Sorting order in slideshow.

[Andrej Michelcich]

Hi everybody. Am unexpectedly having problems in creating a slideshow because photos are imported sorted by capture time (??) instead of the order assigned in the selected source folder. Any advice to sort out the matter would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Rob_Cullen]

A couple of comments-

You can Custom sort images (by Drag & drop) in a Folder with one exception- Not possible if the selected Folder has a sub-folder. ie. To sort a Folder it must be the 'lowest' in a hierarchy of sub-folders.

It is better to create a Collection and Custom sort the images in the Collection. And in the SS module you must 'Create a Saved Slideshow' that will retain all your design work for the SS (Identity plate, metadata, template, etc).

Once in the Slide-Show module (From the sorted Collection) it is also possible to Drag&Drop images on the Filmstrip to change the Custom sort.

If you might consider renaming the original image files-  Achieve your Custom sort (considering the above) then select all [Cmd+A] rename with a Preset like {Sequence#0001 - Filename}.

Or- Export the files from the Custom sort to derivatives with the naming preset {Sequence#0001 - Filename}, thus a Filename sort will maintain your required order of images.

[Andrej Michelcich]

Thank you for your comments. I've been using the same process for the last 9 years, i.e. to create a Collection folder from my Library folders, move to Slideshow module, create a Saved Slideshow from the Collection folder. It always worked perfectly, retaining in the Saved Slideshow the same Custom order of the Collection. The Collection has no sub-folders. I can't understand why this is apparently no longer working now. While thanking you for the suggested work-arounds, I want to believe that there is another way of going through other than by renaming all the files...

My system: Lightroom Classic 13.2; MacBoo Pro, 14-inch Nov 23, Apple M3 Pro, Sonoma 14.4.1

[Rob_Cullen]

"No longer working"- I cannot answer, but using LrC v13.2 in Windows-11, I have no problems changing the Custom sort of photos in a Slideshow Collection. From a 'Saved Slideshow Collection' I can do it either in a Grid View of the Slideshow Collection, or on the Filmstrip in the SS module.  (See my short video attached.)

Perhaps a reset of your Preferences file could be a fix. PREFERENCES RESET (Lr Queen) 

Some screen-clips of your workflow might help you get answers.

[Andrej Michelcich]

I have no problems either changing the Custom sort order of photos in the Saved Slideshow. The problem is in the step before because in creating the Saved Slideshow the sort order of the chosen Collection is no longer retained and photos are imported/used sorted by Capture Date. So, suppose I have some hundreds of photos in the Collection, I should now change them manually in the Saved Slideshow to recreate the Custom sort order of the Collection; this would be an unnecessary duplication of efforts, boring and time wasting, a non-sense. I hoped there was a flag somewhere to avoid this but have found nothing so far, not even in the Preferences... Thank you for your attention and support.

[Ricky336 · Accepted solution]

Hello,

I think I get your problem, as I came across this issue recently. So, in the Library view, go to your Saved Slideshow in your Collections, go to Grid view and at the bottom, change the sort order to 'Custom Order'. It seems to default to 'Capture Time'. If you select ' Custom Order', the order you created in the Slideshow module, will be retained!

Make sense?

[Andrej Michelcich]

Not only makes sense but works perfectly!!  I had not considered going back to Library module and change the sort order there... Thanks a lot indeed!!!

[Ricky336]

You're welcome. 😊

[MIFKAP]

Thanks so much for your response!!  I had the same issue,.  This was a game changer!

[Ricky336]

You're very welcome. To be honest, it really isn't that intuitive to look in the Library Module for a Slideshow.