renaming folders

<p>I store my raw files in various folders on an external hard drive. Later today, I would like to rename several of these folders. Are these any potential issues or problems I should be aware of if I rename these folders? I would assume this is not a dangerous practice, but I just wanted to be sure. thanks.</p>

<p>None I can think of expect, and this is a big one, you have some DAM like Lightroom cataloging the folders. If so, rename in the DAM.</p>

<p>Agree with Andrew. If using LR, make sure you do the renaming within Lightroom, or you will have all kinds of problems later on. Don't ask me how I know this. ;-)</p>

<p>And if the renaming goes wrong LR can find missing directories although I believe you have to point LR to it yourself.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses. I use CS6 right now, not lightroom, but the cautionary advice makes sense. These are older saved folders that are no longer on the computer hard drive. As long as you guys don't see any other issues, I'll rename the folders later today. Thanks again.</p>

<p>If you rename outside of LR, the folder will be greyed out with a question mark. Right click on that folder and direct LR to the new folder.</p>

<p>LR responds similarly if you move folders to a new drive. In that case, select multiple folders in LR and direct them to their new location. For example, I keep all of my image in folders under a master director "Photos". When I installed a new Drobo server, I copied the entire directory to the new drive and simple told LR where the new "Photos" directory was located. Since nothing else had changed, LR updated all of the sub folders in a few minutes, reusing the old "smart" thumbnails.</p>

<p>I routinely rename my folders, but I do it in Bridge. I have never experienced any issues at all. All my files are stored on my second hard drive on my computer. Re-name away!</p>

<p>I rename my folders in Bridge CS5 with no problems.</p>

<p>However, it does invoke a rebuilding cache of each folder's thumbnail previews which might be a good thing for Bridge and any xmp sidecar files that might go missing or become corrupted but that's never happened to me either.</p>

<p>My folders remain on my main hard drive. Once or twice a year I back up to two external drives by just cloning the entire main drive twice. No problems doing it this way for 8 years.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone for the input. I just renamed the folders and it seems to have worked just fine. One less thing to be concerned about in the future.</p>

<p>The basic principle is that renaming folder or file only causes problems if something recorded the old name of the folder. This is why Lightroom, of which the entire purpose is remembering where things are, might take exception to you renaming a folder you've told it about. Another way to put it: anything that would break if you were to copy the files and delete the originals will break if you rename the folder.</p>

<p>Depending on what backup software and strategy you use you may find that the backup will retain the old folders AND create new ones as well, thus duplicating all your files.<br>

This may or may not be a problem to you.</p>

<p>Thanks Steven and Geoff. I guess if I were using Lightroom, this would have been more complicated! Fortunately the renaming was simple and seems to have worked without problems. </p>

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<p>"I guess if I were using Lightroom, this would have been more complicated!"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It can be. While Lightroom is excellent for certain chores, I find it awkward for managing folders. Often I'll use Windows Explorer instead, because I can open two Explorer windows and drag stray folders into the hierarchy I prefer. Then I'll re-synchronize the entire Lightroom catalog.<br>

<br>

Recently I decided to pare down the LR catalog on my laptop, which I use only occasionally for photo editing and which had a different file/folder structure from my main photo editing PC. I recently added some network attached storage so on the rare occasions I want to edit raw files on the laptop I can do so without copying the files to the laptop.<br>

<br>

I had planned to do all the deletions and moves from within Lightroom, but it was extremely awkward and non-intuitive, compared with traditional Windows hierarchical management tools. So, once again, I used Explorer for most of the task, and re-synced later in LR.</p>

<p>Maybe it's because I'm on a Mac, I find LR to be easy for managing folders. It's not that difficult, just drag and drop, renaming is a breeze. I have to do it quite a bit because I do LR work for another photographer and they aren't set up for my computer.</p>

<p>Jeff, you don't have to "synch" anything within LR?</p>

<p>I'm still apprehensive about importing my entire Picture folder from within LR4.1 on a 2010 Mac Mini because I don't know how long it would take and mainly because I don't understand the process of "importing" over just wanting to see the same hierarchical folder structure both Bridge and my OS and all other apps use since the invention of the GUI. </p>

<p>I know I'm just putting my toe in the LR catalog water so to speak and not committing by just pulling the trigger and have LR "see?/import?" the contents of my entire Picture folder and basically build some kind of "Point To" GUI structure duplicate directory embedded in a separate Catalog system that requires a dialog box reminder to optimize on occasion or never.</p>

<p>It doesn't appear so simple and easy to me so if I want to work on an image in LR I duplicate it from within CS5 Bridge and invoke "synchronize folder" in LR's Library module because LR doesn't "see" when I've added a new image into a folder within its catalog system. And yet when I do this in Bridge, both Mac OS & Bridge and any other app that uses the same hierarchical folder structure GUI as Lex pointed out immediately sees the duplicate without having to invoke some synch menu command. </p>

<p>And you have Andrew saying to rename in the DAM. I have no idea what that means. And all we're talking about is a simple folder structure directory system GUI. This entire thread doesn't make LR sound so easy and simple except ONLY if you do EVERYTHING from within LR like it's its own operating system that isn't aware of anything else going on across the rest of the computer.</p>

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<p>Jeff, you don't have to "synch" anything within LR?</p>

</blockquote>

 

 

Once it's imported the first time, you can move files and folders wherever you want as long as you do it inside Lightroom. If you do it outside LR, you have to re-point the files and folders marked with a "?".

 

 

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I don't know how long it would take

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If you're importing from a folder on your internal hard drive, which is where the Pictures folder should be, it won't take that long. You might be able to drink a cup of coffee or two while waiting, but that's it.

 

 

<blockquote>

I don't understand the process of "importing" over just wanting to see the same hierarchical folder structure both Bridge and my OS and all other apps use since the invention of the GUI.

</blockquote>

 

 

 

Importing doesn't change your file structure. It just shows LR where the photos are. However, LR gives you the benefit of Collections, which lets you reorganize your photos without touching the hierarchical structure - nothing is moved but you can look at them with different naming, selection, and organization.

 

 

<blockquote>

And you have Andrew saying to rename in the DAM

 

</blockquote>

 

<br />That means renaming in LR or similar software.

 

 

 

 

 

<blockquote>

<p>This entire thread doesn't make LR sound so easy and simple except ONLY if you do EVERYTHING from within LR like it's its own operating system that isn't aware of anything else going on across the rest of the computer.</p>

</blockquote>

 

 

 

 

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