How to create virtual copies with drag and drop

[Olivier5F94]

Hi,

i'm looking for the quickiest way to create virtual copies directly into a collection.

i can't find in the menu or even in the support pages the way to do it.

Here's my workflow:

i import all my raw files in a collection named "raw". Then, once the 'good' shots marked, i select then all and create virtual copies that i drag in another collection named "selection"  from a collection "raw images" to another "selection".

Is there a keyboard shortcut in LRclassic like the one on Mac OS to create an alias:

[Olivier5F94]

...in addition to my message (no way to edit it) : it would be nice to do a drag and drop with a key combination just like to create an alias on Mac (Alt Cmd drag). Instead of creating virtual copies, then drag them over another collection, then delete them...

[JP Hess]

It seems to me that you are overusing collections. If all the images are raw images, what is the sense of importing them into a collection called, "raw images"? That is a very broad classification. But if you are going to be that broad, you could just have a folder named that, and then have a collection called, "selection" that could be the target collection and you could just tap the ones that are your selected images in the little circle on the image, and they would automatically go into that target collection.

I'm not quite sure why you feel you need so many virtual copies. Lightroom doesn't modify the master images. You can make adjustments to them freely, and at any time click the reset button to restore them to the original settings. You can do whatever you want, I just think you're overthinking the process. But then that's my opinion.

[Olivier5F94]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I have several collection sets, let's say for many differents themes or series (portraits, trees, landscape etc.) then in each set the "raw" collection, which keeps a large first choice (not copies but original images already recroped and contrast balanced etc.),  then in the "selection"collection i keep only the prefered (virtual copies). doing so i can quickly come back in the raw collection to look for another similar or close version of a marked prefered image ...but yes you are perfectly right it's more challenging and sometimes a burdensome work; i think i have difficulties to make my mind on first spet, and i need to compare 2 versions of the same serie. that's why i like the principle of collections in LR. 🙂

[dj_paige]

Don't use collections for this. Use pick flags, select the desired photos and press P. Then, no collection is actually needed. Once you have assigned the pick flag to all desired photos, you can filter them out (again without a collection) and just see the ones you have picked, and if desired, make virtual copies of just the ones you have picked.

If you really need a collection of virtual copies (why?): From "All Photographs", select the desired photos and press P. Then these photos are "picked" and show a white "Pick" flag, and you can do other things with the picked photos. For example: select all picked photos, then use the command Create Collection (its in the + sign next to Collections) and select that you want to create a collection from all selected photos and include just virtual copies into the collection.

Yes, I see that there is no way to do this via drag and drop.

[Jao vdL]

I actually do use collections for this but the workflow is much simpler. I make a collection inside a collection set that contains the say 4000 imaghes from my shoot. I go through them and use the pick flags to pick keeps and rejects. Then I simply filter on picks, do a select all, hit  command-N and create a new collection inside the parent set named something like "selects". At stage if you want, you can simply select to create new virtual copies. I rarely do that but it is much easier and way quicker than dragging a bunch of images. I usually do another passthrough in the same manner to get a final set. Usually I use built-in previews to import so that this process is all super fast.

[Olivier5F94]

 @JP Hess  @dj_paige   @Jao vdL thank you for your precious advice and guidance.

[Rob_Cullen]

Are you aware of the option when creating a new Collection- "Make new virtual copies"?

[Olivier5F94]

yes , that's exactly what i do when i first create the "selection" collection. But later, when i want to add other copies in this collection, this is when i would need a drag and drop shortcut!

[DdeGannes]

At Olivier, I trust that you are aware that Collections do not contain image files or copies of the file, the image files it’s data about the location of where the files are in folders on your computer and the edited you have made with the image file. In addition “virtual copies” is just data it's not an actual image file.

[Olivier5F94]

 thanks for your comment, yes i know and find that very usefull to make different versions of images to compare side by side