P: Book Module – Unfinished book vanishes

[dadod]

I’m creating my first Blurb book inside of Lightroom 4. There are some 175 images in my collection/filmstrip. I was about 80% complete with the book, when I selected an image to go into the Development Module for adjustments. When done I returned to the Book Module. But the book was gone! The filmstrip at the bottom of the page is there indicating images are in the book, but the book itself is empty with only a cover and two blank pages. If I add an already “used” image, the filmstrip counter goes from 1 to 2.

Trying to fix this problem, I backed up and optimized my catalog. But upon restarting Lightroom no change... and no book!

Any suggestions as how to get my book back? Or do I have to start over!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I sent an email to blurb, and they basically passed the buck and blamed adobe, below are responses from customer service, and from the Blurb forum (which blurb then closed for further discussion).

It is truly sad that neither Blurb or Adobe takes and responsibility for this issue, and does nothing to warn future users of the module of the risk of losing their hard work.

"Hi all,
If you have any technical problems or questions related to LightRoom 4 and its bookmaking module please contact Adobe for assistance.
We at Blurb are happy to provide help with the printed book you receive after making your book in Lightroom 4, and answer questions about the paper and processes related to the book itself, but all Lightroom technical assistance must go through Adobe (because Lightroom is an Adobe-created product). http://helpx.adobe.com/contact/
I will be closing this thread as the issue cannot be resolved here in the forums.
Regards,
Michael/Blurb Customer Support"

and

"I'm sorry your experience wasn't as good as you had hoped, and we do appreciate the feedback. I'll make sure to pass this along to Adobe to see how they might improve on this in the future. Unfortunately, there isn't much that we're able to do in cases like this, as as Blurb only handles the actual printing of your file.

I'd also recommend you voice your concern to Adobe, which you can do by using the following link:
http://www.adobe.com/support/imaging/...

It's feedback like this that helps us make our products and services even better. Without customers like you, we wouldn't be able to improve our products and services.

Best regards,

David
Blurb Technical Support"

[bcdavis1975]

Hmmm. Well, I guess I'd be very surprised if Blurb had anything to say about it. It's clearly a programmatic issue with the book module... unless you're referring to a different type of glitch.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

BenD, yes it is an issue with the book module, but considering that blurb is (a) promoting the use of lightroom (b) SELLING lightroom--and making money from it--on their website, then they have an obligation to warn their customers of potential issues.

http://www.blurb.com/lightroom

you'll notice a big fat "buy lightroom" button on the page.

A store that knowingly sell defective products bears some type of responsibility even if they are not the manufacturer.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I think I may have tracked down the source of the problem. After losing a book several times in Lightroom I decided to simply export the JPGs and then create the book in Blurb using their software. This works well, except that periodically the Blurb software exe refuses to start, When this happens I need to reboot the computer. I suspect that what LR has done is simply to link to the Blurb software (or at least some version of it). I'm guessingt that when LR calls the Blurb module to start, it sometimes fails to do so. In support of this theory I would note that I once "Lost" a book in LR, but was able to retrieve it after I had rebooted. I also suspect that this problem exists only on some computers. I'm running the most recent version of Windows 7 with all the updates on a Toshiba laptop. Michael Borenstein

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

My issue occurred while cutting and pasting text from one page caption to another.

Brett, the other issue is the fundamental nature of Lightroom catalogs. When you think about it, its a very risky way to do book projects.

If I am working in Indesign, you know when you are saving, and can save multiple versions of a file. With lightroom all your books are in one basket. which is very scary, as that basket has been proven to disappear at a moments notice.

[ultragc8]

I am using LR4.1 and just experience the same issue folks reported. WTF Adobe!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Yeah the least they could do is issue a warning to do extra backups of the catalog file. Were you using it for blurb? I've been trying to pressure Blurb to warn its users about the issue, but no luck...Terrible that these companies know there is a problem, that people are losing work, and do nothing to warn them,

[ultragc8]

Hey Jamie,

Yes I was trying to setup Blurb book. I'm a newbie to LR so this is not the type of impression they want to give.

Since the numbers above the filmstrip still there, something tells me the layout still existing in the db. It may be that the db is corrupted or damaged somehow.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Yeah if you can find a backup of your catalog file, then you may be able to restore your book, I think, by default lightroom backs up the catalog weekly. check whereever the catalog and backups are stored. Additionally, if you use timemachine, or saved your catalog on dropbox, then you might be able to recover a non corrupted database.

