P: Find keyword by synonym

[S_Beller]

When searching for a keyword in the keyword list (using the keyword filter) only matches with keywords but not those matching with synonyms are displayed.
In Lr 2 also matches of those keywords were displayed which had a synonym match.
I would like this to be an option in Lr 3, too, maybe user-definable.
Usecases: I've got a large list of keywords with most of them having at least one synonym (my keywords are in German and I use synonyms for english translations and other synonyms). (1) When I look for the existence of a keyword I would like to make sure that I've not included it as a synonym already. (2) While searching for a specific topic sometimes I can only remember the synonym (yes, growing older...). In Lr2 I could find it easily by keyword filter.

[Rikk-Flohr]

These are very valid concerns. I too have missed searching on Synonyms. It was part of my workflow before. I end up with extra duplicate keywords now that i have to clean out.

[johnrellis]

Agreed -- synonym support in LR 3 is weak. The Any Tag plugin provides a workaround, letting you filter and apply synonyms as well as keywords; but it would be better if LR had it built in.

[Louie Sherwin]

This is an important function that is missing from LR3

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I see this as a bug as it was working fine in LR2.

[DHill]

Yep, please resurrect this function in LR3.5

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

LR's keyword capabilities are substantually reduced without this feature

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

For me much of the key-wording functionality is gone since i have used the synonyms to add names in other languages since we are a multilingual family. I really needed to be able to search also for the synonyms. Several years of tagging now is worthless.

[areohbee]

If your need is greater than your aversion to plugins, try AnyTag - problem solved.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Lightroom 3.6 and 4: Is it possible to search by synonym of a keyword? It was possible in 3.0 or 2.5 and after gone looks like still not possible. I have huge controlled vocabulary keyword database with synonyms and translations for stock usage and can’t search using synonims. And this is so frustrating! :(

[Louie Sherwin]

I am also very disappointed by the fact that there have been no, none, nada, zip improvements or enhancements to working with keywords in LR4. It seems that fixing all the keyword issues is a fairly big task and I don't expect any changes to appear, if at all, until LR5. :-(

It is generally product marketing that evaluates the cost benefit of any proposed features and enhancements. And so far making keywords a really useful has been consistently shot down. Unfortunately most users are still struggling to do just basic catalog management. There are just a relative few of us that want and could really make use if advanced DAM methods.

The unfortunate truth is that large numbers of users have been clamoring to be able to make books but don't know what a keyword is. So we get the book module and the same old klunky keyword setup.

[johnrellis]

To clarify:

You can search for images by synonym using the Filter Bar or Smart Collections, in both LR 3.6 and 4.0. For example, suppose the keyword "John" has synonym "Jack". If you do the following search in the Filter Bar:

Keywords contain Jack

you'll find all images with the keyword "John".

What you can't do in LR 3.6 and 4 is filter the Keyword List (in the right-hand-side pane) by synonym. If you type "Jack" in the Filter Keywords box of the pane, LR won't display the keyword "John".

[johnrellis]

Recognizing that Adobe is limited in the resources it's willing to devote to the library, I made the following proposal for a small change to the SDK that would allow plugins to provide missing functionality:

http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...

[Louie Sherwin]

Any Tag is a great help and I use as my primary method of applying keywords, but does not and cannot address the tangled confusion of the current keyword management in LR.

[Louie Sherwin]

Thanks for the info John. I forgot that this was possible. This does, however, illustrate how inconsistent access to keyword info is in LR and reinforces the idea that keyword management in LR desperately needs a redo.

-louie

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I really want synonym support for the keyword search too. Please!

[cryptoref]

Very disappointed in the handling of synonyms. What in the world are they in the product for? If you can't search for them they are worthless. I suppose one could export the keylist, have that open in a separate word processor, and then search inside of the doc for your keyword and then search again in LR. Yep that sounds exactly what i want to do when keywording. But yet that's what we have to do. Here's hoping that someone reads this.

[katad0t1s_1]

Synonym search is a must. You simply have to enable it, even as an option in the preferences menu.

[Rich Wagner]

LR 5.2 and still no synonym search in the Keyword List. Everything has improved dramatically in LR 5 except metadata. It's still messed up. I also have a huge controlled vocabulary with synonyms, and I was hoping I could just stick with LR and not PhotoMechanic. No way - screwed again.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Yes this definitely needs to be addressed, I have Finnish bird names as synonyms for the English ones and it would be great being able to search for a Finnish bird name in the keyword list's filter and have the English keyword pop up as a result. Adobe please add this functionality, it wouldn't clutter up the keyword list because the search results would show the equivalent keywords, not the synonyms.

I know that you can search for synonyms in the library filter's text section, but search capability within the keyword list filter is much more convenient and useful!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I second earlier stated issues, when having keywords and synonyms covering several languages/terminologies.

[ChrisGVE]

I hope that this will be addressed in LR6, otherwise I'll really wonder why Adobe has even a feedback forum if it doesn't listen to any of it!

[Johan Zwarthoed]

LR6/CC released. Still no changes in het keyword/synonym handling. How hard can it be?

[Rich Wagner]

Not hard. No motivation, no resources allocated. Overall, this "update" was a yawn.

[Rich Wagner]

Not hard. No motivation, no resources allocated. The last CC/LR6 "update" was a yawn.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Yes, its a pity that is still not realized. ... since YEARS.