P: TranslatedStrings_Lr_en_US.txt not read on Mac

[johnrellis]

With the release of CC 2015.8 / 6.8, it's no longer possible to modify TranslatedStrings.txt for English users on Mac. LR ignores the file:

/Applications/Adobe Lightroom/Adobe Lightroom.app/Contents/Resources/en.lproj/TranslatedStrings_Lr_en_US.txt

Whereas on Windows, LR does read:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom\Resources\en\TranslatedStrings_Lr_en_US.txt

I confirmed this using "dtruss" on Mac and Process Monitor on Windows.

This affects a large number of users who had relied on editing TranslatedStrings.txt:

- To provide keyboard shortcuts for commands that don't have them and that don't appear in the menus (e.g. Toggle5Shortcut for assigning the purple label).

- To change keyboard shortcuts for commands that don't appear in the menus, e.g. BrushDecreaseKey. Some users report using keyboards for other languages (e.g. German) that they use with LR running in English, and the English shortcuts don't always map well to non-English keyboards.

- The Keyboard Tamer plugin relies on editing the English TranslatedStrings file.

Given that LR has long lacked a user interface for customizing keyboard shortcuts (one of the most popular feature requests), the ability to edit TranslatedStrings has provided a relief valve for user frustration.  Taking away that ability on Mac will just increase their frustration. (On Mac, System Preferences can set shortcuts for menu commands, but not for commands that don't appear in menus.)

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

I've already bugged this internally as LRD-4194239 too.

[johnrellis]

Thanks.

[Samoreen]

Hi,

There are more bugs related to this change. Some commands that were previously recognized are now ignored. For example “$$$/Application/Menu/File/Exit/Key=..." is now ignored. Ctrl+Q seems to be now hard coded. I have other similar examples  :

"$$$/AgLibrary/Menu/Photo/RotateLeft/Key=...
"$$$/AgLibrary/Menu/Photo/RotateRight/Key=...
"$$$/AgLibrary/Menu/File/Edit/InvertSelection/Key=...

just to name a few. These commands inserted in TranslatedStrings_Lr_en_US.txt are ignored.

[Samoreen]

I did some further testing this morning and actually, the command "$$$/Application/Menu/File/Exit/Key=..." worked again as expected in TranslatedStrings_Lr_en_US.txt after I temporarily switched to another language.

Very strange.

[Bentfoto]

Thanks Victoria Bampton, we're keeping our fingers crossed.

[aezngz97948285]

Chiming in here to +1 this bug. I know this is a backdoor "feature", but I've come to rely on it. It's absolutely essential to my LR use to have customized controls.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

It's been months. Fix this, Adobe.

As a non-English keyboard user I can't use these one-key shortcuts:

• Before/After
• Deselect Active Photo
• Toggle Flag
• Show Filter Bar
  

Those functions have one-key shortcuts for keys that do not exist on non-English keyboards.

Those functions can have two-or-more-key shortcuts made via macOS Preferences, but no one-key shortcut can be made.

I can't understand how come on other Adobe apps (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) I can remap shortcuts in-app but not on Lightroom.

And now not even with workarounds. This affects my work.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Why isn't there a fix already? It's been months.

[J453]

Hi John, can you confirm this was fixed in 2015.9/6.9?

[johnrellis]

Yup, works on my CC 2015.9 / OS X 10.12.3.  Thanks.

[Bentfoto]

Dear Victoria Brampton: 

Have you seen comment by John R. Ellis (latest post) which seems to confirm that this is working?

Also I am using CC 2015.9/OS X 10.12.3, but still no go.

It used to work for years, when my translatedstrings.txt file was placed in Applications/Adobe Lightroom/Adobe Lightroom/Contents/Resources

[Bentfoto]

Also I am using CC 2015.9/OS X 10.12.3, but still no go.

It used to work for years, when my translatedstrings.txt file was placed in Applications/Adobe Lightroom/Adobe Lightroom/Contents/Resources

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Bent, double check what you're doing against my updated instructions: How do I change or create keyboard shortcuts?

[AntoniaButterfly]

Works again for me, too. Bent, what has changed is that the file isn't just named TranslatedStrings.txt anymore but TranslatedStrings_Lr_en_US.txt (if it is intended for the en.lproj folder in Resources).

[Bentfoto]

Well lo and behold, it works again.  After a long pause it’s like coming back home, and your favorite meal is cooking on the stove.  Thank you so much.

[Bentfoto]

Life is beautiful again, thank you for helping me out, there ought to be a Nobel-prize here.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

That worked for me too, I had a TranslatedStrings migrated from Windows and switching to another language worked well. Thanks!

[edojp]

If anyone is still watching this thread, help appreciated: On my Mac folder path hierarchy I cannot find these folders called "Contents" + "Resources" anywhere on my computer. I was hoping to add the hack to assign a shortcut to color Purple using the method above. I running Mac 10.11.6 and LR 6.10.1  Stand alone version (not CC or subscription) on an "an old" Mac Pro 2008 with updated graphics and plenty of memory. Does anyone know where these folders are on my Mac? Finder Search turned up blank. In the attached image thats all I see on the Path. Clicking on Adobe Lightroom app just opens the Application.
 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Right-click this first icon (the app itself) and choose "show package contents" 😉

[edojp]

THANK YOU, Leo, Sounds easy , I'll give it a try when I get back to the desktop 🙂

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

No problem, it is. Just give an extra shout if needed.

[edojp]

Leo, Ok I have got the folder and txt file in the right place I think, but I must have the wrong code. 
I want to add a keyboard shortcut for labeling Photo=Purple.(And then perhaps try others in the future.) 

I tried these two code strings but neither seem to work
“$$$/AgLibrary/Menu/Photo/Label/Toggle5Shortcut=Ctrl+9” (incl. the quotes)
“$$$/AgLibrary/Menu/Photo/Label/PurpleShortcut=Ctrl+9” 

both gave me a Blue label (instead of purple when I tried keyboard Ctrl+9. "Command+9" would be even nicer if that is possible.

PS EDITED Maybe I should just try the Mac OS "change keyboard shortcut method" described here https://www.lightroomqueen.com/custom-keyboard-shortcuts/  BTW I am using a Japanese keyboard with English Mac OS, not sure if that makes any difference. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

You got me. You could search here and on the internet for more codes that work for a variety of things. I just use it to create a folder with some date parameters and a folder inside "RAW" to store the CR2 files imported from the camera.

[edojp]

Thanks. I'll go back to the place I found this code and check again. At least I know where to put it know!
“$$$/AgLibrary/Menu/Photo/Label/Toggle5Shortcut=Ctrl+9” (incl. the quotes)

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Thank you for posting your response in any way, it will help others in a future!