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Help with Lightroom 6 Catalog's and Collections
Jan 13, 2021 18:32:23   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
I bought myself a new computer and am starting to bring photographs into Lightroom 6...

I am pretty sure I am doing the organization all wrong...on my old computer every time i brought new photos in i created a new catalog...thus i had many catalogs...one for every set of photos...

before i get into it this time I was wondering if there is a better way? If so, what is it...

I hope this is enough information to let you know what I am asking? If not, i will try to explain in more detail

Thanks

Chuck

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Jan 13, 2021 18:47:39   #
DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
 
Been years since I used LR6, but I don't believe it works any differently now than it did then.

Do not try to drag your photos onto the Lightroom icon. Just double-click the icon to bring up the program. It will use the last catalog you had been using.

Use ONE catalog. It's much easier. Open a catalog and click on "Import". That will bring up a dialog allowing you to import your photos. Next time you have photos, click on "Import" again and add the photos to what you already have in the catalog.

If you have several catalogs, you can merge them. File -> Import from another catalog.

PS: Feel free to ask how to do things. That's part of what this forum is all about.


(Download)

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Jan 13, 2021 19:58:55   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
No, you should not be creating new catalogs. Are you sure that's what you're doing? If you think of your LR catalog as a Library, what you've described is building a new physical building every time you add new books to the library. If that's what you've done, you really have a mess. But, a mess that can be quickly undone.

All your images should be in a single library, LR catalog, as define by a single *.LRCAT file on your computer drive. You might want to use your OS 'file find' and see how many LRCAT files you can find on your computer. This gives you a sense of how much effort you'll have to spend to merge and clean-up this issue.

To merge catalog, you'll need the following actions.

1. Identify and / or create a single 'master' catalog (a building) where all other data (books) will be merged. You might go into LR and File / New Catalog and create a clear name such as: New-Master-Lightroom.LRCAT.

2. Next, identify all your source LRCAT files. Copy them to a 'temp' folder or write down all the names so you have a checklist of the files to process. Don't take files from the \Backup folder that have date-stamps in the name. Just take all the other LRCAT files.

3. Inside your new 'master' catalog, use the import command to merge the content of the files, with File / Import from Another Catalog. As you complete the import (merge) of data from each of your old files, rename or delete those old LRCAT files. Repeat until all these old files are merged and checked-off your work list.

4. If you renamed or made copies of the now duplicative LRCAT files, remove the old files to save space and avoid future confusion.

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Jan 13, 2021 20:16:51   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
One catalog for everything. Maybe separate folders, separate collections and various keywords for organization.

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Jan 14, 2021 07:59:32   #
tcthome Loc: NJ
 
You were probably (hope) creating new folders & not catalogs upon importing. Any way , when I first purchased LR6 I also purchased Scott Kelby's LR6/Classic book. Using his advise I organized all my folders like eg. Pats Birthday , Sea Bright Car show , etc. inside of the pictures folder before importing them into LR6. Then I just imported the pictures folder. A note is when & if you pre-organize your folders this way you can separate the folders by 2020,2019, & so on with your individual folders for each year if desired. LR6 will import the folders in your Pictures library(Pictures will be your catalog, I renamed mine Tom's Photos) & most likely organize them by date. What ever you do when you start importing & have created a main catalog is DO IT FROM INSIDE LR6!

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Jan 14, 2021 10:25:46   #
ColonelButler Loc: Niagara-on-the-Lake ON Canada
 
Spend some time watching Julieanne Kost's (Adobe Evangelist) videos before starting to import. It will save you a lot of grief. https://jkost.com/blog/lightroom-training-videos

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Jan 14, 2021 18:49:30   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
tcthome wrote:
You were probably (hope) creating new folders & not catalogs upon importing. Any way , when I first purchased LR6 I also purchased Scott Kelby's LR6/Classic book. Using his advise I organized all my folders like eg. Pats Birthday , Sea Bright Car show , etc. inside of the pictures folder before importing them into LR6. Then I just imported the pictures folder. A note is when & if you pre-organize your folders this way you can separate the folders by 2020,2019, & so on with your individual folders for each year if desired. LR6 will import the folders in your Pictures library(Pictures will be your catalog, I renamed mine Tom's Photos) & most likely organize them by date. What ever you do when you start importing & have created a main catalog is DO IT FROM INSIDE LR6!
You were probably (hope) creating new folders &... (show quote)


Thanks.

