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Author Topic: Esoteric Import Question  (Read 1538 times)

uintaangler

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Esoteric Import Question
« on: June 13, 2014, 01:25:52 am »

I started having trouble working in Lightroom and one of the casualties was a corrupted LR Catalog
I switched over to my main backup ( external ) drive and created a New Catalog that I named Lightroom 5.4
I have been manually importing the folders ( 30,000 images in approx. 120 folders ) from this backup drive into the new LR catalog on this same drive - very tedious, one folder at a time  >:(
I am about 20% of the way complete and decided that I might not need to put all 30,000 images in the new catalog
In the old catalog I had a Smart Collection of my best images ( 2 stars or better )
I would like to get this entire Smart Collection, about 500 images, into the new catalog but can't figure out how to do it
Can anybody help me figure it out?
Thanks,
Bob
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eliedinur

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2014, 03:01:29 am »

If the old catalog is still functional (not clear from above), it is easy. Put the collection on-screen and do Select All. Then File/Export as Catalog. Open the new catalog and do File/Import from Catalog, selecting the catalog of the 500 that you just made.
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dieter268

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2014, 03:07:21 am »

Bob, do you have a reason why you import the images folder by folder?
You can select all folders, or the parent folder if you have one and import all images in one bunch.
And if you have saved the metadata to file (xmps or the files themselves, depending what you have) you still have your star ratings and can easily rebuild your smart collection.
Marking all images in that smart collection and you can export them as catalog and have a separate catalog with just that images.
File - Export as Catalog... in Windows.
I don't know of a way to restore the smart collection if you didn't save the metadata, unfortunately.

Hope it helps

Dieter


  
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john beardsworth

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2014, 04:28:46 am »

I would like to get this entire Smart Collection, about 500 images, into the new catalog but can't figure out how to do it
Can anybody help me figure it out?

If you get the images in the new catalogue, then you can create the smart collection again.

Or if it is more complex, right click it in a backup catalogue and export the definition. Then import the definition into the new catalogue.

John
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uintaangler

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2014, 09:45:41 pm »

elied,
Am I correct in assuming that I will have to open the old drive in Lightroom in order to be able to find the Smart Collection and then export it as a catalog?
If I think there is something squirrelly going on with either the older drive or the older LR catalog - at one point I got a message telling me the catalog was corrupted, and then "fixed" - am I taking a chance of introducing a bug into the new catalog I created on the new drive?
Thanks,
Bob
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john beardsworth

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2014, 03:05:44 am »

Are you talking about getting the images themselves into the new catalogue, or are you talking about the smart collection?

If you aren't clear about he answer, maybe stop right now, and let's review exactly what you are trying to achieve.
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uintaangler

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2014, 09:36:20 am »

Please consider this query, "stopped right now"
Thank you John.
I have a few other questions ( stay tuned ) and don't want to rub the lamp so many times the genie stops appearing
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allegretto

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Re: Esoteric Import Question
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2014, 10:49:28 am »

Please consider this query, "stopped right now"
Thank you John.
I have a few other questions ( stay tuned ) and don't want to rub the lamp so many times the genie stops appearing


Ironic name you have and to asking this question…!

You're probably safest doing exactly what you are doing. I would open the new catalogue now and then to make sure it isn't corrupted too...
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