files, they always remember how you left things the last time you edited each image.
You might wonder where this mysterious Camera Raw Database actually lives. On Windows, it lives in a file called simply "Database" in the "Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw" folder. On Mac OS 10, the file name is "Adobe Camera Raw Database" which can be found in "~/Library/Preferences." Not that you can do much with it outside of Photoshop of course.

This is what I wanted to know, the file is only 4.13mb on my computer (only have a few hundred raw files). I only use one computer so all I need to do is backup that file every now and then? That seems infinitely better than having to deal with thousands of xmp files.. I'll install photoshop on my roomates computer, copy over that file and some raw files and see if it works

Reefbone wrote in post #2973147
The more I think about it the whole 'save to PS Database' is a little mysterious to me. I would think you would want to be able to back it up
but a Google search reveals nothing on back up.

I did finf the the below which is quoted from this page

The Camera Raw Database is a proprietary Adobe file that is hidden in the bowels of you computer and remembers what settings are used for each file. If you move your raw files around on your hard drive or even rename them, the Camera Raw Database can still figure out which settings go with which image since it relies on data recorded inside the file itself by the camera. This works great if you only work on a single computer and don't share raw files with others. It means that even though the settings aren't saved in your raw files, they always remember how you left things the last time you edited each image.
You might wonder where this mysterious Camera Raw Database actually lives. On Windows, it lives in a file called simply "Database" in the "Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw" folder. On Mac OS 10, the file name is "Adobe Camera Raw Database" which can be found in "~/Library/Preferences." Not that you can do much with it outside of Photoshop of course.

it works! so yeah, if you aren't needing to load your camera raw settings on a different computer then database method is definitely the way to go. get rid of all those xmp files and when you back up you just need to remember to burn that tiny little database file.

i do have a question though, i installed photoshop and acr 3.7 on my roomates computer but for some reason bridge does not preview the .cr2 files, if i double click they open in photoshop/acr and bridge previews jpgs just not the raw files. also on my computer i have the option of opening a raw file in camera raw without opening photoshop, this option isn't available on the install i did on my roomates computer, camera raw only opens along side photoshop. i don't know what i did differently but does anyone know how to fix it? thanks

fredmitcham wrote in post #2976310
i do have a question though, i installed photoshop and acr 3.7 on my roomates computer but for some reason bridge does not preview the .cr2 files, if i double click they open in photoshop/acr and bridge previews jpgs just not the raw files. also on my computer i have the option of opening a raw file in camera raw without opening photoshop, this option isn't available on the install i did on my roomates computer, camera raw only opens along side photoshop. i don't know what i did differently but does anyone know how to fix it? thanks

Sounds like something did not update correctly. Open CS2, click Help > Updates and check for updates. If ACR 3.7 is available run that update. If not try to install it again manually.

There's a menu option in bridge to export your settings to a file, I think. I use xmp files, that means when I do my backups the settings are automatically copied.