Lightroom 5 virtual copies disappear

HI there, just recently, maybe in the past couple months, anytime I make multiple virtual copies of images and then close and reopen lightroom, the copies have disappeared. I have a Mac with OSX 10.7.5. Thanks for any help.

How that happened I cannot answer!
To achieve the same I would- Select all images, press CTRL+' (the key with quote symbols) three times.
To view only the VCs (to delete?) you can filter for 'Attributes' and there is a toggle icon to show only VCs to the right of flags, stars, colors, etc.
You will need a smart collection to filter for VCs that have NOT been edited.

Similar Messages

Lightroom Virtual Copies when creating publish gallery

When I create a publish gallery, I have the option of creating virtual copies. However, I notice the virtual copy stays with the original image, along with showing in the publish gallery. I would have figured the copy would only show in the publish gallery. Since I can't immediately tell where the vitual copy is linked to, it makes it confusing sometimes if I go back to re-edit. I want to isolate the photo from the orignal copy so lightroom doesn't want to republish any future edits to that file. Using lightroom 3.6. I've searched on this behavior and haven't found any helpful information.
Any suggestions on how to more effectively use this in my workflow?

With "publish gallery" you mean a collection under a Publish Service?
I have not checked with LR4.2 how this behaves, but with normal collections you should get only the virtual copies as members.
But you can remove the masters from the collection, using the filter: when in the collection, choose only master files in the filter bar, no virtual copies nor videos. Then select them all and choose simple delete: this will not remove from catalog ( as a splash-delete would do), but simply revoke their collection membership. Unlock the filter and you should have only the virtual copies left in your collection.
Cornelia

Virtual copies disappeared when I synchronized folders - any idea why?

I am in the process of learning to work with the LR3 catalog, but in the meantime, I still occasionally work with the folders on my computer. I moved some photos from one folder to a sub folder at the system level, and when I went back to LR I needed to synchronize the folders because of the change. After the sync was complete, I noticed all of my virtual copies in LR had disappeared. Is there an option to save the virtual copies during synchronization that I am missing? Or do I need to save each virtual copy with a new name before I sync anything? I would so appreciate any help on this as I know the virtual copy feature will be a very useful tool for me in the future. Thanks for any help!!

Thank you for your answers. I definitely understand now that sync will not preserve my virtual copies, but I will somehow need to come up with a different way to manage my folders. I know that LR empasizes using the catalog as the main source for working with your photos, but the reason that doesn't work for me is that I do not always need to be in LR when I am working with my photos. Not only that, but my husband and daughter also use my photo folders on occasion, so I need to have easy access for them. Neither one of them are familiar with LR, so I use my folders to organize the photos in a way that they could find them without having to access LR. For example, I edit photos for my daughter's online business. When I am done editing, I put them in a folder for her to use that only contains the edited versions so she doesn't have to wade through the other pictures. That is much easier than teaching her how to find them in LR and then export the ones that she needs, making sure she is doing it all correctly without messing up my catalog or system folders.
The other reason I prefer to organize my folders from my hard drive is that I prefer the viewing program in Windows. I get much bigger views of the photos than I do in LR without having to hide any other tools, boxes, etc. When I want to see the largest view possible I just double click the photo, then use my arrow key to scroll through any others. In LR, I have to hide all the additional stuff on the screen.
I think I will go back and re-read the section on Collections. Hopefully that will be what I need to save my virtual copies as I create them. Or maybe I should make snapshots of them when I try different presets. Will Collections or Snapshots be preserved when I sync the folders?
Thanks again for your time!

Lightroom virtual copies question

One of the advantages of virtual copies is thet you can have several copies, each with different processing for later comparison. Is there a consensus as to where you can keep notes unique to each virtual copy of the processing used.? The ol' mind sometimes leaks too much to remember what I did to each virtual copy and the history list is sometimes too cryptic to help.

Notes is something I really need. If LR created a place for us to store such notes, it would not be in the metadata and would not follow the image out of LR. Maybe that's OK. However, it isn't an issue because they don't provide anywhere for notes.
Since I really needed to know what I do with various photos outside of LR (usually PS), I started using the metadata field Special Instructions (called Instructions in LR) for putting in notes. These fields are all pretty imited in length. Special Instructions is one of the longer one at 256 characters. So I don't give details, just the general direction of what I did.
Note, if you do this, it just might show up in displayed metadata information. For example, flickr displays this field. I figure people don't need to know EVERYTHING, so I strip out this field before I upload. I was doing other metadata munging anyway to merge my location fields into description, so it wasn't a big deal for me.
Judy

Virtual Copies Keep Spawning!

