11 Replies Latest reply: Jan 15, 2014 7:11 AM by straightlife RSS

    Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.

    straightlife Community Member

      I've sorted them by media type, but Lightroom still offers me and insists on giving me thumbnails for all the movies as a well.  It's taking forever.  I should have sorted them originally on the drive where they live, but I didn't.

      Is there anyway to tell Lightroom to only show me images????

        • 1. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
          areohbee Community Member

          straightlife wrote:

           

          Is there anyway to tell Lightroom to only show me images????

          No. But if you don't want to have to wade through and uncheck movies, just filter using your OS first, then drag and drop images-only in library grid. It'll still show all, but videos won't be checked for importing.

           

          If merely having the videos in the thumbnail pane (even when unchecked) is causing a performance problem. Only solution I know of is to copy images elsewhere first, *or* renaming videos first. By "first" I mean "prior to importing".

           

          Another option is to use Ottomanic Importer - an import plugin which bypasses the import dialog box altogether...

           

          Cheers,

          Rob

          • 2. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
            Geoff the kiwi CommunityMVP

            What are you trying to import?? How many files and from where.

            Let us see what you are doing before you get led down off the road ideas...

            • 3. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
              areohbee Community Member

              Geoff the kiwi wrote:

               

              ...before you get led down off the road ideas...

              I wouldn't consider the ideas I offered to be "outlandish".

               

              The OP's problem was quite clearly stated: "Lightroom is showing thumbnails for all the movies as well, and it's taking forever.", and all the ideas I offered might (or will) solve that problem, without too much trouble.

               

              That said, I welcome other ideas, and establishing a little more context for the problem is always a good thing.

               

              Rob

              • 4. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                areohbee Community Member

                straightlife wrote:

                 

                Is there anyway to tell Lightroom to only show me images????

                I assumed you meant "in the import dialog box". In the library module (please forgive me if you knew this already), you can filter using the "attribute" icons:

                 

                attr_icons.gif

                (just covering bases )

                 

                Rob

                • 5. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                  straightlife Community Member

                  Rob, where do you see the attribute icons?  I'm on  mac.  This is what I see...

                   

                  Screen Shot 2014-01-08 at 11.47.25 PM.jpg

                  • 6. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                    areohbee Community Member

                    Sorry straightlife - I've confused you. The attribute filtering icons are in the library module, not the import dialog box. You are right about the import dialog box, there is no filter for video file types there.

                     

                    Is the slowness due to Lightroom generating (video) thumbnails, or is the problem more the time it takes you to check/un-check what you do/don't want to import?

                    • 7. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                      Geoff the kiwi CommunityMVP

                      Straightlife, if you supply the information asked for we might be able to assist to get you on the way.... which fodler/drive are you attempting ti import from?? Is it a whole drive? A Folder? Sub folders??

                      • 8. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                        straightlife Community Member

                        Rob, It's the time it takes to generate the hundred or so thumbnails. Thanks.

                         

                        I have LR import results sorted so that once it generates the thumbnails I can select only images to import.

                         

                        I can see that if I go to the folders & sub folders I'm trying to import (in the OS) and create and then in LR select only the image folders  that would solve my problem, but I've been so blasted inefficient in the past that that's another even longer project. 

                         

                        This is moot for the moment because I did just wait for the thumbnails to generate in LR and select as I described. And I think I have imported all my images from all my drives  & copied them to the same place in the process. But if there ever is a next time...

                        • 9. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                          areohbee Community Member

                          Hi straightlife,

                          straightlife wrote:

                           

                          This is moot for the moment ... But if there ever is a next time...

                          Glad you got through it, and for what it's worth - I agree: there should be a filter in the import dialog box - it's a frequently requested feature, to filter for raws over jpegs or vice-versa, or images over videos or vice versa, etc...

                           

                          Edit:

                          ====

                          FWIW: I suspect the root cause of the problem is lack of robustness in the thumbnail generation (extraction) code, combined with something a little off in one or more of the video (or image) files.

                          ====

                           

                          Cheers,

                          Rob

                           

                          Message was edited by: Rob Cole

                          • 10. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                            areohbee Community Member

                            Hi straightlife,

                            straightlife wrote:

                             

                            (in the import dialog box) Lightroom still offers me and insists on giving me thumbnails for all the movies as a well...Is there anyway to tell Lightroom to only show me images????

                            In the future, I recommend using the newly added (@v3.13) feature of Ottomanic Importer to hide importable videos prior to opening import dialog box:

                             

                            omi_hide_unhide_report.gif

                            Note: this feature is independent of all other Ottomanic Importer features, requires no setup, and is geared toward people who prefer to use Lr's standard import dialog box for importing.

                             

                            This would have been (could be next time) an easy way to solve your problem.

                             

                            PS - Geoff wanted me to remind y'all that I wrote this plugin myself, and Adobe hasn't tested it...

                             

                            Cheers,

                            Rob

                            • 11. Re: Huge Import, but only want images, no movies.
                              straightlife Community Member

                              Thanks, I'll give it a try.