Opening files from Nikon NXD to Adobe ACR

As discussed in my other thread, I have completely uninstalled Nikon View NX2 from my system, and while I am searching for a replacement for it, I am using Nikon's Capture NXD. One thing I have found to be a problem with NXD is that I cannot find anyway to open NEF (RAW) directly from NXD into Adobe ACR. It only gives me the options to open into Photoshop as a JPEG or TIFF, which both go straight to PS and bypass ACR. I do not want to use NXD for RAW conversion and really only for viewing, culling and naming files. I much prefer ACR for doing RAW conversion. Does anyone know if files can be opened directly from NXD into ACR, and if yes, how?

If you are using ACR for your RAW conversions, why are you using NXD at all?

But the easy solution, since apparently you don't want to use Bridge for viewing, culling, and naming (wondering why not?) is to do all of your NXD stuff and then go to Bridge will automatically launch the files into ACR.  NXD assumes any export is a TIF or JPG so your only real option to select and RAW convert files in ACR is to go through Bridge to select the files to launch into ACR or to associate the NEF file type with Photoshop and launch them from Windows Explorer which will also send them to ACR if they are in RAW format when you double click them.

BreezeBrowser Pro would be a good alternate front end to View NX2 but again, why not just use Bridge?

I would think the answer to that question is pretty obvious I am using NXD temporarily to replace what I used View NX for, which is viewing, culling and naming files. Bridge is WAY TOO SLOW to generate 100% views. Also much slower at other tasks as well, otherwise I would use it. View NX2 was instant at viewing 100%, and when you need to cull 1000's of files and view them very quickly at 100%, Bridge (for me) fails miserably!

Anyway, I will deduce from your answer that NXD is not able to import files directly into ACR. I do not want to have to deal with two programs just to perform simple tasks. Even NXD is noticeably slower than View NX at generating 100% views. Even though View NX has its problems, it performed quickly and perfectly for my needs since day one. As I said in my other post, I have pretty much tried them all, and liked View NX the best. Breeze Browser is probably second, but it costs $127 CAD$

Interesting, I don't use Bridge anymore since I use C1 Pro but it has never been too slow for me. I wonder if you are using a single cache? ridge can be configured to cache previews in the same folder as the images rather than in a central cache. This speeds up the program tremendously.

I will look into that EJ. If it speeds it up significantly, then it would definitely work for me. I tested it today in Bridge and it took 5 seconds to load an image to view at 100%. If that can be made to be instant in Bridge, then I would be able to use it.

Okay I moved the cache to a new folder in my photo Drive and you are correct. it sped it up immensely. Now the 100% preview is very quick. Thanks for the tip. You saved me $130 for BB and I no longer need to have any of that buggy Nikon software in my system anymore.

One feature that NXD has, that View NX and Bridge do not have, is to be able to preview a group of files at 100% in a single view. I know BB, Lightroom and C1 have this feature. 

Great! Also there are some cache maintenance tools in Bridge that can help the performance as the caches grow and slow down. But the best way is just to use a distributed cache. As long as you don't store all your images ina single folder, this should keep it from slowing down too much over time.

Not sure of all the cache tools you are talking about, but I have Bridge set to automatically purge the cache every 2 days.

That will do it but I think that's overly aggressive
There's also a Compress cache tool
Also defragging the HD that the cache is on will help

I spoke too soon. I had originally tested it on files that were already in the cache. I have tested it again on a bunch of new files, and every one takes 4 seconds to load at 100%.

What do you mean with "load at 100%"?

When you hit the spacebar in Bridge it opens the file to view it full screen. When you left click on the full screen image it loads the file to view it at 100%. I need to view all files at 100% to determine which ones are sharp enough to keep. So it takes 4 seconds to load and view it at 100%. In View NX there is no delay at all - it is basically instantaneous. NXD has a slight delay, but still probably less than 1 second. I know 4 seconds seems like it isn't very long, but when you are viewing and culling hundreds to thousands of files, it seems like an eternity.

View NX isn't looking at the RAW file when you do that, it's looking at the embedded JPEG which is far from 100% of the pixels. Bridge is looking at the RAW file which takes time as it has to do a conversion in the background and is therefore a much bigger file. BreezeBrowser Pro works the way View NX works for looking at the files, it looks at the embedded JPEG. Capture One is another alternative and the way it does is that it builds previews of whatever size you specify during import and then the "100%" preview is instant.

Okay, that makes sense now. For my needs it really doesn't matter if I am looking at the embedded JPEG or the RAW file. I wish Adobe would add the feature to just view the JPEG to Bridge. Guess I will (reluctantly) have to revisit Breeze Browser.

Tim and EJ, here is my take on Tim's situation. I am still using Nikon View NX-i ver 1.2.8 64 bit and Nikon NXD ver 1.4.5 on win 10 or win 7 platforms. .

I agree with EJ that it makes no sense to view and cull in NX-D. That should be done in NX-i. And with the latest versions of NX-i it does take time for the program to process the image to get to a 100% view , so much so that I am in the process of finding an alternative. With NX-i if you have added keywords, star ratings, or XMP/IPTC data , then getting to 100% view even takes longer. The older versions of Nikon View never had these issues and getting to 100% was very fast.

I have tested my NEF files on Bridge as I am thinking of using Bridge as my view and cull program. Bridge opens my D500, D810 and D 800e NEF files and Tiffs and JPEGS created in NXD. I have never tried opening an image in NXD first before opening it in Bridge.

In NXD there is no "file save" or "file save as" command. The only way I know how to save a NEF file with changes to it is close the program. When you convert NEF file processed in NXD, the converted file does get saved. How you handle the NEF files you view in NXD might be part of your problem.

Thanks for chiming in Joe. It is not clear to me what you mean by "How you handle the NEF files you view in NXD might be part of your problem."? My problem is not viewing NEF files in NXD, it is that I cannot open files into ACR from NXD. I have no idea why Nikon did not accommodate this option in NXD, but in View NX I could simply say open file in Photoshop. With NXD you have to open it into Photoshop as a TIFF, which I do not want and does not allow any tweaking of the RAW file in ACR. IMHO, NXD is a horrible RAW conversion software, so I do not want to do my RAW conversions with it.

I totally forgot about NX-i. Is that Nikon's latest replacement for View NX? Perhaps I should give it a look, even though I have very little faith in Nikon software.

Yes ViewNX-i is the current software.  I assumed that's what you were referring to with the words Nikon View.

All along I was was talking about Nikon View NX-2. Occasionally I would be lazy and just type View NX, but if you look at my first post I was always talking about View NX2. Anyway, I just downloaded and installed View NX-i and I am already having buggy issues with it.

Yeah but since View NX-2 was obsoleted about 5 years ago, I thought you were just using the old lingo. I guess I should have asked...

Tim in NX-i there is a feature where you can take the image you are looking at and edit it in NX-D.

I believe NX-i is needed for all Nikon RAW images taken with Nikon bodies after the D 800e.

In NX-D, with an image highlighted, if you click on File, there is a box that opens with an option "Open With" . Capture NX-2 is an option listed. The other option is "Register". If you click on Register, it takes you to Open with Application.This might be a way to open the NEF image in Bridge, Lightroom or other Adobe product. You probably have to add the adobe option you want to the box.

Joe