I am using LR with just enough knowledge to accomplish the basics and today I went a step beyond.... I went through thousands of photos in order to export the ones I want to consider for a project into a new folder I created. So far, so good. What I failed to do, I now realize, is tick the box for Add to Catalogue so I, apparently, was exporting to my folder but not adding to the catalogue. The bottom line is that those photos I transferred are not in the folder I exported them to. Once I calmed down I exported one more with the Add to Catalogue box ticked and, sure enough, it worked fine. So, I know what I did wrong and won't do it again. What I want to know now is did I just waste five hours of work? What happened to all the files I exported to this specific folder (without adding them to the catalogue)? Surely they went somewhere. It would be a cruel trick if LR let me export for hours knowing that the photos weren't going anywhere because I hadn't ticked one box. Personally, I think the box ticking shouldn't be an option, it should be the default, if that's what it takes for the photos to go where you want them to go. HELP!
What I want to know now is did I just waste five hours of work? What happened to all the files I exported to this specific folder (without adding them to the catalogue)?
This is pretty tough to diagnose sitting here across the Internet, we weren't looking over your shoulder and didn't see what you did. So all I can do is ask some more questions:
Are you sure you didn't get any photos in the folder you were trying to export to? Why are you sure? What did you do to confirm this?
Did you double-check the export dialog box to find out what folder was selected? Are you sure you looked in that exact folder?
Have you used you're operating system's search feature to search all hard disks for one of the exported photos by file name?
Personally, I think the idea of adding exported photos to your catalog is not necessary, and I think the default should be to not have the box checked.
I probably don't understand your complete workflow. But why do you find it necessary to add the exported images to the catalog? I keep the master images in the catalog, but when I export images it is to share them on the web or e-mail them to someone. The exported image is just a copy. If you keep master images and copies in the catalog it seems to me that things can become unnecessarily complicated.
You would be wise to develop a workflow that is consistent with the way Lightroom works, instead of trying to use the same workflow that you used with ACDSee. We see people here in this and other forums who don't modify their workflow to the way Lightroom works, they insist on using the same workflow as before, and they use words like you did "unnecessarily complicated" and they are frustrated. Yet to me, the Lightroom workflow couldn't be any simpler.
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