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catherineinQLD
Participating Frequently
March 23, 2018
Answered

Smart Previews - Renames my files on the import!? Argh

  • March 23, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 1148 views

Hi everyone,

I am tearing my hair out following various bloggers instructions on how to work with smart previews so i can send a catalogue across to someone on the other side of my city to edit for me.

Firstly, is there a tutorial I am missing on here on the basic how to with clear instruction?

Secondly, we have stumbled through the process however I just imported the edited previews and all the file names are now epically long!? Arghh.

I don't think it even resembles the original name. What happened!?

I need the original file names to track my kiddos. What a nightmare. Can I salvage this or will I have to juggle my way through and how do I prevent this happening again.

ALSO, the images look incredibly pixelated, like oversharpened on settings that would not normally look fine. Is there something else I am missing here too?

Thank you kindly!!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Rob_Cullen

Try this method-

{A} is you.

{B} is the person on the other side of the city.

  1. {A} selects some images from the master catalog and does File > Export as Catalog. Check (Smart Previews), but not negatives (originals) It will generate a catalog with {A’s} work done and a folder of smart previews.
  2. Zip the Exported Catalog and Smart Previews folder.
  3. Send the zip file to {B} (DropBox or email)
  4. {B} unzips and opens the Exported Catalog with Lightroom.  (Double-click on the Catalog.LRCAT file)
  5. {B} edits images, then needs only to 'Zip' the Catalog (and ONLY the Catalog!) and send it back to {A}
  6. {A} now uses File > Import from Another Catalog to bring the extra work done by {B} back from the ‘Exported’ Catalog into {A’s} master catalog.

(Note: Requires both {A} and {B} to have equivalent Lightroom versions)

There is no "Importing" of any images or files involved in this process (other than your {A} initial Master catalog file import)

All the filenames (like 2FC9952B-C11A-4F17-9C8D-37E2216DBF76.dng) are the preview references for the Smart Previews. You never need to look at or import these files. Consider them as a cache folder of Previews only and NOT actual image files.

1 reply

Just Shoot Me
Just Shoot Me
Legend
March 23, 2018

Did the person that edited them change the names?

C
catherineinQLDAuthor
Participating Frequently
March 23, 2018

No, she just exported as a catalogue. I have just messaged her to ask if she noticed the name change when she imported, or if this has happened on her export.

Just Shoot Me
Just Shoot Me
Legend
March 23, 2018

I don't normally work with smart preview but I just created some. They do get a long numerical and letter character name.

2FC9952B-C11A-4F17-9C8D-37E2216DBF76.dng

You should take the Preview folder that they sent back to you and copy the files over the top of your Smart Previews folder.

But that might be a little hard. I just created smart previews for 5 files. 3 subfolder were created in my S P folder and then in 2 of those 3 subfolder 2 other sub subfolders were created and in the other subfolder 1 sub subfolder was created. In each of those sub subfolders was one image smart Preview.

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