Local storage location for LR Cloud

[kreekineez]

Lightroom Version Number

Version 3 - Oct 17 2019

Operating System

1. macOS 10.15 Catalina

I switched over from LR Classic and have been using the LR cloud based photo service since May 2019.
I use this primarily on my iMac whilst at home but when I am away I will use either my MacBook or my iPad.
I also access and view using my iPad or iPhone but it’s the iMac and MacBook that are the main devices used for adding, editing and creating albums..

Initially I had the iMac set up so that under Preferences the 'storage location for originals' was a dedicated folder on my home NAS drive however this was becoming quite slow so I switched over to a dedicated external drive and that’s much faster and more convenient.

My question is this - If I set the ‘storage location for originals’ on the MacBook to the same address path as it is on the iMac, will this enable me to access the same folders and files without creating duplicates, if and when I connect the external drive to the MacBook, which I would prefer to do when I am working way from home? Sometimes the internet connections are not good and access via the cloud seems hit and miss.

At the moment, nothing is set under Preferences on the MacBook for 'storage location of originals'.

I hope this all makes sense....! Thank you.

 

[Jim Wilde]

It should work (I think). To check, connect the EHD to the MacBook, then in Lightroom set the location for originals to be exactly the same as you have it set on the iMac.....but do NOT check the box (yet) to "Store a copy of all originals, etc.". Restart Lightroom (may npt be necessary, but it does no harm), then select any image and check the Info panel for it....down at the bottom it will tell you the sync status of that image. If it tells you that there is an Original File held locally, then it has obviously detected the original files on the EHD. Check a few more, just to be clear. Note, that if is does recognise the originals on the EHD there's probably no need to check the "Store a copy of original files" on both systems, having it checked on one should/could be enough.

 

[kreekineez]

Thank you Jim - that was very helpful. I did what you said and some photos updated to showing as 'local .... original file' but most were still showing only as previews. I took a chance and ticked the 'store a copy of all originals at the specified location' option, restarted LR and then it went into sync mode for some time (several hours) but the size of the folders on the EHD wasn't increasing rapidly so I let it run. It all seems good now and I have tried switching the EHD between the iMac and MacBook and everything seems to be working well - much quicker to load any or all the photos. My next 'test' will be to see what happens when I add new photos into my library. Thanks again - David.

 

[mikebore]

Thank you Jim - that was very helpful. I did what you said and some photos updated to showing as 'local .... original file' but most were still showing only as previews. I took a chance and ticked the 'store a copy of all originals at the specified location' option, restarted LR and then it went into sync mode for some time (several hours) but the size of the folders on the EHD wasn't increasing rapidly so I let it run. It all seems good now and I have tried switching the EHD between the iMac and MacBook and everything seems to be working well - much quicker to load any or all the photos. My next 'test' will be to see what happens when I add new photos into my library. Thanks again - David.

I am interested in doing this and tried about eighteen months ago without success. Before I try again with the benefit of this thread, can I make sure I am understanding the end result correctly?

You have the LR Originals on an external drive.
You can plug the external drive into either of two Macs.
Each Mac finds and uses the external drive originals normally without problem?

I can't remember exactly what happened when I tried, but two things I recall are:

1. When the external drive was moved from one Mac to the other it went through a lengthy process reindexing 77,000 photos each time. I think 'reindexing' was the word, might have been 'moving', although both Macs had the external set as the location for originals.

2. If I opened LR on the laptop without the external attached (which I want to do sometimes) I got a message in a prominent yellow bar about the originals missing. Not surprising and I think I could dismiss it, so not a big problem. My hope was that I could use smart previews in that situation.

Sounds like you don't experience these problems?

I will be interested to see how the adding new photos goes for you.

 

[kreekineez]

I am interested in doing this and tried about eighteen months ago without success. Before I try again with the benefit of this thread, can I make sure I am understanding the end result correctly?

You have the LR Originals on an external drive.
You can plug the external drive into either of two Macs.
Each Mac finds and uses the external drive originals normally without problem?

I can't remember exactly what happened when I tried, but two things I recall are:

1. When the external drive was moved from one Mac to the other it went through a lengthy process reindexing 77,000 photos each time. I think 'reindexing' was the word, might have been 'moving', although both Macs had the external set as the location for originals.

2. If I opened LR on the laptop without the external attached (which I want to do sometimes) I got a message in a prominent yellow bar about the originals missing. Not surprising and I think I could dismiss it, so not a big problem. My hope was that I could use smart previews in that situation.

Sounds like you don't experience these problems?

I will be interested to see how the adding new photos goes for you.

My apologises for not replying sooner ..... sometimes my work gets in the way of my hobbies ....!

Anyway I have now tried adding photos into LR by all the different methods and options available, and I am pleased to say that using this dedicated external hard drive appears to be working fine.
I did have to re-index once when connecting the EHD to the MacBook but not every time.

I have also added photos when the EHD wasn't connected and then as soon as it was re-connected everything backed up very smoothly & quickly.

I am pleased I made the switch to using an EHD and hope this somewhat late response helps you - best of luck with it.

 

[mikebore]

My apologises for not replying sooner ..... sometimes my work gets in the way of my hobbies ....!

Anyway I have now tried adding photos into LR by all the different methods and options available, and I am pleased to say that using this dedicated external hard drive appears to be working fine.
I did have to re-index once when connecting the EHD to the MacBook but not every time.

I have also added photos when the EHD wasn't connected and then as soon as it was re-connected everything backed up very smoothly & quickly.

I am pleased I made the switch to using an EHD and hope this somewhat late response helps you - best of luck with it.

Thanks very much kreekineez. My situation has changed a bit since I posted since I now have a new laptop with enough internal storage to have local smart previews, so I am a bit less clear on the benefits of using the same external (with originals) on both Macs.

I may still try it anyway out of curiosity and to assess the benefit.

Reading through the whole thread again I think the key difference between what I tried and what Jim recommended to you, was that I had "store originals locally" checked on both computers, not just on one as Jim advised. I guess this caused LR to reindex them each time it was reconnected to the other Mac. If it do it again I will be sure to only have one checked and that the path is the same on both.