Creating empty folders for DAM workflow

[Jorge del Valle]

I use Lightroom and I like to follow Peter's method of having some folders that I move files to depending on which stage of the process they are at. So my folder structure for a given "work in progress" job will be something like this:
--Job folder
----1_LandingZone
----2_Renamed
----3_RatedAndKeyworded
----4_Edited
----5_ConvertedToDNG
----6_BackedUp

The problem is that Lightroom doesn't offer any way I know for creating these folders other than doing it one at a time. The only solution I've found is to do this:
  1) Have that folder structure somewhere else with some dummy images inside.
  2) Duplicate it in windows explorer and move it to the desired location.
  3) Import the folder structure into Lightroom.
  4) Delete the dummy images (which I needed there to start with as Lightroom can't import empty folders).

That's quite a few steps that I have to repeat every time. I was wondering how other people that use Peter's method go about this, or whether there is some Lightroom plugin that allows and easier way to create recurrent folder structures that will be visible from the catalog. I've been searching for one but haven't found anything useful.

--
Jorge

[Valeria Lages]

   Hi, Jorge,

   I don't know which LR version are you working with, but mine is the ancient 2.0 and is very easy create new folders in the catalog and at the same time in the HD itself, just point the mouse over the folder (or device) you want to create new folders inside and click its right-button. A pop-up menu opens and so you choose "create new folder inside...". Simple like that. Pay attention because if you don't want create new real folders in your HD, only in LR catalog, so you have to create Collections in LR, not folders.

   Hope I have helped you,
   
   Valeria

[Jorge del Valle]

Thank you for your reply Valeria.

I'm aware of that. The problem is that I have to do it manually for every job, and I do it very often so that's 6 folders with the same name that I have to create one by one every time. Because it's such a repetitive process I was hoping there was some plugin that could be used to automate it.

--
Jorge

[Roelof]

I'm not sure Peter is generating these folders every importbatch again...
I assumed that there is one folder structure and al you images are 'traveling' thrue them. In the second edition of his book you can read it from page 136 'Working folder'.

Roelof

[Jorge del Valle]

Hello Roelof.

That may be true, but for someone like Peter who may be working on several jobs at the same time I would have thought he doesn't mix images from different jobs into the same "editing" folder, for example. So I would think that he needs a separate folder structure per job, which would be a lot of repetitive work.

Of course, he may create job1, job2, job3, etc folders and move THOSE through the folder structure as he finishing renaming for one job, editing for another and so on. Which would mean a structure like this (depending on which stage each job is in, of course):

--Top "WIP images" folder:
----1_LandingZone
------job3
----2_Renamed
------job1
------job4
----3_RatedAndKeyworded
------job2
----4_Edited
------job5
------job7
----5_ConvertedToDNG
------job8
----6_BackedUp
------job6


Is that what you mean? That would actually make sense and I hadn't thought of doing it that way. Maybe I've been thinking about this the wrong way around all along.

--

[BeckyMalaria]

Hi Jorge,

I use EM, but what you just described in your last post is how I do it, and was my understanding (from the book) of Peter's method. One set of folders which your jobs move through, via subfolders. Not a set of folders for every job.

-Becky

[Jorge del Valle]

Makes complete sense now.

Thanks!

--
Jorge

[johnbeardy]

Jorge

Did you ever look at my workflow smart collections suggestion? http://www.beardsworth.co.uk/lightroom/workflow-smart-collections/

John

[Jorge del Valle]

Hey John. I hadn't seen that! I've taken a quick look at your workflow explanation and it looks really interesting. My brain hasn't fully grasped  it (it's late over here and I really should be sleeping) but I think I get a general idea. I'll have to give it a try and see how it really works when I put it in practice.

Thanks for the suggestion!

--
Jorge