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Tillgrensbilder
Known Participant
January 31, 2022
Question

Can't stop creating preview during import

  • January 31, 2022
  • 7 replies
  • 3604 views

I have performance issues during large import (1500 pictures) from a fast XQD-card and try to stop LR from creating preview during import. I found a checkbox on the tab "Performance" on LR-settings (edit-menu) that says "Generate prewviews in parallell" (or something like that). I uncheck the box, restart LR but LR will still combine import of pictures with the creation of preview. 

 

So LR doesnt really care about if the checkbox is checked or not. I guess that this is a bug, or does anybody have an idea about how to stop LR from creating previews during import?

 

And yes, I have 2 computers with the exact same behaviour.

7 replies

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BoDoFoto
New Participant
January 5, 2025

Same problem here.

What is interesting: On an old Laptop with only 4 Cores and 8 Gig of Memory, the Process is how i wish it would be: First Import, once this is completed generate previews. On my main machine with  ~20 Cores and plenty of RAM, the Process is alway in parallel (or swaping between the two), exactly as descripbed by Tillgrensbilder.

The Result: Import is much faster on the poor ancient laptop than on my powerfull workstation😫

DdeGannes
DdeGannes
Community Expert
February 1, 2022

Ok just a thought here, I just did an import from my cameras so card connected to my iMac.

When I insert a SD card to my computer the card is recognized by the operating system and an icon appears on the desktop indicating the connection is complete. Then I start the import process the first task starts i.e. the images are copied to the computer when that task is complete, and the building of previews begins, within a couple of seconds the SD icon on the desktop disappears indicating it has been ejected from the computer.

I believe it should be safe to remove the SD card at this stage. This I have not tested.

That will mean you do not have to wait until the previews have been built to remove the SD card.

 

 

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
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TillgrensbilderAuthor
Known Participant
February 1, 2022

Yes, that sounds great and exactly what I expected to happen when I cleared the checkbox. But LR doesn´t care about the state of the checkbox and no matter the setting LR creates previews in parallel to the import.

 

I take a lot of pictures during basketball games and after a game I have to prepare for next game. Then I have about 30 minutes to transfer about 1500-2000 pictures from the memory cards to my computer. Copying the files takes about 10 minutes but the creation of previews takes about 1,5 hours but thats another problem.

 

If the process was in sequence I could remove the card after 10 minutes and let the computer create previews while I´m shooting the next game, no problem. But since the process are in parallel LR imports about 100 pictures, starts to create previews, switch back to copying another 100 pictures, creating more previews and I´ll have to wait about 30 minutes before I can remove the memory cards. The parallel creation of previews slows the import down.

 

Yes, there are a lot of workarounds but if the setting did work, I would be a very happy camper.

DdeGannes
DdeGannes
Community Expert
February 2, 2022

I see the card "ejected" after the copy process if the Build Previews in parallel is selected or not. Are you saying you do not experience the SD card "ejected" on your system after the copy process is complete?

 

 

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
Ian Lyons
Ian Lyons
Community Expert
February 1, 2022

A modification to your import procedure should help.

 

Using 'Explorer' or 'Finder', manually create a folder or folders with the name and in the disk location you would have used if importing directly into Lightroom Classic, then copy your files from card to the folder(s) you just created. This gets the files from your card to disk without LrC having any role in the process and is usually faster as it does not involve any preview building. When all files have been copied to disk you should launch LrC, then choose the import 'Add' option rather than 'Copy' or 'Move'.  Typically, LrC will add the number of files you mention in 10-20 seconds. The process of building previews will obviously take longer than this; doesn't require your continued attendance, and won't have delayed you copying the files from card to disk.

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TillgrensbilderAuthor
Known Participant
February 1, 2022

Thank you, but that´s just another workaround and the question was why LR doesnt follow the settings when I clear the checkbox.  

Rikk Flohr_Photography
Community Manager
Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
Community Manager
February 1, 2022

Quoting one of our engineers from an old thread: 

 

"This option flips the behaviour of preview generation between sequential and parallel preview generation.


If this option is checked, Lr will generate previews in parallel(i.e more previews per unit of time, reducing overall preview generation) otherwise the previews will be generated sequentially.


This option will not affect preview generation happening in concurrency with import i.e Lr will generate previews while importing the photos irrespective of the state of this option."

 

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
GoldingD
GoldingD
Brainiac
February 1, 2022

The best you can do is in the import screen, over on the right select minimal previews.

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/photo-video-import-options.html

 

However, a different approach (maybe you are doing this, but What if) , alter your import workflow to use the Add option instead of Copy, or Copy as DNG, before importing, copy those images to your hard drive, then start the import via ADD. This gets that memory card back to you quickest.

