Lightroom Classic and Graphics Processor

[mtngal]

I’m having an issue with Lightroom Classic that’s driving me nuts. I’m guessing I need to change some sort of setting, or do something or I’ve done something I need to undo or something.

Whenever I go into Develop mode the display goes darker. If I go back to the Library, it stays darker. Lightroom preferences for Graphics Processor is turned either to auto or custom. If I turn the Graphics Processor to off, then display stays appropriately bright.

I have the latest version of LRC and a MBP M4 Max running 15.1.1. When I got the computer I migrated everything directly from an M2 Max (that also had this issue - I turned off the Graphics Processor and forgot about it), so it’s possible there’s some setting carried over from a previous Intel MBP.

I tried asking on Adobe’s support community but didn’t get an answer. I’ve been reading here about other issues but am now totally confused. I’m not very savvy about computers so only understand about half of what I read. I just tried to uninstall and reinstall LRC but I didn’t also delete all the notifications and libraries. I’m a little concerned about deleting everything and potentially having to recreate a library (though I do have a backup).

What am I missing? Should I delete everything and then start over?

 

[mtngal]

An update, for what it’s worth - I tried an uninstall and deleted the notifications, etc. Restarted the computer and did a new install of LR. Opened the saved catalog and it did the same thing. I had the activity monitor app running (something new for me and I have no idea what all that telling me), then decided to move LR onto my iPad - I often use it for a second monitor with the MBP. I had the graphics processor on auto, went to the develop mode, the photo on the iPad stayed the same - no dimming - but the MBP’s display (showing the Sequoia scene and the activity monitor) went darker.

The only other thing I have in play with the laptop’s monitor is that I have it calibrated using one of Calibrite’s calibrator. So it has a custom profile.

 

[Apple fanboy]

An update, for what it’s worth - I tried an uninstall and deleted the notifications, etc. Restarted the computer and did a new install of LR. Opened the saved catalog and it did the same thing. I had the activity monitor app running (something new for me and I have no idea what all that telling me), then decided to move LR onto my iPad - I often use it for a second monitor with the MBP. I had the graphics processor on auto, went to the develop mode, the photo on the iPad stayed the same - no dimming - but the MBP’s display (showing the Sequoia scene and the activity monitor) went darker.

The only other thing I have in play with the laptop’s monitor is that I have it calibrated using one of Calibrite’s calibrator. So it has a custom profile.

Setting a custom profile should make no difference. When you say darker, are you saying darker than the same image in library mode?
Are the images the same in the thumbnail and the full screen image?

No preset set in develop mode?

 

[mtngal]

No preset in develop mode.

It’s the laptop’s monitor, the whole screen that gets darker.

When I have “Use Graphics Processor” set to off, the laptop’s monitor doesn’t change, whether I’m in develop or library. If I’m in library and turn the graphics processor to auto, the monitor looks the same, no change. If I move to the develop mode the whole computer monitor gets darker - not like an instantaneous thing, but over a second or so it gradually gets darker. If I then go back to library mode, it stays darker, for at least 5 minutes or more, before eventually getting lighter again (today is the first day I’ve left it in library mode long enough with the graphics processor turned for the monitor to gradually lighten). It won’t change back when it’s in develop mode.

Yesterday was the first time that I tried using the iPad as a second monitor and switching LR over to it with the graphics processor turned on. I didn’t have LR’s second monitor view turned on, the computer’s display was showing the Sequoia trees and the activity monitor. When I turned on the graphics processor and went into develop mode, the iPad’s screen, where LRC was, I watched the laptop’s monitor get darker while LR on the iPad did NOT change. So there’s some sort of interaction with the way LR’s graphics processor is interacting with the computer’s monitor.

There is something else that is going on with the computer start-up procedure. When I log into the computer initially as myself, one thing that happens is there’s a screen that briefly appears that says something about increasing contrast. It disappears too quickly. I’ve seen it on both the M2 and now this M4 computer. It never stayed on long enough to see what it was telling me.

