• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
5

Integrating Lightroom and Bridge

Contributor ,
Feb 12, 2016 Feb 12, 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I think there would be great benefit to integrating Bridge and Lightroom.  Lightroom is fantastic and I use it extensively in my workflow to import directly from my camera memory card, rate images, tweak if necessary, and export to jpeg (my images are raw).  However, Lightroom is not so good at browsing images that are on a hard drive or network drive. If your hard drive has many raw images (or JPEG) you can nicely browse in Bridge and find the images you want.  However, you now have to open Lightroom and import the images.  Why not just have an open or import into Lightroom menu.  Yes I know you can open them in Photoshop using Camera Raw but for most of my images I prefer to use Lightroom when I don't have to make any "creative" edit with Photoshop.

It has been suggested to just leave all my images in Lightroom and then search for them there.  However I prefer to keep Lightroom clean (about 1 -2 years worth of images) and I also have many old images that were scanned and never came through Lightroom.

I think this would be a very useful tool and I would not think it would be that difficult to integrate.

Sparky

Views

35.4K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Engaged ,
Feb 23, 2022 Feb 23, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

It would seem you could get *some integration between the two, using startup scripts, if you could figure out the scripting for lightroom.  Since I've seen no devkit for it myself (though I know there is one since people script plugins for it all the time--though mostly for exports), I couldn't be certain how to actually code the darn thing.

The process (from what you are describing) would go like this:

Browse for image(s) in BRIDGE, select image(s), get file locations of selected image(s) [this would be a list for a looping section to work each file], put up a text box for naming the new collection Lightroom will use, check if Lightroom Desktop open (Open it if not), check if collection exists (create new if not), import file(s) to collection.

 

If anybody knows how to code this in a script, you could probably use it in bridge to send data to a holding collection in Lightroom where you can then handle the camera-raw develop processes directly.

Again, I do not code, but I have begun some study in that direction.

 

In the meanwhile, those who wish to work this way can do the following:

 

-----Put in a memory chip and partition the disk in sizes that match DVDs with one called Canon, then other called LIGHTROOM, and any excess space called CACHE.

-----Inside the CANON partition Create a folder named with a number (eg 100)

                This is important, as each numbered folder will represent something different in the camera, usually a lens change, so you can separate images this way as well, just remember to keep their folder structure when you import them

-------On the Lightroom partition create a folder called LIGHTROOM (this will make it easier to see in lightroom later.

Bridge can copy or move images to the CANON folder without losing anything, and you can separate them into numbered folders to differentiate them for processing

--------In Bridge, you should mark the files with keywords before you send them to the numbered folder on the CANON partition, usually something descriptive but short so it's easier to remember, no caps, and something easy to search; now just copy them over

--------Remember to have Lightroom save the xmp and metadata into the file, not into sidecar files

--------When you open lightroom, you can create a new catalog and save it to the LIGHTROOM folder on the disk

--------Import your files, do your work save the catalog

--------You can now copy your files back to their original location however you want; if they are in different folders, you will have to do them one at a time... ...total pain... ...Best to move things to a single folder then move them around later based on keywording in bridge.  Keywords are a very big timesaver.

 

Partitions sized at about 3gb are good for DVD (single layer), 7gb for double layer, 18-23gb for standard bluray, 48 for double layer, and 98-120 for tripple layer bdxl.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Feb 23, 2022 Feb 23, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

It would seem you could get *some integration between the two ...

 

Clearly, Adobe has no interest in doing so.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Why it makes sense to have a transitio from Bridge to LR as a selection in addition to Photoshop

I teach photography ranging from novices to advanced photographers.  LR has a notorious reputation for not being user friendly to beginners in regards to viewing and importing pics so much so that it detracts from them wanting to use it. Of course we know once they would import their images LR is very user friendly.

