I’m switching to Darktable from Lightroom.
I’ve two main folders on my computer with many subfolders.
Can I import these folders easy? When I try it says it doesn’t support these files.
Please tell me the correct way. Or do I have to do it separately for the folders? More than 500 folders.
Hi @Koburg and welcome!
Please tell us a little more…
Version of darktable?
What operating system are you using?
What are you trying to import?
Only RAW files or any Lightroom settings files as well?
Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden
PS: This info is quite old, but still: Importing Lightroom Development | darktable
Hi, and welcome to darktable. If you go into the preferences (little cogwheel in the upper right), and under the GUI Options tab lok for “recursive directory traversal when importing filmrolls”. Checking this should allow darktable to look through subfolders when importing.
Hans Petter
Followed Hans Petter’s instruction. And it is loading now, but it seems it’s trashing some files (look below) and that many folders are there more times.
Darktable 2.6.2 windows 10.
Importing NEF (Nikon) and jpeg. Not lightroom settings (guess it can’t)
Hallojsa, Jan!
I am not at all certain how Win 10 & dt 2.6.2 handle file names, but it is worth an extra check (I am thinking of the 83 trashed images): do the trashed ones contain special danish characters and/or a space in the file name or the name of the directory? Like Student Skærmopløsning?
Med venlig hilsen,
Claes fra Lund, Sverige
there are several ways in darktable to deal with collections. Have a look into the documentation: “Collect images” in the darktable usermanual
Since darktable isn’t a lightroom clone its highly reccommended to read the documentation to unterstand the concept.
I’ll continue tomorrow, but maybe I have to go back to Lightroom. I liked the way folders and subfolders was there, there were no folders twice.
The film roll isn’t really a “folder” view, but rather what was imported as a batch.
Of course you can switch back to lightroom. But reading the documentation and switch over to a folder view in darktables collection might also be a solution. There are several ways in darktable to deal with collections of images and these are pretty well described in the docu…
Having moved over from LR myself, I had to figure out a new approach. LR is designed to do everything within the program including viewing photos and moving them around between folders. I do all the photo management in another application (like DigiKam, Adobe Bridge etc.) and only bring folders into DT to process the photos and export to jpgs. When I’m done, I remove the folder out of DT and if needed, can always bring it back in again. I found DT easier/faster to use if you keep your collection down to what you’re working on at any one time.
Brian, i installed Digikam and I could do a hierarchy of folders there as I wished. But do you use Digikam for editing the photos?
And can Digikam resize and do other resolution?
If it can edit so why use Darktable, is it faster for editing?
Choosing an alternative to LR was no easy task. I realized after looking through the forums on DPReview that the advice on which software to use instead was only highlighted how many options there are out there. Everyone had different reasons for saying which one was “best”. I also realized how varied post processing is done…just look through the forums where people post raw photos for other to process and you’ll see the styles and tastes range so wide. Choosing your editing software is very personal and needs to fit your editing needs and style.
I tried a wide range of software including GIMP, RawTherapee and DT plus a range of paid programs. I chose DT based on videos on Youtube from Bruce Williams Photography - his tutorials are great. As I went through them, the steps used and the way the modules worked just made sense to me. Plus there was so much still to learn I knew it would be a program that would serve me well way into the future. Watch youtube videos from Boris Hajdukovic, The Story of Rico, Shane Milton and Harry Durgin too and you’ll see how powerful DT is and what it can do.
So for me, DT isn’t necessarily faster for editing, but it does have, and lays out, the right tools for my type of post processing. Other software for editing, including DigiKam, may serve your needs well, or you may need something that fits your workflow better and has more tools.
Also, a few suggestions if you move from LR. If you change LR to save to sidecar files instead of the catalog, some edits transfer over OK, many do not. I made sure I had exported all edited LR photos to jpg so at least I had copies of my LR edits baked in. Second, I used the Favourites tab in the darkroom section to show the equivalent modules that matched my LR workflow best, so I could efficiently edit a photo similar to the way I had done it in LR. Third, I use “styles” to apply to types of photos to get a basic start. I don’t find using DT any slower than using LR, plus it offers so much more as well.
Good luck with your choices!
