Lightroom concerns, do you have any?

cdifoto wrote in post #3036426
I noticed this as well. If I take a picture before 3:01AM Eastern Time, Lightroom puts it in the previous day's folder because it assumes I'm in California where the programmers are...but I'm on the East Coast. It seems to ignore actual EXIF for that.

I guess I now know why I never had that problem. I have yet to take a shot between midnight and 3 am.

cdifoto wrote in post #3037567
Hmmm. I dunno then. I guess mine's configured wrong. I haven't had a dual shoot lately to mess with it though.

You must have checked the option to ingest into one folder. There are 3 options: 1) By Original Folder, 2) Into one Folder, 3) By Date. Option 3 has several options to choose from.

cdifoto wrote in post #3036426
I noticed this as well. If I take a picture before 3:01AM Eastern Time, Lightroom puts it in the previous day's folder because it assumes I'm in California where the programmers are...but I'm on the East Coast. It seems to ignore actual EXIF for that.

I don't know if this also happens on the mac, maybe a mac user could check.

Is it assuming you are in California or is it adding the UTC offset to the EXIF time?

jbimages wrote in post #3038715
I don't know if this also happens on the mac, maybe a mac user could check.

Is it assuming you are in California or is it adding the UTC offset to the EXIF time?

It's not doing anything to the EXIF, it just reads the EXIF time or something and for some reason creates the wrong folder to upload - assuming I guess that I'm in California and despite the EXIF, I actually took the pics 3 hours earlier than I did. I can rename the folder, but that's not really the point. The point is if it's 2:30AM on January 5th, I'm uploading my pics shot like 5 minutes previous, it's loading them into a new, automatically created folder 2007-01-04 based on the template instead of the correct 2007-01-05.

It's really odd and really stupid.

cdifoto wrote in post #3038722
It's not doing anything to the EXIF, it just reads the EXIF time or something and for some reason creates the wrong folder to upload - assuming I guess that I'm in California and despite the EXIF, I actually took the pics 3 hours earlier than I did. I can rename the folder, but that's not really the point. The point is if it's 2:30AM on January 5th, I'm uploading my pics shot like 5 minutes previous, it's loading them into a new, automatically created folder 2007-01-04 based on the template instead of the correct 2007-01-05.

It's really odd and really stupid.

Sorry, I'll clarify.

Over on this side of the pond we are 10 hours ahead of UTC so my computer time zone in "Date and Time Properties" is set for GMT+10. My cameras are set on my local time.

If I take a card of images throughout the day, all images with an EXIF time prior to 1400 hours will go into a folder the same date as the EXIF date from the file. All images with an EXIF capture time after 1400 hours will be placed in a folder dated the day after the EXIF date. As you said, the EXIF data is not changed in any way.

1400 hours plus my GMT offset (10) gives 2400 hours - so anything after that is the next day.

It appears Lightroom assumes my camera is using UTC in the EXIF and is compensating. Why it does that and how to stop it is a mystery.

According to Windows, Eastern Time in the US is GMT -5. If my theory is correct, Lightroom should be subtracting 5 hours from your EXIF time when working out the folder. If you are seeing a 3 hour difference, either your computer time zone is wrong or my theory is crap.

jbimages wrote in post #3038792
Sorry, I'll clarify.

Over on this side of the pond we are 10 hours ahead of UTC so my computer time zone in "Date and Time Properties" is set for GMT+10. My cameras are set on my local time.

If I take a card of images throughout the day, all images with an EXIF time prior to 1400 hours will go into a folder the same date as the EXIF date from the file. All images with an EXIF capture time after 1400 hours will be placed in a folder dated the day after the EXIF date. As you said, the EXIF data is not changed in any way.

1400 hours plus my GMT offset (10) gives 2400 hours - so anything after that is the next day.

It appears Lightroom assumes my camera is using UTC in the EXIF and is compensating. Why it does that and how to stop it is a mystery.

According to Windows, Eastern Time in the US is GMT -5. If my theory is correct, Lightroom should be subtracting 5 hours from your EXIF time when working out the folder. If you are seeing a 3 hour difference, either your computer time zone is wrong or my theory is crap.

I vote for that part. LOL. I think the LR programmers responsible for that particular bit of code were on something, regardless of why it does what it does. It shouldn't. It should go by the EXIF data and put it in that exact folder. It doesn't matter if it was 10AM in China...It wasn't 10AM to my camera and me!

I agree, the time in China isn't relevant, but I think you are still missing my point.
Have a look at the exifateTimeOriginal and exifateTimeDigitised fields in the xmp file for one of your images.
This is mine, from an image that was put into a folder dated April 01.
<exifateTimeOriginal>2007-03-31T14:23:05+10:00</exifateTimeOriginal>
<exifateTimeDigitized>2007-03-31T14:23:05+10:00</exifateTimeDigitized>

Would you post the corresponding data from one of yours that was put into an incorrect folder.

jbimages wrote in post #3041894
I agree, the time in China isn't relevant, but I think you are still missing my point.
Have a look at the exifateTimeOriginal and exifateTimeDigitised fields in the xmp file for one of your images.
This is mine, from an image that was put into a folder dated April 01.
<exifateTimeOriginal>2007-03-31T14:23:05+10:00</exifateTimeOriginal>
<exifateTimeDigitized>2007-03-31T14:23:05+10:00</exifateTimeDigitized>

Would you post the corresponding data from one of yours that was put into an incorrect folder.

