Replace existing cloud photos with smart previews

[matt.zic]

I recently moved from Lightroom to Lightroom Classic. I synced the original cloud photos to LrC, meaning they are now saved on my hard drive, and also saved on the cloud in their original format. I would like to replace the cloud-based originals with smart previews to save cloud storage space while keeping my original edits/star ratings/etc.

[JohanElzenga]

The way to do this is as follows: Remove the photos from 'All Synced Photographs' in Lightroom Classic. This will remove the originals from the cloud. Then add the images to a synced collection (or 'All Synced Photographs') again. This will sync smart previews of the images to the cloud again.

[DomDomMartin]

Important to note that this will also remove them from other synced collections so you need to unsync the collections that you want to keep them in. Why there isn't a simpler way to do this I don't know

[thomase80552442]

About to go to China and I have been testing this for the last two days and can't get it to work.

I want to shoot all day and upload to an Album/collection on my ipad. {China_Trip} where I will play with the photos

I have been testing:

Once synced into Lightroom Classic I turn off {China_Trip} sync

I select all the photos in {China_Trip} sync and go to {All Synced Photographs} and remove them from that collection

I start a new unsynced collection called {China_TripTest} and add all the photos

I then drag all the photos back into {All Synced Photographs} I then turn back on syncing in {China_Trip} and {China_TipsTest} 

The images NEVER return to the cloud as previews. I can see them clearly in CLASSIC in all three collections but in Lightroom and Mobile they never re-appear. I have been testing this for days. Has Lightroom disabled this hack? 

[JohanElzenga]

This is not a 'hack' and it is not disabled. It is using the normal sync features to achieve something that is supported all the way. Check that you have not paused sync in Lightroom Classic without realizing it.

[thomase80552442]

Thanks Johan! 

Glad to know for sure its still working. As far as you can see my workflow seems to be correct? 

[JohanElzenga]

It's correct, but you do not have to drag the images back into 'All Synced Photographs'. Just turning on sync again of the {China_Trip} collection will already do that.