Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Adobe Lightroom Q&A => Topic started by: Rand47 on December 23, 2013, 04:00:18 pm
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I'm posting this for a friend who cannot log in to LULA at the moment (remote).
"In LR4 when I exported files from LR all the associated keywords were exported and available in the metadata. In LR5 many of the keywords are missing when exported. Is this a known bug?
To further explore the problem, I've discovered that when I do an export of the keywords as a txt file (Metadata > Export Keywords) - many of the keywords in the txt file have brackets around them that I did not insert when adding the keyword. And what is strange is that all the keywords that are "missing" in an exported file's metadata are ones with brackets in the keyword list txt file. There is an obvious relationship here.
How do I fix this problem so that all keywords are exported with the file?"
Thanks in advance for any help you might provide Laurens!
Rand
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No bug - expected behavior.
Brackets [] are the signal to Lightroom when importing a Keyword that it is a do not "Include on Export" keyword as designated by a Keyword's properties when you double click on a keyword. Braces {} are the symbol to designate a Synonym. Thus any keyword designated as "Include on Export will not have brackets.
I would expect that keywords with Brackets would not export.
Your fix is to repair the keywords by double clicking each missing keyword and checking the Include on Export box. As far as I know, there is no batch operation to accomplish this. Now... how they got changed, if they were changed is the next question.
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To expand on this further:
"Do not export" keywords can be very useful as an organizational tool.
I use them to categorise keyword hierarchies such as "WORLD LOCATION".
I capitalize "Do not export" keywords to make it clear what their role is and also that they are not expected to be exported.
Child keywords can be set to export as usual.
Tony Jay
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Thank you Rand for posting this topic.
Now I'm registered myself I can see the other posts.
I hope someone can help me with this
Laurens
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Thank you Rikk,
There are too many keywords in my keyword list to do what you suggest.
And besides that, every time when I add a bunch of new keywords, collected from my Keyword program Image Info Toolkit, it wil happen again.
Laurens
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The way to easily resolve this problem is to add keywords from within Lightroom.
You then have the opportunity to decide whether the keyword in question should be exportable or not.
Tony Jay
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Tony, that seems easier but it is a lot more work then the way I use it. Somtimes there are 50 or more keywords for one photo. Beside that I have yet almost 10000 keywords where most of them are not exported.
What I don't understand is that LR changed the way keywords are exported. Adobe should fix this problem.
Laurens
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So let's be sure what the problem is. You have a large number of keywords which are not exporting? When you edit a keyword in Lightroom, the Include on Export is not ticked? If you want to change that in all those keywords, I have a script that will do it.
As for why it's happening, a long time ago there was a LR upgrade bug which incorrectly set the export flag. I think it was around the time of Lr2, but I can't believe this is affecting you - it'll be something you've done which isn't yet clear. How exactly are you adding the new keywords to LR? Are you using Metadata > Import Keywords? Are these [ ] brackets in a text file that you're importing?
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Perhaps it is time to talk to the people who make your Controlled Vocabulary List?
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You have a large number of keywords which are not exporting?
Yes John, most of the keywords are not exported.
When you edit a keyword in Lightroom, the Include on Export is not ticked?
How exactly are you adding the new keywords to LR? Are you using Metadata > Import Keywords? Are these [ ] brackets in a text file that you're importing?
I'm not editing the keywords in LR. I have a program where I gather all the keywords (IIT). In that program all keywords are comma separated, no other structure in it, no brackets.
I copy those keywords and paste them in the keyword panel in LR.
If you want to change that in all those keywords, I have a script that will do it.
That would be great. I suppose you can tell me how to execute that script :)
After using that script LR is not doing it's thing again by putting brackets around keywords?
And what about the new photos where I add keywords?
Is that script working in LR constantly?
Great that you are looking into this. Thanks!
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Perhaps it is time to talk to the people who make your Controlled Vocabulary List?
I don't see why because it generates just comma separated keywords. But maybe you can tell why I should :)
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Tony, that seems easier but it is a lot more work then the way I use it. Somtimes there are 50 or more keywords for one photo. Beside that I have yet almost 10000 keywords where most of them are not exported.
What I don't understand is that LR changed the way keywords are exported. Adobe should fix this problem.
Laurens
I looked up the program that you using to generate your keyword hierarchy.
I could not find, yet, any information on how the hierarchy is constructed under the hood.
However, I don't believe that it is helpful to assume that Adobe, in general, and, Lightroom in particular, is at fault.
One could argue, just as fruitlessly, that the fault is with your software provider.
Tony Jay
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One little task for you. In Keyword List, right click one of the keywords that's failing to export and ensure Include on Export is unticked.
OK, assuming that is the problem, I've put the script here (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7678369/Make%20all%20keywords%20export.lua.zip). It runs through all keywords in the catalogue, switching the Include on Export to true.
To run the script, create a folder called Scripts in your LR application support folder (find it by Preferences > Presets > Show Lightroom Presets Folder). This new folder should be in the same Lightroom folder as ones like Smart Collection Templates, Text Style Presets etc.
Unzip the above file and save the little lua file in this Scripts folder, restart LR and you’ll have a scripts menu to the right of Help, and one item. Backup your catalogue first, and you can run the script.
I'll leave to Tony figuring out what's causing this - he's right so far, it wouldn't be Lightroom doing it on its own.
John
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I have done a bit more research into this issue prompted by John Beardsworth's comment. (John's memory on this issue was good but not perfect and the problem was noted in Lightroom 4.x and not 2.x.)
