LR library filters

divamum

I've googled for this to no avail (the word "filter" brings up page after page of graduated filter tutorials, and "preset" well... presets )

I would like to create another filter/rating that I can use in the develop pane so that I can quickly get to the tiffs I have created from raw images while editing them. Because LR3 moves the photos around once I've made tiffs - and doesn't apply the same rating to a tiff that there was to the original cr2 - it can start to get a bit confusing in a large folder!

Is there a way of doing this? Apologies if I've missed something incredibly obvious, and thanks in advance!

arodney

Make a smart collection. File Type is: TIFF.

divamum

But won't that then collect all tiffs? I'm just trying to get all the tiffs in one folder together, ie from one shoot, in the same way I can do a star or colour rating. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding how to use smart collections (I've not used them before)

Thanks for the reply!

arodney

divamum wrote: »

But won't that then collect all tiffs? I'm just trying to get all the tiffs in one folder together, ie from one shoot, in the same way I can do a star or colour rating. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding how to use smart collections (I've not used them before)

Just add one more criteria: Folder: Contains then add the name of the folder.

You DO want to investigate smart folders. Awesome and powerful.

arodney

FWIW, if you click on the folder you want to filter first, you can then build a custom filter for just TIFF (a two step process). The Filter doesn’t have the ability to select a folder, the engineers expect you to click on the folder first, in Library then apply the filter. The smart collection however contains the filtering for the file type and the folder. So you just click on it and get the results. And you have access to it in Develop.

divamum

Ok, next stupid question: where are basic instructions on Smart Folders? I gather macs use these, but I'm on a PC so have no experience/knowledge and, once again, google is bringing up related topics instead of the basics. Is there anything out there that just lays out the basics? Tx!! (I'm still googling, btw, and will come back and edit this if I find the info in the meantime )

arodney

divamum wrote: »

Ok, next stupid question: where are basic instructions on Smart Folders? I gather macs use these, but I'm on a PC so have no experience/knowledge and, once again, google is bringing up related topics instead of the basics. Is there anything out there that just lays out the basics? Tx!! (I'm still googling, btw, and will come back and edit this if I find the info in the meantime )

A smart collection is a function inside of Lightroom, has nothing to do with Macs vs. PCs.

divamum

No, but from what I've read, the principle is the same... and therefore I'm not understanding the tutorials/articles which say, "LR's smart collections are like smart folders on a mac" and assume I know how to use that ~goes off to google smart collections instead of smart folders~

ETA: SUCCESS! Have finally found the Adobe article (I love search functions but they only do exactly what you tell them to... so if you have the search string wrong you're ploughed! ). http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroom/2.0/WS546EB5A4-FBBD-4193-B80C-1886D4C1E493.html

Icebear

divamum wrote: »

so if you have the search string wrong you're ploughed! ).

Ooooh . . . I love it when you talk dirty.

arodney

divamum wrote: »

I'm not understanding the tutorials/articles which say, "LR's smart collections are like smart folders on a mac"

Any “smart folder” is just one that populates its content based on a criteria. On the Mac, you can make smart folders that auto populate based on your setup of criteria (all files opened today that are TIFFs under 5mb) etc.

RobSylvan

divamum wrote: »

snip ... doesn't apply the same rating to a tiff that there was to the original cr2 - it can start to get a bit confusing in a large folder!

Have you installed the Lightroom 3.2 update? There was a bug in 3.0 that I believe was corrected in 3.2 that fixed that issue.

BradfordBenn

Another option, and there is always more than one option, is in the Library section press "\" to see the filter bar at the top of the browser. At least that is what it is on the Mac. You can then navigate to the folder in question and apply the filter. I then just select the items I want to use; I personally have found that faster than having lots of smart collections. It is all about your personal preference and work flow.

divamum

RobSylvan wrote: »

Have you installed the Lightroom 3.2 update? There was a bug in 3.0 that I believe was corrected in 3.2 that fixed that issue.

THANK YOU for that reminder - I d'l'd it a while back and then forgot to run it.

Smart Collections are pretty neat - don't do exactly what I hoped for, but are another useful tool in the arsenal. Thanks!!!

arodney

The nice thing about smart collections is they are accessible in all the modules. The filter browser (\) in Library is also nice and easily accessible but only in Library. The two are actually quite different and don’t share all the same options. I like SC because they are created using metadata and therefore, not as proprietary as other methods of finding and managing images (like dumb collections). Even if I leave LR as my DAM, another product that can build something like a smart collection (which many other products can) mean I can easily recreate all these complex search options easily.