Desqueezer

Desqueezer is a Lightroom plugin that batch-applies an anamorphic desqueeze factor to selected DNG files by modifying their metadata using exiftool.

❗Please note: This plugin irreversibly changes the metadata. Please backup your photos before use.

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⚙️ Prerequisites

Before running the plugin, make sure the following setup steps are completed:

1. Install exiftool

This plugin uses exiftool to modify DNG metadata.
Install it via Homebrew:

brew install exiftool

2. Make the Bash Script Executable

From the root of the plugin directory, run:

chmod +x ./scripts/desqueezer.sh

3. Use DNG Files Only

This plugin only works on DNG files. If your camera does not shoot in DNG format, export your photos to DNG:

1. Create a subfolder
2. Export the images as DNG

4. (Optional) Install other required brew packages

Run the brew:install script located in the package.json file. Those scripts are required for keeping the repository neatly formatted and cleanly written.

🧩 Installing the Plugin in Lightroom

To install Desqueezer in Lightroom Classic:

0. Download the newest release of this Plugin.

1. Locate or create your Lightroom Plugins folder. This is usually located in:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules/
   • Windows: C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Modules\

2. Copy the entire Desqueezer.lrdevplugin folder (including all its contents) into that Modules directory.

3. Open Lightroom Classic.

4. Go to: File → Plug-in Manager...

5. Click "Add" (or "Reload Plug-in" if updating), then navigate to the Desqueezer.lrdevplugin folder.

6. Click Done when the plugin is successfully loaded.

You should now see "Adrian Kulik Anamorphic Utilities → Desqueezer" as an option under:

• Library → Plug-in Extras
• File → Plug-in Extras

💡 If you make changes to the plugin code, you can simply reload it from the Plug-in Manager.

🏃 Running the Plugin

1. Select the photos you want to desqueeze.
2. Run "Adrian Kulik Anamorphic Utilities → Desqueezer" by clicking one of the following options:
   • Library → Plug-in Extras.
   • File → Plug-in Extras.
3. Choose:
   • Your squeeze factor.
   • Whether the photo is shot as vertical anamorphic or not.
4. Click Ok and wait for the plugin to finish.
5. In the Library tab, navigate to Metadata → Read Metadata from Files.
6. Photos in the Develop tab are now desqueezed.

🚧 Next Steps / Roadmap

• UI for Squeeze Factor
  Allow users to input custom squeeze ratios.
  (Currently hardcoded to 1.5x, suitable for lenses like Blazar Remus and Atlas Mercury.)

• Orientation Handling
  Add support for both horizontal and vertical images.
  (Currently assumes vertical anamorphic, resulting in square 1:1 output.)

• Add linting to .sh and .lua files
  Unify the code formatting.

• Add a README GIF to ilustrate how this plugin works
  Show users how to install and use this plugin in a visual manner.

• Windows Compatibility
  Make the plugin functional on Windows machines using PowerShell or .bat alternatives.

📄 License

Licensed under the MIT License. Please retain original author attribution in any distributions or derivatives.

© 2025 Adrian Kulik