"I open the folder where Lightroom imports are stored and drag these shots to the RAWbox (fake name for this ideal photo app) desktop application." You shouldn

"I open the folder where Lightroom imports are stored and drag these shots to the RAWbox (fake name for this ideal photo app) desktop application." You shouldn't be touching the directory structure. This tool should be either a plugin for Lightroom/Aperture/Photoshop or an entirely separate application. I would lean towards separate application. It could be a background agent that detects when new files are added, would work for any known editor or user-defined directory.