# Stacks won't open



## mikecox (Jun 16, 2011)

I have a collection of stacked images, flanked by vertical bars. Recently I noticed that sometimes clicking the bars; or selecting "open stack" from the drop down, did nothing.  In an effort to see if there were images under to top one I tried the the "Shift+]" shortcut on several stacks and that caused the image disappeared.:surprised:

I haven't, yet, figured out where those images disappeared to.

I tried unstacking in some cases but that didn't work on the stacks in question.  It's like some stacks just get locked up and will not respond to commands. 

This isn't happening with all the stacks, and I have a great many because I bracket most of my shots, but just with some.


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## b_gossweiler (Jun 16, 2011)

I suspect you have a filter active, which does not allow all parts of the stack to be shown.
Example: 


You have a stack containing an original (1 of 2) an a virtual copy (2 of 2) and is collapsed
If you have an Attribute Filter active to only show originals, the stack will not show expansion when clicking on the vertical bar, because virtual copies cannot be displayed.
If you move the top (Original) to the bottom of the collapsed stack, nothing will be shown at all because the filter does not allow the virtual copy (which is now on top of the collapsed stack) to be shown
 
So make sure you don't have any filters active and try again.

Beat


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## mikecox (Jun 17, 2011)

b_gossweiler said:


> I suspect you have a filter active, which does not allow all parts of the stack to be shown.
> Example:
> 
> 
> ...


I think I discovered the problem. It appears that if a rating, say of 5, is given to one of the bracketed images the stack will not open because the others do not have the same rating; ie filter.  I came back here to report and fund your answer.  Odd, I didn't get an email and not junk.  Will have to review my settings.  Thanks for helping.


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## b_gossweiler (Jun 17, 2011)

mikecox said:


> It appears that if a rating, say of 5, is given to one of the bracketed images the stack will not open because the others do not have the same rating;



But I guess this is only the case if you have a filter on rating active?

Beat


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## johnbeardy (Jun 17, 2011)

Is this a smart collection?


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## Mark Sirota (Jun 18, 2011)

Can't be a smart collection -- stacks aren't visible in smart collections.


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## Kimberly Cher Photography (Jun 18, 2011)

also, you can not be in the folder of 'PREVIOUSLYIMPORTED IMAGES'  you have to be in the folder the images are in.... log out, go to the actual folder they are in...  I HAD THE SAME ISSUE...


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## mikecox (Jun 29, 2011)

Mark Sirota said:


> Can't be a smart collection -- stacks aren't visible in smart collections.


Good to know (-:


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## mikecox (Jun 30, 2011)

*Stacks, so many contraints*



Kimberly Cher Photography said:


> also, you can not be in the folder of 'PREVIOUSLYIMPORTED IMAGES'  you have to be in the folder the images are in.... log out, go to the actual folder they are in...  I HAD THE SAME ISSUE...


Stacks have become a major frustration for me because I bracket so many of my shots then stack them for processing in Lr.  I haven't yet figured out what the rules are and keep running into situations where I can't expand or contract them.  It appears that I can only work, unconstrained, from folders.

I haven't yet worked out how tags, ratings, and labels effect stacks.  I realize a stacked set must be expanded in order to apply any of these settings to the images inside the stack; but you must be able to expand the stack first, and that's the rub; for me.  

I keep running into situations where I can't expand a stack to rate or label them.  It's like I have to do all the tagging, etc, before I stack my images.


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## dj_paige (Jun 30, 2011)

Stacks worked "unconstrained" (to use your term) in All Photographs. Not truly unconstrained, as photos in a stack must be in the same folder.


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## mikecox (Jun 30, 2011)

dj_paige said:


> Stacks worked "unconstrained" (to use your term) in All Photographs. Not truly unconstrained, as photos in a stack must be in the same folder.


Yes, I've noticed that, but that seems to be the only place where I am able to compress and expand my stacks.  I need to play with this because it seems like when I have applied filters I have problems with stacks and when I check "none" I don't.


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## LouieSherwin (Jul 1, 2011)

Hi Michael,

I always make sure that my image source (my selection in the left panel) is a folder before doing any stack operations. I also usually have all filters off unless I am absolutely sure that all the images in the stacks I want to work meet the filter criteria. Otherwise some images can be hidden and throw you off.

Here comes the neat part, you do not have to remember which folder a particular image stack is to do this. Just use all the available search tools, Collections, keywords or searchable metadata to find the images you want to work on. THEN....right click on one of the images in the Grid and select "Go to Folder in Library" from the popup contextual menu. 

This will immediately select that folder in the left panel and open it in the Grid mode with the same image selected. Any filter should now be off by default so you will be able to browse all the images in that folder. Now all your stack operations will work. 

If I am working with a lot of stacked sets in one folder I will first select Photo -> Stacking -> Collapse All Stacks. Now I am only looking at the images on the top each stack and it is much easier to choose the shot I am looking for. Once I have selected an image set I want to work with I use the previously mentioned technique of selecting the top image and then double-click the stack counter to expand the stack and select all the containing images. Now all my keywords and metadata apply to all the images.

-louie


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## mikecox (Jul 1, 2011)

LouieSherwin said:


> I always make sure that my image source (my selection in the left panel) is a folder before doing any stack operations. I also usually have all filters off unless I am absolutely sure that all the images in the stacks I want to work meet the filter criteria. Otherwise some images can be hidden and throw you off.-louie


Ok, so far so good.  I'm beginning to see...

Here comes the neat part, 





> you do not have to remember which folder a  particular image stack is to do this.  right click on one of the images in the  Grid and select "Go to Folder in Library"


 Ah, that solves my the date oriented folder problem. 



> use all the available search  tools, Collections, keywords or searchable metadata to find the images  you want to work on.


Now it's making sense.  The search tools will find the top image and the associated images will show up when the folder is opened.

Hopefully syncomatic will make all this moot; but it's good to understand the process.

Thanks for walking me through this.


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