Anyway, it would be great if you could send Blurb a note, or write something on their facebook page. I really think they should warn their users about this since they are promoting lightroom on their website. Losing work sucks....

Of course Adobe should warn people too...

[ultragc8]

Done.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hi there.
I need to report this bug to, happening in Adobe Lightroom 4.1.

It happends me 3 times with the same book, its really frustrating ́cause I find LR4 a really usefull tool to make quick wedding albums.

Bug Report:
Its seens that the bug ocurrs when the user is changing between modules, like library or develop and the book module.

Suddenly the workspace in the book module goes dark (no thumsnails displayed), you cant see the spreads, and you cant zoom in the thumsnails... you cant do nothing...

Them the "work in progress bar" starts to work in something.. them nothing happends.. the book just vanish and never come back.

For your consideration:
Im using Lightroom 4.1 - Just Optimized the catalog.
The book was set to 30cms x 30cms - PDF - Hard Cover Dust Jacket
50 to 60 Pages

Pc Information:
Windows 7 - 64bits
Extended Desktop (2 screens)

Hope this bug gets fixed quick...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Marko, both Adobe and Blurb are aware of this bug and are doing nothing to warn their customers.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Also, I've been sending multiple email to people at Blurb to warn people about this, and they have done nothing, they just say it's Adobe's problem.

However, Blurb promotes lightroom on their website and encourages its use in Blurb books, so for me the do have a certain responsibility to warn their customers.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Thanks for the comment Jamie. I guess there are a lots of frustrated users of LR4.1... this bug is really anoying.

Hope that Adobe get soon to work in this because I am ashame of having this kind of bugs in LR4.1. ... I also teach lightroom 4 in a Photography School here in my city, and Im always trying to convince them to buy LR4.1, and do not use pirate versions... just for the support, upgrades and services that adobe provide.

Dont let us down Adobe.

----------

I also understand why adobe is not warning their costumers about this bug, also Blurb. There is a problem about warning and publishing mistakes online.

in spanish there is a quote that says:
"La gente siempre recuerda el insulto y no la disculpa."

I will try to translate that in english:
"People always remember the insult, not the apologize"

Once they publish the bug as official, the users will always remember that, and when their figurate out how to solve it.. they will simply not care...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Anyway... Im with you Jamie... it has been 5 months already... dont want to wait any longer for a solution to this bug...

[dadod]

Marko ... are you able to consistently recreate this problem? If so, that would really help Adobe. Thru some back channels at Adobe I’ve found out that while they are aware of this issue, Adobe is not able to recreate it and hence not able to fix it.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I guess i can... it happends me 3 times with the same Book. 2 of the today... I will try to capture that bug on video.... if i get something, i will let the forum know.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

For me when it happened when cutting and pasting text from one text box to another.

When you think about it, the single catalog file is a very risky proposition. All your projects, books, and photo edits in one file. If that get's corrupted, you can lose everything.

I save my catalog file in dropbox. Dropbox keeps track of every version of the file. Everu version! it uploads each time you close out of lightroom. I think this is a good solution until a better fix comes out.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I have it on video now. I will upload the video to youtube, hope this helps..

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

So, as i promise... the video of the Bug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C0MQ4...

Maybe this could help adobe to solve the bug.
You can see the bug happening in the 2:22 of the video!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

So, as i promise... the video of the Bug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C0MQ4...

Maybe this could help adobe to solve the bug.
You can see the bug happening in the 2:22 of the video!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

So, as i promise... the video of the Bug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C0MQ4...

Maybe this could help adobe to solve the bug.
You can see the bug happening in the 2:22 of the video!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

This is not a step by step, but i gues it could help.... take a look

[john beardsworth]

Marko, do you think that it happens when you switch very quickly to Develop and then back to Book?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Im not an expert, dont know anything about codes and stuff, but if i got to guess, I think that the problem happends when lightroom buffer hits the top and the software loses his stability...

As I already say, Im not an expert... just guesing about it.

LR4 operates not over the original files (non-destructive file handeling), instead LR4 works over somes JPGs generated and save in the software cache.

Looks like the software its always applying all the exposure modifications, filters and whatever over the JPGS on the cache every time that the user seens this image in a period of time to create the preview of the final image...

Im guessing, but when we operate in book module, and im switching between image and image, spread and spreads,,, there is a point that the software buffer hits the top... and buuum,,,

Maybe this is also has to be with your own computer configuration... mine its not the fastest in the world.. and maybe ADOBE GUYS are trying to find this bug in a super computer that never overwhelmn the buffer...

maybe...

as i already say... just guessing