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Critterflow
The underwater photographer's platform
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Critterflow
The underwater photographer's platform
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Lightroom Classic Plugin

Install, configure, and run identifications from Lightroom Classic.

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Lightroom Classic Plugin

The Critterflow plugin for Lightroom Classic lets you identify marine species directly from your catalog without leaving Lightroom.

Install the plugin

  1. Using Critterflow_Identifier.lrplugin.zip file provided by administrator.
  2. Unzip the file — you should see a folder named Critterflow_Identifier.lrplugin.
  3. In Lightroom Classic, go to File → Plug-in Manager.
  4. Click Add and select the unzipped .lrplugin folder.
  5. The plugin should appear in the list with a green dot indicating it is active.

Configure the plugin

After installing, stay in Plug-in Manager and click the Settings section under the Critterflow Identifier entry.

API URL

Enter the base URL for the Critterflow API:

URL provided by the administator

Do not add a trailing slash or a path — just the base URL.

API key

Paste your API key from your Critterflow account page. You can create a new one in Profile → Developer → API Keys.

  • If you are entering a key for the first time, paste it in the API key field and click Save.
  • To update an existing key, paste the new key and click Save. Leaving this field blank keeps the existing key.

Enable logging

Check Enable logging if you need to troubleshoot a problem. Logs are written to log.txt inside the plugin folder. Disable logging again when you are done — the log file grows with each run.

Click Save before closing Plug-in Manager.

Run an identification

  1. Select one photo in your Lightroom library or loupe view.
  2. Go to File → Export and choose Critterflow Identifier as the export destination, or use the File → Plugin Extras menu if available.
  3. Fill in the identification fields:
Field Description
Dive Location Where the photo was taken (e.g. "Komodo, Indonesia"). Required.
Identification Hints Any trait you noticed — color, pattern, behavior (e.g. "bright orange with white bands"). Required.
Dive Site Specific site name if known. Optional.
Tags Comma-separated keywords to attach to the result (e.g. "reef, nudibranch"). Optional.
Comments Free-text notes to store with the result. Optional.
Save to Critterflow Catalog Save the result to your Critterflow library in addition to writing keywords back to Lightroom. Optional.
Visibility Set to Public portfolio to share the result on your portfolio. Only applies when saving to catalog.
  1. Click Export (or Identify). The plugin uploads the photo and waits for the result — this usually takes 10–30 seconds.
  2. When complete, the species name and confidence score are written back to the photo's caption field keywords.

Troubleshooting

"API key missing or invalid" — Open Plug-in Manager, re-enter your API key, and click Save. Make sure there are no extra spaces around the key.

Job times out — The plugin waits up to 90 seconds. If it times out, check your internet connection and try again. If the problem persists, enable logging and include the log.txt file when contacting support.

No keywords written after a successful run — Confirm the photo is not locked or read-only in Lightroom. Write access to metadata must be enabled in catalog settings.

Cannot find the plugin in the export dialog — Close and reopen Lightroom after adding the plugin for the first time.