• Welcome to the Lightroom Queen Forums! We're a friendly bunch, so please feel free to register and join in the conversation. If you're not familiar with forums, you'll find step by step instructions on how to post your first thread under Help at the bottom of the page. You're also welcome to download our free Lightroom Quick Start eBooks and explore our other FAQ resources.
  • Dark mode now has a single preference for the whole site! It's a simple toggle switch in the bottom right-hand corner of any page. As it uses a cookie to store your preference, you may need to dismiss the cookie banner before you can see it. Any problems, please let us know!

Moving To Lightroom3 From Aperture

Status
Not open for further replies.

JohnD19

New Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2010
Messages
22
Location
Kansas, USA
I am evaluating LR3 as a potential replacement for Aperture. Primarily due to training and plugin availability. In Aperture I use a library where Aperture organizes and stores my files. It appears that LR has a catalog that references files. So it is important not to mess with the files and folders or LR may not know where to find them. Have I got the concept correct?
Thanks.
 
Yes, you've got it right. You *can* mess with the files and folders, but then you'll need to tell Lightroom what you did. It is often simpler to make those changes within Lightroom.
 
Do your messing in Lightroom and you'll be fine.
 
Messing with your files in Lightroom is possible, but Adobe sure didin't make it obviously easy. Lightroom needs a front end program to make working with the database easier. It needs a front end program that resembles ACDsee, or Faststone Viewer, or Breeze Browser, or even Windows Explorer.

Good Luck.
 
[quote author=Uncle Don link=topic=11364.msg76373#msg76373 date=1287671482]
Messing with your files in Lightroom is possible, but Adobe sure didin't make it obviously easy. Lightroom needs a front end program to make working with the database easier. It needs a front end program that resembles ACDsee, or Faststone Viewer, or Breeze Browser, or even Windows Explorer.

Good Luck.
[/quote]
Ny comparison, "messing with your files" is a lot easier in LR rather than in Aperture, which gives you next to no control over files' physical location other than within the vaults (zip files)

John
 
I would disagree with John there though. Aperture allows you to move your files with an automated system 'relocate masters' which is not something you can do in Lightroom. I will agree though that keeping track of the masters in Aperture is much harder although its whole design is supposed to be like that to virtualise the file structure. Lightroom gives you the choice to manage either way which is Johns main argument I think. Its definitely something you will need to think about though when you switch. Make sure you design your file structure before you start as changing it afterwards is a manual (time consuming) task in Lightroom.

The Library module is where you do all your folder work, you certainly don't want to start messing with files using ACDsee of Faststone, I see no reason to use them, Lightroom tools are far superior once you get to know them.

Watch out for stacks too, they don't work the same as Aperture, they don't show up in Collections (like Albums in Aperture) This is was actually one of my biggest annoyances when I moved from Aperture and can be very awkward when you are using plug-ins and external editors.

Get to know the basic shortcuts for switching views/modules and life will be easy, it may seem a bit awkward at first after Aperture's interface but you will get there in the end.

If you want a good intro to the Library and Develop tools the check out George Jardine's videos here http://mulita.com/blog I think they are about the best out there for the more experienced users like yourself.
 
That relocate masters is a workaround for the lack of direct control of your file locations. Similarly, I know one could say that moving managed files around projects etc also moves them in the file system, but again that's only within the vaults.
 
[quote author=sizzlingbadger link=topic=11364.msg76381#msg76381 date=1287684'54]
...
you certainly don't want to start messing with files using ACDsee of Faststone, I see no reason to use them, Lightroom tools are far superior once you get to know them...

[/quote]

I agree. Lightroom needs a program that acts like ACDsee or Faststone. I do not recommend you use these standard programs to move your files around after they are in the Lightroom database. (Before they are in the lightroom database they are quite quick. You don't need to go through the import drudgery to see your photos. ) We need a specialized version of these types of programs, built into lightroom. YMMV
 
I'm strongly against that view. You want an Adobe browser, get Bridge, but the entire rationale of Lightroom is a catalogue that doesn't simply tell you what folders currently contain, but tells you what files should be present and is therefore of value for safeguarding large collections and handling offline files. That said, I very much wish Lightroom had a mode for rapidly viewing imported files' embedded previews - as there is in Aperture.

