Can't move items in Lightroom 3

rickprickp Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
edited September 8, 2010 in Finishing School
Hey guys and gals,

I might be having an issue with the LR3 move tool or I'm not doing something right with it.

This is what I'm doing:
I launch the import tool and I choose move at the top of the window. Then in the right side panels I pick the options I need, the location of where I want to move the images to etc, etc... but when I think I'm done, the import button at the bottom doesn't light up.

FWIW, the import tool does work when I connect my camera and I download my images. It just doesn't work when I want to move them after they are in the catalog.

The reason I'm trying this instead of just creating a new folder in the new location and just moving them manually is because if I've done any editing in the old location I lose the option of undoing those edits after I move the images. So I'm hoping that moving the images with the move tool prevents this.

Any help will be appreciated.

R.
Canon 5DMk II | 70-200mm f2.8 IS USM | 24-105mm f4.0 IS USM | 85mm f1.8 prime.

Comments

  • BradfordBennBradfordBenn Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited September 6, 2010
    I do not know what the problem is, but from my experience it has been easier to move them by just clicking and dragging the folders if you can in the library panel. You don't lose the edits and the move works fine. I do this quite a bit. I have a directory on my internal laptop hard drive that is all the images I took in 2010, on my external HD is all the images I have (except for the 2010 ones). LR keeps them in the same catalog. If I need to move something between the two drives I just use LightRoom library dragging to move them.
    -=Bradford

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  • rickprickp Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
    edited September 6, 2010
    Brad,
    I'm not sure how you're doing the moves but I get a message telling me I will be unable to undo the changes I'm made to the images.
    Otherwise I agree though, it is an easier way to move the images.

    R.
    Canon 5DMk II | 70-200mm f2.8 IS USM | 24-105mm f4.0 IS USM | 85mm f1.8 prime.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2010
    rickp wrote: »
    Hey guys and gals,

    It just doesn't work when I want to move them after they are in the catalog.

    The reason I'm trying this instead of just creating a new folder in the new location and just moving them manually is because if I've done any editing in the old location I lose the option of undoing those edits after I move the images. So I'm hoping that moving the images with the move tool prevents this.

    R.

    I don't think the Import dialog is the appropriate tool for what you're trying to do. I also think you are misinterpreting the "can't undo" warning. All it means is that there's no "step backward" button to "undo it." You can always just simply move it back to the folder you moved it out of. More importantly I think you seriously misunderstand the effect of moving a photo or folder on the edits you've made. It has NO effect. ZERO. You can continue to edit, and undo edits in the new location.

    The Import dialog is for initial import into LR, not for moving a photo or folder.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • rickprickp Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2010
    A little bug crawled in my head when I read someone's comment that I wasn't using the move tool in it's intended manner. They were right.

    The reason the move tool will not work is because the images are already in the catalog.
    For the move option in the import tool to work, the images can't be part of the catalog.

    Well, at least I found out why the tool wasn't working.

    So at this point I really don't know how that move tool would be used to be honest. Maybe someone smarter than me can explain it.

    Either way, I guess I'm back to square one with my moving. Drag and drop, and don't do a bunch of editing before I move the images.

    Thanks for the info guys and gals. It's much appreciated.

    R.
    Canon 5DMk II | 70-200mm f2.8 IS USM | 24-105mm f4.0 IS USM | 85mm f1.8 prime.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2010
    rickp wrote: »
    So at this point I really don't know how that move tool would be used to be honest. Maybe someone smarter than me can explain it.

    Either way, I guess I'm back to square one with my moving. Drag and drop, and don't do a bunch of editing before I move the images.
    R.

    1. I make no claim to being smarter than you.

    2. The "Move" tool would be used if you wanted to "MOVE PHOTOS TO A NEW LOCATION AND ADD TO CATALOG." That wording is copied directly from the line that appears just below the "Move" Import if you click on it. Say you had a folder of photos on your computer that had not yet been Imported into your LR catalog, and now you wanted to move them to a NEW LOCATION and ADD them to your LR CATALOG. That's the choice you'd make.

    3. Please read my earlier post (or don't if you want to stay in the dark ne_nau.gif) Moving a photo or folder has ZERO effect on your edits. They are Catalog based, not folder based. If you move something, unless you delete it from your catalog, all your edits, keywords, flags, etc, go with it.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2010
    Icebear wrote: »
    3. Please read my earlier post (or don't if you want to stay in the dark ne_nau.gif) Moving a photo or folder has ZERO effect on your edits. They are Catalog based, not folder based. If you move something, unless you delete it from your catalog, all your edits, keywords, flags, etc, go with it.
    With one caveat. As long as you move the image within LR so that it can keep track of it. If you move the image in the folder system, outside of LR and consequently the LR catalog loses track of where the image is located, then you may create problems for yourself.

    The #1 thing to learn about moving images in Lightroom is that you should NEVER move them to a different place in the file system outside of LR once they have been added to the catalog. Do all file maintenance inside of LR and all edits will be preserved perfectly.
    --John
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  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2010
    jfriend wrote: »
    With one caveat. As long as you move the image within LR so that it can keep track of it.

    15524779-Ti.gif

    RIGHT! Drag & Drop in your Lightroom Catalog. Good catch. bowdown.gif
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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