 

 

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TillgrensbilderAuthor
Known Participant
February 1, 2022

Yes but even if I choose minimal previews they are still created in parallell to the import. The question was why changes to the checkbox in LR-Settings "Generate previews in parallell" doesnt work. Even if I disable the option, LR still creates previews in parallel. 

GoldingD
GoldingD
Brainiac
February 1, 2022

That option just changes creating previews in sequence to in parallel. Nothing to do with not creating previews. Selecting the option to create minimal previews cuts preview creation curing import down to just the standard ones (if the embedded are to small, and only some very new cameras have sufficient embedded images)

 

Actually, I would select create standard previews, a bit more time at import, less at initial edit.

 

In catalog settings, what do you have for standard preview size? Is it too large?

 

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/improve-lightroom-classic-cc-performance/

 

DdeGannes
DdeGannes
Community Expert
January 31, 2022

You may need to rethink your workflow either.

1. Purchase more or larger capacity SD cards or

2. Utilize alternate software to download image files from your cards to your folder structure and free up the cards quickly. There are a some popular options like. 
https://www.fastrawviewer.com

Then you can simply use the add option to import to your Lightroom Catalog and build previews.

Adobe applications are designed for a safety first workflow, so you can copy on import to a folder structure of your choice and also save a second copy to a alternate location i.e additional hard drive. It also does not have an option to remove or delete image files from your SD card so you can ensure you have a backup in place before clearing your SD cards.

 

 

 

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
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TillgrensbilderAuthor
Known Participant
January 31, 2022

That could be a workaround, but thats not an answer to my question: why the check box doesnt work? And if the check box worked then I would t need a workaround. I think this is a bug in LR but how do I report this to Adobe? 

Conrad_C
Conrad_C
Community Expert
January 31, 2022

The preview controls are spread out in different parts of the application, depending on what you need to adjust.

 

If you are trying to stop preview generation at import, then the option you want is Embedded & Sidecar. Lightroom Classic will use whatever preview is attached to each image by the camera, and not spend processing power to generate its own. But be aware that the moment you view a photo in the Develop module, or apply any edit in Lightroom Classic that alters the image, Lightroom Classic must generate a preview based on the Lightroom Classic processing engine. (Camera previews are based on the camera processing engine and don’t apply in Lightroom Classic, that’s why previews must be generated at some point.)

 

I believe the Minimal option still generates previews. They may not be full size, but it still results in CPU being used to render them.

 

 

If you are trying to stop preview generation after import, one thing to try is check to make sure the preference setting Replace Embedded Previews with Standard Previews at Idle Time is disabled. When this is enabled and you haven’t touched the computer in a while, Lightroom Classic will start throwing processing power at rendering previews. But this probably won’t affect preview generation at import, unless you have walked away from the computer.

 

 

@Tillgrensbilder wrote:

I found a checkbox on the tab "Performance" on LR-settings (edit-menu) that says "Generate prewviews in parallell" (or something like that).

 

All that does is stop Lightroom Classic from using unused CPU power to render more previews at the same time. Turning it on is meant to help render previews faster if you have a CPU with lots of cores. When you disable it, it just means Lightroom Classic will render previews using fewer (maybe one?) CPU core, but it will still do it.

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TillgrensbilderAuthor
Known Participant
January 31, 2022

No, I dont want to stop the previews, I want to create the previews after the import is done so I can get get the memory card back and continue to take pictures while LR is creating previews.

With the checkbox marked the creation of preview are done in parallel with the import but I want to do this in a sequence but LR doesn´t care about the state of the checkbox.

Conrad_C
Conrad_C
Community Expert
January 31, 2022
@Tillgrensbilder wrote:

No, I dont want to stop the previews, I want to create the previews after the import is done so I can get get the memory card back and continue to take pictures while LR is creating previews.

 

OK, that’s not too different from what I do. Set the Import dialog to Embedded & Sidecar so that it uses the camera preview at import, and does not generate one right away.

 

But leave the other options enabled, so that previews are generated while you’re not at the computer.

Rikk Flohr_Photography
Community Manager
Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
Community Manager
January 31, 2022

The checkbox you are describing controls how Previews are built - not if they are built. 

 

Previews are necessary for Lightroom Operation - otherwise you will see blank squares for your images in the Grid. You can choose "Minimal" previews in the Import dialog and that will be the least overhead. 

 

 

 

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
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    TillgrensbilderAuthor
    Known Participant
    January 31, 2022

    Yes, I understand that I need previews but the purpose of the checkbox is to control if LR create the preview after the import is done or in parallel to the import. If I have 3 memory cards that I need to clear for the next shooting, I want to speed up the import to get the memory cards back. But the process i slower when LR i creating preview during the import so I want to make this in a sequence: first import and then the previews.

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