How to delete edited files in Lightroom Classic ?

[mastix]

I cannot find how to delete edited files in batch .  I edited a group of files in edit in Exposure. Lightroom created copies of it and now all of them have the ending edited in the collection that I created. So now i have 120 files, the originals and the edited ones. I don't like the edited and want to delete them from the colection ,from the catalogue and the disk. I can manually select them one by one and delete but I have not found a way to select in one click only the edited one. All the options of the sort order always put the files together (original and edited one) so the only option I have is to click 60 times and delete. There must be some simpler way to do this that surely I am not aware . 

Can someone please tell me if there is a way to batch delete those copies or my only option is to go one by one? Thank you

[dj_paige]

When using Lightroom Classic, edited files really don't exist unless you export them. You didn't say you did an export.

If I am understanding you properly ...

What I think you want is a way to reset all the photos back to their unedited state. If so, in the Library Module, select all desired photos, then in the Develop Module turn on Auto Sync (click on the Sync button near the bottom right), then click on Reset, then turn off Auto-Sync.

Deleting the photos is not really the answer.

[mastix]

No that was not what I meant. I did already that but nothing happened. No surprise here because when I go to the folders where the originals are stored there are now new files with the appendix edited.

What I did is to launch a plugin (Exposure) from withing Lightroom. Created a collection of 60 images selected them all edited in Exposure. Exposure opened. I batch edited all and hit save. All the files started saving (it took quite some times so I no virtual settings but real copies with the editing embedded in this new copies that Lightroom calls them "Edit" or "Edit2" if you do it 2 times. As I said if I go to the original files I can see both of them

Now I want to deleted all those copies, that have the same name but the difference is that at the ending of the name they have "edited" attached and have obviously the new look.

The problem is that in the collection the edit version is beside the original and any of the filter option seems to work to separate them so I could select the 60 "edited" at once and delete. If they would be different file types i could filter by that but that is not the case as both are Tiffs.

This is because "Sort" does not have any parameter that works, not even edit time which is weird because one is original and should have an older edit time that the newer edited copies. Whatever. As I said none of the filtering option can separate originals from copies and that lets me with the only option to select one by one those 60 files that have the word "edited" and delete them from collection,catalogue and folder.

This works for 60 files but with 6000....

[dj_paige]

Select "All Photographs" or a specific folder (as needed), then use the Filter Bar in Lightroom Classic, select Text, then select Filname, then Contains, and then edited

and then you can delete all the files that were found this way.

[melissapiccone]

This ^^^^ or just delete them outside of LR and then sync your folder to update it.

[mastix]

Right now I am backing up my 800Gb catalogues to a NVME as external NAS HD where a pain. When I am finished I will try your suggestion and that seems as a good idea. Thank you

[JohanElzenga]

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@mastix wrote:

No that was not what I meant. I did already that but nothing happened. No surprise here because when I go to the folders where the originals are stored there are now new files with the appendix edited.

What I did is to launch a plugin (Exposure) from withing Lightroom. Created a collection of 60 images selected them all edited in Exposure. Exposure opened. I batch edited all and hit save. All the files started saving (it took quite some times so I no virtual settings but real copies with the editing embedded in this new copies that Lightroom calls them "Edit" or "Edit2" if you do it 2 times. As I said if I go to the original files I can see both of them

Now I want to deleted all those copies, that have the same name but the difference is that at the ending of the name they have "edited" attached and have obviously the new look.

The problem is that in the collection the edit version is beside the original and any of the filter option seems to work to separate them so I could select the 60 "edited" at once and delete. If they would be different file types i could filter by that but that is not the case as both are Tiffs.

This is because "Sort" does not have any parameter that works, not even edit time which is weird because one is original and should have an older edit time that the newer edited copies. Whatever. As I said none of the filtering option can separate originals from copies and that lets me with the only option to select one by one those 60 files that have the word "edited" and delete them from collection,catalogue and folder.

This works for 60 files but with 6000....

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If you edit an image in a plugin, then a physical (TIFF) copy is created. By default, '-Edit' is added to the file name. Each time you edit a file in the plugin, this happens, so if you edit the same file again, you will have two copies. That is what you see.

If you want to delete these copies, then go to 'All Photographs', select the ones you want to delete and press the Delete key.

Alternatively, you can go through the images in any collection you want, and press the 'X' key if you want to delete an image. That will not immediately delete it, but mark it as 'Rejected'. Then, after you have finished, you go to 'All Photographs' again and use the 'Photo > Delete Rejected Photos' menu to delete all rejected images.

