Last November, Adobe previewed its next-generation photo editor, Project Nimbus, which boasts a focus on cloud storage and simplified editing controls, telling users to expect a beta sometime in 2017. Although that beta has yet to arrive, some users of Adobe's Creative Cloud recently had access to an "internal only" download of Project Nimbus on both Mac and Windows devices.

Since a few Creative Cloud users were able to download Project Nimbus, Adobe quickly fixed the leak and confirmed it as an accident: "That morning, we shared Project Nimbus by mistake with a small group of Creative Cloud customers." French site MacGeneration [Google Translate] had a chance to browse Project Nimbus, and shared its thoughts earlier today.

project nimbus 2


The site described Project Nimbus as a complement to Lightroom, not a replacement, and ultimately said that the interface is "actually much closer to Lightroom for iPad than Lightroom for Mac / Windows." Thanks to half a dozen simplified and "general" editing tools and the ability to transfer edits in the cloud, MacGeneration also compared Project Nimbus closely with Apple's iCloud photo library.

Compared to Lightroom, which Nimbus does not replace but complete, the interface is less loaded and there is no segmentation in modules (library, development, printing ...). The editing tools are not all stacked in the right column, there is a palette of tools to the Photoshop which includes half a dozen general tools: Basic tools (light, color, effects, details, optics, geometry); Refraction; Correct; Brush; Linear gradient; Radial gradient; and Options (copy / paste settings, view original, return to original, display histogram, single panel mode, edit in Photoshop).

In the end, Project Nimbus is not a substitute for Lightroom, which should continue to evolve on its own, but an iCloud photo library in Adobe sauce. It remains to be seen whether this new service will be adopted by the usual users of Lightroom and whether it will attract new customers.

The leak provided information on cloud storage included with Project Nimbus, which will give users 1TB of storage in the cloud to facilitate the software's goal of cross-platform editing. During the announcement, Adobe specifically described Project Nimbus as "cloud-native," with non-destructive image edits that are saved across all platforms that the software is available on and that users are signed into.

Last week, Adobe updated Lightroom for iOS, bringing a new selective brush, a details tab, a refreshed interface for the iPad, and enhanced support for features like the Apple Pencil and 3D Touch.

Tag: Adobe

Top Rated Comments

Jimmy James Avatar
95 months ago
They took it down in a flash.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
decimortis Avatar
95 months ago
They took it down in a flash.
Get out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
95 months ago
What would be ideal is if Adobe would build a product that could hook into any cloud source—not just their own—and use that to manage their library. It would be even better if we could do this with iCloud Photos. Basically I want the catalog organization from Lightroom merged with iCloud Photos so all of my iPhone photos and RAW dSLR/mirrorless photos are together in one big library that can be organized, starred, picked and edited. Right now my iPhone and RAW photos are all vomited into iCloud Photos in one big pile and I have to scroll through them all with Lightroom Mobile and pick out a few favorites to edit. Also the "cloud" is still pretty slow, especially for professional photographers. I mean, for crying out loud, I've been researching portable SSDs because portable hard drives are too slow when it comes to loading up and browsing libraries. They want the internet to replace drives when time is money? HAH. I mean, it's good to work towards things like this, and it might be a decent consumer-grade product. But consumers don't like paying for software any more. Google, Facebook and others have ruined that. I don't see why they can't just build in cloud support to existing products.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0023828 Avatar
95 months ago
Can they not just fix Lightroom and make it Metal / Metal 2. It runs like an absolute dog on my 2016 15".
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PortableLover Avatar
95 months ago
Well that was a quick exposure.

(I tried)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
iCloud General Feature

Here's What's New in Apple's Updated iCloud Terms and Conditions Taking Effect Next Week

Friday September 13, 2024 7:39 am PDT by
Apple has started notifying users about an upcoming revision to its iCloud Terms and Conditions, which takes effect on Monday, September 16. We compared the text of the upcoming iCloud Terms and Conditions with the current U.S. version from September 18, 2023 and identified four key changes: "Apple ID" references have been changed to "Apple Account" throughout. iCloud users must agree to ...
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Tuesday November 5, 2024 7:02 am PST by
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that ...