Map module GPS Data damaged?

[Capivara]

Lightroom Version Number

14.3

Operating System

1. Windows 10

Hello,

in early 2024 there was a report, that some LrC update had destroyed GPS-data., but this problem has been fixed in a later version. I imported my NEF pictures into LrC sometime in spring 2024. I am just working with these pictures.
The map module shows the locations of some 50 pictures of a folder of a day clustered together, not on the right place; the data of 6500 pictures of the trip (CA, HI) are involved: A few are ok, most are not shown on the correct location.
Is there a way to heal the damage?
Of course, the unreliable connection between my camera d850 via Nikon SnapBridge/Bluetooth to my smartphone Samsung Galaxy A52s could have added to the issue.

Before I import new pictures of my last trip, I would like to have an idea what was the reason.
Maybe, some error in synchronizing the metadata is responsible for the mess?

Have a nice Sunday,
Greetings from Vienna
"Capivara" Robert

 

[Capivara]

Maybe, I found the reason for this error:

Having selected all images on the filmstrip, you can easily click on the GPS switch of one of the images. If synchronizing is enabled, all the images get the same GPS location.
Probably, the user will notice this error too late to reverse it.
Is there any solution?
Maybe, Adobe could eliminate this GPS switch in the filmstrip without being missed?

Greetings from Vienna, Capivara

 

[John R Ellis]

you can easily click on the GPS switch of one of the images.

I don't understand what you mean by "GPS switch". Perhaps post a full-resolution screenshot (not a phone pic) of the entire LR window, pointing out what you mean by that.

If synchronizing is enabled,

Do you mean the Library menu item Metadata > Enable Auto Sync? Or something else?

 

[Califdan]

I don't understand what you mean by "GPS switch". Perhaps post a full-resolution screenshot (not a phone pic) of the entire LR window, pointing out what you mean by that.

Perhaps the GPS badge in the grid.

 

[Capivara]

Hello,
in both, the Library and in the Developing Module there is a filmstrip shown; selected images are marked in the grid and in the filmstrip. There, each image has 3 badges/"switches"...
Frome the left to the right, "The photo has keywords", "The photo has gps-coordinates", "The photo was developed".
What happens, if I have selected a series of photos for developing or adding keywords, if I have clicked on the badge "The photo has gps-coordinates" an synchronizing is enabled? The badges are small and can easily be activated by mistake.
I suspect, that the gps-coordinates of the most selected photo were copied to the other selected photos.
In the map module a bunch of photos is located at the same location, where they do not belong.
In the past synchronizing data for several Photos was only available in the grid, now it is possible from the filmstrip, too. Is this a new feature in the last versions or my mistake. In September/October 2024 I had to set up a fresh Windows because I had a malware problem. I cannot rule out, that I did not restore the proper LrC settings.
Is there any method to restore the originals gps-coordinates?

When the synchronizing is finished, the photos are shown in the grid in a mess, regardless if they were before in custom order or by name by time stamp.
Fixing an order by clicking on the image seems not work in Library/grid??
Thanks for your time

Capivara Robert, Vienna

 

[Johan Elzenga]

AFAIK, nothing bad should happen. Unless something changed since that last time I used this (a long time ago I admit) those aren’t switches to synchronize something, but buttons to navigate to that place in the map. But perhaps combining this with ‘Auto Sync’ makes it behave differently?… I suggest to keep that off!

 

[Capivara]

Can you imagine, why my gps-coordinates often look like this:

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Sure I can imagine that. But AFAIK, clicking the GPS batch in the grid should not cause this. I do caution you however about leaving ‘Auto Sync’ turned on, as shown in your screenshot. I could imagine that this does cause it (even though I think it shouldn’t). Adobe did not make this light up the button for no reason. It is a special warning, so don’t ignore it.

 

[Capivara]

So Auto Sync should be turned off and on, each time...? Some more stress for my memory ;-(
If you, The Guru, have any other helpful suggestions, please let me know.... I remember, that I have seen other "Sync" switches (?) elsewhere in the LrC program....
Have a nice weekend,
best regards,
Capivara, Vienna

 

[John R Ellis]

What happens, if I have selected a series of photos for developing or adding keywords, if I have clicked on the badge "The photo has gps-coordinates" an synchronizing is enabled? The badges are small and can easily be activated by mistake.
I suspect, that the gps-coordinates of the most selected photo were copied to the other selected photos.

