Best workflow for off-line editing on laptop?

[pjamedia]

Just wondering what ideas you guys have for the following scenario:

My main images are on my PC based workstation in a folder structure such as:

d:\pjamedia\working\my shoots\<yyyy-mm-dd> <modelname>\set1
...
d:\pjamedia\working\my shoots\<yyyy-mm-dd> <modelname>\setn

My assistant is editing some pics on her laptop, so I export the pics to a library (including negative files) and import into her working library on her laptop. I have since re-arranged her folder structure on her laptop to the following:

c:\documents and settings\<username>\my documents\my shoots\<yyyy-mm-dd> <modelname>\set1

so the base folder structure (from before 'my shoots') is different on each PC.

OK, so say she adjusts the pics on her laptop then wants to sync those settings back on my desktop, overwriting the original settings.

What's the best way to do that?

BTW - I know laptops aren't the best and there will be a difference in screen depth and consistancy etc - but please humour me if you will!

Thanks a lot and best wishes,

Paul A

 

[Denis Pagé]

Paul, sorry no one responded to you sooner and I am am the first to blame as seeing the subject, I reported its opening for a later time if no one respond...

Here I see problems with the dreaded "file not found" message lurking to happen if you try to sycn. But this remind me of Queen Victoria's job of developping images for others. In my understanding, she receive the raw files, tweak them, save to XMP and just send the XMPs to the client.

Doing so the workflow is:

1. You send a copy of the raws to the laptop.
2. They are processed on the laptop and then Ctrl-S is pressed to write changes to XMP.
3. The laptop send you just the XMPs.
4. You put the XMPs beside the originals and their corresponding raw files.
5. In Lightroom, you select those edited on the laptop and "Read Metadata from file" to get the laptop's edits.

Can this work for you?

 

[Kiwigeoff]

That looks the best solution!!

 

[johnbeardy]

Alternatively, forge the xmp sidecars and do an Export from Catalog from the assistant's computer. Don't tick Include Negatives but do tick Include Available Previews. Now on your computer, do an Import from Catalog. I do this all the time between my PC desktop and Mac laptop, and the Export/Import feature is designed for this sort of workflow.