Newbie Question: automatic import from Photos to Lightroom
Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:22 pmHello,
I would ask for tipps for improving my workflow that automatically imports images and videos from Apple Photos to Lightroom (LR). And I thought this workflow might also be interesting for other users...
Let me briefly describe the workflow: it copies all files from the Masters/ folder within the Photos library into LR's auto import folder. Before a file is copied, its colour label is set to "blue". Files with colour label "blue" will not be copied - this prevents form importing a file into LR twice.
1. I had to overcome one limitation: Hazel does not display the folder structure in the Photos library and hence does not allow to run rules in its subfolders. To overcome this, I created a symbolic link to the Masters/ folder (using the "ln" command in the terminal). As expected, Hazel treats the symbolic link to the Masters/ folders just as any folder. Thus, I was able to add rules to the symbolical link which effectively operate on the Masters/ folder.
2. The rules for the Masters/ folder are straightforward: one rule visits all subfolders, the other rule matches all files without colour label "blue". Afterwards it sets the colour label "blue" and copies it into my LR auto-import folder.
3. When I run LR, all new images and videos are automatically processed by LR and moved into my LR catalogue.
I have tested this workflow on small parts of the Photos Masters/ folder. However, I am hesitant to run it on the complete Masters/ folder on a regular basis because of the risk that changing the colour labels might somehow interfer with Apple's Photos App.
I believe this to be unlikely, and I will risk it if I don't find a better solution, but before doing so, I would like to ask about wether this is a good way to go and whether there is a better way to prevent Hazel from applying a rule twice to a file and this prevent duplicate auto-imports (the Hazel documentation states will not re-apply a rule to a file that was matched before, but without using the colour labels, Hazel ran the rules each time I executed "run rules now").
Thanks in advance for answers, regards from Germany
I would ask for tipps for improving my workflow that automatically imports images and videos from Apple Photos to Lightroom (LR). And I thought this workflow might also be interesting for other users...
Let me briefly describe the workflow: it copies all files from the Masters/ folder within the Photos library into LR's auto import folder. Before a file is copied, its colour label is set to "blue". Files with colour label "blue" will not be copied - this prevents form importing a file into LR twice.
1. I had to overcome one limitation: Hazel does not display the folder structure in the Photos library and hence does not allow to run rules in its subfolders. To overcome this, I created a symbolic link to the Masters/ folder (using the "ln" command in the terminal). As expected, Hazel treats the symbolic link to the Masters/ folders just as any folder. Thus, I was able to add rules to the symbolical link which effectively operate on the Masters/ folder.
2. The rules for the Masters/ folder are straightforward: one rule visits all subfolders, the other rule matches all files without colour label "blue". Afterwards it sets the colour label "blue" and copies it into my LR auto-import folder.
3. When I run LR, all new images and videos are automatically processed by LR and moved into my LR catalogue.
I have tested this workflow on small parts of the Photos Masters/ folder. However, I am hesitant to run it on the complete Masters/ folder on a regular basis because of the risk that changing the colour labels might somehow interfer with Apple's Photos App.
I believe this to be unlikely, and I will risk it if I don't find a better solution, but before doing so, I would like to ask about wether this is a good way to go and whether there is a better way to prevent Hazel from applying a rule twice to a file and this prevent duplicate auto-imports (the Hazel documentation states will not re-apply a rule to a file that was matched before, but without using the colour labels, Hazel ran the rules each time I executed "run rules now").
Thanks in advance for answers, regards from Germany