P: Respect Hierarchical Folders of Presets

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

5 years ago, poster Sean Phillips first suggested this idea. Adobe has officially marked it as "implemented" - however, it is not implemented. Preset subfolders are scanned by LR, however, directory structure is not respected beyond the first level.

This makes preset management kludgy and inefficient. Please correct this by simply allowing the LR preset hierarchy to reflect the subfolder structure in the LR develop preset folder tree.

[YetAnotherLars]

Hello John

I do not agree with your point of view. Those of us that uses many presets, journalizes them into logical folder structures, and therefore need to be able to subdivide these into sub-folders. I'm not looking around in one folder after another. If the option for subfolders were implemented, I can find the right preset category with a few clicks. And from here my photo workflow is easy.

In the photo club I belong to, we have several times talked about this problem that Adobe will be able to solve with very little effort, so why not fix this small technical issue?

Your suggestion to be able to filter presets are welcome, but I don't believe naming itself is the logical journalizing method. Here you ends up with a complex names syntax!

Best regards

Lars

[Kelv64]

John that's why forums like this are a great thing, everybody has another idea, yours is another for the toolbox, but many people here are wanting to have a folder hierarchy for presets if the parent folder is named correctly, you would not spend so long looking as you describe I think, who knows the two ideas together could be a great combo

[Tobias Schneider]

John, even if this much requested feature was finally implemented, nobody would force you to use nested folders. You can keep your flat preset hierarchy. So this is really a complete non-issue.

I do like the idea with the filter / search box though. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

WOW, I so disagree with the first part. As someone who has been involved in computers since 1959 I can tell you that the hierarchical file structure was one of the great advancements. That does not preclude a search capability, it could be done like windows and I assume Apple. Just place the cursor anywhere on the tree and start typing, do not even need a search box but I would include both. The most maddening part to me is that Adobe pundits agree with us and yet it isn't done. In addition, you can find the code to do this in almost any programming language for free on-line. I just checked and the Quick Develop Presets do honour Tree searching but only for 2 or 3 keystrokes. I suspect we will not see anything on this at least until the new Lightroom. I see signs for a major new product totally different from what we have now.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

If you dig back thru the many comments on this you will find that Adobe's official response is that it is done. In fact it is not of course, what is done is the Quick Develop Presets NOT the Develop Presets. I would also ask that the implementation for the Quick Develop is not correct either, it does not follow the standard for Tree-based keyboard searches. I suspect they are writing their own code instead of using standard windows objects.

[john beardsworth]

Hierarchical file structure may be an advance in computing. It doesn't mean it's a good way to find the presets you need, no more than any UI needs to reflect the underlying file structure. Users with large quantities of presets tend to have similar ones in many different folder trees, usually because they have bought and accumulated packs and bundles. The presets are usually named with variations, so one bundle might use B&W, another might use Mono, another BW, and your own presets have names that reflect their purpose in some way (after all, you don't name presets randomly). Mirroring the folder structure in the panel just substitutes one problem for another, while filtering provides a fast way to find presets for the purpose one has in mind. A most-recently used preset list is another way to speed up that process.

As for not being forced to use a feature, so what. It's still development time used and not available for features one does value.

[Sean Phillips]

Search would also be a good addition, but it's mostly helpful if you know exactly what you're looking for. Being able to browse through different presets to explore what is there would be infinitely more useful to me. I personally don't feel that many presets are named consistently (or logically) enough for search to be useful all the time...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The idea that hierarchical organization is superseded by a filter or search is ridiculous. That said, adding a search to a hierarchy would be fantastic.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The idea that hierarchical organization is superseded by a filter or search is ridiculous. That said, adding a search to a hierarchy would be fantastic.

[john beardsworth]

Far from ridiculous - filtering helps you find presets. Replicating the folder hierarchy in the UI seems superficially attractive, but it just substitutes one problem for another.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hear it from John - Organization is superficial.....

