Image Importing and Ver 2 beta vs Ver 2 compatibility.

[OzRay]

I'm new to the Lightroom Forums, as well as Lightroom, and the first part of my question may be generic to all versions, but as the second part is Ver 2 specific, more or less, I'll post my questions here.

First off, I've been a Capture One user for many years, but recently downloaded Lightroom Ver 2 beta (on recommendation from a friend) to see whether it had changed from my first trial of Ver 1, which I didn't warm to at all; suffice to say I'm very impressed and the more I've played around with Ver 2, the more I like it. I'm getting much better results out of difficult RAW files than I can with Capture One, so it looks like I'm sold (when it comes out).

My first question has to do with viewing folders and importing files. With Capture One, I simply open up the application and one of the panel options shows all the folders and files I have on my PC and I can then select which folder I want to open. With Lightroom, I can't find any such feature. I realise that Lightroom creates catalogues of folders, but I can't find any way in which I can get Lightroom to catalogue all files in a specific main folder. Each time I want to look at 'any' files, I have to open up a folder, go down to the sub-folder and then highlight every file in that folder before Lightroom will do anything. This is frustratingly slow and awkward and I can't believe that there is not an easier way.

The follow-on question relates to the way Lightroom Ver 2 beta catalogues files etc. Is it safe to keep using Ver 2 beta, before the final release, or could the final release have changes that aren't compatible with the beta version and you thus lose all the setting etc that you've created? Mind you, once my trial version expires, it's a moot point, as I'll just have to wait for the final release anyway, so it's probably of no value relying on it until then.

And does anyone know when the final release of Ver 2 is likely to happen?

Cheers

Ray

 

[Sean McCormack]

Lightroom is a database application, therefore all the files accessible to it have to be imported to be used. The closest there is to a browser is in Import where you can select which images to import using their previews.

The readme suggests that the beta is not production ready and may not be upgradable. That said, the original Beta did upgrade, but there's not guarantee.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Ray, Firstly, welcome to LR forums.

With Capture One, I simply open up the application and one of the panel options shows all the folders and files I have on my PC and I can then select which folder I want to open. With Lightroom, I can't find any such feature. With Lightroom, I can't find any such feature. I realise that Lightroom creates catalogues of folders, but I can't find any way in which I can get Lightroom to catalogue all files in a specific main folder.

That's because it's been cunningly concealed from you. In that file browser window you're discussing, look down below the Choose / Cancel buttons. There should be a button labelled "Choose Selected" which will enable you to select an entire folder hierarchy, which I think is what you're asking. When the subsequent import dialog opens, you will be given a chance to select among the multiple child folders, as well as individual images within the folders. If you need to get to a 'parent' folder which has no images, just subfolders; the work around is insert a 'dummy' placeholder image there until the import is complete, and then delete it within LR.

I'll go along with Sean, I think it's likely, but not totally assured that your work in the Beta will 'mostly' upgrade. Since several of the new adjustment tools were experimental, one can envision changes that would render their conversion problematical. Release is rumored for no later than late August, which coincides with the expiration of the extended Beta. (But that's just rumor; anyone who really knows is covered by NDA)

 

[OzRay]

Thanks Brad

Yes, Capture One does it differently and I guess that's my problem. I'll give your suggestion a shot. I know it can't be that difficult, I just have to learn a new way of working.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi Ray, welcome to the forum.

You'll find it easiest if you set it importing your whole pictures folder one night, and go off to bed and leave it working. That way, when you come to process any photos, you'll only have to browse to them as you've been used to.

That said, I'll go with Sean and Brad on this one - there are some weird bugs in the beta, so I'd be inclined to hold off on building a big catalog until the final release is available. Even if the beta catalog does upgrade smoothly, I still hesitate to recommend doing so, as I've seen too much weirdness caused by beta upgrades.

If you want to carry on playing with beta 2 after your trial runs out, just let us know and we can send an invitation to allow you to continue using it until release.

 

[OzRay]

OK, now I get it. A perhaps less than elegant way of doing things, or at the very least it's not intuitive, but I've managed to get it to work. Why you need to have at least one photo in the parent folder to be able to select the entire series is a complete mystery, but that made it work.

However, I'm sold. The control that I have over RAW files is outstanding, it really does leave Capture One in the dust when it comes to finesse. Speed of conversion is also brilliant. I'm going to put Lightroom to work with my news and sports files (yeah, I shoot RAW), where it won't matter so much if the final version changes things.

Thanks again for the help.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Victoria Bampton]

If you're happy with your current folder structure, set it to 'import at the current location' so that it doesn't move or copy them - it'll just reference them in their existing location.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Brad Snyder]

AAA, that's a very commonly encountered "feature". LR assumes if there're no image files there, why would you import it?

The work-around is to insert a dummy image file in each of the roots you're interested in importing. That should give you access to import the root. Then just use LR to delete the dummy. Inconvenient and counter-intuitive, but that's how it works at present.