Filmstrip for book module

[barrylarry]

I’ve made a photobook previously, “Five Days in Paris”. I’m now trying to make another one in lightroom from a smart collection. Originally when I started, the smart collection appeared in the filmstrip below. I clicked on clear layout and create saved book. I altered the size to large landscape and altered the paper. I dragged three photos from the filmstrip into the saved book. When I tried to access the saved book again, only the three photos I’d already dragged into the book appeared in the filmstrip; none of the rest of the smart collection was there. When I clicked on the smart collection I was taken back to the unsaved book with standard landscape and standard paper. I’ve tried starting again three times with new saved books, but I cannot get anything in the filmstrip. Please advise.

[Michael J. Hoffman]

I've moved this post to Lightroom Classic; hopefully you'll get some answers here from Book module experts...

[Ian Lyons]

When you use 'Create Saved Book' a new collection is created which contains the images you dragged into the book and settings you applied in Book module. None of these settings are applied to the Smart collection. That being said, the actual book collection should be visible in the Collections panel. It's this collection that you should be working with as you develop the book.

[Rob_Cullen]

Exactly as Ian answers above. And-

After creating a 'Saved Book Collection' you can add any or every photo from a Smart Collection easily (or from anywhere in the Catalog actually! All Photographs!)-

1. Select and view the Smart Collection (in Library Grid view)

2. Select the photos you want in the Book.

3. Add them to the 'Saved Book Collection' (Drag & Drop)

4. Re-open the Book from the 'Saved Book Collection'. (Never again from the top menu!)

5. Added photos appear on the Book filmstrip to drag onto book pages.

[barrylarry]

Dear Ian and Wobert C,

Many thanks for your replies. I've tried following your suggestions. I'm not entirely sure that I've understood them, but at the moment whatever I've done seems to have worked. In fact I have over 400 photos in my smart collection and I wasn't able to drag all of them at first; somehow they've now got into the book module. Fingers crossed. I have another query about the size of the cells in the template. Is it possible to enlarge them? When I made my book about Paris, the photos filled nearly the whole page of a large square book. The cells in the large landscape book which fit the pictures wihout cropping seem to leave a large white margin.

Thanks again for your help.

[Rob_Cullen]

Simply put- A "Saved Book Collection" will contain the photos you see in the Book Module (Filmstrip).

So you can add any photos from your Library (and that includes Standard Collections and Smart Collections) into the Saved Book Collection.

Pages with or without borders is a Page Template setting. You can change Pages template individually, or define a Preset in the Auto Layout panel.

You might benefit from these links-

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/how-make-photo-book-adobe-lightr...

And more recent changes to the Book module (Photo Cell adjustments) here-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGSTAgB2ukg

[barrylarry]

Many thanks again, WobertC. I spoke too soon yesterday and ran into difficulties again. If I may, I’ll reply later this week when I have more time to get on with the book and explore the links..