LR-IMP-LOCAL: Record folders browsed from the sidebar as browsed

The sidebar reads a folder on a worker thread and never stamped it like library.browse does, so folders in daily use were forgotten after the set number of days.

crates/engine/src/cmd/browse.rs

@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ fn browse(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     Ok(json!({"path": dir_s, "subfolders": subfolders, "photos": shown, "new": report.imported.len(), "failed": report.failed.len()}))
 }
 
+impl Session {
+    /// Record that the folder `root` was browsed now, with the folders of `files` (the photos it showed): what
+    /// `library.browse` does after reading a folder, for a UI that reads it on a worker thread instead. Untouched
+    /// Local photos are forgotten only from folders not browsed for the set number of days, so a browse that
+    /// isn't recorded lets a folder in daily use be forgotten.
+    pub fn note_browsed(&mut self, root: &str, files: &[String]) {
+        stamp_browsed(self, root, files);
+    }
+}
+
 /// Folders whose browse time is refreshed at most this often (keeps repeated browsing from
 /// growing the log; far finer than the days the eviction counts in).
 const RESTAMP_SECS: i64 = 3600;

crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs

@@ -2983,6 +2983,30 @@ mod tests {
         let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
     }
 
+    /// Browsing a folder from the UI (read on a worker thread) records it as browsed, as `library.browse` does:
+    /// untouched Local photos are only forgotten from folders not browsed for the set number of days.
+    #[test]
+    fn browsing_from_the_ui_records_the_folder() {
+        let mut h = demo([1200.0, 900.0]);
+        let t = Duration::from_secs(10);
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-browse-stamp-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let day = dir.join("2026/10/14");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&day).unwrap();
+        let img = lightcraft_raster::Rgba8::from_fn(8, 8, |x, y| [(x * 9) as u8, (y * 12) as u8, 80, 255]);
+        let o = lightcraft_engine::export::ExportOptions { format: lightcraft_engine::export::ExportFormat::Png, ..Default::default() };
+        std::fs::write(day.join("a.png"), lightcraft_engine::export::encode_image(&img, &o).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let root = dir.to_string_lossy().trim_end_matches(['/', '\\']).to_string();
+        let day_s = day.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        assert!(h.app.session.catalog.last_browsed(&root).is_none());
+        let r = h.request("engine.execute", json!({"command": "library.browse", "params": {"path": root, "subfolders": true}}), t);
+        assert_eq!(r["result"]["scanning"], true, "{r}");
+        h.settle(SETTLE);
+        assert_eq!(h.app.session.visible_cloned().len(), 1);
+        assert!(h.app.session.catalog.last_browsed(&root).is_some(), "the browsed folder");
+        assert!(h.app.session.catalog.last_browsed(&day_s).is_some(), "the folder its photo is in");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn add_folder_scans_in_the_background() {
         let mut h = demo([1200.0, 900.0]);

crates/ui-egui/src/import.rs

@@ -559,6 +559,12 @@ pub fn poll_scan(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
     }
     app.session.import_probes = out.probes;
     if task.browse {
+        // the folder and the ones its photos are in count as browsed now, as `library.browse` records them, so
+        // their untouched Local photos aren't forgotten while the folder is in use
+        if let Some(root) = app.session.browse.as_ref().map(|b| b.path.clone()) {
+            let shown: Vec<String> = out.candidates.iter().map(|c| c.path.clone()).collect();
+            app.session.note_browsed(&root, &shown);
+        }
         // what the library doesn't know yet joins the Local view
         let queue: Vec<String> =
             out.candidates.iter().filter(|c| c.duplicate != Some("path".into()) && c.error.is_none()).map(|c| c.path.clone()).collect();

docs/parity-checklist.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Lightroom parity checklist
 
-> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** minor (integration batch 35: KEYC-SELECTONLYACTIVE, Select Only Active Photo ⌘⇧D; LR-BEHAV-AUTOSAVE, damaged snapshots repaired on open; LR-EDIT-OPTICS-PROFILE, Nikon Z 6II / Z 8 / Z f in-file distortion; LRC-LIB-CATALOG-IMPORT, WAL-only catalogs open; LR-EXP-DIM, enlargements stop at 512 MP; LR-IMP-CAMERA-COVERAGE, Canon EOS RP CR3 verified; model folder retry) · **Target:** Adobe Lightroom Classic 15.5 / Lightroom 9.6
+> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-14 · **Change:** minor (LR-IMP-LOCAL: browsing from the sidebar records the folder; integration batch 35: KEYC-SELECTONLYACTIVE, Select Only Active Photo ⌘⇧D; LR-BEHAV-AUTOSAVE, damaged snapshots repaired on open; LR-EDIT-OPTICS-PROFILE, Nikon Z 6II / Z 8 / Z f in-file distortion; LRC-LIB-CATALOG-IMPORT, WAL-only catalogs open; LR-EXP-DIM, enlargements stop at 512 MP; LR-IMP-CAMERA-COVERAGE, Canon EOS RP CR3 verified; model folder retry) · **Target:** Adobe Lightroom Classic 15.5 / Lightroom 9.6
 
 The measured, row-by-row checklist: one row per Lightroom feature, menu item and shortcut, what we
 have and what is missing. It answers *does the feature exist?* (feature breadth). Whether it is good
@@ -790,6 +790,7 @@ Latin stays upright. Advanced Japanese composition remains open. Regression cove
 
 | Date | Change | Summary |
 |---|---|---|
+| 2026-10-14 | patch | LR-IMP-LOCAL: browsing a folder from the sidebar records it as browsed, as `library.browse` does, so its untouched photos aren't forgotten while in use; status unchanged (✅) |
 | 2026-10-13 | patch | LR-VIEW-COMPARE, LRC-LIB-COMPARE: ⌘/Ctrl- and Shift-clicks on the filmstrip in Compare change the selection as in the grid; the two photos shown stay selected and the active photo is unchanged (#187); statuses unchanged |
 | 2026-10-13 | minor | KEYC-SELECTONLYACTIVE: Edit → Select Only Active Photo (⌘⇧D) lands as a new row; status 🟡 (headless-tested, native macOS menu path unverified) |
 | 2026-10-13 | patch | LRC-LIB-CATALOG-IMPORT: a catalog whose tables are all still in its `-wal` file (main file schema format 0) opens instead of failing as an unsupported schema format; status unchanged |

docs/whats-new.md

@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@
 
 ## 2026-10-14
 
+### Local folders you browse are kept
+- Browsing a folder under Local now records it as browsed, so the photos in folders you use aren't forgotten after
+  the number of days set in Settings → Performance. Only the `library.browse` command recorded it before, so a
+  folder browsed every day from the sidebar was forgotten anyway and read again from scratch on the next visit,
+  which is slow on a network share.
+
+## 2026-10-14
+
 ### Hard-edged Heal and Clone spots
 - A spot with Feather at 0 no longer draws black pixels exactly on its radius. This also fixes spots at 0% Opacity
   changing pixels along their edge. The hard edge now leaves pixels on the radius unchanged.