When LR is operating correctly, clicking on a thumbnail's GPS badge switches to the LR Map module and displays the thumbnail's location with a pin on the map. It doesn't change any of the selected photos' GPS locations, even when Library Auto Sync is enabled. I just verified this in my LR 14.3.1 on Mac and Windows.

If you're observing something different, then that's a bug and a bug report should be filed with Adobe:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-how-do-i-write-a-bug-report/idi-p/12386373

But for an issue like this, Adobe will only pay attention if you provide a precise, simple recipe for reproducing the bug on their computers.

 

[John R Ellis]

In the past synchronizing data for several Photos was only available in the grid, now it is possible from the filmstrip, too.

I don't know what you mean "only available in the grid" versus "filmstrip". When you're in Grid view, the filmstrip can optionally be displayed, and it doesn't matter whether you select multiple photos in the grid or the filmstrip.

If you mean Grid view (many thumbnails showing in a grid, with the filmstrip optionally displaying below) versus Loupe view (one large photo showing in the main panel, with the filmstrip optionally displaying below), there's been no change to Auto Sync behavior in the last few years. (I just tested LR 11.0.)

 

[John R Ellis]

Is there any method to restore the originals gps-coordinates?

Although it's possible you've tripped over a LR bug (as described above), I think it's more likely that you accidentally updated the coordinates for a photo without noticing that you had multiple photos selected.

If you happen to notice this right away, you can do Undo. But if you've made lot of changes since then, that won't help.

You didn't post a screenshot of the entire LR window as requested, so I can't immediately tell. But if you didn't have the option Catalog Settings > Metadata > Automatically Write Changes Into XMP selected, then the original GPS coordinates will still be stored in the photo files' metadata. If you see the Metadata Status indicator on the thumbnail:

then LR hasn't written the new GPS coordinates back to the photo file.

In that case, if you haven't made any changes to the Develop settings or other metadata fields (e.g. caption), then you can select one or more such photos and do Metadata > Read Metadata From File, which will re-read all the metadata (including any saved Develop settings) from the photo files back into the LR catalog.

But if you've made changes to metadata fields or Develop settings you don't want to lose, then recovering the GPS coordinates is more complicated:

1. Use the free Exiftool utility to extract the coordinates of the photos into sidecar files.

2. In LR, select all the photos and do Metadata > Save Metadata To File.

3. Use Exiftool to copy the original coordinates from the sidecar files into the corresponding photo files.

4. In LR, select all the photos and do Metadata > Read Metadata From File.

Exiftool has a steep learning curve, so be prepared to spend several hours figuring out how to do this. It's well documented and the documentation gives many examples.

* * *

If you had enabled the option Catalog Settings > Metadata > Automatically Write Changes Into XMP, then the original coordinates in the photo files have been overwritten. In that case, your only option is to recover the original photo files from backup and use method similar to that described above, using Exiftool to extract the coordinates from the recovered originals and then to copy the extract coordinates into the current versions of the photo files.

 

[John R Ellis]

So Auto Sync should be turned off and on, each time...?

If in general you want changes to metadata to be applied to all selected photos, you've got two options that are subtly different in behavior:

1. In Grid view, choose Metadata panel > Selected Photos and set Auto Sync off. When multiple photos are selected:

- In Grid view, the Metadata panel and Keyword Tags panel will show <mixed> for any field that has different values among the selected photos. In Loupe view, those panels will show the values for the currently displayed ("most selected") photo.

- In Grid view, when you change a Metadata panel field or a Keyword Tags keyword, those changes will be made to all the photos. In Loupe view, the changes will be made to the currently displayed photo only.

2. In Grid view, choose Metadata panel > Target Photo and set Auto Sync on (which is what you've done in your screenshot above). When multiple photos are selected:

- In Grid and Loupe views, the Metadata panel and Keyword Tags panel will show the field's value for the most-selected photo only.

- In both Grid and Loupe views, when you change a Metadata panel field or a Keyword Tags keyword, those changes will be made to all the photos.

* * *

Adobe has made this behavior exceedingly complicated. I doubt any expert here could accurately describe it from memory.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

So Auto Sync should be turned off and on, each time...? Some more stress for my memory ;-(

Leave it off until you need it for something, then only temporarily turn it on. It's for your own safety. John verified what I said about clicking the thumbnail batch (I was typing on my iPad so I could not verify it right away), but the problem with auto sync is that if you (inadvertently) change the metadata of the target photo, all other selected photos will get the same metadata. That sounds like what happened to you, don't you agree? Clicking the badge probably did not cause it, but most likely you did something else that updated the GPS coordinates of the target photo, and then auto sync did the rest.