Mac Folder Action To Launch App

13-05-2021

Mac Folder Action To Launch App

Let's face it when using apps from different places they don't always communicate well with each other. For those of us who like using Lightroom for photo editing, the task of moving your photos after editing can be tedious. First, they need to be exported, and then after that, you still need to upload them into the Photos app if you want access to them across your devices.

There is an easier way, it just requires jumping through a few hoops at first. Using Automator you can create a workflow that will upload your photos for you, and we have the details for you here!

How Lightroom switchers can move to Photos for Mac

If you switched to Lightroom a while ago but now want to make the move to Photos, your best bet is to load your Lightroom folders and files directly into Photos. Just note down where they're stored on your hard drive, and then import away.

Oct 18, 2019 The Finder is the first thing that you see when your Mac finishes starting up. It opens automatically and stays open as you use other apps. It includes the Finder menu bar at the top of the screen and the desktop below that. It uses windows and icons to show you the contents of your Mac, iCloud Drive, and other storage devices. It's called the.

How to prepare for setting up Lightroom photos to sync

Before you can jump through the hoops required to set up an automated export of your Lightroom photos to your iCloud Photo Library, you'll need to prepare a few things. These steps will simply ensure that, once you've started, you'll be able to create the Automator rule without having to stop and set something up. You'll need to set up a folder in finder, create an export preset for Lightroom, and enable your iCloud Photo Library.

Create a folder in Finder

First things first, you'll want to create a new folder in Finder. This is the folder where all of the photos you want to sync from Lightroom will be exported to. If you've already got a folder for this, you can use the existing one.

Open Finder on your Mac.
Use Control + click to open the menu.
Click new folder to create a folder for your Lightroom exports.
Name your folder accordingly.

Create a Lightroom export preset

Next, you'll want to create a preset for exporting your Lightroom photos. This makes it easy to ensure that all of your files are exported to the correct location and in the correct format.

Open Lightroom on your Mac.
Select export from the File menu.
Set the export location to the folder you created specifically for syncing from Lightroom.
Set the format to .jpg.
Click add.

Enable iCloud Photo Library in Photos on your Mac

Launch the Photos app on your Mac.
Click on the Photos app menu in the Menu bar in the upper left corner of the screen.
Select Preferences from the drop down menu.
Click on the iCloud tab.
Tick the box to enable iCloud Photo Library.

How to use Automator to export Lightroom photos to Photos for Mac

Launch Automator on your Mac. You can find it by typing Automator into the Search field on your Mac.
Click on New Document in the bottom left corner of the Automator window.
Select Folder Action.
Click on Choose.
Select the folder you have designated to send your Lightroom photos to into the workflow panel to create the first action in the workflow at the top of the screen.
Double-click on Get Specified Finder Items in the sub-menu bar second from the left.
Click Add and choose the folder you created earlier.
Click Add.
Double-click on Get Folder Contents in the sub-menu bar to add it as the second action in the workflow.
Click on Photos in the main sidebar on the far left.
Double-click on Import Files into Photos to add it as the third action in the workflow.

You should now test the Automator rule to make sure it works correctly. Click on Run in the upper right corner of the Automator window. If the actions are listed correctly, you'll see a note in your log that the workflow is completed. If not, repeat the steps above, making sure to have three actions in your workflow. You'll probably get an arrow, but you'll also get the notification that a photo has been imported into Photos.

Click on File in the Automator App menu in the Menu bar.
click on Save in the drop-down menu. You could also hit the Command + S keyboard shortcut to save the rule.
Select a folder to save the action in if you haven't already.

Questions?

Do you still have questions about syncing your Lightroom photos to your iCloud Photo Library? Have you used this method to make sure your edited photos are accessible on your other devices? Let us know about it in the comments!

Updated May 2019: Took into account macOS Mojave.

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Back up your library

Before following any of these steps, it's a good idea to create a backup of your photo library, even if you use iCloud Photos. You can use Time Machine, use a third-party backup solution, or copy the library to an external drive. By default, your photo library is stored in the Pictures folder within your home folder.

Make sure that your software is up to date

Photos is part of the Mac operating system. You can avoid or fix many issues by running the most up-to-date version of macOS. Learn more about updating the software on your Mac.

If you use RAW images in Photos, learn more about the digital camera RAW formats supported by iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

If you have trouble migrating an existing iPhoto or Aperture library to Photos

You might see an alert message when you first open Photos or migrate an existing iPhoto or Aperture library. Learn what to do if Photos can’t copy or create a library.

If the Media Browser isn't showing your photos and videos

Use the Media Browser to make images from your photo library available in other apps, like Pages and iMovie. The Media Browser shows only the contents of the Photos library designated as the System Photo Library. If you have more than one Photos library—and the one you're using isn't set as the System Photo Library—the Media Browser won't show its contents.

Follow these steps to designate the current library as the System Photo Library:

Choose Photos > Preferences.
Click the General button at the top of the Preferences window.
Click Use as System Photo Library.

If you're having other issues with Photos

If you're experiencing other issues—like missing or blank photo thumbnails, unexpected behavior, or if Photos won’t open—try to see if it's an issue with your library by following these steps.

Create a new Photos library and see if your issues persist:

Quit Photos.
Press and hold the Option key while you open Photos.
In the dialog that appears, click Create New.
Give your new library a name, then click OK. Note whether Photos opens successfully with this new library.

To return to your main Photos library, quit Photos. Then open it again while holding the Option key, select your main library, and click Choose Library.

Alternatively, you can open Photos in another user account on your Mac and note whether Photos opens successfully.

If Photos opens with the new library, or in a different user account, it might mean that there's an issue with your library. Follow the steps to use the Photos library repair tool on your main Photos library.

Learn more