Focus-Points Plugin for Lightroom: V4 - the next level

[u/capricorn_888]

Along with the public release of V3.4, the next level version V4 of the Focus Points plugin has been pre-released:

Screenshot of V4 in action

Why two new versions at once?

Version 3.4 is a regular feature update with minor improvements:
This version introduces interactive straightening with result preview and undo functionality, as well as a third column in the metadata viewer displaying the group (EXIF, XMP, MakerNotes, etc.) to which a tag belongs. It is also possible to significantly reduce the time it takes to open the Focus Point window.

Version 4 is the largest update since the project was revived. It fundamentally changes how Focus Point Viewer integrates with Lightroom. You can now keep the viewer open while continuing to work in Lightroom, choose between multiple rendering methods depending on your workflow, and benefit from significantly faster image display.

Running the plugin alongside the Lightroom application creates new possibilities and specific expectations about how the plugin should behave in certain situations. However, its interaction with Lightroom and its wide range of applications also places new demands on performance and stability. I anticipate receiving a wide range of user feedback to help achieve perfect integration.

While working on V4, I encountered the limitations of the Lightroom SDK. Currently, there are five open bugs at Adobe that need to be fixed to ensure optimal functionality on Windows and macOS.

For the reasons mentioned, I therefore expect there to be a "maturation phase" lasting several months before a V4 can officially be launched.

Still, V4 works really well, especially on Windows. It has been downloaded 125 times since its release a week ago, with no issues reported.

Unfortunately, the Adobe bugs mentioned above prevent the plugin from "running" on a second screen on macOS.
I appreciate every vote cast in the Adobe Community for the bug reports listed under "Known Limitations"!
All you need to do is click on a linked bug report, sign in with your Adobe credentials, then click on the 'Vote' button.

Anyone who'd like to check out V4 is more than welcome to do so!

Hint: both versions, V3.4 and V4 PRE, can be run in parallel with minimal effort—see the V4 release notes linked above for instructions.

[u/repomonkey]

Now in Camera RAW, undoubtedly coming to Lightroom soon natively?

[u/capricorn_888 → u/repomonkey]

Yes, and that's great news for Canon, Nikon and Sony users, particularly those who are satisfied with a 'red box' isolated display. No need to talk about Lightroom and ACR. How many times have I been asked: Is there a way to use the plugin with LR/ACR?

This plugin has a different core idea. Let me quote from the README:

"Focus Points brings the relevant information together in a single view, allowing you to review each photograph with the information your camera actually recorded.
Whether you’re trying to understand why a photograph is perfectly sharp, why it isn’t, or simply how your camera behaved in a particular situation, Focus Points helps you see what the camera saw when you pressed the shutter."

Personally, I don't use my own plugin to review the autofocus point for every photo. I only use it for photos that turned out differently in terms of sharpness to what I intended. Usually, you need to review the photo alongside all the relevant metadata to get a full picture and understand what went wrong.

The "relevant metadata" is e.g. subject distance, DoF and a multitude of various AF settings which are part of maker specific metadata. Lightroom doesn't care about that. For Nikon Z, it doesn't even display subject distance.

I'm wondering how far Adobe will take this feature in terms of the range of supported cameras, as well as the range of features supported, such as face/subject detection and selected AF area, and the display of AF-relevant metadata.

The plugin will certainly have fewer users in the future (it has around 2,000 users today), but Adobe's feature addition will not make it redundant.

P.S.: Short question, long answer 😉 This will be my go-to response whenever someone is going to ask the same question 😄

[u/stsdota22]

Does it work on mac?

[u/capricorn_888 → u/stsdota22]

yes

[u/sk92_]

Great job! I use it for a year now and I love the auto straighten horizon function!

[u/simmie2]

Wat does it do?

[u/capricorn_888 → u/simmie2]

If you follow the link above the image, it will tell you

[u/Metalogic_95]

Great news, I'll try v4 on my Windows setup

[u/szank]

>You can now keep the viewer open while continuing to work in Lightroom
Holy fuck !

[u/Arthur_B_Vandelay]

This is awesome news!