Importing just folder tree, no pix

[Brad Snyder]

Victoria, are you around?

Prior to some catalog maintenance, I'm trying to import a folder hierarchy, with no pix. When I asked this question some time ago, you referred me to an article on your blog/website, which worked a treat. I forget what LR version that was.

Now, trying to accomplish the same thing, the same method doesn't seem to work.

I click Import, find the root folder of the tree I want in the import file/folder browser, click 'Choose Selected'.

The import dialog opens, I select 'import at current location'.
On the left hand side is a list box with all the parent and child folders, displayed recursively; on the right is the preview list.

On the left, folder list, I leave all checked. On the right, preview display, I select uncheck all.

If I remember correctly, in the past, that would import the folder tree with no photo contents. Now, it imports zero photos, (as expected) but no tree.

Has anybody tried this with 1.3.1? Am I omitting a step somewhere?

....brad s

 

[RipIt]

Brad,

on the windows system you'll need to have at least one photo selected and imported in order for this to happen:

Victorias blog

 

[Brad Snyder]

David, thanks, but that's not it.
I do get as far as the import dialog (which is what the hint in Vic's blog referred to.) But then the tree doesn't come in. It will easily bring in single files, and their parent trees, but that doesn't seem too efficient.

I know that I've done this in the past, I'm not sure what's diifferent now.

....brad s

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi Brad

Sorry I haven't been around much this week - crazy busy at work.

I'll boot up a Windows machine and have a play. Easiest workaround in the meantime might be to simply put a temporary image in the highest level folder, import that so that it shows the whole tree, and then delete that image.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Victoria, thanks.

I really think this behavior has changed (at least in Windows).

As you know, in the import dialog, there's a list of folders on the left, and a display of previews on the right.

In the past, my experience has been that the directory tree (up to and including the root selected by the "Choose Selected" at the previous step) was imported for those folders which were checked on the left hand side, regardless which actual photos were selected on the right.

Now, it appears that the import honors the selection on the right, and only imports the portions of the tree that drill down to the selected photo(s).

While, that is a rational behavior, I think it's different from previous versions, and leaves us with the problem of how to import an empty folder structure.

This is particularly important if you're doing catalog maintenance or compilation from existing folder structures, and would like to have the LR tree match the disk tree from the top down.

I know that you personally keep a master catalog of all your photos, and I hestitate to think how difficult that would have been to create, without this capability. That's why I'm interested, I'm trying to get to that master catalog state.

.....brad