Depending on how you exported the edited version of your images, the Lightroom develop data might be included in their XMP sections.

If so, you could extract these XMP data into XMP files using ExifTool, then edit them setting "AlreadyApplied" to false and use them as sidecars upon import of your originals (assuming they are Raws).

In order to test if this will work, can you upload an original and a edited version of one of your images to somewhere (i.e. www.yousendit.com, dropbox, ...) and post a link to them here?

Beat

Thanks.

This seems to work. Here is the original I created with embedded XMP data to be imported into Lightroom:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/M3BsQndFdkd0d0dGa2RVag

You should be able to see your corrections in LR after import. In order to establish a procedure to achieve this:

• Are your originals and edited versions named the same (or in a way that one name can be derived from the other)?
• What operating system are you using
• Are you familiar with ExifTool?

Beat

sunnychik wrote:

 

Thank you!

 

hmmm...

 

1. yes, the original is "IMG_0001" and the edited is "IMG_0001 - LR"

2. windows 7 and with LR4

3. not at all familiar with ExifTool, just started to do some research online...

OK, that could work out then :-)

Let me get back to you with further information tonight my time (in about 14 hrs).

Beat

P.S: Is the sample I uploaded what you would expect as a result? How many images are we talking about?

Message was edited by: b_gossweiler

sunnychik wrote:

 

(and I guess my facebook photos wouldn't be able to do the same thing right? as they weren't uploaded as HQ...)

 

The resolution of the exported image does not matter, as the technique only takes the develop info out of the exported image and embeds it into the original. So as long as you have the originals of your facebook photos, and facebook did not strip the XMP data from your uploads, they'll be fine.

may I know how exactly you did this through Exif tools ?

This is the technique that can be used:

(I'm assuming that you have a file "xxxx - LR.jpg" as export, along with a file xxxx.jpg as original for all images you want to recover)

1) Download and install ExifTool

• Download the "Windows Executable" ZIP file from this page:http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/
• Open the ZIP file and extract the file exiftool(-k).exe to some folder on your harddisk, then rename the file to exiftool.exe
  (let's assume you extract the file to folder C:\ExifTool, and I'll use this directory in future references)

2) Create some folders
Create a folder to contain the images to be worked on, i.e. C:\Temp, with subfolders "Originals" and "Exports"

3) Open Command Windows for Originals / Exports

• In Windows Explorer, Shift+RightClick on folder C:\Temp\Originals and choose "Open Command Window Here"
  The resulting command window will look like this:
  
• In Windows Explorer, Shift+RightClick on folder C:\Temp\Exports and choose "Open Command Window Here"
  The resulting command window will look like this:
  
• These two command windows will be called "cmd-Originals" and "cmd-Exports" in furhter references

Perform this procedure for each folder of Originals/Exported images:

Please make sure you enter the command exactly as written here. You can copy them from here using Ctrl-C and insert them into a command window using Right-Click+Insert (Ctrl-V will not work in a command window).

4) Copy Originals to folder Originals

Using Windows Explorer, copy all originals of one specific folder into C:\Temp\Originals

5) Copy Exported JPEGs to folder Exports

Using Windows Explorer, copy all exported derivates of these originals into C:\Temp\Exports

6) Extract XMP Files from Exported JPEGs

In command window cmd-Exports, enter the following command to extract XMP files from your exported JPEGs, whereby cutting the last 5 characters from the filename, hence making "xxxx.xmp" out of "xxxx - LR.jpg":

C:\ExifTool\exiftool -o %d%-.5f.xmp "* - LR.jpg"

This will result in as many *.xmp files as there were "xxxx - LR.jpg" files in the directory (the confirmation will say "nn image files created").

7) Modify XMP files to AlreadyApplied=False

In command window cmd-Exports, enter the following command to change the value of the tag "AlreadApplied" in all XMP files to "False":

C:\ExifTool\exiftool -xmp:AlreadyApplied="False" -overwrite_original *.xmp

(the confirmation will say "nn image files updated")

8) Move XMP files to folder Originals

Using Windows Explorer, move all the files with extension *.xmp from folder C:\Temp\Exports to C:\Temp\Originals

The XMP files should now carry the same base name as your originals in the folder C:\Temp\Originals

9) Embed the XMP files into the Originals

In command window cmd-Originals, enter the following command to embed the content of all *.xmp files into the existing JPEG originals with the same base name:

C:\ExifTool\exiftool -ext jpg -tagsfromfile %d%f.xmp -overwrite_original *

(the confirmation will say "nn image files updated")

10) Move Originals back to where they came from

Using Windows Explorer, move all the files (*.jpg+*.xmp) from folder C:\Temp\Originals into a subfolder of the folder you originally copied your originals from in step 4). (i.e. "Recovered_Originals")

11) Delete content of folder Exports

Using Windows Explorer, delete all files from folder C:\Temp\Exports

(both Exports and Originals should be empty by now)

12) Import Originals into LR

Import the files from "Recovered_Originals" into LR and see if the result is what you were looking for.

13) Back to Step 4 with the next set of Originals/Exports

I would recommend to practice this procedure with a few images to start with, and check if everything runs to your satisfaction. Then go ahead and do the bulk part.

Beat

P.S: Come back here if you get stuck or anything does not behave as described. I'll be out of town for a few days though, so a possible answer will have to wait till the end of the week.

Message was edited by: b_gossweiler