Custom order not available when selecing multiple colections

[strobel]

Lightroom Version

latest

Operating System

1. Windows 10

Hello,
I have yearly collection from 1988-2022. In each year´s collection photos and videos are custom ordered and appear that way. When I select a couple of collections, say 1988-1998, then "custom order" is not available and all photos are messed up.
I fixed that previoulsy by either faking the capture date or exporting catalog by catalog with a sequence name and re-importing. But that is always complicated. Is there another way to do that?

 

[clee01l]

This is to be expected. "Custom Order" is only available in individual Folders and individual Collections and can only be applied there. It is not an option when multiple Folders, multiple Collections or Smart Collections are chosen. For example if you were to arrange images in a custom order in multiple folders the operation would result in a Move and LrC would not know which folders the moves were intended as targets. There is not inherent order for images in folders and collections, the default order is always determined by the app and can only be changed by the sort option in the tool bar.

 

[strobel]

Well yes. But I do not expect to own a professinal software package that does not allow hard coded ordering of photos across collections. For all kind of occasion I generate yearly reviews. It is natural to sort stuff in yearly catalogs and summ the catalogs - only that does not work without destrucvtive manipulations like file name or date changes.

 

[Califdan]

You're asking for an impossible result. If youhave 2 folders or collections with a custom order in each, and you then select both folders or collection how would Lrc know what order to put things in? For example, take first image from folder 1 the 1st from folder 2 then 2nd from folder 1 followed by 2nd from folder 2. Or, All from folder 1 then all from folder 2? Or, all from folder 2 followed byall from folder 1? It's like having to decks of cards where each deck is in a custome order and then merging the two decks - there are several ways you could do that none of which being inherently more logical or better than any of the others.

I think I know what you are trying to do so for your case you'd want all images in collectiuon 1 in their custom order followed by all images in collection 2 in their custom order, etc. but other than faking the capture date I don't believe there is another option. However, you could abuse the Label field using some plugin such that it could be used as yor sort optuion.

 

[Rob_Cullen]

My suggestion is to- View the multiple Collections (selecting by holding [Ctrl] ), then select ALL photos [Ctrl+A], then create a new 'composite' collection. Sort this new composite collection in a Custom fashion.

This might be of interest- Also I discovered this when making a Collection for a book that used several Collections of photos keeping them in 'Chapters' for the photo book-
If you first sort each single Collection (A & B) in the manner you want, then select and add each single collection (one at a time) to a composite collection (A+B)- the sort of images remains (A sorted- B sorted)
Example-
Collection 'A' sorted 1>5

Collection 'B' sorted 5>1

Composite Collection remains: 'A' sorted 1>5 + 'B' sorted 5>1

 

[johnbeardy]

Well yes. But I do not expect to own a professinal software package that does not allow hard coded ordering of photos across collections.

Sorry, but that's a ludicrous comment. Firstly, in 20 years of working in this area, I can't think of another package in LR's market space that has ever offered it. Secondly, just add the pictures to a new overall collection, and it's job done.

 

[strobel]

My suggestion is to- View the multiple Collections (selecting by holding [Ctrl] ), then select ALL photos [Ctrl+A], then create a new 'composite' collection. Sort this new composite collection in a Custom fashion.

This might be of interest- Also I discovered this when making a Collection for a book that used several Collections of photos keeping them in 'Chapters' for the photo book-
If you first sort each single Collection (A & B) in the manner you want, then select and add each single collection (one at a time) to a composite collection (A+B)- the sort of images remains (A sorted- B sorted)
Example-
Collection 'A' sorted 1>5
View attachment 18886

Collection 'B' sorted 5>1
View attachment 18887

Composite Collection remains: 'A' sorted 1>5 + 'B' sorted 5>1
View attachment 18888

Hi,
Thanks, that works. It is a bit shaky to apply with 30 collections or so. I then still have the issue, that the custom order is not hardcoded and can be broken easily. I finally exported each collection’s sorted photo renaming them like 1992-101 and 1993-101 and directly added them to the catalog and then shuffled them into one big collection sorting by file name. I still do not understand why the sequence number for example can not be used for sorting.

 

[clee01l]

Well yes. But I do not expect to own a professinal software package that does not allow hard coded ordering of photos across collections.

I don't think you can name any other professional software package that will do what you are asking. I gave you an example using multiple folders as to what this is impossible. For too many years I was a software developer using many different programming languages. None of these languages offer any method to do what you ask.
I think Robs example with a new collection only works if the collection is created using the "Added Order" sort option. As soon as you change the sort option any "Added Order " is destroyed The Same applies if "Custom Order" is used.