I'm not writing XMPs to analyze.

cdifoto wrote in post #3041914
I'm not writing XMPs to analyze.

ok - I'll scratch you from the list then.

Anybody else know how to open an XMP file in a text editor?

jbimages wrote in post #3042377
ok - I'll scratch you from the list then.

Anybody else know how to open an XMP file in a text editor?

What list?

wouldn't notepad be able to read it?

coreypolis wrote in post #3042523
wouldn't notepad be able to read it?

I think he was calling me stupid.

I have found that LR produced a whole load of files is 'My Pictures' such as "Lightroom Database.lrdb" and a folder called "Lightroom Previews.lrdata". I cannot find anywhere for this path to be altered. Any ideas? i dont like XP my profile becoming too large as it can really slow down the PC, and any files in 'my docs', 'my pics', on the 'desktop' etc will make it bigger, so i want to try move it somewhere else - or get rid of it completely

Also, if I choose the option "Automatically write changes into XMP" does this mean I can deleted any of the above files in "My Pictures" (.lrdata etc)

One last (really n00b.y) question. What info goes into the XMP file? e.g. all changes to the photo such as White Balance, Exposure etc, or just the things like Keywords, etc?

andrewaaa5 wrote in post #3043442
I have found that LR produced a whole load of files is 'My Pictures' such as "Lightroom Database.lrdb" and a folder called "Lightroom Previews.lrdata". I cannot find anywhere for this path to be altered. Any ideas? i dont like my profile becoming too large, and any files in 'my docs', 'my pics', on the 'desktop' etc will make it bigger, so i want to try move it somewhere else - or get rid of it completely

Also, if I choose the option "Automatically write changes into XMP" does this mean I can deleted any of the above files in "My Pictures"

One last (really n00b.y) question. What info goes into the XMP file? e.g. all changes to the photo such as White Balance, Exposure etc, or just the things like Keywords, etc?

Lightroom Database.lirb is the sql database ( the default library) that Lightroom uses to store some image information. When you installed Lightroom you should have been given the option to create the database in a folder of your choice. It appears you accepted the default. Do not delete that file.
You can change databases under Edit -> Preferences. On the General tab under "Default Library" is the path.

If you hold the ctrl key down during lightroom startup you can select the library for that session. I have separate libraries on external drives for the files on those drives.

The Option "Automatically write changes into XMP" means that any changes to the file metadata are written into the XMP file at the time the changes are made, rather than just written to the library. This is useful if you have another application, like a DAM system, that reads an XMP file, or if you archive the files and delete the library entries, or the database crashes etc., it doesn't mean you can delete the library.

XMP files are text files, if you want to know what is in them, its easiest to open one and read it. If you are interested in learning more http://www.adobe.com/p​roducts/xmp/ is Adobe's take on it. http://en.wikipedia.or​g …ensible_Metadat​a_Platform is the Wikipedia entry, Google knows of a lot more.

cdifoto wrote in post #3042529
I think he was calling me stupid.

never...

jbimages wrote in post #3043580
Lightroom Database.lirb is the sql database ( the default library) that Lightroom uses to store some image information. When you installed Lightroom you should have been given the option to create the database in a folder of your choice. It appears you accepted the default. Do not delete that file.
You can change databases under Edit -> Preferences. On the General tab under "Default Library" is the path.

If you hold the ctrl key down during lightroom startup you can select the library for that session. I have separate libraries on external drives for the files on those drives.

The Option "Automatically write changes into XMP" means that any changes to the file metadata are written into the XMP file at the time the changes are made, rather than just written to the library. This is useful if you have another application, like a DAM system, that reads an XMP file, or if you archive the files and delete the library entries, or the database crashes etc., it doesn't mean you can delete the library.

XMP files are text files, if you want to know what is in them, its easiest to open one and read it. If you are interested in learning more http://www.adobe.com/p​roducts/xmp/ is Adobe's take on it. http://en.wikipedia.or​g …ensible_Metadat​a_Platform is the Wikipedia entry, Google knows of a lot more.

Cheers, thanks for all this info. I did manage to uninstall, rename the folder that contained 'Lightroom Database.lirb' etc. copied the folder to a better location for me on C:\ and then re-installed Adobe LightRoom. It popped up a message that it could not find the LR DB and prompted me to manually browse to it. Hey-presto, I broswed to the new location that I had copied it to, it read it, all my previous changes to photos were still intact. I was happy

I really appreciate all the help that I can get here, and hope it is ok to pose another question, and an estimate gratefully received: I have about 60GB of photos (stored on an external HDD - about 90% of which a JPEG, and the rest TIFF or CR2) in various folders, some 5 levels deep (eg. Folder > Subfolder > Subfolder > etc > .jpg or .cr2), that I was thinking of importing into LR:

1. Is it wise to try this in one fell swoop? e.g. All 60GB at once?
2. If so, how long do you think this may take?

Just an observation, I was a bit baffled why *.XMP files were not being created for changes that I made to jpgs, but it seems that the *.XMPs are only created for changes made to *.CR2 files. Pressuming that alterations to JPGs are recorded somewhere in the LR DB. ??