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1. Re: How can I get Lightroom to download all photos on my turnkey computer afterwich upload w/o long wait
areohbee Jan 6, 2014 12:39 PM (in response to Bakerxxxxx)Lr probably getting tripped up by a "bad" photo file (problem has nothing to do with the number of photos).
If I were you, I'd start over with a new catalog, but first:
* consolidate images you really want in the catalog into a single folder.
* consider structuring and/or renaming them with 3rd party renamer (preferrably so that all filenames are unique).
*then*
Import one subfolder at a time (using 'Add').
That way, if things go awry, you know which subfolder is guilty.
Rob
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2. Re: How can I get Lightroom to download all photos on my turnkey computer afterwich upload w/o long wait
Bakerxxxxx Jan 6, 2014 1:28 PM (in response to areohbee)Rob,
If I understand you correctly, a “bad” photo file will create problems for Lightroom that could include long delays when bringing up any image in the catalogue. So I should do the following:
1. Start over with a new catalogue. I think I am in that position by default more or less because I could no longer work with any images in Lightroom until after I deleted the catalogue which incorporated all of the images on my computer. It just would not work. Now Lightroom works again but with one folder (a photo shoot) at a time.
2. I have images on two 1 TB hard drives. Not sure I could get all onto one hard drive. (suggestions)
I was under the impression that Lightoom would search the entire computer and only pull photo images into a catalogue. Is it possible that Lightoom would include video files? I could put all photo images on one hard drive into one folder. That would separate the images from video files. But in the Lightroom cataloguing process, must I direct the process by indicating which folders are to be included in the catalogue?
3. All my current folders are by year, month, day, and event. However, the numbering system for my Nikon cameras goes to 9,999 and then starts over at 0001. Also, I use two cameras. And, as newer/better cameras became available, I switch cameras. So the number 0001, for example, has probably been used a number of times since I first started using digital. All images are unique within a particular unique folder, but it would be a monster job locating all images with the same number. All folders are unique, but I’m pretty sure there are duplicate numbers among images files. And in some cases, there are duplicate images (with the same image) in different folders.
4. Does the presence of duplicate images or image numbers in separate folders mean I can’t expect Lightroom to function efficiently?
5. Is there a step by step process I could use that would allow me to bring in a year’s worth of unique folders containing images at a time, so I could test Lightroom to see if it has been adversely impacted?
6. I’m not familiar with third party renamers?
7. I would be lost if I had to let go of (rename) my year, month, day, event organization. I was hoping to use Lightroom to gather from these individual dated folders images I found that fit some theme such as weather, Northwest sports, nature shots, etc., without eliminating my current filing system.
Sorry for responding with so many questions.
Thanks for the time and consideration.
Bakerrr
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3. Re: How can I get Lightroom to download all photos on my turnkey computer afterwich upload w/o long wait
areohbee Jan 6, 2014 2:55 PM (in response to Bakerxxxxx)Bakerxxxxx wrote:
If I understand you correctly, a “bad” photo file will create problems for Lightroom that could include long delays when bringing up any image in the catalogue.
That's my theory. For sure something got honked when you imported the whole kit-n-kaboodle, so the general recommendation is to do it a little at a time.
I have about 12,000 photos in my personal (main) catalog and many people have a lot more than that (without performance problems).
In general, it's not a good idea to have Lightroom import images (and video) from all over your entire computer. You can do it, but then you're asking for trouble, and since you've already got trouble, I recommend a more strategic approach.
If you have things structured, named, & consolidated the way you want, then no need to use a 3rd party tool to structure, rename, and consolidate prior to importing in Lightroom. I had thought maybe you weren't well-organized since you were trying to cast such a wide net when importing. - sounds like I was wrong.
Filenames don't need to be unique, but I generally recommend it, if possible, because it eliminates some potential gotchas further down the road. If not really feasible, then just proceed without doing it.. - plenty of other users are happy enough without filename uniqueness - it won't affect performance one iota.
Step-by-step procedure for importing one folder at a time:
* drag folder from OS Finder/Explorer and drop in Library grid.
(there are other ways, but I think that is one of the simplest)
PS - If you find a folder causing problems, you can try eliminating video to see if problem is photo or video, but Lightroom supports both, so no reason to separate except maybe for such trouble-shooting.
Rob