[msc-photoAndWeb]

Listen, it's a waste of time to argue about hierarchical folders versus filtering/search. If we could have both implemented, it would help all of us. But we have been posting about this request for way over a year with no response or reply from Adobe. They appear disinterested in this idea and these suggestions. Having both works for the largest number of users who are people who love Adobe, but are frustrated by the lack action from Adobe. There's more competition now and users are losing their love for Adobe. I wish they would pay attention!

[Sean Phillips]

Agreed. The fact that they marked this as complete years ago when it clearly wasn't proved that they aren't interested.

[Tobias Schneider]

Replicating the folder hierarchy in the UI seems superficially attractive, but it just substitutes one problem for another.

Not if you create a well thought out hierarchy that suits your workflow.

[john beardsworth]

"Hear it from John - Organization is superficial....."

No, you can't cut and paste properly. What I said was replicating the folder hierarchy in the UI seems superficially attractive.

[Geoff the kiwi]

Where is it marked in this thread as Implemented???

[Kelv64]

I just asked one of the mods if they can confirm this, though I have also seen it marked somewhere as Implemented, just cannot recall how to get to it again.

[Kelv64]

5 years ago

Image is not available

 I Jeffrey Tranberry, Sr. Product Manager, Digital Imaging

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Official Response





Hierarchical Develop Presets was implemented in Lightroom 4: 

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

[Kelv64]

The above seems to be about photoshop but is applied to this conversation, I am wondering if someone has got their knickers in a twist over this

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

It was marked as implemented, and then there was more discussion about it and it was changed back to an active request.

[Geoff the kiwi]

Thanks for the clarification Victoria (she who knows al!! 🙂 🙂 )
Maybe we can push this along with Johns Filter option....????

[Kelv64]

Thanks Victoria, some light at last.

[msc-photoAndWeb]

Please share this with all the photographers you know who use Lightroom. Adobe is more likely to listen and act if large numbers of users join this effort and make their request known. It would be especially helpful if some of the prominent photographers with large internet followings would join and become part of this effort.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Just for clarification: Preset Folder Organization touches many different areas. Preset organization needs to be consistent across the application. Places where Preset Organization is currently present:

1. Develop Module - Preset panel 
2. Library Module - Quick Develop panel
3. Auto Import>Auto Import Settings...
4. Tether Capture Tool Bar
5. Import dialog - Apply During Import panel

Work has recently been completed to make those dialogs (and the subsequent organization represented) equivalent across the application. 

For items 2-5, there is little performance cost to increased hierarchy.  For Item 1, the cost is more significant. The Develop Module's Preset panel, ties to the Navigator Panel's preview image and the increase in hierarchy will complicate generation of a preview image when mousing over the preview. 

When the 6-year old thread, originally mentioned, was posted, Lightroom 3.x had more rudimentary functionality than today. That was updated in Lightroom 4 to allow for more hierarchy.  Additional consistency work was done in the 6.x time frame. 

Threads in this forum are marked implemented when we believe them to be implemented based upon the original poster's feature request. If that is shown to be in error, we mark the status of the thread accordingly. As Victoria has already pointed out, the thread had its "Implemented" status changed after this was realized. 

So - for all of you wanting this Hierarchical Preset organization I have a few questions: 

Have you viewed all five of the places where this will impact UI and are comfortable with the impact on workflow in those areas - whether you use a particular area or not?

Specifically to all who have posted on this thread - which area (1-5) are you asking about?

How many levels of hierarchy are desired?

How many are necessary?

How many will be detrimental to the average user? 

In order for a serious feature request to succeed it has to impact positively the workflow of the Lightroom user and not introduce new workflow issues. Adobe needs to hear more from you on this issue. 

[SeanMcCormack]

1 is the highest priority, followed by 2. 

At least one more level is required, though 2 might suit others. 

See above

I guess there has to be some limit. I'm happy with 2 more levels to keep mine better organised. I think beyond 5 is too many. 

The key for me is to have sets of either branded or similar presets in a secondary folder below the main parent. E.g. All my LRB presets which have their own folders could be in a parent LRB folder, that way they're neater in the panel. Same for VSCO presets in their own folder. It reduces the main list down to a more manageable set, rather than a long list of folders.