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Export as catalog

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sh1209

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Joined
Jul 12, 2021
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128
Lightroom Version Number
10.4
Operating System
  1. macOS 11 Big Sur
If I export images as a catalog from LRC, would this give me the ability to edit on another machine? I don't want to move my catalog or images from my iMac but would like the ability at times to use my laptop if going out of town. It seems this is really the only way to do it short of moving the images and catalog to an external drive. What is the proper steps for exporting as catalog and re importing to my iMac?
 
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You have the right tool “Export as a Catalog”. Will create a catalog of the selected images to all of the images in the master catalog. If you include “digital Negatives” you will get a copy of the master images. Selecting Previews will create a copy of the previews too. All of this gets included in a package folder that contains the “travel” catalog, previews folder and folders containing the master images copies. Copy or move this Package folder and its contents to the laptop. Open that catalog in that folder on the laptop and process the images that you want to work on or import new images to this “travel” catalog.

When you want to update the master catalog, copy this Package folder and contents back to the main computer and use the “Import from another Catalog” to merge the travel catalog into the master catalog.
 
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So when returning home I would export as catalog from the laptop, then import as catalog on the iMac correct? Also when initially exporting as catalog from the iMac does it include the photos as well or would I be editing smart previews?
 
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So when returning home I would export as catalog from the laptop, then import as catalog on the iMac correct?
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If you maintain the integrity of the Package folder, all you need to do with the Travel computer is copy the package back to the master computer and use the "Import form another catalog to merge the contents of both catalogs into one master catalog.
Also when initially exporting as catalog from the iMac does it include the photos as well or would I be editing smart previews?
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"If you include “digital Negatives” you will get a copy of the master images" If you only include the Smart previews you will be working with only the smart previews. If you are not going to be importing any new images, then all of the edits would be inside the travel catalog.

If you want to only work with Smart Previews, then you can avoid the "Export as a Catalog" and simply copy the master catalog and the Smart Previews folder into a Lightroom folder on the travel computer.
 
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clee01l said:
If you maintain the integrity of the Package folder, all you need to do with the Travel computer is copy the package back to the master computer and use the "Import form another catalog to merge the contents of both catalogs into one master catalog.

"If you include “digital Negatives” you will get a copy of the master images" If you only include the Smart previews you will be working with only the smart previews. If you are not going to be importing any new images, then all of the edits would be inside the travel catalog.

If you want to only work with Smart Previews, then you can avoid the "Export as a Catalog" and simply copy the master catalog and the Smart Previews folder into a Lightroom folder on the travel computer.
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So if I copy the catalog and smart previews on an external hard drive and connect it to my laptop then all I would need to do once getting back home is connect that hard drive to the main computer and import as a catalog correct? this question is referring to working only with smart previews.
 
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sh1209 said:
So if I copy the catalog and smart previews on an external hard drive and connect it to my laptop then all I would need to do once getting back home is connect that hard drive to the main computer and import as a catalog correct? this question is referring to working only with smart previews.
Click to expand...

That would work. However, if you are not importing any new images into the Travel catalog and the travel catalog contains all of the images and edits in the master catalog plus any new edit is done only in the travel catalog, then the travel catalog represents the new master catalog can can simply replace the master catalog on the master computer.


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