Batch-Find new File-TYPE (same file-name) ? (in Lightroom)

[DonkeyPhotez]

Sorry  title sounds confusing but I think it's correct description of my problem.

How did it all come about ?
 

I had to UNITE some 2200 photos (slide-scanns, archives) from all sorts of origines and types (and edit them,)

and sort them (temporarily assign them to collections with the intention to help rename files etc. -regarding various criteria-  at the very end of all processes.

Among those mix of 2200 photos is a batch of 350 JPEGs that had to be included temporarily(!) in order to not wait for days for the original DNG's to be accessible again (from another LR-Workstation), so we could go ahead with the complicated sorting (took many days).

These JPEGS are (high-res Exports) actually from already finsished-edited DNG's from a previously started process on another workstation, and thus are represented the futur, original DNG- with actually the same name).
 

My understanding was that now that I finally have the original DNG, I can integrate them to replace the JPEGS.

So amongst the mix of 2200 photos;

I gathered the 350 jpegs into a sub-folder,

told LR about the new location; and that worked fine

(showed LR where ONE new location is but also and ticked athe box for LR to aply same learning to all other "missing" jpeg-location).

Now I pasted next to that Sub-folder the new folder with the 350 DNG's (files with same name exept extention).

Then I renamed the "jpeg-folder" in order for LR to again not find them anymore, and directed now to new folder and file-type (of same image).

LR does warn that the photo is named differently (not highlighting that only the extention is different) and asks if I want to go ahead, to witch I say yes.

That works fine, except that first the photos appear un-edited. As soon as I instruct LR to load the meta-data from the file; the image than looks exactly as the JPEG did (that's logic since the JPEG was an export..), so as I expected. This way this image is present correcty in the different collections it had been assigned to among other Raws/DNGs.
 

BUT; It looks like I am expected to do that manually for each 350 jpeg that "now are" DNGs.

How could I have LR understand to batch-act just as it does batch with the simple new-location-finding, now also with the only-extension-change

(never mind the "load the meta-data from the file") ?

[dj_paige]

Lightroom was not designed to expect the extension change, and so I think you will have to do this manually one-by-one.

The "Read Metadata from Files" command can be done batch, by selecting all of the photos, and then issuing the "Read Metadata from Files" command.

[DonkeyPhotez]

(Illusion. Did not do the trick. :  "I just tried one solution that works "individually"  and should work in batch mode - I'll report back on that in an houer or so 🙂

( The new Folder with the DNG-Files : Rename their extention to .jpg  - "wrongly",  as to trick LR into thinking it's ok to have fond the new location, and it batch re-links (to correct-files that have incorrect-extention. Than batch rename extention back to dng !

It works individually. Now I have to find a freeware that allows me to batch-rename (I had one once that allows this - outside of LR, in explorer). )" )

At least that way, re-assign the image remains matter of within the same folder.

that will thoreticall take me 80minutes, lets say two hoers of click-click-cklick - "because "LR was not designed to" allow to batch-find wrong extentions..

?

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

Please- Try this (un-proven) method with ONE photo before committing to the 350 photos.

You will be converting the JPGs (in the Lr catalog) to a DNG , then replacing them with the original DNG files with the same filename.

• In Lightroom, select the 350 jpg photos
• Menu > Library > Convert to DNG.  ( You will have to remove a check from "only Convert  raw files")
• Click [OK]
• Close Lightroom
• Use Finder/Explorer to REPLACE the 350 files that Lightroom has in its catalog (now called xxx.DNG) with the 'Original' DNG files.
• Re-start Lightroom.

[DonkeyPhotez]

Thank You very Much !!

I had already gone troughit manually a full third but did all again Your way 🙂

Thanks again !!!!