Ideas for Cleaning up my Folder panel

[clee01l]

Lightroom Version Number

15.5.1

Operating System

1. macOS 27 Golden Gate

Over the last 20 years, I have used several date named folder schemes. More recently, the import folder scheme from the Import Dialog differs from the Lightroom Sync settings for Subfolders that are generated or used when Cloud images sync to the Catalog. The result for one month for one year is shown below:

I thinik creating folders for YYY/MM would yield the best consolidation. I know I can select each month and subsequent day folders and drag the day folders into the month folder to move the "by Day" Images into the Month folder... 240 times to consolidate. But I am hoping there might be a faster way or a way to automate the process.

In doing this I have discovered to my dismay that the parent folder might contain some duplicates of the images in the sub folders and I need to delete one of the duplicates .

 

[Califdan]

The best I can suggest is

1. select all photos (inlcuing those buried in stacks).
2. Uuse a date metadata filter and select the first month.
3. Select all the images in the grid
4. Drag them to a folder for that month (or create a folder for that month if it doesn't already exit)
5. Select the next month
6. Repeat 3-5 till all months have been processed
7. In folders panel, remove all empty folders

 

[clee01l]

The best I can suggest is

1. select all photos (inlcuing those buried in stacks).
2. Uuse a date metadata filter and select the first month.
3. Select all the images in the grid
4. Drag them to a folder for that month (or create a folder for that month if it doesn't already exit)
5. Select the next month
6. Repeat 3-5 till all months have been processed
7. In folders panel, remove all empty folders

This describes my process. In lieu of having to repeat it 240 times, I was hoping that someone might have a more novel approach.

 

[lightroomtoolbox]

Since there is no defined pattern you can't even make a plugin with an script

 

[Johan Elzenga]

As you are (just like me) somebody who always emphasizes that folders are just for local storage and nothing else, you could take a different approach: simply ignore this, because folders are for local storage only and nothing else. Collapse your folder panel so you are not bothered by this, and then ask yourself: “who cares”? “What do I really gain by tidying them up?”

 

[clee01l]

As you are (just like me) somebody who always emphasizes that folders are just for local storage and nothing else, you could take a different approach: simply ignore this, because folders are for local storage only and nothing else. Collapse your folder panel so you are not bothered by this, and then ask yourself: “who cares”? “What do I really gain by tidying them up?”

Yes, I agree. However, selecting multiple folder structures has allowed duplicates to appear. If I had maintained consistency between importing and syncing, this issue might have been avoided. I expect to be fine moving forward, but I remain concerned about duplicates while the varied structures persist.