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CollectionAgent - Lightroom Plugin
Duplicate, sync, & copy collections and/or collection sets.
(same collection tree, or regular collections to publish services and vice versa).
Featuring:
Quick Links (intra-page)
Background Information
Screenshots
How to Use
FAQ (Frequently Answered Questions)
Revision History
Download
See the readme file after downloading for usage and other notes.
Plugin Manager
Settings and controls...
File Menu (Plugin Extras)
Main features...
This plugin started out to satisfy a forumer's quest for collection set duplication, but once that was done, other functions started coming from nowhere... Another initial motivator was the need to copy collections from regular set to publish services, since I am migrating from exports to publishing.
| Smart Collection Definition | The list of search criteria that defines a smart collection, only available to a plugin (@Lr3) when explicitly exported by user, or implicitly exported by SQLiteroom upon startup. |
| Publish Collection Definition | Same as the smart collection definitions, except for publishing services. |
- Install (see readme file in downloaded zip file)
- Configure in plugin manager
- File menu functions
See elare plugin framework for common settings.
Additional Settings and Controls
| Smart Collection Definitions | Path to root of exported smart collection definitions hierarchy. Click the text go there in Explorer/Finder. Note: If you enable 'Export Collections' in SQLiteroom, it will export smart collection definitions to the same place. |
| Publish Collection Definitions | Path to root of exported (publish) smart collection definitions hierarchy. Click the text go there in Explorer/Finder. Note: If you enable 'Publish Collections' in SQLiteroom, it will export smart (publish) collection definitions to the same place. |
| Divide to Conquor | Split selected photos into multiple evenly numbered collection, in case you want to do things a chunk at a time. |
Most functionality comes from the menu items:
| Duplicate | Duplicate selected smart collection or set as sibling or at top level. All child collections will be duplicated too. |
| Set Sync Source | Set source of synchronization to follow - CollectionAgent can synchronize smart collections (just updates the collection definitions) or entire collection sets - creates collections/sets and/or updates smart collection definitions. Note: you have to select the source you want to sync from before invoking this function. |
| Set Copy Sources | Set source for the copy to follow. CollectionAgent can copy any combination of collections and collection sets. Note: you have to select the sources you want to copy before invoking this function. |
| Sync | Synchronize source smart collection or set with target smart collections or sets. Select the smart collections or collection sets to be updated before invoking this function. Option for "power" users:
|
| Copy | Copy source collections and sets to selected target location. Note The target location of a copy ultimately needs to be a collection set, publish service, or catalog root. To specify a publish service target, select a collection in the root of the publish service. Likewise, to specify catalog root, select a collection in the root. |
| Edit As Collection | Put selected photos in a collection by themselves. I use this for to-do collections, initially found via filter or smart collection, but upon editing criteria may no longer match - keeps edited photos from suddenly disappearing... |
These FAQs come partly from users, and partly from my imagination. Please let me know if there are errors or omissions in this FAQ - thanks.
NOTE: The following Q&A's assume that the plugin is working as I expect... If, after your best effort, still "no go", please let me know.
Question: Why would I ever need or want such a thing as CollectionAgent?
Answer: Presently, Lightroom is missing the features that CollectionAgent provides. Saves one from repetitive collection creation and/or editing.
Question: Why do I have to export smart collection definitions before duplication, synchronization, and copying?
Answer: The Lightroom SDK is missing the functions to obtain smart collection definitions from the catalog, so this is the only way I know of. SQLiteroom can create fresh smart collection definitions upon startup.
Question: Any other hot tips I should know about?
Answer: Yes -
Question: Is it worth it to use CollectionAgent without SQLiteroom?
Answer:
Question: What are the limitations of CollectionAgent and what are your plans for the future?
Answer:
(reverse chronological order)
Version 3.4 released 2012-04-30
- Fixed potential compatibility problem with Lr4RC2, and certified it for Lightroom 4.
Version 3.3 released 2012-01-15
- Added function to import all smart collection definitions and create the collection sets that house them if need be (catalog & publish services). Allows one to save definitions in Lr3 catalog and import into Lr4b catalog. I recommend using LrFourB to export/import all regular collections (catalog & publish services).
Version 3.2.1 released 2011-12-31
- There was a bug when setting published collection as sync source, it was setting the parent collection set instead of the selected collection.
Version 3.2 released 2011-12-27
- Fixed bug in collection copy/sync.
- Fixed logging mis-info.
- Added feature to copy/sync photos within regular (non-smart) collections.
Version 3.1 released 2011-12-13
- Added feature to synchronize without pre-selecting a source, in which case the selected source will be reloaded from smart collection definition files on disk. This only makes sense to do if you have edited the smart collection definition files on disk with a text editor and resaved them.
Version 3.0.1 released 2011-12-12
- Fixed bug that occurred duplicating smart publish collection to top level.
- Minor enhancements to "duplicate" dialog box.
- Fixed link to plugin page.
Version 3.0 released 2011-12-12
- Fixed a bunch of bugs, and made a bunch of improvements.
- Enhanced for full functionality with publish services and regular catalog collections.
- Hardcoded smart collection definition locations so there is never a mismatch between SQLiteroom and CollectionAgent, and never a conflict between different definitions in different catalogs.
Versions 1.0 to 2.0 were previously released as a "miscellaneous" plugin:
v2.0 (2011-12-05) - Added ability to copy a collection set, which is most useful for copying a regular collection set to a publish service (it can also be used for copying to any destination, instead of just sibling or root, which is what the duplicate function supports).
v1.2 (2011-10-24) - Added "divide and conquor" and "edit as collection" features.
v1.1 (2011-10-21) - if exported smart collection definition is absent when duplicating, smart collection will be created anyway and a warning logged. If warning raised, you'll need to export a proper smart collection definition from source, then sync target(s).
v1.0 (2011-10-20) - initial release.
acceptance of Download Terms & Conditions will be required
CollectionAgent 3.4 - Latest & greatest - this is the one to download.
CollectionAgent 3.3 - Latest & greatest - this is the one to download.
| Static content updated 2011-12-10 | Copyright 2007 - robcole.com - all rights reserved. | Dynamic content updated 07:16:24 PM |