Hey all,
I've been talking to a friend who also used LR and I've noticed that every time she makes a change to one of the images, it generates a virtual copy. Anytime a change is made, no matter how small, another copy is made. She's tried to figure out how to change or even turn this off, but she can't. Any thoughts on this? She'll make a ton of edits but the virtual copies keep on spawning with every change she makes. If she ever deletes one of the copies, all of the virtual copies disappear, even the source image is deleted.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Jake

It wouldn't normally happen. She's probably doing one or more of
hitting the shortcut to create VCs (PC) Ctrl ' (Mac) Cmd '
creating new collections and selecting the box to create VCs
working in Develop in Soft Proof mode and set told the dialog not to show - reset this in Preferences / General / Reset all warning dialogs

Virtual copies are not synchronized in a second Lightroom catalogue although metadata are written in XMP and synchronization with metadata was selected

Dear community,
I operate one Mac with Lightroom 5.7 that is configured to store all metadata in xmp files. The Lightroom catalogue is stored locally on the Mac and only contains references to the images and their xmp files that are stored on a network device. There is another Mac with the same configuration having a separate local Lightroom catalogue and access to the same images on the network device.
At a starting point, both Lightroom catalogues are identical - they refer to the same images on the network device and contain the same metadata.
When I update image properties on the first Mac, these changes are reflected in the xmp file. After using the option "synchronize" with activated "metadata synchronization" on the second Mac, the modified image properties are visible on the second Mac. This is fine.
However, when I create a virtual copy on the first Mac, I realize that the corresponding xmp file gets updated. However, even after synchronization, the virtual copy is not visible on the second Mac. I may modify image properties of the original image and get these modifications replicated to the second Mac, but the virtual copies remain on the first Mac.
What needs to be done that also virtual copies get synchronized?
Thank you very mich for your support.
Best regards,
Peter

I do not doubt that File Export / File Import will work to transfer the virtual copies.
My question was related to the fact whether the imported folder should not previously exist on the second Mac.
Consider the following situation:
time = 0:
first Mac: folder A is in a first status
second Mac: folder A is in a first status
time = 1:
first Mac: folder A is in a second status, export folder A in second status
second Mac: folder A is in a first status, import folder A in second status
My question is: What happens with these two folder A on the second Mac? Does folder A in the Lightroom catalogue of the second Mac gets overwritten? Do I receive an error message because folder A is already present in the Lightroom catalogue?
I understand your answer that everything will be fine on the second Mac if there is no folder A at all at the second Mac while I import the new folder A. Under this assumption, I can import folder A and it will show the second status. Clearly.
My question is only related to the fact that there is already a folder A on the second Mac, with the same images, but with different metadata and/or virtual copies.

I cant see my virtual copies on Lightroom

I try to create virtual copies in LR, but they are NOT visible, all filter and flags are off. Any help?

"Not visible,..." Where may I ask? Lightroom Library? Windows/Mac File Explorer?
Virtual copies are only ever visible within Lightroom.
Pressing [S] will toggle "stack"s on/off for all VCs of the one master image thumbnail. Try pressing [S]
"all filter and flags are off.." does that include the "Kind" icons at the end of the 'Attributes' filter tool bar?

Can you retrieve deleted virtual copies from Lightroom?

Hello,
I removed a catalog from LR3 and re-imported it and my develop settings are intact however, my virtual copies are all missing. Is there a way to get those copies re-imported back into LR or could they be in a cache file somewhere on my computer?
Help!!!
AlikMc

That depends on your OS and/or if you did change the defaults.
Look here: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/843/cpsid_84313.html

Create several virtual copies at once. Looking for a workflow of exporting 650 photo's in two versions

