Advice Re: Drive + Folder Setup

[Atma Singh]

Hi,

I have 3 drives (72''rpm) in my Mac. I previously asked for some info and got some excellent advice but just want to refine things. Anyway, here's how things are laid-out:

32'Gb (Boot):
- LR 2.3 App
- Cache

75'Gb:
- Catalogs
- Plugins
- Presets

1Tb:
- Pictures
- Catalog Backups

External 1Tb (Offsite)
- Time-Machine System Backup which back-up all the above (apart from the Catalog Backups!)

My questions are:

> i have the App and Cache on the same Boot Drive. should the Cache be on one of the other drives?

> i heard somewhere you get more performance by keeping a folder on your desktop (which would be the 32'Gb Boot/Apps Drive) with the pictures you are currently working on - once finished editing and exporting your final output files, you can then place this folder on another internal drive (in my case, the 1Tb internal drive). the thing is that the folder containing maybe several hundred RAW images at time (with each image 2'-4'Mb in size) would be on the same Boot/Apps?Cache drive...would this not hamper performance?

> bearing in mind the above, how would you jig things around to get the best performance.

ps - i have increased the Cache size to the full 5'Gb limit via preferences already.

many thanks.

 

[Brad Snyder]

In terms of performance I think you've done about the best you can.
I think on a Mac, it's possible to spoof Lr thru some drive reassignments, and separate the Preview Cache from the Catalog. If you had a fourth drive you could move that there, so that you would have 4 separate read/write heads for
a) the image files
b) the Catalog
c) the ACR cache
d) the Preview Cache

I don't recall the magic incantation for moving the Preview Cache. I think I read about it on Sean McCormack's blog.

Given enough main memory, you could consider creating a ram drive, for perhaps the Preview Cache. That would likely be about the right size. I recall that Victoria has some experience with this. I'm not sure she's still doing it that way, tho'.

 

[Atma Singh]

thanks brad.

what do you thin re:

> i heard somewhere you get more performance by keeping a folder on your desktop (which would be the 32'Gb Boot/Apps Drive) with the pictures you are currently working on - once finished editing and exporting your final output files, you can then place this folder on another internal drive (in my case, the 1Tb internal drive). the thing is that the folder containing maybe several hundred RAW images at time (with each image 2'-4'Mb in size) would be on the same Boot/Apps?Cache drive...would this not hamper performance?

 

[Victoria Bampton]

I gave up on the RAM disk - there's a 2gb max on OS X, and a large 5'gb ACR cache is a better bet.

Not sure where you heard about desktop - I think that would only apply when working on a laptop which usually has image files on an external drive. It wouldn't apply on a multiple drive machine though.

I'd agree with Brad, that's probably the best configuration for those drives. Well done!

 

[Atma Singh]

thanks guys. victoria - if you think my set-up is good then what can be said!

the info re: keeping a desktop file i think was from someone who kept all their files on an external drive but handled current client work on a folder on their desktop for active work. when finished they would move this folder to the external drive and then point LR to it there. i can't remember the thread but i have a feeling it was someone who is connected to that special Lightroom Hotkeys keypad thingy...or it could just be my dodgy 'random access' memory

 

[Atma Singh]

http://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/showthread.php?t=2328

this is the thread re" using a desktop folder. i now see that they are talking about editing on the desktop and then moving to the external drive once finished. their setup sounds interesting...especially considering that at some point an internal 1Tb drive will get filled...and the files will need to be moved elsewhere or the drive will need to be physically taken out and a new one inserted in it's place.