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simonbrattphotography
Inspiring
February 20, 2021
Question

Lightroom keywords and Bridge plus keyword order

  • February 20, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 2208 views

Hi

USING: MacBook pro Catalina (latest versions of Adobe online software)

I generally use Bridge for my keywords, thank god it doesnt re-order the keywords like lightroom does. I always want the most important keywords first. Anyway....

Example

I have an image keyworded in Bridge, all done, later i view it in lightroom and the keywords are annoyingly in alphabetical order (why oh why there isnt an options to stop lightroom re-ordering these is beyond me and i know its been asked for many times)
So no in lightroom (just as a test) i add one keyword. Now close lightroom and reopen lightroom and that extra keyword is still there.

Now if i open Bridge or File Info and check that image, the extra keywork isnt there. 

 

QUESTION

Are keywords entered in lightroom only visable in lightroom? IE not proper metatags. 

Also some of my files keywords have been re-ordered into alphabetical order. Ive no idea why. Ive only ever used Bridge for metadta creation. Is there some overlap where using lightroom will re-order my keywords, even though i never use lightroom for keywording.

 

Thanks

Simon

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

L
Lumigraphics
Legend
February 23, 2021

I STRONGLY recommend that you not mix the two programs if you use hierarchical keywords. There are multiple namespaces for keywords (dc:subject and lr:hierarchicalsubject, plus Microsoft has a keyword name space) and they unfortunately are treated differently in Bridge and Lightroom.

If you must use both programs for keywording, do some testing with your workflow and look at the raw file data in Bridge or EXIFTool to see how they interact.

S
simonbrattphotographyAuthor
Inspiring
February 23, 2021

I NEVER use the two programmes for keywording, ive never used LRC for keywording at all. But if you edit in LRC occasionally its going to automatically mess up my keywords. Im mostly a PS user, so now im going to use LRC alot less until its fixed

F. McLion
Community Expert
F. McLionCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 21, 2021

In addition to WobertC:

Yes, there is an issue with the order of the keywords in LR. It's not a bug, it's just a PIT.. if you would like the pictures upload to some market platform. You can't use LR to tag the images for that case because of the keyword order and need to use Bridge for that task.

Add your voice here: https://feedback.photoshop.com/conversations/lightroom-classic/lightroom-classic-custom-sort-order-of-keywords-instead-of-alphabetic/5f5f45474b561a3d42412b54

 

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Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 20, 2021

-Keywords entered in Lightroom-Classic only exist in the Catalog- unless you save metadata to the file [Ctrl+S] , or have prefrerences set to automatically save metadata to files. Metadata will then embed within JPG, TIFF, PSD, DNG, or be placed in a sidecar XMP file with proprietary raw files that Bridge will recognise.

-Keywords entered in Bridge will only be visible in Lightroom-Classic if the metadata is read into the catalog. [MENU: Metadata > Read metadata from files].

 

I have no answer for the order of keywords. Sorry.

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
    S
    simonbrattphotographyAuthor
    Inspiring
    February 21, 2021

    Hi Yes i do only keywords in Bridge, but somehow, sometimes, they are getting reset into alphabetical order. I cant determine how or when this happens.

    Where is the setting in LRC that stops any file editing of the keywords? I suspect LRC is somehow reorganising them. 

    thanks

    Simon

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 21, 2021

    "Where is the setting in LRC that stops any file editing of the keywords?"

    -Do not [Save Metadata to File]  [Ctrl+S]

    -Do not set Catalog Preferences/Metadata to [Automatically write changes into XMP]

    Now LrC does not 'touch' or change the original file in any way! Neither does it save metadata in an XMP. Any keywording done is kept exclusively in the Lightroom Catalog.

    If you are not 'saving metadata to file' in LrC, then it must be Bridge that is changing the KW sort order. For that I do not have an answer!

    But note, an Export of a derivative file from LrC WILL embed the LrC keywords in alphabetical order.

     

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
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