Removing full size files from cloud

[lpfertig]

Hi. I've imported many images fron LR Mobile into LR Classic. I believe that this results in the full size files being left in the cloud (and not just smart previews) even though the same files now also exist locally. Is there a way of keeping the images synced but removing the full image files from the cloud? (I don't mind unsyncing and then resyncing if that will do the trick.)

Thanks, Paul

[DdeGannes]

There is an option in Lr mobile to save smart preview on your mobile device. Originals in Cloud storage.

[DdeGannes]

Ok so you can remove the originals from the Cloud Storage by moving the original from the folder they are in to your regular folder structure in your computer the create a collection in Lightroom Classic a sync to the Cloud storage.

[lpfertig]

Thanks Denis. I import auto-added images into my dated folder structure and I assume that those are then considered by the ecosystem to be the masters. Suppose I now (and periodically) copy all images from the Auto-added collection into a (non-synced) collection and then empty the Auto-added collection. Would that have the effect of removing the full size files from the cloud?

Presumably any images which are separately part of synced collections will remain synced, and any images which are not separately part of synced collections will become unsynced. Is that right?

Would that be a simple way of removing full size image files from the cloud?

Thanks,

Paul

[Jim Wilde]

No. Removing an image from a synced collection does not automatically unsync it. The "standard" way to remove those full originals (from LrMobile) from the cloud, and to replace them with Smart Previews, is to select the All Synced Photographs special collection in the Catalog Panel, then select the images that you want to delete/replace, right-click on one of the selected images and choose "Remove from All Synced Photographs". Because synced images must be in that special collection, removing images from it also means that the image must therefore be "unsynced", and as an unsynced image cannot exist in the cloud it will automatically be deleted from the cloud also. (Also note, that if the images removed from All Synced Photogrpahs also existed in a synced collection, the same logic applies, i.e. the unsynced image can no longer exist in a synced collection, so would automatically be removed from any synced collections that it may have been in).

Once removed from the cloud in this way, syncing the images again from Lr Classic (either by adding them to the ASP collection or by adding them to any existing synced collection) will upload them in Smart Preview form.

The only thing to watch for is that when they images are initially removed from the ASP collection, they obvious disappear from the grid.....so before doing that you need to make sure you know how to locate them again afterwards, e.g. use flag, folder, label, keyword, or collection to identify them.

[lpfertig]

Thanks Jim. I have over 7000 images in Auto-added so dealing with them in exactly the way that you suggest sounds impractical.

I've just done what I proposed above, which I think and hope has done as you suggested but in a different and much quicker way. I copied all the images from Auto-added to a new (non-synced) collection called "Auto-added (till August 2021)" and then emptied Auto-added. When I did this I was asked whether I wanted the images to remain in ASP and I answered No. The help text associated with that question said that the images would remain synced if they were separately in synced collections (and indeed they have been).

The result is that my cloud usage has fallen dramatically, and continues to fall as the effect of my action slowly takes effect. The ASP count has also dropped.

My guess is that (1) syncing from LR Mobile (putting a full size file in cloud) and (2) syncing from LR Classic (putting a smart preview in cloud) are two separate mechanisms and that what has happened is that mechanism (1) has unsynced while keeping the syncing of mechanism (2) in place. Is that right?

I must admit that I don't understand the role of ASP. If images remain synced after they have been removed fro ASP then what is ASP?

Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks,

Paul

[Jim Wilde]

Thanks Jim. I have over 7000 images in Auto-added so dealing with them in exactly the way that you suggest sounds impractical.

You don't have to do them one by one, you can do all 7000 in one fairly simple procedure.

 what has happened is that mechanism (1) has unsynced while keeping the syncing of mechanism (2) in place. Is that right?

Sorry, I don't understand what you're trying to say here. Yes, initial syncing of originals from Mobile to the cloud is the first step, subsequent replacing those originals with Smart Previews is the second step. But I don't follow what you're saying here.

I must admit that I don't understand the role of ASP. If images remain synced after they have been removed fro ASP then what is ASP?

That shouldn't be possible, so can you possibly provide a video recording showing images that still have the synced icon but which cannot be seen in the ASP (perhaps mark such images with a colour label then filter the ASP looking for that colour label....if you are correct then the filter should come up empty).