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mrjackson
Inspiring
April 29, 2018
Answered

Embedding Previews in a legacy folder?

  • April 29, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 568 views

I just did the update...

I am culling a bunch of legacy folders of images and take advantage of the quick loading Embedded Previews.

New images are being imported with Embed Previews checked, but old folders lack them.

Currently, I am selecting all of the images in a folder, then remove them, followed by Syncing the folder.

Does anyone know of any of the recent updates have a feature to go through existing images and embed the previews to save a couple of steps?

Thanks in advance,

MJ

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer mrjackson

    The reasons someone might want to embed the previews on import are the exact same reasons I am wanting to do that now with the legacy images.

    I am beginning to think you have the wrong idea about "embedded previews".

    You cannot change the "embedded preview" that is stored within a raw image file. It is fixed by the camera. Nothing you do in Lightroom will change the "embedded preview" contained within the file. And its pixel size is set by the camera model.

    As Ian and myself are trying to explain- "embedded previews" are only useful to speed up the Import process when you want to see photos at 1:1 detail to decide on culling.

    My "NewShoots" folder and subfolders currently have around 100,000 images in it and need to be culled.

    If this folder is already referenced in the Catalog then there is nothing to be gained by removing and re-importing. If you want to see 1:1 images for deciding to delete photos, then simply let Lightroom create the 1:1 previews for the 'Legacy' images.

    If this folder is NOT in the Catalog, then you may be better to Import using "Build Previews: Minimal" for speed, or set the Import to use the embedded previews for the 1:1 quality view.


    No need to carry this forward. I see how it works, and I see the benefit to my culling workflow. The original question was whether anyone knew of a new command (probably located as a right mouse click option under Synchronize Folder) that would go through a selected group of images in a folder and add the original embedded preview image.

    I don't see the command and one of the responders already said NO.

    I truly appreciate the advice given here. Thanks!

    2 replies

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 30, 2018

    I do hope you have a catalog backup, because you totally misunderstood the ‘Embedded previews’ option. This option allows for faster import of images, by using the embedded camera-generated previews rather than letting Lightroom build its own during the import process. If you remove images from your catalog and then import them again with this option, you will lose all your edits and other metadata (unless you saved these to XMP first) and gain nothing.

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    M
    mrjacksonAuthor
    Inspiring
    April 30, 2018

    My "NewShoots" folder and subfolders currently have around 100,000 images in it and need to be culled. Very few of them have edits, so I am not worried about that. The reasons someone might want to embed the previews on import are the exact same reasons I am wanting to do that now with the legacy images.

    I would like to make culling decisions based on the data stored in the original image (sharpening, contrast, hue, saturation, white balance, etc) and not from the Adobe Standard (or other preset like As Shot) they apply to an image. I know I can edit the photo later, which overwrites the embedded preview, but right now, I just want to fly through the culling.

    Some people were using PhotoMechanic for this step, since it loaded the original preview images much quicker than LR. I had been doing it a while when I read an article in Photoshop User titled something like "Thinking outside the box". That author had discovered how much faster it was to cull there, then sync the folder in LR. The Embedded Previews option in the newer versions of LR eliminated the PhotoMechanic step for me on newly imported images.

    Edit> Ideally, I'd like to select all of the images in a folder, then check a function called "Embed Previews" with a check box to "Ignore Previously Edited Images".

    Ian Lyons
    Community Expert
    Ian LyonsCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 30, 2018

    mrjackson  wrote

    The answer to your original question re a process by which a few steps can be saved is No!

    mrjackson  wrote

    My "NewShoots" folder and subfolders currently have around 100,000 images in it and need to be culled. Very few of them have edits, so I am not worried about that. The reasons someone might want to embed the previews on import are the exact same reasons I am wanting to do that now with the legacy images.

    Be aware that while the embedded previews gives you access to the original 'look'; it only does so in the Library module. Also, the embedded previews are substantially larger and of much higher quality that the Adobe rendered previews. This will have an impact in Library module performance (scrolling, louping, etc)This is of no real consequence when dealing with a few hundred or even a few thousand recently imported images that you want to cull are quickly apply metadata to. However, since using the embedded previews as primary previews was never the intended behaviour the pluses will likely be very quickly outweighed by the negatives.

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 30, 2018

    As I understand "Embedded Previews"- there is no purpose in removing photos and synchronizing again, you will be just wasting time. In fact you possibly have a lot to lose! -all editing work done!

    Consider that the photos already in your catalog already have previews generated, and anyway Lightroom will still create previews when you edit photos, regardless if you used the "embedded previews" when importing.

    I believe that the option to use "embedded previews" is only to assist a faster culling workflow of new imports.

    There is a chapter on the topic at this blog article-

    https://www.lightroomqueen.com/whats-new-lightroom-classic-october-2017-70/

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.4.1, Photoshop 27.8, ACR 18.4, Lightroom 9.4, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
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