how to sync 'Collection Sets' (LR classic CC) into LR CC 'folders'?

[daniel_munich]

Since I got stuck with the Creative Cloud sync from Lightroom Classic CC, maybe someone here could give me a hint:

Photography is one of my hobbies and so we have around 120.000 private digital photos stored on my windows 10 PC, backed up within the NAS (synology), cloud (livedrive) and from time to time physically (HDD, cellar).

For sorting, editing and managing I am using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC, occasionally Photoshop CC. On my destop, everything is working fine. I sort the photos in folders (years, subfolders for holidays, smartphone snapshots and single day events).

Sometimes I would like to edit / sort / share photos when not at home, so I bought the CC-Abo with 1TByte.

Now I realize, that my catalogue folders are not synced, I have to put the pictures into a tree of 'collection sets' and 'collections', which I did.

But now the problem: After syncing, all the collections appear. But not within the chosen 'collection sets', but all together, no matter which year a.s.o.

In Lightroom CC (notebook, android-smartphone) the list is far too long. There are no of my 'collection sets'. There I can set folders with the same function, but they are obviously not synced backwards onto my Lightroom classic CC on my PC...

My second problem: I can't get my 'smart collections' to be synced to CC.

Any idea is gratefully appreciated. Thank you so much for your help!!!

Daniel, Munich, Germany.

[Jim Wilde · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, there are limitations with regard to what can sync between LR Classic and LRCC. Specifically in relation to your questions:

• Collections Sets (Classic) and Folders (LRCC), while being more or less the same thing with different names, do NOT sync. The only way to manage this is manually by duplicating the effort to organise the collections/albums into Collection Sets/Folders. The underlying collections and albums do sync of course, even if they are not in matching collections sets/albums.
• Smart Collections cannot be synced from LR Classic, only standard collections can be synced. Jeffrey Friedl, a well-known and respected plug-in developer, has created a plug-in especially for this scenario: Jeffrey Friedl's Blog » Jeffrey’s “Smart-Collection Sync” Lightroom Plugin

[daniel_munich]

Difficult to understand why I need such a difficult workaround, but your answer is very clear and everything worked for my needs!

Thank you!

[mdd770]

What I do Daniel, is use LR classic for the entire organization like you do, use LR CC for edits while traveling to sync back home for later organizing, sharing while traveling, and use Apple Photos to send copies of all my FINISHED photos to.  I create the Album and Folder structure in there, and that way I can show my finished photos to anyone anywhere with that.  It's a fair amount of work, but can be done little by little.  I just wish Adobe would have the same syncing system that apple was better at, but Apple had Adobe's editing power, that they are better at.  I hope that makes sense.

[ChrisElizabeth]

Hi Mdd770, I see your reply was years ago but on the off chance you are still around let me ask... 

I've been talking to someone who also uses apple photos to share their work in the same way you do, but is worried it takes too many steps, did you find a more streamlined process in the last few years? 

Thanks!