P: Some Copy/Paste KBSC do not work s before

[helmutsteiner]

Lightroom Classic 11.1

Windows 11 Pro (Build 22000.438)

I used to copy my development settings in LR Classic and apply them to multiple files in the library module. This doesn't work anymore after the latest upgrade. The options are grayed out in the edit menu. This seems to have been introduced when the shortcut keys changed from ctrl+shift+c to ctrl+c.

Steps to reproduce:

Copy develop settings.

Try pasting in library module.

This bug is really annoying as all develop settings have to be pasted picture by picture which means a huge timeloss.

[JohanElzenga]

I can't check this because I use a Mac and type this on an iPad right now, but do check the following because many people get caught by this change: Lightroom Classic now has two buttons in the metadata panel for if you have selected multiple images. One button sets the target to all selected images, the other one to the active image only. Make sure the first button is pressed.

[helmutsteiner]

Hey Johan,

It has nothing to do with the metadata panel or the settings there. It is about the edit/develop settings. I found that the option in the right-click context menu is actually there but in the edit menu on top it is grayed out and the shortcuts also don't work. So definitely a bug as it worked before. See screenshots.

Kind regards,

Helmut

Context menu:

Main menu:

[dj_paige]

I am not experiencing this in my Windows 11, LrC 11.1

Nothing is greyed out.

Try reseting your preference file. https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-do-i-reset-lightrooms-preferences/

[johnrellis]

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The screenshots show what's happening (if only more people posted screenshots!).  In Library mode, use the Photo > Develop Settings submenu to copy/paste/sync develop settings.  The Copy/Paste commands on the Edit menu are for copy/pasting text.

[JohanElzenga]

And -as you can see from John's screenshot- the shortcuts did not change. You should still use Ctrl-Shift-C/V.

[helmutsteiner]

Yes, I tried the old shortcuts as well - actually I tried them first because they are deep in my muscle memory after using LR for many years - but they didn't work. They are working again today. It's odd. 

Thanks for the clarification with the menus! It is a bit odd that the Ctrl-C / Ctrl-V means different things in different modules. If no text is selected but pictures are selected in the library it should have the same effect - no?! That behaviour would make a lot more sense from a UX standpoint. 

[JohanElzenga]

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@helmutsteiner wrote:

Thanks for the clarification with the menus! It is a bit odd that the Ctrl-C / Ctrl-V means different things in different modules. If no text is selected but pictures are selected in the library it should have the same effect - no?! That behaviour would make a lot more sense from a UX standpoint. 

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I disagree. Shortcuts should always do the same as long as you are in the same module. They should not change behavior just because you have some text selected or not. Ideally they should also be the same across modules, but there may not be enough key combinations to achieve that ideal situation.

[helmutsteiner]

An analogy:

Selecting a file's name in file explorer and pressing CTRL+C copies the file name's text to clipboard. Pressing CTRL+C when the file itself is selected copies the file.

So no, from my standpoint even within the same module CTRL+C can have different uses depending on what is selected. That is totally valid and is used quite extensively in many programs and OS. I am a software developer myself and designed and coded quite a few applications in the last 15+ years for different OS and the web. Of course shortcuts should not change but operations performed by shortcuts can and should also be context sensitive.

If you have another opinion on this let's just agree to disagree.

[johnrellis]

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Being compulsive, I looked into this further. In some release between LR 6.14 and 8.2.1, Adobe added Ctrl/Cmd+C as an additional shortcut for Copy Settings, but they made an inconsistent mess of it. Using LR primarily on a Mac, I wasn't even aware of the "new" shortcuts, since they don't appear in the associated menus (which is why I was originally confused by your post).  

When a photo (and not a text field) is selected:

- On Windows, both Ctrl+C and Shift+Ctrl+C invoke Copy Settings, in both Library and Develop. But on Mac, Shift+Cmd+C works in both modules, but Cmd+C doesn't work in Library.

- On Windows, the menu items Library Photo > Develop Settings > Copy Settings and Develop Settings > Copy Settings show Ctrl+C as the shortcut. But on Mac, those menu items show the old Shift+Cmd+C, not the new Cmd+C (as on Windows).

- In Windows and Mac Library, the Edit > Copy command is greyed out. But in Windows and Mac Develop, Edit > Copy shows the shortcut Ctrl/Cmd+C and invokes Copy Settings. (The menu item should be named Copy Settings, not Copy.)

When a text field such as Library Metadata Caption has focus:

- Ctrl/Cmd+C copies the selected text. But on Windows, Edit > Copy shows the shortcut Ctrl+C but is greyed out, while on Mac, Edit > Copy copies the text.

Note that on Windows, the menu item Edit > Copy always means Copy Settings; in contexts where it might mean "copy text", it is always greyed out.

Here's a table detailing the behavior:

There's no point in filing this as a bug, since Adobe will either label it "as-designed" or not prioritize it.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

I've dropped this table on the Classic Team, @johnrellis to get comment. 

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Setting status to investigating