Automating workflow actions

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Kraftsims

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Not sure of the correct terminology here, so bear with me. Looking to make things that I do repetitively automated. Something that could record my keystrokes, assign it to a routine, then I could trigger it.

For example, I selected 5 files, I have a standard folder I send things to. I'd like to be able to select the 5 files (or however many) and push a key or something to trigger an automated workflow that knows to export those with certain settings to a standard location.

Another example would be to take the 3-5 selected photos and automate the workflow to get it to Photomatix. I would trigger the sequence of steps that were previously recorded, where it would know to take the selected images, choose the export to photomatix option, then select the "ok" automatically (I never change the checkboxes), and so forth.

Any idea on how to record keystrokes and automate steps inside of and around/outside of Lightroom?

I use a macbook pro, latest everything on it.

Thanks!
 
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You would need a special macro utility, such as 'QuicKeys'.
 
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Welocme to the forum. As Johan has indicated, there is no scripting language included in LR. However, there are things that can be done to streamline parts of the workflow to a single button press.

Your first example describes a Publish Service.
For example, I selected 5 files, I have a standard folder I send things to. I'd like to be able to select the 5 files (or however many) and push a key or something to trigger an automated workflow that knows to export those with certain settings to a standard location.
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If you create a Hard Drive Publish Service, you can direct files into a designated folder or subfolder For Static Publish folders you simply assign the images that you want published to the folder and press the {Publish} button. You can also create Smart Publish Folders that self populate based upon criteria. For example such a Smart publish folder with the criteria {Label color}{is}{purple} will accumulate all images that have been assigned the Purple label. Press the {Publish} button and these images go to the designated folder on your hard drive. Remove the purple label and these images will be removed from the publish service the next time the {Publish} button is pressed.

With Collections and Smart collections, your second example can be managed with a few keystrokes. My entire workflow including Publish Services is managed with keywords, metadata and smart collections For example my Camera Club monthly submissions are published automatically using a Smart Publish Folder(s) as I described above I have a few metadata fields that when all complete with the right information, indicate the post processing is completed and the images is ready for publishing. If I assigned the internal use keyword "@HCC" and a purple label, the Image goes to one of 3 or 4 designated folder for my camera club submission. It is has a "nature" keyword, it goes to the nature folder, If the treatment is b&w, it goes to the Monochrome folder, etc.

FWIW, I've replaced Photomatix with the HDR module included in LRCC or in extreme cases PSCC
 
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push a key or something to trigger an automated workflow that knows to export those with certain settings to a standard location.
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Right-Click (Mac Cmd-click?) on selected images (one or more!)
Choose any automated (saved) preset- Export, Email, Edit-in, HDR, PhotoMerge.
That's about 2-3 clicks of the mouse, how could you make it much simpler?
 
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YES! I would like to run batch photos as in photoshop, I take 1000's of event photos, how do I batch process or create and run an action? I have found where I can create a preset and apply to an image one at a time, but I will turn old and grey doing thousands one at a time! HELP!
 
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I-See-Light said:
Right-Click (Mac Cmd-click?) on selected images (one or more!)
Choose any automated (saved) preset- Export, Email, Edit-in, HDR, PhotoMerge.
That's about 2-3 clicks of the mouse, how could you make it much simpler?
Click to expand...
So highlight all images in the window, then apply the preset?
 
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An example-
You have a Develop Preset that does several things- Incr Clarity, Brighten Shadows, Change White Bal, etc. (call it "Begin")
1. In Grid View select the images to change (that could be 1000.!)
2. In the Quick Develop Panel select the Preset "Begin" from the drop down [Saved Preset] menu. (Also visible on the Quick Develop header if the panel is closed)
Done! You have applied this preset to 1000 images.

ScreenShot020.jpg


Note: The "RIGHT-CLICK on an image" reference in the above thread Post#5 (Oct 2015) is no longer available in the Grid View. LR v6 changed that. Presets are now available on the Quick Develop panel as above in this post.
 
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The problem is that batch processing in Photoshop requires rendering the images to RGB. That means you break the Lightroom raw workflow. The other problem is that you first would have to get the images in Photoshop...
 
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Equinepics said:
YES! I would like to run batch photos as in photoshop, I take 1000's of event photos, how do I batch process or create and run an action? I have found where I can create a preset and apply to an image one at a time, but I will turn old and grey doing thousands one at a time! HELP!
Click to expand...

If you have Photoshop, It may be worth exploring Droplets.

Droplets is a good way to have Photoshop actions applied to images from within Lightroom.
 
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