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kayak107
kayak107
Inspiring
March 3, 2021
Answered

how to move files within a collection

  • March 3, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 4931 views

just watched a julieanne kost tutorial during which she showed how to move files within the same  collection.  I ttried doing exacly the way she did and it didn't work.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Rob_Cullen

The black border should appear when you start to drag the selected image, it doesn't initially appear when you Cmd+click on it, but as soon as you drag just a tiny bit the black border should appear. And it doesn't stay there long, because as soon as you reach the border of the next (unselected) image it will be replaced by a solid black line in front of the unselected image which indicates where all the selected images will be placed when you release the mouse.

 

Why don't you try it first on a set of images that are visible in the grid so you can verify that they stay selected when you Cmd+click on the additional image before doing the drag and drop?


Here are my notes on 'moving' photos to re-order in a large Collection-

 

1) Select (highlight) the [#1 Photo] you wish to ‘move’ into a ‘distant’ Custom Sort grid location,
2) Move/scroll your ‘View’ of the Grid to the ‘Destination’ location in the Grid, (no dragging of photos)

3) Add to the selection of photos with [Ctrl/Cmd + Click] on one [#2 Photo] that is located at the ‘Destination’ location in the Grid,
4) Then hold the [Alt/Option] key and drag the [#2 Photo] left or right (with the left mouse button).
The [#1 Photo] will re-locate next to [#2 Photo].
It also works with a multiple selection of [#1 Photos]- they move as a group next to the [#2 Photo].

Think of this analogy- You are ‘Pushing aside’ one photo (the #2) to allow other photos (the #1 photo or group) to ‘slot into place’.

 

A short video on the method-

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qavzg01i9a1ddpv/Collection%20Sort.mp4?dl=0

 

 

4 replies

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 12, 2021

If the question is 'How to change the ORDER of PHOTOS within ONE Collection.' then- in screen-clips-

 

1) Select ( Highlight) one photo in a Collection using Grid View

   

Note my Sort Order is

 

2) Drag it (the one photo image- NOT by the grey border!!) to another location in the Grid of photos.

A thumbnail of an 'image' will indicate the move and a dark line will appear to indicate the location where the 'moved' photos will be placed, until you let go the mouse button.

 

3) Release the mouse button and the photo is 'moved' in the Collection.

 

Note the Sort Order has changed automatically to "Custom Order" ie. YOU have set the ORDER to your wants.

 

To Move TWO or MORE thumbnails at the same time-

1) Select TWO or MORE thumbnails (hold [Ctrl] and click the photos)

2) Drag and drop in the same manner as for one image. To the location indicated by the black line (between other photos, or beginning or end).

 

You cannot 'move' photos to achieve a Custom Sort if you are-

a) In a Smart Collection

b) Viewing a Collection SET of sub-collection images.

c) In a 'parent' FOLDER that contains sub-folders of images.

Sorting images in a Collection does not change or affect how the same images will sort in Folder view.

 

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.0, Photoshop 27.0, ACR 18.0, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0 .
    kayak107
    kayak107Author
    Inspiring
    March 12, 2021

     

    let's say you have 100 thubnails in a collection and you want to move some images from the bottom to the top.  the way you have suggested (which I have always ben doing) can be a little time consuming.  Julieanne suggested a much faster way which ONLY invloves highlighting the thumnails you want to move THEN going to the top of the collection and highlighingt the thumbnail you want these images to be moved to and then drag from the center of this one highlighted image to either the left or the right and VOILA you have moved the selected thumnas.

    i have tried the above method several times and only got it to work once.

    Jim Wilde
    Community Expert
    Jim WildeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 12, 2021

    That should work every time, provided you do it correctly. The key is that, after having selected the images you want to move, when you go back to the top and want the select just that one more image where you want the images moved to, to have to remember that you MUST press Ctrl/Cmd+click on that single image. If you just click on it, yes it will select that single image but the original group of selected images will be un-selected, so only the one selected image moves.

    ManiacJoe
    ManiacJoe
    Inspiring
    March 4, 2021

    Looks like you are at the top-level listing of collections and collection sets. At this level, you are sorting the collections, not the photos, which has  very limited sort options. To sort the images, you need to select an individual collection.

     

    Note: smart collections are dynamic queries into the database and cannot be manually sorted.

     

    kayak107
    kayak107Author
    Inspiring
    March 4, 2021

    i am working with just one individual collection.  just sent that screen shot to illustrate my settings.

    AxelMatt
    Community Expert
    AxelMattCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2021

    Do you have set your sort order option to "Custom Sort order"?

    Do you have a Smart Collection? If yes, there's no custom sort order avalable.

     

    https://jkost.com/blog/2019/06/tips-and-shortcuts-for-working-with-collections-in-lightroom-classic.html

    https://jkost.com/blog/2012/02/lr3-how-do-you-change-the-order-of-images-before-renaming.html

     

    My System: Intel i7-8700K - 64GB RAM - NVidia Geforce RTX 3060 - Windows 11 Pro 25H2 -- LR-Classic 15 - Photoshop 27 - Nik Collection 8 - PureRAW 5 - Topaz Photo
    kayak107
    kayak107Author
    Inspiring
    March 3, 2021

    could not see anything pertaining to my ? in either of those 2 links.  I do see that when I select the thumbnail I do not get a black border around the selected image as she does.

    JP Hess
    JP Hess
    Inspiring
    March 3, 2021

    Did you click in the image area itself, and not on the border of the image?

    kayak107
    kayak107Author
    Inspiring
    March 3, 2021

    yes.

     

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