# Grayed out triangle on Folders



## defram (Feb 22, 2021)

Hi. More organization issues.

Goal:  In lightroom grid view... move a folder (full of images) from another drive to my main drive and folder. The files will not copy.  
- Error "Folder already exists".
- The triangle to the left (see screenshot) of the folder I want to move images to is "grayed out". Will not let me click on the triangle.
- However, there are 12,000 images (linked properly to this folder that do show up, screenshot 2)

Any ideas? Was on with Adobe and they did not help me at all.


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## clee01l (Feb 22, 2021)

The message means exactly what it says a fold with that name is already present at the destination. You can open the folder at the source location, select the file and drag them to the folder that exist on the target drive and drop the image files 


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## defram (Feb 22, 2021)

- The triangle is grayed out.
- I should've indicated that I cannot access ANY folders  under "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main"


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## defram (Feb 22, 2021)

However, the images appear to be linked properly under Lightroom Photo Archive - Main"


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 22, 2021)

defram said:


> The triangle to the left (see screenshot) of the folder I want to move images to is "grayed out". Will not let me click on the triangle.


A grey-out triangle means that -as far as Lightroom is concerned- there is nothing to expand because there are no subfolders. Please note that this does not necessarily mean that this folder does not contain subfolders in real life, it means that Lightroom does not have imported any photos in those subfolders so they are not catalogued.


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 22, 2021)

defram said:


> However, the images appear to be linked properly under Lightroom Photo Archive - Main"


This would mean that these images are all in the root of the folder, not in any subfolder.


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## defram (Feb 22, 2021)

Johan Elzenga said:


> A grey-out triangle means that -as far as Lightroom is concerned- there is nothing to expand because there are no subfolders. Please note that this does not necessarily mean that this folder does not contain subfolders in real life, it means that Lightroom does not have imported any photos in those subfolders so they are not catalogued.


Ok - if this is the case... why can't I add folders to this specific folder?

As stated previously, I tried to add a folder and the error came up "folder already exists" (However, I checked the folder hierarchy outside of lightroom and only the files exist - no folders).


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## clee01l (Feb 23, 2021)

defram said:


> Ok - if this is the case... why can't I add folders to this specific folder?
> 
> As stated previously, I tried to add a folder and the error came up "folder already exists" (However, I checked the folder hierarchy outside of lightroom and only the files exist - no folders).


The folder that you are trying to add to "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" already exists as a subfolder of "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main". However that folder has not beed added to the catalog.  It may or may not be empty.  
Open finder and search "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" for subfolders. The folder  with the name from the EHD that you are trying to move is already existing  at "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" It may not be catalogued in Lr but this is what you need to sort out to move your files.


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## defram (Feb 23, 2021)

clee01l said:


> The folder that you are trying to add to "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" already exists as a subfolder of "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main". However that folder has not beed added to the catalog.  It may or may not be empty.
> Open finder and search "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" for subfolders. The folder  with the name from the EHD that you are trying to move is already existing  at "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" It may not be catalogued in Lr but this is what you need to sort out to move your files.


Hi Cletus & Johan -
Ok I found that folder under the correct "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" hierarchy. THANK YOU. Simply missed it before. 

I'm still not clear on what the "grayed out triangle" that is not operational indicates. Would either of you be able to illuminate more about this?
I can't "open" or operate it... to see the folder hierarchy (files and/or folders) and therefore not able to organize underneath "Lightroom Photo Archive - Main" which is necessary. Ideas?

A million thanks!!


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 23, 2021)

defram said:


> I'm still not clear on what the "grayed out triangle" that is not operational indicates.


I already explained that. It means that Lightroom does not know any subfolders inside this folder. The triangle is to expand or collapse the folder hierarchy, so if there is no hierarchy then there is nothing to expand.

I also explained that this does not necessarily mean that there are no subfolders inside that folder. But if there is a subfolder, then Lighroom does not know that because it never imported a photo from this subfolder. This also explains your initial 'Folder already exists' problem. If there is a subfolder that Lightroom does not know about and you try to add a folder with the same name, then _the system_ (not Lightroom) will generate that error.


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## defram (Feb 23, 2021)

Thanks Johan (and Cletus)! You have helped me.

My next question still involves the GRAYED out triangles. In the shot on the left (Andrew Bird highlighted). 
How do I change/update the folder so that the arrow isn't grayed out (functionality is affected but I can't figure out how)?

Apologies if this seems repetitive. It's not my intention to be redundant.


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## Johan Elzenga (Feb 23, 2021)

Please read my two answers about why a triangle is greyed out. I‘m sorry to be so blunt, but I really do not know how else to explain it.


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## defram (Feb 23, 2021)

You covered a lot of the issues for certain. 

I just son't understand whey why there is a Grayed out triangle present if there is no folder underneath it (verified in the Finder/Apple hierarchy).  Hmmm so strange.


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## clee01l (Feb 23, 2021)

defram said:


> You covered a lot of the issues for certain.
> 
> I just son't understand whey why there is a Grayed out triangle present if there is no folder underneath it (verified in the Finder/Apple hierarchy). Hmmm so strange.



Just say that is is a design flaw on Adobe’s part. 
The symbol location is reserved for an indicator icon. A right pointing triangle indicates that this is a parent folder that is closed and there are sub folders if you open it. A down pointing triangle indicates that this is a parent folder that is open and there are sub folders underneath and showing. Ideally the next option would be a folder that had no sub folders (I.e. empty). What kind of icon would you use to indicate this? I would have chosen a blank space with no icon at all. Adobe chose a right pointing stippled arrow. What Adobe chose is what you are seeing.


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## Califdan (Feb 23, 2021)

One point of clarification.  The triangle is not grayed out, it is speckled.  So, applying the generic computer meaning of grayed out things is incorrect.  The meaning of a "speckled" icon is not universal.  Adobe has defined it in this instance as "folder has no subfolders known to Lightroom".


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## clee01l (Feb 23, 2021)

Califdan said:


> One point of clarification. The triangle is not grayed out, it is speckled. So, applying the generic computer meaning of grayed out things is incorrect. The meaning of a "speckled" icon is not universal. Adobe has defined it in this instance as "folder has no subfolders known to Lightroom".



Stippled = Speckled 


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## defram (Feb 23, 2021)

Thanks All.


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