Use this guide if you uploaded a project from a Lightroom Classic catalog and you can't see your edits. 

Why can’t I see my edits?

You uploaded your photos to Imagen, the editing finished, you downloaded the results, and when you open Lightroom Classic, the photos look exactly like the originals. Nothing seems to have changed.

Don't worry. In most cases, this doesn't mean the edits are missing. It usually means something small is off in how Lightroom is reading or displaying them. Work through the steps below in order.

1: Download your project again

1. In Imagen: Go to your project → three-dot menu → Download Edits. Make sure that no filters are applied so that all of the photos are selected.
    
2. Click Open catalog to launch Lightroom Classic.
    
3. In Lightroom, check that you're viewing the correct folder and that the photo count matches. You might need to remove filters.
   

2: Make sure you're in the right catalog

This is the most common cause. When you uploaded to Imagen, the app recorded the exact catalog your photos were in. If Lightroom currently has a different catalog open, the edits won't appear there. They've been written to your original catalog.

1. In Lightroom Classic, look at the title bar at the very top of the screen. The catalog name is shown there. Make sure it matches the catalog you had open when you uploaded to Imagen.
    
2. If it doesn't, go to File → Open Recent and select the correct catalog.
   

3: Check for active filters

Lightroom Classic's filter bar can hide photos that are actually there, making it look like your edited set is missing or incomplete.

1. In the Library module, look at the top of your photo grid for the Filter Bar. If it's not visible, press the backslash key \ on your keyboard to show it.
    
2. Make sure the filter is set to None.
   
    
3. Check the filmstrip filter at the bottom of the screen. Click the small flag/star icon and make sure no filters are applied there either.
   

4: Make sure you're looking in the right folder or collection

Clicking Review in Lightroom inside the Imagen app opens Lightroom, but it might not open the specific folder with your edited photos. You may be viewing a different collection or folder that doesn't include the downloaded edits.

• In Lightroom Classic, use the Folders panel on the left to navigate to the folder where your photos are stored.
• Make sure you're not in a Smart Collection or a temporary collection that only shows a subset of your library.

5: Open the Develop module and check the History panel

Sometimes Lightroom received the edits, but it doesn't display them. A quick check in the History panel will tell you right away.

1. Select one of the photos that looks unedited.
    
2. Switch to the Develop module (press D).
    
3. On the left side, open the History panel.
    
4. Look for an entry labeled Imagen in the list.
   

Note: If you've disabled Add Imagen edit to Lightroom History option in your Imagen settings, no history entry will appear. This is expected. 

Skip this step and continue to Step 6.

6: Check if your project was uploaded as DNG

If your photos are in DNG format (Adobe's Digital Negative), there is a known behavior in Lightroom Classic where the edits show up in the History panel, but you don't see them. 

First, check that your photos are in DNG format. In Lightroom Classic, select a photo and look at the file name in the Metadata panel or in the filmstrip.

 

1. Go to the Develop module, open the History panel, and click the Imagen entry. This will apply the full edits.
    

2. If clicking the History entry shows the complete edits, you probably imported photos using Copy as DNG. Don't use this option.
   
    

   If you must use Copy as DNG as the import option, be sure to select: 

   • Build Previews > Standard
   • Build Smart Previews 
     

7: Check if your workflow was a folder upload and not from a catalog

It's easy to accidentally upload from a folder instead of a catalog, especially if your Lightroom library is organized across multiple drives. If this happened, the edits were downloaded as XMP sidecar files into the folder: not into your catalog: and Lightroom won't display them automatically. 

Check if you see these signs that you uploaded a folder instead of a catalog:

• You can see .xmp files sitting next to your RAW files in Finder or Windows Explorer.
  

• The Download edits window in Imagen asked you to choose a folder location instead of simply updating your catalog.
  

How to read the metadata to the catalog

Keep in mind: When you read the metadata to the catalog, your local metadata, like labels or stars, will be overwritten.

1. In Lightroom Classic, choose all the affected photos.
    
2. Go to Metadata → Read Metadata from Files. Lightroom will read the XMP data and apply the edits.
   

Still not seeing your edits?

The fastest solution is to re-upload your photos to a new project in Imagen. We'll credit your account for the duplicate project. Just let us know once you upload your project again.

If you've worked through these steps and your edits still aren't appearing, contact support.