 

[mtngal]

Another update - it’s not just LRC that’s causing the monitor to darken. LR and Photoshop are the two programs I’m using the most with the computer, so that’s where I noticed it. However, when I went into the AppleTV app because someone here mentioned about getting around a movie download issue, the computer monitor dimmed again. So I think there may be something I introduced when I switched from the Intel MBP to the M2 computer that’s messing with the computer’s monitor? I don’t have a second monitor.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Are you leaving the calibration device connected and allowing it to adjust for ambient lighting? If so I’d turn that feature off.
Have you also got the laptops adjust for ambient lighting turned off?

 

[mtngal]

I don’t have the device connected all the time, only when I’m recalibrating the monitor. Auto adjust brightness is turned off as is True Tone. Night shift is turned off. What else should I be looking at?

 

[mtngal]

I think the darkening with AppleTV program was a red herring, I can’t replicate it now. In fact, I brought up LR, put it in develop mode, watched it go dark, then quit LR. I went to the AppleTV program and brought up downloaded movies - within a few minutes, the monitor lightened back up.

I once tried to do a screenshot, to capture the darkened effect. However, it didn’t show it because the problem is the monitor itself, not with the actual image on the screen.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I think the darkening with AppleTV program was a red herring, I can’t replicate it now. In fact, I brought up LR, put it in develop mode, watched it go dark, then quit LR. I went to the AppleTV program and brought up downloaded movies - within a few minutes, the monitor lightened back up.

I once tried to do a screenshot, to capture the darkened effect. However, it didn’t show it because the problem is the monitor itself, not with the actual image on the screen.

Any external monitor (not an iPad) you could borrow to see if it’s a fault with your panel?

 

[mtngal]

Another update/thought - I always use either LRC or DxO PhotoLab to look at and process RAW files. I never use CameraRAW in Photoshop. Just now, I turned off the graphics processor, quit LRC and then tried to open a RAW file in Photoshop, using CameraRAW. It also dimmed the monitor.

The problem seems to be something with Adobe - I don’t get the dimming effect when I use DxO PhotoLab.

 

[mtngal]

Any external monitor (not an iPad) you could borrow to see if it’s a fault with your panel?

I don’t think so. I only know one person who has an external monitor but he’s over 150 miles away at the moment. He’s the only one I know who would have an external monitor. I could try using an HDMI cord to go from my computer to a TV, I think my HDMI cord is long enough (or I could move the computer close enough for the cord I have). If that won’t work, my friend who has an external monitor will be somewhat close to me in the next couple of days - he’s a PC guy and I have no idea what type of monitor he has.

 

[mtngal]

I just tried hooking the computer up to the TV using an HDMI cable. I moved LRC to the TV, then opened a second monitor window and put it on the computer. Turned on graphics processor and then went into the develop mode - the TV didn’t change, but the computer monitor did. So it’s something specific to how Adobe talks to my computer’s monitor, I guess?

I tried uninstalling LRC and reinstalling it all from Adobe’s Creative Cloud app. Now that I know whatever is going on involves CameraRaw also, I’m wondering about uninstalling all of my Adobe programs (including Acrobat, perhaps - I have a license for it, though I’m not sure why I keep it since I very rarely do anything with it) and starting over?

 

[splifingate]

Is the MBP on Battery, or plugged into the wall?

 

[Apple fanboy]

I just tried hooking the computer up to the TV using an HDMI cable. I moved LRC to the TV, then opened a second monitor window and put it on the computer. Turned on graphics processor and then went into the develop mode - the TV didn’t change, but the computer monitor did. So it’s something specific to how Adobe talks to my computer’s monitor, I guess?

I tried uninstalling LRC and reinstalling it all from Adobe’s Creative Cloud app. Now that I know whatever is going on involves CameraRaw also, I’m wondering about uninstalling all of my Adobe programs (including Acrobat, perhaps - I have a license for it, though I’m not sure why I keep it since I very rarely do anything with it) and starting over?

Couldn’t hurt, but you have tried that already. I’ll speak to one of my colleagues tomorrow who tests the Calibrite software for a living and see if he has any suggestions.
What are the exact specs of your Mac and which OS are you on.

