Integrate sync files into normal folder structure?

 

I *think* the files might be still in the Cloud and ready to sync again (just based on the fact that I'm still getting the same warning as before that my 20GB is nearly full). I'm thinking the best way forwards might be to change the default sync folder location in Preferences before I re-enable syncing, and try to let LRC just re-download the Cloud files to that new location...?

 

No, you can't do that. LrC already knows that the images have synced down from the cloud, the fact that they are now "missing" doesn't change that so trying to force "re-syncing" them isn't possible. That puts you in a tight spot if you have no local backups of those files, and the only thing that I can think of would be:

1. In LrC, select that missing folder which will populate the grid with the thumbnail previews of the 500+ missing photos. Select them all, then go to the Collections panel and click on the "+" and choose Create Collection. Give the collection a name and check both the "Include selected photos" and "Sync with Lightroom" options. That will add all the missing photos to that collection and enable the collection to sync.

2. Re-enable syncing (but before doing that see note 4 below), open the Lightroom desktop app and wait for the corresponding new album to appear in the list. While waiting for that to happen, create a folder on the drive where you would like those missing images to be stored. When the album is there, select all the 500+ images in the album and export them to that new folder using the Export as Original option. That will effectively download all the images from the cloud in the same original format .

3. When the export has completed, go back to LrC and right-click on the missing "Imported Photos" folder and click on "Find Missing Folder". Navigate to and select the folder that the exported files are now in, and that should resolve the missing images. Open the folder in the Folders Panel and confirm that all the 500+ images are showing and that none of the thumbnails have the "!" mark to indicate that they're still missing. If the "Imported Photos" folder is still showing (it shouldn't be, but it was when I just tested it), right-click on it and select "Remove", and if that doesn't remove it restarting Lightroom should fix it.

4. Before re-enabling sync in LrC, don't forget to change the Preferences>Lightroom Sync tab to choose a new location for the subsequent downloaded images, and optionally choose one of the date-based folder structures. Also be aware that you might have other pending syncing activity, as you've had syncing paused for a while, so there might be a wait before everything settles down.

When all is fixed and you have all the cloud images back in LrC you can at your leisure remove the images from the cloud to free up space.

In terms of "best practice", there really isn't one and it very much depends on the user's own preferences and workflow. I want all my images, no matter from what source, to be managed in the same place....I use a standard date-based folder scheme in LrC with a single parent folder, so in my preferences I have that parent folder selected as the download location and I have the exact same date-based folder scheme selected. That way all my images taken on any given day will always find there way into the appropriate sub-folder, no matter if they are imported directly into LrC or captured on my phone and synced down into LrC. Others, of course, prefer to keep separation beween phone and standard camera captures. Whatever you decide, just make sure that whatever folder location you choose is part of your regular backup routine.