Hello,
i have photographed a wedding and i have 650 finished photo's. All came from a 5Dm3 of 5Dm2. All are in raw. The color versions are ready. I have created a preset to convert all 650 edited version to B/W. The key is i will not edit the curve and other light and contrast sliders because, and cropping for that sense since these are all done already. So to make it more simple, i need to silver 650 photo;s in color and B/W. The color versions are done.
I am looking at three workflows:
1 create virtual copies of the 650 photo's, filter them out, apply the b/w preset/ make some small tweakes and export the B/W version
2 export the color version to a 16 bit tiff, import those and the apply the b/w preset/ make some small tweakes and export the B/W version
3 make an extra copy of the lightroom library and then apply the b/w preset/ make some small tweakes and export the B/W version
In option one i do not know how to create 650 virtual copies at once. It seems i can do this only one photo at a time which is to time consuming
In option 2 this is an extra batch and consuming me much more hard disk space
in option three this is workable but i rather stick to one library
Any help in this?
Thanks!!
Ronald

Go to the library module, grid view. Highlight all your images and create a new collection. One of the options when you create the new collection is to make new virtual copies. The collection will consist of virtual copies of all your original files. Then, just work with the collection and create your black-and-white images. The virtual copies can be exported just like the regular images. So you can export color and black-and-white versions.

Location of virtual copies on a Mac

I made virtual copies for some of my pictures in order to do different crops.
While I can see the results in Lightroom, I am unable to see the file (or the .xmp if that's the result).
They seem not to be located in the same folder. but where???
Any idea?

There are loads, see here, but they usually only read bits from the xmp data. AFAIK only LR and Bridge will read everything that LR stores in xmp, but there may be others. As it is an open format I would expect to see greater usage of it being made, as tends to happen with most Adobe developed formats, unless somebody writes a better open format, in which case Adobe adopts it and abounded its original (as has happened with PSD). In the meantime it is the only way to transfer processing data around in image files without making permanent changes to a file, so we have to live with it!

Virtual copies not visible

Oh God, can some one PLEASE help me???I can't contact Adobe by phone,m too late and it says everyone else busy, try later...right.
I DID review as much as I could possibly read, and NOTHING is of help.
1. Made virtual copies, count goes up, can't see them in grid in library, develop, or in loupe. Thought they were stacked, but when I went to Photo>stacking> the rest is all grayed out...can't do anything. "set as master copy" also grayed out,. Read somewhere "preferences for lightroom might be corrupt"???? I tried to do the thing in the library to correct the preferences,:(on moubntain lion 10.8.3), but in the user file there is no library...so I then looked up how to find the hidden library, but I can't find the stuff to do THAT!!! And, there IS a library on my hard drive, but when I open THAT up, there isn't anything about preferences.
I JUST bought this 2 mos ago--how can it have corrupt preferences when I only just started using it???--used it once, then discovered diddn't have right processor in old computer...bought a new computer...took several weeks to get (bought increased ram)...now I am just using for first time today. Started importing, but they are all coming up missing photoi (when I had lightroomn installed on old computer, I deleted uit and pics), then reinstalled and it was migrated over to this new computer. I looked up how to massive transfer missing photos and there is NO folder with a question mark, so I have to do hundreds and hundreds manually--can I tell you I am really hating LR4.4????? Right now I am hating photography and LR and I am beyond upset. I got back from vacation a month ago, and STILL haven't been able to process my pics!!!
Disgruntled King Tut's Mom---p.s.PLEEZ help be4 I have a nervous breakdown !!!

thanks...very strange. so first, I found a thread that said could have corrupt preferences...the short of it: caslled Apple support--he showed me how topull out the hidden "library (it wasn't that easy as it was written on a webpage here). I found LR preferences and they were corrupt--there was almost nothing in them. Followed instructions on webpage here, and redid them and it looked QUITE different!
Thwn by accident I discovered that if I click on ALL photographs, the virtual copies were there, but not in the 2013 folder specifically. don't understand that. I later closed out and restarted, and now they are everywhere they are supposed to be, so I think it was the corrupt prefderences. Also, now the mouse is working on the actual photo again......VERY odd.
However, I am afraid to download anymore pictures because of what has been happening...the question mark, then another box telling me the metadata has been changed by both LR and another application, and do I want LR to import settings from disk or overwrite disk setrtings with those from the catalog? I have no idea what this means...what does it mean, disk?. or from catalog? Does it mean there were these pics still somewhere else on my computer and LR is confused? I sure am. The drink sounds very good......
CAN ANYONE HELP??
King Tut's mom

How to make copies/duplicates of photos in LR4 - NOT Virtual Copies

Can someone tell me if there is a SIMPLE way to make a copy or duplicate of a photo in LR4. In otherwords, you have a photo image in one folder and you want to make a copy and move it to another folder or subfolder and that copy is identical in EVERY aspect to the original photo and can be edited, manipulated, etc. without affecting the original. I can find nothing on this subject - all I keep getting is this VIRTUAL COPY which is NOT like the original and cannot be moved without the original (Master) going along with it. What's the problem? Every image program I know of can do this. BTW this in on a Mac Lion (10.8.4). Thank you, Brad

