Lightroom on multiple computers

Blackwood

The last entry I found on this subject was from over a year ago, so I'm starting a new thread to see if thoughts have changed.

I have LR3 on my desktop (Windows 7 FWIW) and my laptop (Snow Leopard FWIW). My main workstation is the desktop. My database lives there, is backed up both locally and remotely from there, etc..

My laptop will go with me on vacation or otherwise multi-day shoots.

In this thread, colourbox suggested the following:

colourbox wrote: »

export catalog/import catalog. This will let you export individual folders or collections and import them to a second machine to update the same images on the second machine. Instead of having to move the entire huge catalog.

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1151023
http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2008/friday-video-moving-between-laptop-and-desktop/

The second link seems to do what I want, but I don't want to maintain multiple catalogs (I'm not sure yet whether I'll be able to eliminate the "laptop's lrcat" after importing it to the desktop).

Are there any downsides anyone can think of to exporting DNG files from the laptop onto the desktop? That should preserve the original data (albeit in a different format), the edits, and the metadata, right?

Thanks,
MB

jdorseydesign

Blackwood wrote: »

The last entry I found on this subject was from over a year ago, so I'm starting a new thread to see if thoughts have changed.

I have LR3 on my desktop (Windows 7 FWIW) and my laptop (Snow Leopard FWIW). My main workstation is the desktop. My database lives there, is backed up both locally and remotely from there, etc..

My laptop will go with me on vacation or otherwise multi-day shoots.

In this thread, colourbox suggested the following:



The second link seems to do what I want, but I don't want to maintain multiple catalogs (I'm not sure yet whether I'll be able to eliminate the "laptop's lrcat" after importing it to the desktop).

Are there any downsides anyone can think of to exporting DNG files from the laptop onto the desktop? That should preserve the original data (albeit in a different format), the edits, and the metadata, right?

Thanks,
MB

Once you import a catalog into another catalog, you can safely remove the original catalog. Importing basically merges all the image metadata and adjustments from one catalog into another catalog. The thing you have to be aware of is, your master images are probably stored somewhere else. If you import them from one catalog to another, you have the choice of moving them or copying them in the import dialog box. If you are moving files from your laptop to your desktop, I would choose the option to move your master images to the desktop.

I hope that makes sense


BTW, I don't believe DNG will save EVERYTHING that Lightroom knows about an image.

Blackwood

jdorseydesign wrote: »

Once you import a catalog into another catalog, you can safely remove the original catalog. Importing basically merges all the image metadata and adjustments from one catalog into another catalog. The thing you have to be aware of is, your master images are probably stored somewhere else. If you import them from one catalog to another, you have the choice of moving them or copying them in the import dialog box. If you are moving files from your laptop to your desktop, I would choose the option to move your master images to the desktop.

I hope that makes sense

Thanks! It does. I'll give it a trial run today.

jdorseydesign wrote: »

BTW, I don't believe DNG will save EVERYTHING that Lightroom knows about an image.

I used the DNG method for a shoot I did last weekend. It worked well enough. Opening them on the desktop, the adjustments were all there and I could still revert to "stock" settings. What was missing was the history (but for my workflow that's not too big of a deal).

But in any case, if I can merge catalogs, I prefer that method. Thanks again.

RobSylvan

Blackwood wrote: »

Thanks! It does. I'll give it a trial run today.




I used the DNG method for a shoot I did last weekend. It worked well enough. Opening them on the desktop, the adjustments were all there and I could still revert to "stock" settings. What was missing was the history (but for my workflow that's not too big of a deal).

But in any case, if I can merge catalogs, I prefer that method. Thanks again.

Along with develop history steps, there are a few other bits of data not written into the file's XMP metadata:

- virtual copies
- flag state
- collection membership

So, using the catalog import/export function preserves everything from one catalog to another, but if all you need is final develop settings and basic metadata (keyword, titles, caption, ratings) then the DNG option should do it.

Blackwood

Thanks Bob.