Improved External Editing Workflow & Stability · Release Candidate 28

Key Improvement: External Editing Workflow

Previously, Aspect's handling of externally edited images had limitations, particularly when dealing with edits made while Aspect wasn't running or when the external editor was launched before Aspect. This update overhauls the underlying logic for determining how externally edited files relate to their originals.

The changes mean:

• Universal Edit Recognition: Aspect now consistently looks for new images or edited copies, regardless of the specific external editing application you’re using.
• Editing Independently: Edits made while Aspect is closed, or if you start your external editor before launching Aspect, should now be correctly recognized and incorporated. Invoking external editors from within Aspect is still recommended and somewhat more robust, but in many cases, editing directly within external applications will now also properly detect new variants.
• Simplified Status: The “waiting for editor” activity indicator has been removed. This reflects the more reliable and consistent recognition of externally edited files.

Beyond the Workflow: Stability and Minor Fixes

This update also addresses several stability issues and minor bugs. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Linux Improvements: Several fixes specifically targeting Linux users, including resolutions for leaving fullscreen mode, handling window focus, and a crash related to external editor icons.
• Crash Resolution: Addressed a potential crash that could occur during image analysis with particularly large, high-aspect-ratio images.
• Secondary Window Reliability: Improved the consistency of image display and focus management within the secondary window.
• Metadata Handling: When using JPEG for external edits, additional metadata is now directly written into the file, fixing variant detection issues when using Lightroom Classic to edit images.
• macOS Shortcut Fix: Resolved an issue with custom shortcuts involving the Cmd key on macOS.
• Various Minor Bug Fixes: Addressed several other smaller issues related to shortcut persistence, window re-opening at startup, and synchronization between windows.

See the change log for the full list of changes.