LR4.4 import by keyword from external network drive?

<p>Googled around, couldn't find an answer to this specific question - the issue never came up until I added network attached storage.</p>

<p>In Lightroom 4.4, is it possible to import (I'm using add to catalog, if it matters) from a network attached drive by specifying keywords?</p>

<p>For example, recently I copied all of my old CD/DVD archives - digital and film/print scans - to a NAS drive. These are photos I need access to only occasionally, so I don't want to import copies of all the files to my main PC HD. I've used Windows 7 Explorer to add the basic keywords. I know LR can read these in the keywords in the Library and Develop modules. But I'm not seeing any way to display or select by keyword via the Import options.</p>

<p>Do I need to import (add to catalog, to minimize space on the main HD) before I can access keywords via the Library module? So far it's looking like I need to repeat all the work I've already done by adding keywords outside of Lightroom, by sifting through hundreds or thousands of photos just to import the handful I want to work on. Otherwise I'll need to import them all, then delete from the catalog all the photos I don't plan to work on.</p>

<p>The only alternative I can think of is to use Explorer or other viewer to use keywords to select the few photos I want, then open them to LR via Explorer.</p>

<p>Hi Lex,<br>

I think you face two problems, LR has/had issues with files on a network, I don't know the details but I think that's the first thing to check or to settle.<br>

For the catalogue you have several options. First of all you can use a new catalogue for these old files so that you keep them separate from new ones. You can use all kind of LR functions to limity the selection of files you want to work on: make collections based on rating or based on keywords. I don't think there is a reason to delete photo's you don't want to work on from the catalogue. The catalogue is just a list of files/settings; your photos remain on the harddrive/NAS and LR point to these locations.</p>

<p>I think the only option is to add them to the catalog by reference (so you do not actually copy/move the images but leave them in-place on the NAS. LR doesn't know much about images before they are imported. Of course, you could create a new catalog just for that and when not needed, move that catalog to the NAS (but you'll have to copy it to local HD if you actually want to use/open that catalog)</p>

For my limited purposes I may just return to

using Picasa for these occasional situations.

Occasionally a family member or friend wants a

copy of an older snapshot that I've archived on

the NAS just for that sort of thing. Picasa is

actually much quicker than Lightroom for some

chores, including sifting through thousands of

photos by tags or keywords.

 

Too bad Lightroom doesn't emulate some very basic

familiar Windows environment stuff such as having

the Import module work more like Explorer and

many other Windows friendly programs that use the

familiar file/folder hierarchy.

 

And I still wish Nikon had better integrated

software. One thing Nikon View and Capture do

very well is include NEF raw files in meta data

searches, and more complete meta data for

identifying exposure modes, autofocus settings,

etc.