On the other hand, Bridge is as simple as it can get to quickly view and make decisions on what images to edit. That's great but then opening them up in Photoshop  is way beyond anything they are ready for. What they can deal with particulary since Bridge provides them with the means to sample the concept of working with camera raw editing is the much less daunting transition to LR Develop. To begin with these folks first need to see what LR editing is all about without first becoming embroiled in the LR cataloging system - reagardless of how useful it will prove to be down the line. I have tought a number of media production courses over the years and have come to understand that it's critical for new people to learn faster and more in depth to use incremental steps  rather than take giant leaps in concepts and applications. Bridge is a perfect first step but jumpimg right from it to P is too great. That is also good advice to Adobe - most  of the potential customer base is not existing pros who can only see using LR and PS to begin with. Bridge is the point of entry from which to grow a significantly larger new and number of users.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Taking on Lightroom-Classic is like Marriage. It is a 'big step' with a fast learning curve, you must commit fully to it, you should not dabble with other 'entities'.

I make this point when talking at our Camera Club. I advise them to read the free eBook from the Lightroom Queen, and after fully understanding the ramifications of a Catalog based App, then import ALL photos to the Catalog, making LrC the "Master" of ALL photographic work (DAM).

LIGHTROOM QUEEN HOME PAGE for eBooks

 

Regards. My System: Lightroom-Classic 13.2 Photoshop 25.5, ACR 16.2, Lightroom 7.2, Lr-iOS 9.0.1, Bridge 14.0.2, Windows-11.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I also disagree with learn Bridge first, then LrC.

 

Users need to take the time to learn what importing does, or have someone show them, and suddenly this supposed lack of not being user friendly is gone. Users need to take the time to understand what a catalog is, or have someone show them, and how to use it, and then they won't get "embroiled" in the Catalog.

 

People who get this training either by self-initiative, or having someone explain it to them, get up the learnign curve quickly. People who do not, and just jump right in, often struggle. Bridge does nothing to prepare users for Lightroom Classic.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Teaching a technical subject to novices is not as straight forward as you
may think.Generally people on this post seem to have photo editing
experience. Your perspectives come from that background.
I deal with people that have a hard time understanding why using a tripod
may be useful. The whole idea of editing is well down the road in their
education. Having said that I have been finding if you understand their
limitations it is indeed possible to get them on that path.
There are far more t motivated beginners than there are professionals.
That's an enormous potential customer base and the time to get it is when
these folks are first starting up - that is where the simplicity of bridge
is a perfect gateway. LR not so much and certainly PS is overwhelming.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

The reality at the present time the only way to get access to Lightroom Classic is via the Adobe Photography Plan which includes the following Photoshop / Camera Raw plug-in , Bridge, Lightroom Classic and Lightroom cloud sentries apps.

My thoughts Photoshop is the main application and that includes Bridge and Camera Raw Plug-in, Lightroom Classic is a bonus no "brainer" since you already have access to Bringe / Camera Raw so it's a freebie and you have access the online storage and sharing for your subscription.

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,; Camera OM-D E-M1

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

The Lightroom ecosystem Mobile plan should be attractive for those users. Lightroom (cloud-based) desktop app and Lightroom mobile for tablets and smartphones is better for them.

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,; Camera OM-D E-M1

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2022 Oct 12, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Just a thought from a user of Lightroom from Beta in 2006, initial release in 2007, through to Version 5 in 2014 to the transition to LrC, users of Bridge/ACR have displayed the most problems in a transition to Lightroom.


Trying to get Lightroom to function like Bridge/ Camera raw will only cause frustration. To wit they do not "talk" to each other, Lightroom communicates with the info in the Catalog file, as far as Lightroom is concerned that is where the info resides.

 

Bridge/Camera raw requires the info to be stored with the file, they cannot read from or write to the Lightroom Catalog. That is why you have use an option "automatically write metadata to xmp" or manually use the write / read from the file option to communicate.

 

Make a choice depending on your workflow requirements use one option or the other, either one will allow you to get where you need to be, trying to use both will only lead to frustration.

 

 

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,; Camera OM-D E-M1

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines