Folder Fuddle

[I Simonius]

I was just tryingto go through a bunchof images to get some organisation in my life, and I have these files in either 'RAW_IN" or RAW_BACKUP" folders, however as some have been iported from the CF card via LR and others just dragged into the folder, and some have been previously viewed and edited in LR and others viewed and edited in Bridge.

Well you can imagine the muddle im in!

I wanted to use LR to check these (hundreds of ) files for sharpness etc but on deciding to make sure they're all imported as Ihave moved some in bridge and also for some reason some files are named with te prefix '_MG' and others with 'IMG' even though they are the same file (how'd that happen???) - I find I cannot be sure that the imported files in LR are showing as ALL the files in e.g. 'RAW_IN" because it says some files are already in te catalogue, great - but hwere?

I do wish LR would not be so darn clever and just import what I tell it to, - perhaps it does but i have no idea - I want to be able to do what I can do in Bridge (but so sloooooowly) check files /delete/assign labels or stars/ file, If I try to file in LR I have no idea whether they actually go /dlete/move or whether it's all virtual

I really super wish I didn't find LR confusing to use in how it relates to what is actually on my HD - I know I keep moaning about this but I need a new head!

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Well, there's one easy one there I can answer for a start. Ones starting IMG means your camera was set to sRGB even though that has no effect on the raw file. _MG means your camera was set to AdobeRGB.

Now, you really are in a right muddle, aren't you.

What editing have you actually done in LR, apart from the fact you don't know. Are you concerned about keeping your history or virtual copies? If not, I'd be inclined to say select all and ctrl-s to save any develop settings or ratings to metadata. If you reimport into LR, it'll import them back in complete with settings then.

Then start a nice clean new catalog, and tell it to import EVERYTHING, and work from there. Keep your old catalog in case you ever want to go back to it.

With EVERYTHING imported, I'd make some nice clean tidy folders, and as I sorted things, I'd move them into those nice clean tidy folders. Hopefully by the time you've finished, you'll have nice clean tidy folders full of nice clean tidy images, and empty messy folders.

Oh, and stop moving things outside of LR unless you're going to remember where you put them!

 

[I Simonius]

Well, there's one easy one there I can answer for a start. Ones starting IMG means your camera was set to sRGB even though that has no effect on the raw file. _MG means your camera was set to AdobeRGB.

Now, you really are in a right muddle, aren't you.

What editing have you actually done in LR, apart from the fact you don't know. Are you concerned about keeping your history or virtual copies? If not, I'd be inclined to say select all and ctrl-s to save any develop settings or ratings to metadata. If you reimport into LR, it'll import them back in complete with settings then.

Then start a nice clean new catalog, and tell it to import EVERYTHING, and work from there. Keep your old catalog in case you ever want to go back to it.

With EVERYTHING imported, I'd make some nice clean tidy folders, and as I sorted things, I'd move them into those nice clean tidy folders. Hopefully by the time you've finished, you'll have nice clean tidy folders full of nice clean tidy images, and empty messy folders.

Oh, and stop moving things outside of LR unless you're going to remember where you put them!

sRGB v Adobe RGB - aha! ( light comes on) I remember changing it but cannot remember why - something I read somewhere I expect - BUT - I thought RAW files were neither RGB nor Adobe RGB until you opened them in ACR, as you said it has no effect on the raw file.. but I was doing it for the added B+W jpg I setting I use i.e. saved as RAW+JPG?

I was using the B+W just to help visualise compoition and for easy upload to my website so that should be in sRGB right? (for the jpgs)

Other than that I will take your kind advice and redo te lot in LR but the problem is that it is so much easier to sort files in Bridge - if only it weren't so slow! It mkes it hard for me not to succumb to occasionally sorting files in Bridge then of course as you point out my LR catalogue becomes a maze for me

Im not concerned about my history or virtual copies, Im still at the stage of trying to organise simply sorting/arranging and deleting or backing up files BEFOREI do any major editing apart (i.e. from assigning stars or labels)

 

[Victoria Bampton]

BUT - I thought RAW files were neither RGB nor Adobe RGB until you opened them in ACR, as you said it has no effect on the raw file.. but I was doing it for the added B+W jpg I setting I use i.e. saved as RAW+JPG?

