Virtual Copies can be used inside a collection in cases you wish to download an Imagen edit without overwriting the original image edit.

Using Virtual Copies can allow you to easily compare the Imagen edits to one another or to your own editing.

Virtual Copies and Lightroom Classic Collections

To download an edit from Imagen and not overwrite the original or second edit, you will have to upload a collection that has Virtual Copies of the original photos.

That collection must have only the Virtual Copies in that collection, without the original images inside.

To easily create a collection with Virtual Copies, do as follows:

In Lightroom Classic

1. On the Library module, select all the relevant original images that you want to send for Imagen editing without overwriting their existing edit.
2. Scroll down on the left panel until you reach the “Collections” tab.
3. Click on the “+” icon and create a new collection. Make sure it’s a regular Collection and not a Smart Collection.
   
   
   
4. A popup menu will appear:
   
   Make sure to check two boxed:
   a) Include selected photos
   b) Make new virtual copies
   
   
5. Tip: Apply a different color label so you will easily distinguish between the Imagen edit and the original.

In Imagen

1. Create a project for editing
2. Choose and load your relevant Lightroom Classic catalog
3. Choose “Collections”, instead of “Folders”
4. Name the project, select an AI editing profile, and check the box of the relevant collection to choose it.
5. Click on “Choose” and continue with the upload.

Smart Collections

Smart Collections are collections made based on specific metadata information selected by the photographer.

Imagen is not compatible with Smart Collection.

If you want to use the power of Smart Collection and send a Collection to Imagen, after creating the Smart collection, select all the images and copy/move them to a standard Collection.