 

[mtngal]

It’s a 16” MacBook Pro M4 Max (16 Core CPU, 40-Core GPU), 128GB, 4TB hard drive (with 3TB free, am eventually going to move a big photo library onto the internal disk).

Operating system is Sequoia 15.1.1.

I have a Caldigit TS4 dock attached with several external SSDs attached, if that makes a difference. When I was experimenting this morning, it didn’t seem to make a difference if the dock was connected or not, or if the photo I was looking at was on the internal SSD or an external one.

I have a Calibrite Display Pro HL that I use for calibrating now, but had used i1Profiler previously and just noticed that I still have that software installed (not quite sure how to remove it now). The first time I noticed this was when I used Migration Assistant to migrate from an Intel MBP to an M2 Max MBP. I remember downloading a new version of PS, may have also downloaded a new version of LR. Wondering if there’s something from the old Intel computer that got migrated.

Any other specs you need to know about?

 

[Allen_Wentz]

It’s a 16” MacBook Pro M4 Max (16 Core CPU, 40-Core GPU), 128GB, 4TB hard drive (with 3TB free, am eventually going to move a big photo library onto the internal disk).

Operating system is Sequoia 15.1.1.

I have a Caldigit TS4 dock attached with several external SSDs attached, if that makes a difference. When I was experimenting this morning, it didn’t seem to make a difference if the dock was connected or not, or if the photo I was looking at was on the internal SSD or an external one.

I have a Calibrite Display Pro HL that I use for calibrating now, but had used i1Profiler previously and just noticed that I still have that software installed (not quite sure how to remove it now). The first time I noticed this was when I used Migration Assistant to migrate from an Intel MBP to an M2 Max MBP. I remember downloading a new version of PS, may have also downloaded a new version of LR. Wondering if there’s something from the old Intel computer that got migrated.

Any other specs you need to know about?

Something like that I would make an appointment and take to an Apple Store for their comments. IMO every AS has someone reasonably conversant with Adobe apps' operation. That would also let you test attach an external display. But not everyone lives close to an AS.

 

[Apple fanboy]

It’s a 16” MacBook Pro M4 Max (16 Core CPU, 40-Core GPU), 128GB, 4TB hard drive (with 3TB free, am eventually going to move a big photo library onto the internal disk).

Operating system is Sequoia 15.1.1.

I have a Caldigit TS4 dock attached with several external SSDs attached, if that makes a difference. When I was experimenting this morning, it didn’t seem to make a difference if the dock was connected or not, or if the photo I was looking at was on the internal SSD or an external one.

I have a Calibrite Display Pro HL that I use for calibrating now, but had used i1Profiler previously and just noticed that I still have that software installed (not quite sure how to remove it now). The first time I noticed this was when I used Migration Assistant to migrate from an Intel MBP to an M2 Max MBP. I remember downloading a new version of PS, may have also downloaded a new version of LR. Wondering if there’s something from the old Intel computer that got migrated.

Any other specs you need to know about?

No that’s enough. I’ll see if he’s come across it before. Or has a fix to it.

 

[photogeekbg]

Hi. That’s a very strange issue. I suggest creating a second temporary partition on your internal drive and installing a fresh copy of MacOS there. Set that up as a new machine and install a fresh copy of LrC. Use an empty catalog and import a few raw images. Don't do any color calibration and don't install calibration software. See if it still does this with this temporary setup.

 

[mtngal]

Something like that I would make an appointment and take to an Apple Store for their comments. IMO every AS has someone reasonably conversant with Adobe apps' operation. That would also let you test attach an external display. But not everyone lives close to an AS.

I hadn’t considered going to the Apple Store for a genius appointment, since I was thinking it was an Adobe problem, not an Apple problem. But there are several stores that are handy.

Hi. That’s a very strange issue. I suggest creating a second temporary partition on your internal drive and installing a fresh copy of MacOS there. Set that up as a new machine and install a fresh copy of LrC. Use an empty catalog and import a few raw images. Don't do any color calibration and don't install calibration software. See if it still does this with this temporary setup.