John
 
Lightroom is great for the super organized, that never, ever have to move files around, and never have to change a file's name. Of course it can be done, but golly, does it have to be done in such an odd way compared to every other program ever written for the PC? (OK, I am (slightly) exagerating. :icon_twisted:)
 
renaming files in LR is easy, its re-structuring them that is hard work. If LR had its own 'relocate masters' utility like Aperture it would be very useful.

The Library module uses previews which is a bit like the Preview Mode in Aperture.

The new import dialog in LR3 works like a viewer and you don't have to import anything if you don't want to. You can see a grid view, loop view and even zoom in.

off topic: I installed the Aperture 3.1 upgrade and seems to have made a huge difference to performance and fixed a load of bugs, it actually seems pretty usable now.
 
[quote author=sizzlingbadger link=topic=11364.msg76412#msg76412 date=1287713354]
The Library module uses previews which is a bit like the Preview Mode in Aperture.
[/quote]
Nowhere near as good - just compare the speed. Aperture is hardware accelerated PhotoMechanic style. while LR tries to render the raw data.

John
 
Wires crossed I think...

I'm not talking about this at import time, I was thinking more around browsing in general (after preview generation). Aperture uses the embedded jpeg during import and like you say its PhotoMechanic fast.
 
As a current A3.1 user as well as Photoshop CS4, is there a compelling reason to add LR3.2 to my workflow? I'm evaluating LR now and use A3.1 primarily as a DAM tool. Most, if not all, of my editing is done in PS. I'm not anxious to move away from A3.1, but if LR will enhance my workflow, I'm willing to make the move.

1. Is there a way to view keywords next to the images? Not just in the side bar?

2. I work with .RAF files (Fuji S5 Pro) in ACR, is there a way to batch edit them in LR? Or do I need to keep working in ACR for that?

3. Should I convert the above .RAF files to .DNG on import?

4. I use referenced libraries in A3.1 because my images (~1'' GB and growing) reside on an external drives and my internal HDD is fairly small (12' GB), does LR work this way too? So a Managed A3.1 library doesn't work for me.

5. How do I view the original .RAF file after changes in Develop have been made? I know it's unaffected, but I can't find a comparison to see what the changes I made look like.

Thanks
 
1) no

2) ACR and LR share the same development utility, you can batch / sync adjustments using sync and presets

3) yes and no, you need to investigate wether this is something you can benefit from ( I don't convert my Nikon NEF files to DNG)

4) LR uses referenced files all the time

5) use the \ key
 
I'm sure you can find many such articles on the web and perhaps even here at Lightroom Forums, but what works for one person won't necessarily be ideal for another.

I personally file into date-based folders of the form YYYY/YYYY-MM/YYYY-MM-DD. After Import sometimes I'll add descriptive text to the folder name (e.g. 2'1'-'7-'4 Fireworks). That's particularly helpful if I have multiple shoots in a day, but certainly not critical as generally I use things like Keywords to find files; the folder name is relatively unimportant in my day-to-day workflow.

Filenames are also date-based of the form YYYYMMDD-OriginalFileNumber. This scheme fails if you shoot with multiple cameras; you need something to disambiguate them in case their numbers line up. That's easy enough by having a separate filename template for each camera, or by preserving the entire original filename rather than just the number.

That's what works for me. Not saying at all that it'll work for you.
 
I use a date folder structure that Lightroom creates automatically during import from the image capture date.

YYYY\MM e.g. 2'1'\1' for this month

I used to go down to day level but that was too much for me.

I rename my files using date-time-sequence see attached image.

This works for me but it may not be useful for you :)
 
You can get lightroom to create the folders during import, see attached... You will have to select copy or move for this option to be available.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top