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jtrausch
jtrausch
Participant
April 18, 2019
Answered

Bulk import xmp sidecars with raw

  • April 18, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 11897 views

I have a folder of raw CR2 files along with corresponding XMP sidecar files that I can open together no problem in Lightroom Classic but would now like to import to CC.  The only way I can find to import the XMP files is as presets, which is pretty unmanageable for a large number of files.  Is there an efficient way of importing the edits alongside the images?  Would it be simpler just to convert to DNG?

In particular I'm looking for an efficient way to move folders in and out of CC as necessary--when saving photos to a local drive Lightroom CC offers RAW + XMP or JPEG as the only alternatives, so it seems reasonable to expect I should be able to import using the same paradigm.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer JohanElzenga

When you import a raw file into Lightroom CC and that raw file has an XMP sidecar file, then the edits in that sidecar file will be applied to the image after it has been imported. You don't have to import the XMP file itself, just import the raw file. You won't see the edits yet in the 'Add Photos' dialog, but once the photo has been imported you will see them. Metadata such as ratings don't seem to get imported as well.

1 reply

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 18, 2019

When you import a raw file into Lightroom CC and that raw file has an XMP sidecar file, then the edits in that sidecar file will be applied to the image after it has been imported. You don't have to import the XMP file itself, just import the raw file. You won't see the edits yet in the 'Add Photos' dialog, but once the photo has been imported you will see them. Metadata such as ratings don't seem to get imported as well.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
10k Portraits
10k Portraits
Inspiring
December 13, 2020

You don't have to import the sidecar (XMP) file but you won't see the edits after import either. That's what creates the confusion - and one starts wondering if the XMP file needs to be imported as well. The answer lies in a small double arrow icon on top left corner of each photo thumbnail in the filmstrip like this:

 

 

Whenyou click on that double arrow icon, a pop-up dialogue like this appears:

 

You can then choose to build only that image from the sidecar file or build all in the folder, sitback and let Lightroom load all the settings from the sidecar file.

 

All the flag related information will be lost however. I don't know how to get this back.

 

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 13, 2020

    You revived a 1.5 years old thread, and you are talking about the wrong application. The thread is about Lightroom desktop, not Lightroom Classic.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
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