While I have no idea (yet) how to do that, I’m pretty sure I can find the right instructions about all that (pretty sure I’ve read about it somewhere in the past). Since I don’t yet have any clue about partitions, does it make a difference when setting them up that you are doing it as a temporary thing vs something you want to make permanent?

 

[Apple fanboy]

I hadn’t considered going to the Apple Store for a genius appointment, since I was thinking it was an Adobe problem, not an Apple problem. But there are several stores that are handy.


While I have no idea (yet) how to do that, I’m pretty sure I can find the right instructions about all that (pretty sure I’ve read about it somewhere in the past). Since I don’t yet have any clue about partitions, does it make a difference when setting them up that you are doing it as a temporary thing vs something you want to make permanent?

Just a temporary thing for testing. So don’t worry about how you set it up. Just create the partition and make sure you don’t try and install your whole catalog or anything. Just a few images for testing.

 

[headlessmike]

It almost sounds like a weird HDR behavior. Does the "HDR in Library" setting make a difference?

 

[mtngal]

That’s an interesting point. Up until now I haven’t had HDR in Library blocked checked. I just did and had a photo Loupe view, not the develop mode. When I closed the preference block, the display went darker, like it does with the develop mode. When I go back to the grid library, the monitor eventually lightens up. Change to loupe mode in library and the screen goes darker again.

Do that does make a change - the monitor goes darker using the loupe view as well as the develop mode.

I just unchecked the box but left the graphics processor on custom, display only and the monitor lightened. When I clicked on develop, it darkened again.

Now onto reading about partitions, to see if a clean install of both operating system and LR will make a difference.

 

[OldMacs4Me]

That’s an interesting point. Up until now I haven’t had HDR in Library blocked checked. I just did and had a photo Loupe view, not the develop mode. When I closed the preference block, the display went darker, like it does with the develop mode. When I go back to the grid library, the monitor eventually lightens up. Change to loupe mode in library and the screen goes darker again.

Do that does make a change - the monitor goes darker using the loupe view as well as the develop mode.

I just unchecked the box but left the graphics processor on custom, display only and the monitor lightened. When I clicked on develop, it darkened again.

Now onto reading about partitions, to see if a clean install of both operating system and LR will make a difference.

Before I go that far I would try this:
Create a new user profile and see if the issues persist there. If not there is a glitch somewhere in a preference or setting that needs to be resolved. If they do persist, you may have to completely delete and reinstall the app, which can be tested via the partition suggestion.

 

[mtngal]

Before I go that far I would try this:
Create a new user profile and see if the issues persist there. If not there is a glitch somewhere in a preference or setting that needs to be resolved. If they do persist, you may have to completely delete and reinstall the app, which can be tested via the partition suggestion.

OK, I spent the afternoon learning about how to create a partition (I ended up printing the instructions since it was several different pages, which meant cleaning the printer heads several times, etc. etc.), setting that up, downloading Sequoia Installer (on a Sunday when everyone is streaming football, I guess, as both of my internet sources were slow), setting it up, then downloading LRC (at least I remembered to de-authorize the old M2Max computer before I did that - I’m proud of myself for remembering to do that!). Why is it simple things are rarely simple?!? Moved a couple of raw files (NEF) onto the partition and opened LRC.

The problem is NOT there - the monitor did NOT dim!

So is the problem with the fact that the operating system on the computer has been migrated from a couple of different computers - the problem existed with the M2Max, so I’m guessing the problem might have had to do with the migration from an Intel MBP to the M2Max?

And now that I know it must be some sort of setting or conflict on the original install, what should I do now?

 

[mtngal]

A further update - I added a second user and tested LR with a few photos. Again, it did not dim the monitor. So there’s something with the original catalog or preferences for my user settings. Not at all sure how to find out what it might be though. Does Adobe have some sort of preference file/log that can be safely deleted and will be recreated when you start the program again? Whatever it is affects both LR and PS-CameraRaw (though I didn’t try PS with the second user).