P: Import renaming Sequence # should be assigned by the order shown in the Import window

[baconga88]

RAW images are not importing in the correct order in Lightroom CC. I use Lightroom to process images of digitized library material, and it is critical that the images are imported in the correct order so the pages remain in the correct order in the final group of images. I selected the sort by file name option during import, but it didn't seem to have any effect. The images are still being imported in a random order. I use the general file naming convention of "Itemname-Sequence#", so the file names typically are "Itemname-001, Itemname-002" etc. which would imply that if they are sorted by file name correctly during import, they should be imported in the correct order. This issue needs to be addressed, as it has a profoundly negative impact on my workflow.

[tmickow]

1) Which version of CC 2015 are you running? 2015.3 is current and is the version that brought back the old import interface. If you're not running that, you may want to upgrade.

2) PC or Mac? Which version?

3) Are you renaming on import?

If not, I'm not sure why the order Lr imports should really matter. Once the files are brought in and shown in the Library module, you can change the sort order by clicking View --> Sort --> File Name in the menus or clicking the Sort option in the toolbar under the grid view and choosing File Name. All your images should then be shown in the order you're looking for regardless of what order Lr imported them.

If you are renaming on import, and Lr brings them in in an order you're not expecting, I could see where that could get you out of whack. In that case, what file naming template are you using? If it's something with the "Sequence" field, I'd try using "Original File Number" instead. For example, try using the template named "Custom Name - Original File Number" instead of "Custom Name - Sequence".

If I'm completely missing the boat on the issue, feel free to respond with some additional info.

[John R Ellis]

As you've discovered, the "Sequence #" renaming token doesn't correspond to the order of the files as shown in the Finder/Explorer or in the Import window. Lots of people have complained about this since CC 2015 came out. However, my guess is that it's unlikely this will be fixed any time soon.

It sounds like sorting your files by filename (before import) yields the desired ("correct") order. While waiting for Adobe to fix this issue (if it ever does), you have some options to get your work done:

- Use the "Filename" renaming token to import the files using the current filename. After import, click on the source Previous Import, and make sure Sort: File Name is selected in the toolbar at the bottom. Select all the pics and do Library > Rename Photo, using the renaming preset "item name-Sequence #". Not as convenient as doing it all in one step at import, but these extra steps will take about 20 extra seconds per import.

- If the filenames include a trailing number sequence, e.g. IMG_015.NEF, IMG_016.NEF, etc. then you can use the import renaming preset "item name-Filename number suffix", which will use the item name appended by the number that exists in the original filename. This ensures that the renamed files will still sort in the original order.

[baconga88]

Tom,

You've provided a very simple solution that I was previously unaware of. I did not know that you could sort the files in the Library module after they are imported. This effectively solves my issue. Thanks!!!

[baconga88]

And just to answer your questions, I'm running Lightroom version CC 2015.2.1 on a Windows machine, and I'm not renaming on import.

[fantastic_wanderlust157F]

On my Windows 10 desktop PC I've noticed recently that the sort on import default has been changed to random.  I can't figure out why Adobe thinks a random import is useful. Even within the same work session LR kept resetting the import sort to random. 

Today I had three shoots to import and LR kept grabbing random images from all three shoots. Even after I set the sort order to capture time it would revert to random sort. It took 3 import tries before LR did sorted in Capture Time order. 

I hope Adobe gets this fixed ASAP. Because this really screws up our workflow and has the potential for the wrong photos to end up in the wrong hands, to violate copyright and contract obligation, etc. 

[Jim Kelowna]

I am sorry to see that the problem continues as of LR 2015.8.

An import of dozens of files (sorted by camera file name or by capture time in import dialog) still leads to files being renumbered according to "added order". Since multiple threads seem to be processed at once, capture time has no relationship to the filename or the capture time. So the sequence numbers assigned are essentially random compared to the originals. This remains unacceptable.

Some posts have suggested that it is a minor extra step to import without renumbering, and then remember to reset the sort order from totally useless "added order" to "capture time", and then use your naming template and resequencing on the imported images. Well it is not minor, because it is 1) prone to error with the additional step; 2) messes up the workflow which is a primary feature of Lightroom; and 3) one has to manually keep track of the catalog numbering (the import sequence number), which has led me to duplications and missing numbers.

