P: User-Managed Processing Queue for Heavy AI Tasks & Exports

Feature Request: Dedicated Processing Queue for Image processing and Background Tasks

Idea/Summary

Introduce a dedicated, interactive Processing Queue panel in Lightroom that allows photographers to manually queue images for various purposes

1. Resource-intensive operations —such as AI Denoise, Lens Blur, AI Masking, Upscaling (Super Resolution), and background exports—and manage them in priority order using context menus and dedicated keyboard shortcuts.
2. When there are 100’s/1000’s of images and I would like to process in a queue - would like this process. This can be manual editing or Resource intensive operations, or a mix of both.

The Problem

Applying heavy AI operations (like AI Denoise) or triggering large exports forces immediate processing or utilizes a rigid, automated background sequence.

• This frequently bogs down system performance, causing lag in the Develop module when trying to move to the next image.

• There is no way to quickly "save heavy processing for later" or pause/reorder the tasks without completely canceling them, breaking a fluid editing rhythm.

Proposed Solution / Workflow

1. Context Menu & Keyboard Shortcut Integration:

   • Add an "Add to Processing Queue" option to the right-click context menu in the Library Grid, Filmstrip, and Develop modules.

   • The Shortcut: Assign a dedicated, customizable keyboard shortcut (e.g., Ctrl + Q / Cmd + Q, or a user-defined combination) to instantly push the selected image(s) and their pending heavy adjustments into the queue without ever lifting hands from the keyboard.

2. Dedicated Queue Panel: Introduce a collapsible "Processing Queue" panel (similar to an export or download manager) that displays all pending tasks.

3. Priority Management: Within this panel, users should be able to:

   • Drag and drop items to reorder and change processing priority.

   • Pause, resume, or cancel individual tasks or the entire queue.

4. Trigger Control: Allow users to either let the queue run silently in the background with limited resource allocation, or hit a "Start Queue" button to process everything in bulk when walking away from the workstation.

Why This Benefits Photographers

• Interrupted Workflow Prevention: Photographers can maintain a fast, fluid editing rhythm. By hitting a quick keyboard shortcut or right-clicking, they can flag a heavy task and immediately move to culling or basic adjustments on the next image without waiting for the machine to catch up.

• Resource Optimization: It gives professionals complete control over when their hardware is pushed to its limits, preventing system thermal throttling or lag during critical, high-speed editing sessions.

This is different from a target collection which is just a bucket for sorting images; this proposed feature is a traffic controller for computer horsepower and as number of images to process goes higher, works better.