If you want to delete all photos that have the word 'edit' in the file name, then you can easily filter on that and then delete them all.

[mastix]

Yes You are correct that using plugins they duplicate files with the -Edit tag at the end. The problem I am having is to find a way to filter them out so don't have to manually click 60 or 600 files if I edit with the plugin. I have not tried yet because I am changing all my catalogues location but the idea to do it with Filename contains "edit" seems that could perfectly work to solve the problem.

It would be great that in the "sort" option it would be a "sort by -edit- or edited copies" to quickly select them all and delete them or change them again in an edit without having to filter them out. That would it make it more intuitive and faster for those of us that like to edit with a plugin like Exposure and not the develop module of Lightroom. But the Text option is valid too so this is the one I will stick to for now. Thank you

[Randy Hufford]

It does not make sense the way you are decribing this issue. Lightroom CLassic does not make duplicate files that are adjusted unless you create them. Please let us know how you got duplicate files, thru export? maybe screen capture what you are seeing?

[mastix]

Yes it does duplicate files if you edit in another program like Exposure from inside Lightroom if you choose to make a copy instead of rewrite over the original ones. 

[susanl7866380]

If I am right in what I think is happening, when you export a file to a plugin and then have it sent back to LR, it comes back as a copy with the same name but the addition of "edit" in the file name.  For example, IMG001.edit. jpg.  If this is what is happening, in the library mode you can go to filter, text, and have it sort out those filenames for you.  In other words, if you want only those files with edit in the file name it will pull them up and you can then select them all and delete them all at the same tim.

[mastix]

Thank you. Yes that seems the way to go.

It would be great that in the "sort" option in the low section it could be an option to select only "edited" files. Would be quicker and more intuitive, but searching that text tag works so at least there an option. Thanks

[richardplondon]

It may be a matter of opinion / interpretation, what should be considered an "edited" file.

Not least, the automatic addition of "-edit" to these plugin-caused filenames may be hard to distinguish, from when images may have been sent out to e.g. Photoshop for external editing: with the resulting new files also - by default - receiving that same "-edit" suffix.

So, to eliminate all images across the whole Catalog that have this suffix, may take things too far. A safer way is to make e.g. a smart collection which allows easy review at any time - or, to save a viewing filter that searches any single folder or any single collection for just those images within this narrow context, that include this suffix in their filename. Another consideration is that more than one suffix may get included, e.g. the externally edited 'imagename-edit.tif" may itself then again get externally edited, resulting in a new file 'imagename-edit-edit.tif''.

Personally I find it cleaner and more powerful to (where possible): rather than invoke a plugin to directly employ one or another 3rd party utility - routinely send to Photoshop instead. Then as/when I wish to, employ the PS filter version of this same utility, inside that context. This allows additional layer based techniques to be used as well - and, all within a more unified and consistent workflow IMO, than if various kinds of external editing LrC workflow were going on in parallel.

[mastix]

Yes, As i told dj_paige I will not use anymore the edit in Lightroom option. I don't like the copied with the "edit" suffix as you said can produce errors if you want to delete files. It also saves them in the same folder and disk where the original is what for me is a no go.

Usually when I only want to retouch 1 image I do it inside Photoshop using the plugin. But for batch I think the best is using directly the plugin , batch retouch those I want and save them where I want with the names I want. Much easier and much safer. Then I can import them again in Lightroom. I like much more this approach

[dj_paige]

Thank you. Yes that seems the way to go.

It would be great that in the "sort" option in the low section it could be an option to select only "edited" files. Would be quicker and more intuitive, but searching that text tag works so at least there an option. Thanks

By @mastix

Filters and sorts are two different animals (although they have some similarity). The words should not be confused. The words should not be used interchangeably.

What you are asking for is NOT a sort, it is a Filter, and that's why you should be using the Filter Bar.

[mastix]

Yes. I understand a filter works differently but if in "sort" you would have an option to "sort by "edited" files they would come up first and you would select first and last flag as rejected, go to all images delete and done.

But filtering by text works great although you have to go to the filter, type "edit" and search. Different way to skin a cat. In any case the important thing is that method you suggested works perfect.

But all this copies that get saved in the same disk I don't like this Lightroom approach at all because many of hose older archival disks are already full, so I don't like new stuff being saved there.

I open now the file I want directly with Exposure do the batch retouching and save it where I want . Much faster and also lets me choose where to save the files (usually the disk I am working now).

[dj_paige]

But filtering by text works great although you have to go to the filter, type "edit" and search.

To me this in not burdensome or a problem in any way. And it is extremely flexible, so next time I want to filter by some other word, I can do that easily.