Nope, I was creating new catalogs.


Starting over.


Chuck

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Jan 14, 2021 18:50:35   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
DirtFarmer wrote:
Been years since I used LR6, but I don't believe it works any differently now than it did then.

Do not try to drag your photos onto the Lightroom icon. Just double-click the icon to bring up the program. It will use the last catalog you had been using.

Use ONE catalog. It's much easier. Open a catalog and click on "Import". That will bring up a dialog allowing you to import your photos. Next time you have photos, click on "Import" again and add the photos to what you already have in the catalog.

If you have several catalogs, you can merge them. File -> Import from another catalog.

PS: Feel free to ask how to do things. That's part of what this forum is all about.
Been years since I used LR6, but I don't believe i... (show quote)


Thanks for your input. Appreciate it

Chuck

Reply
Jan 14, 2021 18:56:38   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
No, you should not be creating new catalogs. Are you sure that's what you're doing? If you think of your LR catalog as a Library, what you've described is building a new physical building every time you add new books to the library. If that's what you've done, you really have a mess. But, a mess that can be quickly undone.

All your images should be in a single library, LR catalog, as define by a single *.LRCAT file on your computer drive. You might want to use your OS 'file find' and see how many LRCAT files you can find on your computer. This gives you a sense of how much effort you'll have to spend to merge and clean-up this issue.

To merge catalog, you'll need the following actions.

1. Identify and / or create a single 'master' catalog (a building) where all other data (books) will be merged. You might go into LR and File / New Catalog and create a clear name such as: New-Master-Lightroom.LRCAT.

2. Next, identify all your source LRCAT files. Copy them to a 'temp' folder or write down all the names so you have a checklist of the files to process. Don't take files from the \Backup folder that have date-stamps in the name. Just take all the other LRCAT files.

3. Inside your new 'master' catalog, use the import command to merge the content of the files, with File / Import from Another Catalog. As you complete the import (merge) of data from each of your old files, rename or delete those old LRCAT files. Repeat until all these old files are merged and checked-off your work list.

4. If you renamed or made copies of the now duplicative LRCAT files, remove the old files to save space and avoid future confusion.
No, you should not be creating new catalogs. Are y... (show quote)


Thank you CHG_CANON. as always helpful. I am starting over and going to try and pull all my catalogs together.

So it’s catalogs...then folders...and then collections. I think just have to get the terminology right and learn each one inside and out

Chuck

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Jan 14, 2021 18:57:11   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
bsprague wrote:
One catalog for everything. Maybe separate folders, separate collections and various keywords for organization.


Thanks. I will take a look tomorrow

Chuck

Reply
Jan 15, 2021 11:13:34   #
via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP
 
Check out the Adobe LrC help manual online to learn how the application works. Specifically, the information on the Library Module. Do this prior to doing anything else. Most likely you will need to start over, moving your image folders around on your hard drive to put them in the new correct place and then link everything up to LrC. Use one main folder, i.e., All Photos, then put everything into that folder...this keeps all of your images together. Using a system that separates out subjects into separate folders can be time-consuming and unmanageable in the end, use keywords and collections for that. Using year and subject folders might work for you. So, All Photos>2020>Grand Canyon would be the sequence. Read the Help Manual...

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Jan 15, 2021 11:16:17   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
via the lens wrote:
Check out the Adobe LrC help manual online to learn how the application works. Specifically, the information on the Library Module. Do this prior to doing anything else. Most likely you will need to start over, moving your image folders around on your hard drive to put them in the new correct place and then link everything up to LrC. Use one main folder, i.e., All Photos, then put everything into that folder...this keeps all of your images together. Using a system that separates out subjects into separate folders can be time-consuming and unmanageable in the end, use keywords and collections for that. Using year and subject folders might work for you. So, All Photos>2020>Grand Canyon would be the sequence. Read the Help Manual...
Check out the Adobe LrC help manual online to lear... (show quote)


Thanks. I am starting over. I will probably dedicate an external drive for Lightroom and other PP software photos only

Chuck

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