Jim

[ZoranM]

Since upgrading my LR to LR CC 2015, whenever import images from an SD card, the images/thumbnails on the import dialogue are all jumbled up. In LR 5 the images on the import dialogue were shown in filename (or date) order - the order I shot the images in. But now in LR CC 2015 it's all jumbled up.I find this very annoying for a few reasons, most importantly I get worried that images I know I took don't seem to be there. Why would this have changed in LR CC? It wasn't broken in LR 5 and all previous version. I don't see any setting in Preferences for this dialogue.My details are below:Lightroom version: CC 2015.0.1 [ 1018573 ]License: Creative CloudOperating system: Mac OS 10Version: 10.10 [3]

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I clicked  on View --> Sort --> File Name in the menus as suggested and it worked like a dream! I'm a raw LR newbie, not hugely proficient with computers, and it would never have occurred to me to do that, so, a big thank you! 

[tmickow]

FYI - You can also change the sort order from the toolbar that's at the bottom of the screen in the Library module.

[Sunil_Bhaskaran]

Zoran,
In the Import window, there is a Sort option provided at the bottom-left. Did you try that?

Jim,
I have sent you an offline message to get some additional info.

Thanks,
Sunil

[addieleman]

Lightroom CC's new release 2015.10 doesn't solve this issue, the sort order in the import dialogue isn't respected when renaming on import.

I use Lightroom on an iMac with macOS Sierra 10.12.4.

[Sunil_Bhaskaran]

Could you please select images from the Files section, as opposed to the Device section?
This workaround helped most of the users.

Thanks,
Sunil

[addieleman]

Thank you for a quick reply. Just tested it twice and it worked well both times. I'm happy to have a workaround, but I must point out that this part of the workflow is very error-prone because the importer always defaults to the SD card as a source.

Is it Adobe's intention to fix this bug? Thanks, Ad.

[Sunil_Bhaskaran]

I agree, Ad. We are investigating various issues of device import, including this bug.
We have given a partial fix too, which worked in some cases.
I will contact you off-list to get some more info.

Thanks,
Sunil

[Hakanu5]

In the past, photos where imported either in the order of the file name, or in the order of the capture time. Both optimised my workflow, because I could start working on the initial imported photos while the rest was still importing.

The current behaviour in Lightroom CC makes this impossible. I always have to wait until all photos are imported before I can start edit the initial ones.

Could you please allow to import the photos in a given order again?

[Hakanu5]

The problem is not how the photos are sorted in the import dialog. Here the order is correct, the problem is how the photos are actually imported.

E.g. after an event I have 2000 raw photos. When I start importing them, Lightroom does not start with the first photo from the import dialog. Instead, the photos are imported in random order. Because I convert all photos on import into DNG format and also apply some default processing, the import takes some time.

If Lightroom would start with the first photo, I could start working on the first imported one while the rest is imported in the background. But because of the random importing order, I have to wait until all photos are imported and converted.

[John R Ellis]

Others have reported that if they import by selecting a particular folder in the Files section of the Source panel in the Import window, rather than importing from the Devices section, LR imports in the order shown in the Import window:

Since the issue does not happen with my CC 2015.7 / OS X 10.11.5, I can't verify this myself.  You might give it a try.

Also, please do Help > System Info and report the exact version of LR you're running, along with the version of Mac or Windows.

[addieleman]

This bug still exists in Lightroom Classic CC 7.1 on macOS High Sierra (10.13.2), but the workaround to select the folder on the SD card as in the previous post still works.

However, this bug now also occurs when importing from a folder on the hard disk with moving and renaming of the files, unlike earlier. Most inconvenient!

[addieleman]

I do not rename raw files on import because Lightroom messes up the file order in that case, instead I import without renaming but creating 1:1 previews on import.

So I have to rename the files after import. This in turn creates a new problem: after renaming Lightroom deems it necessary to regenerate the previews when inspecting images at e.g. 1:1. This can be circumvented by closing and re-opening Lightroom, then the previews are available again. Seems to be a bug to me. All-in-all, renaming files on or after import remains a royal pain-in-the-*ss.

These problems exist for a loooong time now, 'bout time to get them fixed I think.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I too have this problem. I am using Lightroom 6.14 and have no intention of upgrading to the subscription model with the result that this bug will never be fixed in a future update. I am not the only one in this unacceptable position.

[Optimistic_Cascade15A8]

A couple of months ago, I started to see similar problems during import, even when using only one card (jumbled up capture times, random ordering, sideways turning, and duplication of shots, with bogus capture times). It now happens all the time. For me , the solution was to initiate the import not from the “Devices” area of the “Source” panel (where the card shows up with the Camera name), but from the “Files” panel below that (which requires drilling down to the specific folder in the card where the pictures are (see red oval below). None of the usual fixes (deleting preferences, updating to latest version, etc.) worked for me.

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