Can you open a smart object as copy?

Question

In Adobe Camera Raw, I know of 3 options for opening files in Photoshop: 1. If you click the `Open Image` button, it saves your changes to a sidecar xmp file (or database if you've set it up that way) and opens as a raster image in Photoshop. 1. If you hold Alt and click the (now) `Open Copy` button, it only opens as a raster image 1. If you hold Shift and click the (now) `Open Object` button, it saves your changes to a xmp file and opens as a smart object in Photoshop Is there no way to "Open Object as Copy", i.e., open as a smart object without saving the changes to a xmp file?

Answer 1

When you're still in Camera RAW, click on the workflow options, just below the preview window. By default I believe it's set at Adobe RGB; 8 bit; original size in pixels of your image; xxx ppi. This brings up the Workflow Options dialog. At the bottom of the box there is a choice to click next to the phrase 'Open in Photoshop as Smart Objects". Click OK in the checkbox. Now, when you click on a RAW photo, and Camera RAW opens, you should see 'Open Object' at all times. No need to hold Shift or Alt to change the option. If you want to use Camera RAW processing with tifs and/or jpegs, you must change the default Preference in Camera Raw Preferences. Find this in the list of choices when you Edit Photoshop or Bridge Preferences.

Good luck!