# LR Classic CC - Library module - resetting order to "by capture time"



## f8lee (Dec 24, 2018)

So I was building a web gallery from some selected images (I rated the desired images with 2 stars and filtered to show only that rating to get the group of 44 I was looking to put into a web gallery).

I wanted to change the order of the images, and so in the matrix view of the library module moved (or at least attempted to move) various images ahead of or behind others. Sometimes it worked, but other times the image remained in its initial spot when I released the mouse. 

I finally realized I was somehow inadvertently stacking some images (which I did not want to do, so finally found the unstack all menu item. Still, I get frustrated after still not being able to move things precisely where I wanted them before going to the web module to create a gallery. I finally gave up and just made the gallery is the quasi-order I had intended - for this purpose it was no big deal.

So the entire issue of why LR won't let me change the order of images by click-and-drag is one thing. But the reason I am writing this is that now, having created the web gallery and uploading it, back in the library view I turned the filters off altogether and then ensured the sort order was set to "capture time",  yet the images still appear in the out-of-order sequence I put them into previously. Further, when I select the sort to be by "import time" or "file name" the images remain where they are - i.e. - in the pseudo order I ended up leaving them in out of frustration.  I cannot see how to get them back to the default sort of time captured (or, equivalently, image name since I rename images based on their EXIF date data). I have quit and restarted LR multiple times to no avail, and at this point am at a loss. Is it just a bug?

I also de-selected everything from the web module so the gallery there is empty, in case that had something to do with it.

Oh, this is running on Mac OSX 10.13.6 High Sierra.

TIA for anyone who can help


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## Victoria Bampton (Dec 24, 2018)

Hi f8lee, I think we might need to see a screenshot or two to understand exactly what's going on.

Is it in Grid view that the order isn't changing when you select Capture Time? Or in the web gallery?

I do wonder if your unexpected stacking might have something to do it the issue, but a screenshot of the Library Grid view would make that quick to identify. Here's instructions on how to do a screenshot, if you haven't done it before: Help - How do I create a screenshot?


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## Philippe Coudé du Foresto (Dec 24, 2018)

In addition to what Victoria is asking for, are you wor working in the folder or in a collection ?
Folders are computer storage and handled by the OS, hence you can't have a custom order for your photo. OTOH, Collection are handled by Lightroom which allows custome order by draging/moving photos. In short, you can't have custom order in folders, but you can in a collection.


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## Hal P Anderson (Dec 24, 2018)

_*In short, you can't have custom order in folders, but you can in a collection. *_

*This is false. You can't rearrange the order in folders that contain sub-folders, but you certainly can in bottom-level folders.*

*Have you tried re-booting your Mac?*


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## f8lee (Dec 24, 2018)

Thank you, all, for your inputs. To answer the questions:

1) It is in the Grid view of the Library module where I am having this issue, even after clearing out all the images that were part of the Web gallery. 

2) That said, it was in the grid view under Folders, not Collections, where I manipulated the order of the images. (so, lesson 1 learned - don't do this under Folders but rather make a collection to mess with the order!)

3. Having said that, the order remains "out of order" whether I select the sorting routine of File Name, Capture Time or Added Order (which should all be the same, actually).
3a) However, if I sort by, say, rating, the order does appear in an appropriate ,, well, order. That is, 2 stars come before 1 stars and those before zero stars. But when I go back to sorting by the original criteria, the order reverts to the screwed up one I manually created.

4) The folder (in Finder) under which this is happening has no subfolders within it, but is in fact a subfolder within a higher level (well, two levels) - that is, in Finder I have a folder called Photos 2018, within which is Misc Photos 2018 and within that a folder for each month:


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## f8lee (Dec 24, 2018)

Well, having restarted the iMac, the problem seems to persist:



Note that the shots of me shooting (pun intended) - #s 185 and 186 in the grid, are named (based on EXIF data) are named 2018-12-14... whereas the images before them are 2018-12-15 zoo shots and the image after them is 2018-12-18. The two lion images before them are 2018-12-15 zoo shots, which themselves appear after the bird sanctuary shots dated 2018-12-18.

So, starting at the "double eagle" shots which are 2018-12-16, we have a bunch of 2018-12-18 shots, then 2018-12-15 (zoo), then 2018-12-14 (me shooting) and back to 2018-12-18. This is sorted by File Name


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## Victoria Bampton (Dec 24, 2018)

Now that second one is a good clue. You do have a whole bunch of stacks there. If you didn't intentionally stack them, select that whole folder's photos and go to Photo menu > Stacking > Unstack and see if that does the trick.


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## f8lee (Dec 24, 2018)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Now that second one is a good clue. You do have a whole bunch of stacks there. If you didn't intentionally stack them, select that whole folder's photos and go to Photo menu > Stacking > Unstack and see if that does the trick.




Thank you SO much - that was the answer! I just didn't realized I had inadvertently stacked them...is there some symbol that told you that on the grid?

Anyway, all hail the Queen!


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## Rob_Cullen (Dec 24, 2018)

Stacked-  Six in this stacked group.


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## f8lee (Dec 24, 2018)

I-See-Light said:


> Stacked-  Six in this stacked group.
> View attachment 12000



Aha! Thank you! I will keep an eye on that should this user-error issue resurface


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## Rob_Cullen (Dec 24, 2018)

You would benefit by creating a 'Collection' of the photos you want to use for the web gallery.
Make it the "Target" collection (and add any selected photo to the collection with the B key.)
You can Custom sort in the Collection with no problems as described by Hal in Post#4.
You might even Export the sorted photos in the Collection to another folder with a rename preset to add a Sequence number prefix- thus the exported copies will retain an alpha/numeric sort in any location.   001-image99,   002-image 76,   003-image54, etc.


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## Victoria Bampton (Dec 24, 2018)

f8lee said:


> is there some symbol that told you that on the grid?



As I-See-Light says, the number is a giveaway. Also, the funny little lines to the left of the beginning of a stack, or the right of the end of the stack, and the slightly different grey color... but then we really are getting a little subtle!


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## f8lee (Dec 25, 2018)

I-See-Light said:


> You would benefit by creating a 'Collection' of the photos you want to use for the web gallery.
> Make it the "Target" collection (and add any selected photo to the collection with the B key.)
> You can Custom sort in the Collection with no problems as described by Hal in Post#4.
> You might even Export the sorted photos in the Collection to another folder with a rename preset to add a Sequence number prefix- thus the exported copies will retain an alpha/numeric sort in any location.   001-image99,   002-image 76,   003-image54, etc.



Thanks for that - I was told that reorganizing in a collection is a better approach. But as it turned out it seems I somehow made a bunch of stacks that I hadn't realized, and that was the root of my problem. 

Thank you to everyone for your help! And Merry Christmas for that matter!


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