Yep, the camera colour space setting will only affect the jpegs, but it does affect the filename of both files.

I'm interested to know what you find easier when sorting in Bridge rather than LR.. we might be able to find you a solution to that one!

Or just make sure that once you've rearranged all of the files, you don't import them into LR until you've done your initial sorting in Bridge. That'd work too.

 

[I Simonius]

What I find easier in Bridge is drag and drop functionality. I can handle that, but remmebering file hierarchies non visually confuses me.
Also I like being able to drag an alias of a folder (which is what 'favourites essentially is) and drag image s into it

"collections' 'catalogues'. 'folders', 'libraries' etc just doesnt relate in my mind to whats on the HD as easily as Bridge does, because in LR there's ambiguity or te possibility of it but not in Bridge

I have enough trouble organising folders for my images on the HD, having a program that relates virtually is one step too far removed for my mind

Im stil trying to get to grips with it, and sometimes Istart to but then I leave it for a week ad when I come back cant remember whats where, whereas with Bridge its obvious, (e.g. if you move a folder the favourites says - it's gone!) intuitive and easy (but SLOOOW)

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Ah ok.

Well, you can drag and drop between folders within LR. And you can get it to see your full hierarchy too, if you want. Info on that here. I don't think you can to the aliases in LR though.

Folders in LR = Folders on Hard Drive. What you do in Folders in LR is the same as you do in Folders in Bridge. Ignore collections, catalogs and libraries for now!

 

[I Simonius]

Ah ok.

Well, you can drag and drop between folders within LR. And you can get it to see your full hierarchy too, if you want. Info on that here. I don't think you can to the aliases in LR though.

Folders in LR = Folders on Hard Drive. What you do in Folders in LR is the same as you do in Folders in Bridge. Ignore collections, catalogs and libraries for now!

thanks Victoria

 

[I Simonius]

With EVERYTHING imported, I'd make some nice clean tidy folders, and as I sorted things, I'd move them into those nice clean tidy folders. Hopefully by the time you've finished, you'll have nice clean tidy folders full of nice clean tidy images, and empty messy folders.

OK so far so good- created a new catalogue and about to import everything.. but.. what do you mean by move into new folders - I thought the folders were just those folders that were already on the HD?

EDIT: BTW should I set the prefs to have external editing file format as psd or tiff?

 

[Steve Crane]

BTW should I set the prefs to have external editing file format as psd or tiff?

If you're using Photoshop then use PSD so you can save all your layers. If you're using another editor that doesn't support PSD then use TIFF. You will still be able to do a save as to preserve your layers in that editor's native format (like XCF for GIMP) but will not be able to use those files in LR.

 

[I Simonius]

If you're using Photoshop then use PSD so you can save all your layers. If you're using another editor that doesn't support PSD then use TIFF. You will still be able to do a save as to preserve your layers in that editor's native format (like XCF for GIMP) but will not be able to use those files in LR.

OK thanks!

 

[Victoria Bampton]

but.. what do you mean by move into new folders - I thought the folders were just those folders that were already on the HD?

Yep, they are.

I was thinking in terms of import everything in it's current location, and then set up a brand new folder structure into which you can move images as you sort them, so that by the time you've finished, your 'sorted' folders are full of sorted images, and your old messy folders are empty. Up to you though!

 

[I Simonius]

Yep, they are.

I was thinking in terms of import everything in it's current location, and then set up a brand new folder structure into which you can move images as you sort them, so that by the time you've finished, your 'sorted' folders are full of sorted images, and your old messy folders are empty. Up to you though!

no , sounds like a good idea...so set up new folders next on the HD you mean? (sory to be so thick buti's usually when I assume Ive understood something that it goes wrong..)

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Yeah, that's what I had in mind. It always helps me sort when I can actually physically move things.

 

[I Simonius]

Yeah, that's what I had in mind. It always helps me sort when I can actually physically move things.

me too but I bet I get confabulated between what I do on the HD and whats in LR (again):roll: