View photos in full screen

[Kalles_Kaviar]

I'm sure this must have been answered before but I cannot find any references to it so here goes...

I want to look at my photos...in full screen. Just click *somewhere* and it fills the screen, and then just use arrows to see the next photo. Click again *somewhere* to go back to library mode. Where is that *somewhere*? I thought this was one of the most basic functions but I can't find it 

edit: using LR4 on a mac

edit 2: looking for something similar to *space* when selected an image in Bridge

[JP Hess]

About the closest you can come to that functionality would be to press the "F" key to go into full screen mode.  Then collapse all of your panels.  Or, you could initiate a slide show.

[Kalles_Kaviar]

Thanks for the reply but that is quite astonnishing!

(and the slideshow is, to me, one of the most useless thing I've seen so far)

I don't really know what to say...reminds me why I keep using other software I guess...

Too bad, there are some really good features here but with such basic things missing and other just incredibly complicated and awkward.

*sigh*

[JP Hess]

Kalles Kaviar wrote:

Thanks for the reply but that is quite astonnishing!

(and the slideshow is, to me, one of the most useless thing I've seen so far)

I don't really know what to say...reminds me why I keep using other software I guess...

Too bad, there are some really good features here but with such basic things missing and other just incredibly complicated and awkward.

*sigh*

It takes about 5 seconds to collapse the panels and initiate full screen mode.  Then you can zoom to fill if you want.  Is that really such a terrible inconvenience?

[Allan_Olesen]

Yes, it feels incredibly clumsy.

[dj_paige]

As long as you insist that you have to have the same features as your old way of doing things, you will find a lot to dislike about Lightroom. If you can throw out those thoughts and accept that LR has advantages (and disadvantages) and operates differently than your old way of doing things, you might learn to really like Lightroom.

[hsbn]

I second to that. I used to hate LR but now I don't even know how can I manage/organize/edit photo without LR. I don't even use PS that much anymore. To be able to work on the photos and come back later to change any adjustment I like without creating huge images files is priceless.

[Allan_Olesen]

Ok. So an easy option of viewing images full screen is "the old way".

I really don't know how to respond to that.

[Cornelia-I]

Clumsy?

Shift tab to hide all panels, t to toggle toolbar off, f to go for full screen.

Still be able to cycle with i through my info display options.

Arrows left/right for advancing or going back.

Numbers available for rating and colour labels.

So a keyboard fan like me is excellently served.

Cornelia

[John Blaustein]

If you use Lightroom on a dual monitor system, the second monitor can display your images in full-screen mode.  Using the right and left arrow keys, you can move through your images in the grid on your primary monitor and see each one full-screen just as you request.  In fact, you can do the same thing while in Develop mode -- move through the filmstrip with the arrow keys and see each image full-screen on the second monitor.  All edits in the Develop mode will appear in real time on the full-screen image as well.

For those of you new to Lightroom, please give it a chance.  If you have been at this for a while -- say from the days of editing Kodachrome in cardboard mounts and then moving to digital -- you will indeed encounter a learning curve and have to make some adjustments to your workflow.  As you hear over and over again, once you get the hang of Lightroom, you are likely to love it and never go back.

John

[dj_paige]

Allan_Olesen wrote:

Ok. So an easy option of viewing images full screen is "the old way".

I really don't know how to respond to that.

Old as in "previous". There was no derogatory implications, nor any need to respond.

You are struggling with the fact that Lightroom is different. It lacks many features that are present in other photographic software. The forums are littered with threads that sounds like "My previous software did this, why doesn't Lightroom?" Because it doesn't. It wasn't designed to. It wasn't meant to replicate other software's capabilities. Or "This was so simple in Bridge, I can't believe there isn't an easy way to do this in Lightroom". Because you don't need to do this in LR.

The point is that if you can change your thought processes, and put your past experience out of your mind while you learn a new (and potentially better) way of doing things, then there's a good change you will learn to like Lightroom and benefit from Lightroom. Or you can insist that the way you did things in your other software must continue to be the way you do things in Lightroom, and you will be frustrated and probably never like Lightroom. The choice is yours. You can make it sound like this is all a problem caused by Lightroom; I see it as a problem caused by user's choices and rigidity.

[dgluck1]

Try "shift" plus "tab" for a Mac

[donald newlands]

Thanks!

Shift + TAB works on Windows too.

[On Board]

How nice that someone actually answered the question, rather than paternalistically insisting that LR and it's developers are simply smarter than the OP, and that they should cease asking questions as the most direct path to a satisfactory end user experience.

[areohbee · Accepted solution]

piolet_rampe wrote:

they should cease asking questions

I don't think anybody was trying to "shut anybody up" (I could be wrong).

But understand, we're all users, and we can't change what Adobe does, or what Lightroom is (I mean in the short run, long run: yes).

We all have to adapt or be unhappy.

I've asked for a (full screen) presentation mode beginning with Lr2, and now in Lr5 we have it.

So, I used an auto-hotkey macro for a half decade, which was a kluge, but did the job just fine, now I use the 'F' key, which (in Lr5, not Lr4) does about the same thing (except no "Lights out" - boooo - but Adobe assured me Lr6 would take care of the "lights" too - yayeee ).

Rob

[On Board]

I just noticed this will be a feature in LR5, hooray!

Honestly, while it is very true that someone will always be unhappy with any given software product and release, there are some very primitive and basic needs that in my opinion, Adobe and fanboys have steadfastly dismissed.  A simple true full screen display option is the perfect example.  I used to have to open Picasa to be able to view my pictures on a full screen, and this wouldn't display edits made in LR unless I exported the image as a new file.

File management is another issue in this area.  Obviously LR revolutionized things in terms of the non-destructive database.  This adds tremendous value, otherwise we all wouldn't be purchasing this.  Managing different file types however is unnessecarily annoying.  Many photographers use the .jpg + .raw settings, but LR covers this up completely.  I understand the principal that deemphasizes editing the actual file, but I feel that very little thought has been put into helping users manage their files and folder structures when the need comes up.  I remember attending an Adobe workshop on this once and their perspective was basically "you shouldn't want to do that, just learn to use the new ways and don't complain."

[areohbee]

piolet_rampe wrote:

there are some very primitive and basic needs that in my opinion, Adobe and fanboys have steadfastly dismissed ... their perspective was basically "you shouldn't want to do that, just learn to use the new ways and don't complain."

I understand how you feel - drives me crazy too. On the other hand, at some point, you gotta play the cards you're dealt...

[areohbee]

A glaring omission by my standards as well.

What I do:

* Use an autohotkey macro to issue the appropriate multitude of keystrokes, which in my case is:

To present:

{Shift down}{tab}{Shift up}{F7}tll

and to un-present:

{F7}{Shift down}{tab}{Shift up}lt

Note: I use Lightroom in a window, with left-most panel extended onto left monitor, and the rest of the window on right-most monitor (thus the F7 in there).

A slideshow would be fine, if it didn't have it's own set of inadequacies...

Until Adobe can address some of these things...

Cheers,

Rob

[Kalles_Kaviar]

I am realy trying to like LR, and I do like many thing about it! I have tried it several times over the last couple of years but always given up in frustration. My main gripe with LR is the organisation. First you have to import everything and then you have to put everyting in collections when it would be so much easier to just point LR to my perfectly organised folders (which is the way I want it! Like ACDSee). I don't need collections and all the other extra work. Yes, yes, I have heard the rants about that being the advantage with LR, but it is not for me. Now that the Map mode is here I am trying again because that is one feature I've been waiting for for ages.

I am not a keyboard fan. I want a simple button as an option.

Anyway, I gave it another try and, shure, shift-tab is a simple enough thing to do. Oh wait, I also have to remember F and T, but anyway. Good to know you can do it at least. Thanks.

[areohbee]

You do have to import, but you don't have to put anything in collections if you don't want to.

I use folder-based organization too. collections mostly for publishing and to-do/to-check...

Personally, I import into an "Inbox", then after editing, distribute to final destination(s). I think most people import directly into final destination(s), then edit there. - there's more than one way...

Also, if you have a single root for all your photos, then you can import new photos by doing a folder-sync of the root - did you know that? Or if you know where the new photos are, just sync that specific folder.

How do you get your photos from card to these nicely organized folders of which you speak?

R

[Kalles_Kaviar]

     "How do you get your photos from card to these nicely organized folders of which you speak?"

I copy files from my card into folders...if I need to make any sort of changes ACDSee handles that very smoothly (although ACDSee has its own frustrating weaknesses, at least the mac version). All my photos are arranged in Year - Place order (eg 2011 - Tasmania) occasionally with subfolders although I tend to avoid that. That works very well for me. They are tagged with Country, State, City, location, keywords and GPS coordinates. Thats all I need to find anything (with LR or other software)

"The point is that if you can change your thought processes, and put your past experience out of your mind while you learn a new (and potentially better) way of doing things"

That's all good as long as they are better or at least not worse. There are many ways of doing similar things but there is absolutely no reason to justify complicated and convoluted ways of doing simple things. You would thinks that developers would pick up some hints if there are other software doing things in a better way. All I want is the option to click on a simple button as I don't like to have to remember half a dozen keyboard maneuvers to do a simple and basic thing.

[areohbee]

Well, one aspect of the Lr import procedure is to do the things you are already doing now with ACDSee (rename, assign metadata...), so it would actually eliminate a step to have Lightroom do it as part of importing.

And for those already in folders, are you aware of the "Synchronize Folder" feature? - it will import all photos in the tree as yet not imported...

Whether or not you consider it better, its something you can probably get used to - not going to change anytime soon, so...

Cheers,

Rob

[dj_paige]

That's all good as long as they are better or at least not worse. There are many ways of doing similar things but there is absolutely no reason to justify complicated and convoluted ways of doing simple things. You would thinks that developers would pick up some hints if there are other software doing things in a better way. All I want is the option to click on a simple button as I don't like to have to remember half a dozen keyboard maneuvers to do a simple and basic thing.

It's all relative. For you, LR is worse (or not better). For many others, LR is a superior program. I would say there are no convoluted ways of doing simple things in LR, for me. You say the opposite.

The developers, I'm sure, have looked at other programs out there and said "WE DON'T NEED THAT". And the huge success of Lightroom seems to be validating those decisions. Lightroom sells. Lightroom makes money for Adobe. And yet, not everyone likes it. As I said, the forums are littered with threads from people saying "Why can't Lightroom do this simple thing that other software does". And Lightroom continues to sell and make converts.

[sonjabrenna]

The ANSWER to your question:

On a Mac in LR4 in the develop module press simultaneously "shift", "command" and "F".

It works.

You can view and scroll through  pictures fullscreen like in Bridge, but not as fast.

[GadgetRepair]

The "F" key works on my HP laptop. When viewing a picture on Lightroom CC (installed on my laptop on 8/10/2019), I just click the F button and get full screen mode without any extraneous stuff. Then just use right or left arrow to move through the filmstrip (which isn't visible). Another click of the F button takes me back to Lightroom. Works great!

Jim