Rikk Flohr wrote:
new location - do not rename
Or same (or different) location, and do rename.
I do this regularly, but only for testing purposes. Note: Some people don't want to use virtual copies, because they are handled as "2nd class citizens" by Lightroom (e.g. not saved in xmp, and must tag along with master base copy...).
That said, I agree that care should be taken when having multiple (real) copies of same file, especially if they have the same filename (which I don't recommend, unless you really know what you are doing, and why...).
Rob

A way to merge edits in virtual copies back the the original dng

I have a large set of images from a recent job (all with varying edits). My client if there was a way to take the final set of images an apply a variety of different lightroom edits to compare against the original set. I made selected my full set of original dng files and created several virtual copy sets and placed them in separate collections. After making a variety of tests the customer has decided on one of the virtual copy sets. Is there a way to merge the edits in the virtual copy set back to the original dng files? Is there a way to make a virtual copy set into its own set of dng files.
Jim

Is there a way to make a virtual copy set into its own set of dng files.
A very quick way is to either export originals (or as dng, which does the same thing in this case) on the virtual copy set, which will give you a folder on your harddisk with "edited" dngs (I quote this because there is no such thing as edited dngs. The RAW data is untouched, there is just a develop recipe along with a jpeg preview saved into the file). Another way is to export the collection of virtual copies to a new catalog. You can include the originals if you want, or you can simply leave them in place if you don't want to double the needed storage space. You'll get a new catalog with just the virtual copies in it, but they will be masters at that point. Then you write metadata to file from this newly exported catalog.

Creating unique names for virtual copies

I utilze three different sets of images for most jobs: the raws, the thumbnails I upload for client review and the jpgs I send out for prints. I like to match the filenames so there is no confusion. Unfortunately my gallery (smugmug pro) also assigns a unique # to each upload. When I use virtual copies to ceate alternate versions of certain images they are named copy 1 or copy 2 in LR and the preceding # is dropped from the sequence, so when I upload the thumbnails, the gallery #s no longer match the filename # below. I always instruct my clients to ordeer selections from the filename but enough of my retail clients have become confused that it is becoming irritating. So I was wondering if there is a way to overide the LR presets and assign individual names to the virtual raws and the jpgs?

OK You are confusing the file name with the SmugMug URL. When you publish to SmugMug you are exporting a new jpeg so your virtual copy is irrelevant unless you have a method of linking it with what your client is viewing. That probably means not changing the original camera file except for the number of different edits you make; which Lightroom does automatically.

Inconsistent order in grid when creating Virtual Copies.

When I create a virtual copy of a photo and look at it with the stack expanded, the order that the two pics appear in the library grid is inconsistent. Sometimes the VC is listed AFTER the original in the grid, and sometimes it's listed BEFORE the original. When it's listed before the original, I've tried changing the stack "on top" setting, but this only changes which photo appears when the stack is collapsed -- the order when expanded stays the same.
I feel like I might be missing something here, i.e. is there some method of making a VC appear after vs before the original in the library grid? Also, is there a way to swap the order so that I can "fix" the situation? So far, the only fix I've found is to delete the VC and re-create it, at which point the order is sometimes corrected.
Thanks for any feedback on this,
Larry

b_gossweiler wrote:
it might be that you have a filter in effect on "All Photographs" that prevents the VCs from being shown
Here's why I don't think that's my problem. I search and find an image - so yes I am using a filter - lets say I want file ABC123. Now I see that frame and I also see a Virtual Copy which I previously created. So clearly I don't have a any filter to prevent my seeing VCs. Now I select the Master and create a new Virtual Copy. The new copy does not appear but the Master reports it is now 1 of 3. So Lightroom is telling me there are three copies of this file, but only displays two, the Master and an older Virtual Copy.
All I have to do (!) to see the new Virtual Copy is quit and relaunch. Now I see all three copies, the Master, the older and the new VIrtual Copy. Nothing changes between quit and relaunch.
Even if "All Photographs" isn't a Smart Collection, is appears to have the same issue others have reported on creating Virtual Copies.
DG

Lightroom 5 virtual copies disappear

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