Monitoring Folders

[CarlosTaylor]

Hi All,

My very first post here so go easy

My question:

After I have processed an image and have exported it to another folder I have to then
manually import from that folder to get it to add to the database. Is there any way of 'monitoring' one or more folders so that the import is done automatically as soon as a new image appears?

Thanks in advance !

Carlos

[usathyan]

If you use PS or PSE to do your edits (or any other 2 apps of your choice) - you can merely right click on the image in Grid mode, and select "Edit in PS or PSE or GIMP or whatever" and Lightroom takes care of keeping track of where your edited image resides.  Once done editing in the external app, just save and close.

You can even stack them so that the edited version shows up on top.

Check out the preferences option and configure the external editors tab.

[CarlosTaylor]

If you use PS or PSE to do your edits (or any other 2 apps of your choice) - you can merely right click on the image in Grid mode, and select "Edit in PS or PSE or GIMP or whatever" and Lightroom takes care of keeping track of where your edited image resides.  Once done editing in the external app, just save and close.

You can even stack them so that the edited version shows up on top.

Check out the preferences option and configure the external editors tab.
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Yup, I do the right click thing to fire up Noise Ninja to let it do its thing. But for the actual editing, I have actually grown to like the capabilities of Lightroom itself as they are simple but powerful enough to satisfy my needs and therefore would rather stay in the Lightroom environment. Its not a big problem manually importing images I have exported to another folder other than the source. I was just wondering if there was an easier way.  Cheers anyway.

[jdyke]

Hi Carlos

There are couple of apporaches you can use.

Firstly there is the approach already mentioned:-

Do all your global edits in Lightroom then ctrl-shift-e to edit the file in Photoshop.  You can then do your local edits such as adding local contrast (I use a high pass contrast techinque from Paul Caponigro http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/lib/downl...ssContrast.pdf) which is not achievable currenlty in Lightroom.  

I also do my sharpening in PS (I use Photokit sharpener but even Unsharp Mask or Creative Sharpen is much more powerfull than Lightrooms currenly weak effort). Noise reduction may be another reason as this is also a bit weak in LR.

 I then click save when I am done (Just save NOT save as as this will save another copy and it will not go back into Lighrtroom)

I now have a second copy in Lightroom (with an edit tag) with my PS settings.  Normally I carry out this operation from the folder the files are in as this allows me to use the stack feature (you cannot stack if you are doing your edits from a collection).

If I then want to do a print I may then do another round trip into Photoshop to softproof and do my final sharpening and resizing.  The end result is that I will have three files - the original, a master and a proof ready to print.  I may then move the original and master to a collection and the print to s ub collection called prints under the main collection so that I can easily identify which are master and proofed files (proofs may not be optimum on screen as they have been adjusted for printing so for slildeshows and web you would want to use the master file)

Another techinque you can use is the 'Watched Folder' techinque http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroom/...6DBF8A4F89.html

I tend to have a folder on my desktop called 'Lightroom Import' and anything I drag into this folder will get imported into a watched folder in Lightroom.  I can then move these around or add them to collections ect.   This can be useful if you are working in another application other than Photoshop.  Currently you can only have one watched folder I think, but hopefully in the future you will be able to click on any of your exisiting folders and set them as watched)

The final techinque involves using droplets and exaple of hot to set this up is below.  This is for Photokit Sharpener but you could apply it to any action in PS.
http://lightroom-news.com/2007/04/04/apply...ener-on-export/

Hope this all helps,

Jon  

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I use a high pass contrast techinque from Paul Caponigro http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/lib/downl...ssContrast.pdf) which is not achievable currenlty in Lightroom. 
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Just to keep the historical record straight, I'm sure you meant "John Paul Caponigro" when you said "Paul Caponigro." I wouldn't quibble, except that they are two different individuals, both very important in the world of photography. John Paul is Paul's son and a well-known Photoshop guru. Paul is a master of landscape photography of the old school, who has probably never done anything digital in his life.

Just my 2 cents for the record. Your technical suggestions are right on.

[CarlosTaylor]

Hi Carlos

There are couple of apporaches you can use.

Firstly there is the approach already mentioned:-

Do all your global edits in Lightroom then ctrl-shift-e to edit the file in Photoshop.  You can then do your local edits such as adding local contrast (I use a high pass contrast techinque from Paul Caponigro http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/lib/downl...ssContrast.pdf) which is not achievable currenlty in Lightroom. 

I also do my sharpening in PS (I use Photokit sharpener but even Unsharp Mask or Creative Sharpen is much more powerfull than Lightrooms currenly weak effort). Noise reduction may be another reason as this is also a bit weak in LR.

 I then click save when I am done (Just save NOT save as as this will save another copy and it will not go back into Lighrtroom)

I now have a second copy in Lightroom (with an edit tag) with my PS settings.  Normally I carry out this operation from the folder the files are in as this allows me to use the stack feature (you cannot stack if you are doing your edits from a collection).

If I then want to do a print I may then do another round trip into Photoshop to softproof and do my final sharpening and resizing.  The end result is that I will have three files - the original, a master and a proof ready to print.  I may then move the original and master to a collection and the print to s ub collection called prints under the main collection so that I can easily identify which are master and proofed files (proofs may not be optimum on screen as they have been adjusted for printing so for slildeshows and web you would want to use the master file)

Another techinque you can use is the 'Watched Folder' techinque http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroom/...6DBF8A4F89.html

I tend to have a folder on my desktop called 'Lightroom Import' and anything I drag into this folder will get imported into a watched folder in Lightroom.  I can then move these around or add them to collections ect.   This can be useful if you are working in another application other than Photoshop.  Currently you can only have one watched folder I think, but hopefully in the future you will be able to click on any of your exisiting folders and set them as watched)

The final techinque involves using droplets and exaple of hot to set this up is below.  This is for Photokit Sharpener but you could apply it to any action in PS.
http://lightroom-news.com/2007/04/04/apply...ener-on-export/

Hope this all helps,

Jon 
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Thanks for your good suggestions Jon. I totally agree with your opinion of LR's sharpening feature (it is pretty weak!) I don't have any problems right clicking on an image in Lightroom to edit it in PS. I use it a lot to launch Noise Ninja for my NR. It is a good feature. The point is that I don't see why exporting an image to another folder does not automagically make that image appear in that same folder under Lightroom (especially if that folder already exists in Lightroom's database). I used to use Picasa2 to perform quick and dirty editing jobs and with that program you can specify any number of folders to watch for the occurrence of a new image. I think that is a very nifty feature. I have tried Lightroom's watch folder option and it works well too, but, like you said, it is only for one folder. My problem would be solved if any folder were allowed to be watched. To clarify my point here is a simple outline of my workflow:

1. Load memory card.
2. Import using Lightroom into a local "Import" folder with a subfolder labelled with the import date. (ie not the final resting place for the image)
3. Rate and/or reject.
4. Process the highest rated and the keepers and export them to their final folder (which is usually a pre-existing one like \macro\flora\gerbera.
5. Use Lightroom to import the new images from each and every folder that I have added to.  (This is the step that I think should be done automatically in step 4)

I know I'm not asking for much as I have seen and experienced this feature in other software. I think LR is a really cool program (especially since I have just bought a 24" LCD) and I love the interface. Its just lacking a few features that would make it even better.  

Cheers !
Carlos