Lr 4.0 and 4.1 had an issue where, in a keyword hierarchy, if a keyword was designated as non-exportable, then any keywords nested beneath that keyword would not export either even if the nested keywords were supposed to be exportable.
Lr 4.2 provided an appropriate bug fix.
Since 4.2 this has not been an issue.
So, my suggestion is to check exactly which version of 4.x you are running and upgrade to 4.4 (I think that was the last upgrade for 4.x) and then check whether the issue recurs.
Hopefully this settles a somewhat enigmatic issue.
Tony Jay
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I have done a bit more research into this issue prompted by John Beardsworth's comment. (John's memory on this issue was good but not perfect and the problem was noted in Lightroom 4.x and not 2.x.)
Two different problems, Tony. I wasn't thinking of the 4x one!
Happy Christmas All
John
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Two different problems, Tony. I wasn't thinking of the 4x one!
Happy Christmas All
John
And, I'm pretty sure that Laurens is running 5.3. Laurens?
Rand
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" In LR4 when I exported files from LR all the associated keywords were exported and available in the metadata. In LR5 many of the keywords are missing when exported. Is this a known bug?
Well one can work with what one is given - yes.
Tony Jay
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One little task for you. In Keyword List, right click one of the keywords that's failing to export and ensure Include on Export is unticked.
Yes John, it was 'unticked'. Then I 'ticked' it, exported the photo and voila, the keyword was exported. :)
BTW I'm working with a Mac and have LR 5.3
I'm very pleased by all the help you guys are giving me :) Thank you very much!
To make things perhaps a bit more clear... In the Image Info Toolkit I select the word which is at the end of the chain to a window in that program, then I select them all copy and paste them in the key wording area in LR. I'm doing it now, just to show you what the result is with the keyword 'Dog Canyon'. I paste it now in this post so you can see how it shows up in LR.
Dog Canyon,Oliver Lee Memorial State Park,New Mexico,North America,United States of America,Alamogordo,USA,U.S.A.,Amerika,America,SP,State Park,Oliver Lee,NM,US,U.S.,United States
You see, it's just comma separated tekst. Nothing under the hood.
I will now backup the catalog and install the script.
When that's done I'll be back.
Laurens
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Well one can work with what one is given - yes.
Tony Jay
The last part of that paragraph in my original post.
In LR5 many of the keywords are missing when exported.
Tony,
Sorry if my original posting for Laurens was unclear. The above is what I hoped to emphasize.
Rand
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To run the script, create a folder called Scripts in your LR application support folder (find it by Preferences > Presets > Show Lightroom Presets Folder). This new folder should be in the same Lightroom folder as ones like Smart Collection Templates, Text Style Presets etc.
Could you please be more precise where that folder is, I can't find it.
I added a screenshot of my folder structure.
Laurens
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Now, as I wrote, create the scripts folder.....
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Now, as I wrote, create the scripts folder.....
My mistake, sorry, I thought I have to find that folder in the finder. I tried now to look at the Peferences... and there it was :)
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The folder is created and the script is in it. Then I restarted LR, but... nothing appeared at the right side of 'help'.
I know a lot about photography, but don't know much about scripts. So I don't know why there is no scripts menu. Sorry.
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The reason is that you aren't following my instructions - go back to the "to run the script" text that you quoted and create the scripts folder exactly where I said, then put the little lua file in it.
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I'm sorry to say, but it still doesn't show up next to 'help'. I think I created the Scripts folder now at the right location. See Screen shot.
You're right, I didn't follow your instructions to the letter as I see now. I should have searched further till I found the mentioned folder names.
For other people who are following this post: they are in the Lightroom Settings folder.
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Ah, it looks like you've changed the default and are storing the presets etc with the catalogue. This preference is best used if you keep the catalogue on an external drive for working on different computers - in all other circumstances I recommend you don't use this preference and use the default.
So you are going to need to set up the Scripts folder in the default place. Two ways to find it. In LR, go into Preferences, Presets and untick the box "Store Presets with this catalog" (you can switch it back later if you want). Try clicking Show Lightroom Presets Folder as before. If this gets you to the same place as now, restart LR and try again.
Alternatively, in Finder, hold down the Alt/Opt key and choose Go. Library will be visible, so choose it. Then navigate to Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom. That's where Scripts should go.
John
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That’s it! :)
The script sign appeared and I ran the script.
The photo I tested had all the keywords in it when exported.
The keyword list has no square brackets anymore when exported to a text file.
New keywords, which were not yet in the keyword List, which were collected in the program I use (IIT) were pasted in the keywording area. The keywords all showed up after exporting the photo.
And the new keywords which I pasted in the Keywording area, which were new to the Keyword List, have no brackets! I could see that by exporting the keyword List to a text file.
Now I’m a happy guy, thanks to John.
Great how you are helping people at the forum.
Have a merry Christmas!
Laurens
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And Happy Christmas to you too.
The script will be always be a fix, but maybe export the keywords metadata every few weeks to see if you can identify the source of the problem, or confirm that it's no longer happening.
John
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John, now I'm not occupied with the 'problem' anymore, I visited your website. I have to say that I'm impressed!
You're not only good with scripts and helping people but you're an outstanding photographer as well! :)
After years being a commercial photographer I'm now retired and travel the last six years in the USA. If you like you can see my website.
www.travelingphototeam.com
I just started this website and I'm still working on it, but you can see how I enjoy taking photos in the West.
Laurens
P.S. I'm from the Netherlands
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Thanks Laurens - I just get lucky now and then!