crbuckjr Loc: Naples FL

I am a heavy user of PSE11 with 50,000 pictures. I am thinking of converting to Lightroom for organizing and managing my pictures, etc. (using PSE only when necessary) I am concerned about what kind of complications I am headed for.

In PSE I use Stacks, Star Ratings, Version Sets, Collections and Tags, etc. as a part of my work flow. Will all of this information be available and useable in LR? I have several levels of hierarchical tags. Will they convert ….in the same hierarchies? Will both the original and edited files from a Version set be available? I have some PDF files with layers, etc. OK?

I'd certainly appreciate your thoughts before I head down this path.

Thanks, Chuck

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Chuck,
Just started using Lightroom not to long ago, not familiar with PSE11. You can use star ratings or rate by color, you have collections, etc. One expert on Lightroom is Searcher (James). He would be able to answer all your questions.
Don

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

This is a great question for the Lightroom Forum. The most experienced LR guru's hang out there....
http://www.lightroomforums.net

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

A few tutorials for LR -

These two cover the file structure fairly well. They have a difference in opinion on DNG but the rest of it is pretty good info...

This one is 48 min's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF2RMd3L83w

This one is almost 2 hrs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSwkDC3q7uk

Google might have an answer also

For a comprehensive package on LR - from intro to advanced - these are good video packages...

Anthony Morganti's videos on LR
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLllFqBuTM0WI0fC_PujkGoLMyXWXd3yF7

The Complete Picture with Julieanne Kost
http://tv.adobe.com/show/the-complete-picture-with-julieanne-kost/from_ims=true&old_hash=&api=check%2Ftoken#

Hope this helps

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Found this link from Lightroom 4. I suspect its still doable.

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/lightroom/using/WS217DEA0F-2A78-4445-89CB-4CED1AFA450E.html

By the way, once Lightroom is set up and you've made your adjustments, you can start Elements 11 from within Lightroom and send your raw image to it for further processing if needed. It can be saved as a TIFF file. That's exactly what I do. Most of the time I have no need to use Elements 11 and accomplish what I want in LR, but the transition from one program to the other is very straightforward.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Consider this adding to your workflow, not switching from PSE to Lightroom - PSE has a limited raw processing capability, and LR has the full adobe camera raw, but it is still limited to mostly global edits to your images. For pixel level editing you still want a pixel editor, like PSE or PHotoshop CC.

I am not sure about your work in PSE, but when I added LR, I just ignored the previous ratings and merely added the files to the catalog. There used to be a File Uprgrade Organizer to LR Catalog function which pretty much does what you are asking, but I am not a PSE user, and I don't have it installed on my system.

This might be helpful>

http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/lightroom-3-cant-upgrade-photoshop.html

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

It's my opinion that Lightroom is a much better organizer, plus it has a fine set of tools for post processing. I really don't like PSE Organizer, and Lightroom works seamlessly with Elements, but that's just my opinion.

Jerry M

Chuck,it is not as easy as some will make you think. I did just that several years ago (earlier versions) and still have a mess on my hands. You may be organized enough already in PSE but i was not and it was quite frustrating. I would suggest getting a very competent LR user to help and make sure you do it correctly. Good luck.

crbuckjr Loc: Naples FL

Thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions. Now, I have some work to do absorbing all of this. Thanks again!

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

First- they are meant to compliment each other, while there are some features that cross over, you will find you will find great use both for what each does best.

There is a steep learning curve and a major paradigm shift in working with it, and some things you should consider before you start to catalog stuff. It isn;t hard, and you'll find ot was well thought out, but it is different, you'll need some help and you only want to do it once.

Lynda.com has a monthly subscription for tutorials for just about every title of software there is. I have found hers the best. One subscription covers any tutorial you wish, multiple ones for Lightroom that get into specifics like landscapes, portraits, etc. etc. and the getting started types and even some that concentrate on the more mundane things like cataloging. PLUS you can take some on PSE and find all the stuff you didn't know it could do!

I was a book guy, took to video tutorials kicking and screaming... but frankly, discovered video tutorials are simply the fastest way of getting up and running there is. And am now a devout cheerleader for them.

I promise, for the cost of a few books, if you only subscribe for several month's you'll find it invaluable!

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

I hit submit once and two duplicate posts showed up!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You hit the nail on the head!

crbuckjr Loc: Naples FL

thanks..it is the "mess" that I am worried about

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

50,000 images in a PSE Organiser? That has got to be some kind of record, I gave up at 3000 and moved to Lightroom. Moving your catalogue and translating it to LR is not difficult, though it will probably be a lengthy process.

I think the tags will move though I do not know if the hierarchal tags will survive as such
Ratings?
Stacks?
Version sets?

I do not think the collections, albums or version sets will stay intact
The pdf files will not move into Lightroom (you can export non-layered pdfs from Lightroom but not import).

Probably the best way to test this is to create a new PSE Catalog with 20 or thereabouts images, tag, rate them, albumise them etc. and try it to see what happens. As you have not yet got LR, I will try this out tomorrow (UK time) and let you know how it worked out.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

I created a new catalogue in PSE 12, included some tags and one album, and a couple with star ratings. I did not create any version sets, or hierarchal tags or stacks. (these are simple in LR, but I don't know how they are done in PSE).

Open LR, chose Upgrade Photoshop Elements Catalogue).

Lightroom closed, re-launched with a new catalogue with the 27 images complete with tags, star rating and even the collections all intact.

I was surprised at how quickly the operation was dealt with, though 50,000 images might take a while longer.