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Virtual Copies

A virtual copy is a second edit of the same photo. The original file is not duplicated, so it costs almost no disk space. Use virtual copies when you want several versions of one shot:

  • a color and a black-and-white version,
  • a wide crop and a tight crop for social media,
  • a natural edit and a creative edit.

Creating a virtual copy

  1. Right-click the photo in the library or filmstrip.
  2. Choose Duplicate Image → Virtual Copy.

The copy appears next to the original with a VC badge. It starts with everything the original had at that moment: adjustments, masks, crop, rating, flag, label and tags. From then on, the two are independent.

If you create a virtual copy while viewing an album, it is added to that album too.

Working with virtual copies

A virtual copy behaves like any other photo: edit it, rate it, tag it, add it to albums and export it. In the editor its file name pill shows the VC badge; hover it to see the copy's ID.

How it is stored

Each virtual copy has its own sidecar file next to the original. The six characters in its name are the copy's ID:

DSC04512.ARW                ← original file (never changed)
DSC04512.ARW.rrdata         ← edits of the original
DSC04512.ARW.3f9a1c.rrdata  ← virtual copy 3f9a1c
DSC04512.ARW.8b02de.rrdata  ← virtual copy 8b02de

When you rename or move the original inside RapidRAW, all its virtual copies come along. If you move files with your file manager, move all the .rrdata files too.

Ratings, labels and tags of virtual copies are written to the same .xmp file as the original (when XMP sync is on), because other apps don't know about virtual copies.

Deleting

  • Select the virtual copy and choose Delete Image (or press Delete). Only the copy's sidecar is removed. The original stays.
  • Deleting the original offers Confirm Delete + Virtual Copies, which removes the file and all its copies.

Exporting

Each virtual copy exports as its own file. When you export the original and its copies together, the extra files get _VC01, _VC02 and so on added to the name, so nothing is overwritten. For example DSC04512_edited.jpg, DSC04512_edited_VC01.jpg.

Virtual copies or presets?

You want to... Use
Try several looks on one photo Virtual copies
Apply one look to many photos A preset or copy & paste
Keep a safe version before experimenting A virtual copy

See also