Tip: Migrating your PLv3 custom workspace(s) to PLv4

DxO PhotoLab Tutorials, tips & tricks
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PhotoLab v4 introduced the concept of palette filtering by category, plus an update of the standard palette layout (including a new “DxO Advanced” version). As detailed here, tho, I found (for me) that the new workspace category filtering system works best with a simplified custom workspace.

However, when I installed my PLv4 upgrade, I found that it did not bring across my PLv3 custom workspace - and, moving it manually from PLv3 to PLv4 did not work either. The reason for this, I discovered, is that the DxO team have modernised the “tokens” used in the Workspace XML file - such that the “old” PLv3 format is no longer recognised by PLv4.

If you’re comfortable with “hacking” an XML file (which is simply a structured text file), then it’s quite straightforward to convert your PLv3 custom workspace file to PLv4 format.

Note: It might be easier to simply create a new PLv4 custom workspace from scratch - but, in my case, I no longer had a visual record of my layout from which to create a new one … so, I took this approach;

  1. Copy your PLv3 {CustomWorkspaceName}.XML file into the
    C:\{UserName}\AppData\Local\DxO\DxO PhotoLab 4\Workspaces folder … keeping a copy of the original file, JIC !
    – Open this file with any suitable text editor, and update as follows;

  2. Change all instances of LocalizedInformations to Resources

  3. Find all lines containing <CorrectionType … and delete each such line

  4. Change all instances of ExpandedAdvanced to IsAdvancedExpanded

  5. Change all instances of <Expanded to <IsExpanded

  6. Change all instances of /Expanded to /IsExpanded

  7. Change all instances of FloatingPosition to UndockedPosition

  8. Change all instances of Floating to IsUndocked

  9. IF there’s a line containing >Histo< then expand it to >Histogram<

  10. Save the updated file … If PLv4 is currently running then stop it.

Start up PLv4 and your custom workspace should now appear as an option in the Workspace menu.
If not then check the steps above - as PL simply ignores any Workspace.XML file that it cannot parse.

HTH - John M

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I haven’t had to hack any XML: I simply copied my existing workspace over and it worked fine in PL4 on macOS Mojave 10.14.6. (Still running a trial on another machine, so no migration in my case.)

That said, on my Mac the workspace files have the extension dopworkspace rather than xml (since PL1 IIRC; content is XML) and I have none of the XML you’ve had to change in mine, so possibly it depends on the PL version the files were created and/or last modified in. I initially created my workspace on PL1, but have probably tweaked it in PL3, or at least PL2.

It would surprise me if DxO intentionally broke the XML. It would surprise me less if they unintentionally broke it and haven’t tested sufficiently. :wink:

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Looking more closely at the XML, on Mac it’s an Apple plist, so that probably explains the difference for you on Windows: likely different XML completely.

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John,
Thanks for this - sadly it came too late to avoid me having to recreate my customised Workspace :frowning_face:. Also, I think the issue also affects those who might have a PhotoLab 4 Workspace from an EA release of PhotoLab 4 and want to carry that over to the recent commercial release.

My experience is as follows. Prior to removing the last EA release of PhotoLab 4 I carefully saved the PhotoLab 4 customised workspace I’d created and then uninstalled PhotoLab 4 and deleted everything relating to PhotoLab 4 under AppData Local and Roaming (I’m on Windows). After installing the release version of PhotoLab 4, I copied the saved Workspace into the relevant folder and was surprised that it wasn’t offered as an option for a Workspace. A couple of restarts of PhotoLab 4 convinced me that it wasn’t going to appear so I set abut recreating my Workspace.

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Yes, that was actually my case, Paul - - but I documented the solution in the broad sense, assuming most users would be coming from PLv3, or earlier.

John

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Nice job John.
I have a joke about. What is the determination of the experience ? It is a subject, which arrived when too late. :smile:
I would test is one week ago. Anyhow, I appreciate your efforts, who did not generated already the v4 version.

Endre

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