Keywords Bridge vs LrC

[davidr75525453]

For years I have used Bridge to catalogue my images and used a structure of Keywords to add to my images. I have the list of Keywords the nway I like it and all my preferences in Bridge set so that nothing gets added or moved etc. No Hierarchal Keywords added etc.

I have only started tentatively using LrC but cannot get the Keywords in LrC to look like my Keywords list in Bridge. How do I get LrC to behave the same way as Bridge?

I use Bridge on my desktop and just started using LrC on my Laptop.

All my images are stored on a network drive so I can access from both machines, but when I export an image from my laptop to the drive, I find Hierarchal Keywords added, despite me unticking the box in Preferences.LrC has Keywords appearing in all sorts of places, and then I open the images back in Bridge on my desktop, the Keywords are all over the place.

How is it so hard for Adobe to do things simply?

[dj_paige]

I have only started tentatively using LrC but cannot get the Keywords in LrC to look like my Keywords list in Bridge.

We don't know what your keywords look like in bridge, so we need to see a screen capture and further explanation. We also need to see the screen capture of what it currently looks like in Lightroom Classic. Please include your screen captures in your reply by clicking on the "Insert Photos" icon. Do NOT attach files.

How is it so hard for Adobe to do things simply?

Adobe made it extremely simple. If you want things to work exactly as it did in Bridge, then use Bridge. How simple is that?

The goal when Lightroom was created was not to make it identical to Bridge. Also, since Bridge and LrC are not the same software, there may not be a way to make the lists match exactly.

[richardplondon]

I'd just add here, in case there is an interest in both kinds of Lightroom as well as Bridge: there are some inconsistencies between how keyword hierarchy works in Lightroom (cloud library) and in Lightroom Classic (local library). With Bridge, these represent three competing alternatives, addressing three different ways people may want to work.

Somewhat like: a musical instrument supplier sells e.g. flutes, guitars and pianos. These three are all acoustic musical instruments (not vehicles or food), so do have that much in common. And are all capable of playing the same tune in the same key more or less.

But inherent matters of tuning, note production etc mean that this tune can never be identically performed across them all. Furthermore, there is no consideration of playing different instruments in the same physical way. Nor even, that performing a given tune on one or the other, will be musically equivalent to do.

[johnrellis]

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"when I export an image from my laptop to the drive, I find Hierarchal Keywords added, despite me unticking the box in Preferences."

If you have a hiearchical keyword A > B assigned to a photo, then when you export that photo from LR, both A and B will included in the exported photo's metadata.   You can stop A from getting exported by right-clicking it in the Keyword List panel, selecting Edit Keyword Tag, and uncheck the box Include On Export:

The Export option Metadata > Write Keywords As Lightroom Hierarchy does something different:

When checked, in addition to the industry-standard metadata fields, hierarchical keywords are exported in the Adobe proprietary field XMP:HierarchicalKeywords with their ancestor keywords included. E.g. the keyword A > B will be included in the field as the string "A|B".  Most apps don't read that field, so it's only of use in special circustances.