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Moving to a new catalogue, pitfalls?

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Location
Seattle
Lightroom Experience
Advanced
Lightroom Version
Classic
Lightroom Version Number
LRC 12.0.1
Operating System
  1. macOS 12 Monterey
I've been using a single catalogue for years, about 130k images, and it's gotten very slow, maybe buggy (I optimize it regularly) so I'm creating a new catalogue and moving images over. I realize a number of pitfalls like published collections, etc. Is there a way to take some/all of my previous catalogues collections (both reg and smart) and copy/move those to the new catalogue? I tried export as catalogue on one of the collection sets but when it came time to import into the new one it was adding about 110k images, of which they are already in the catalogue so I canceled that import. Last thing I want is 110k duplicates to wade through.

I search the forum for answers but found none. Hoping are simple step by step instructions somewhere.

Thanks!
Patrick
 
There's an "Import from another catalog..." command. Create a new catalogue and then issue that command to import your old one into it. Everything will come across except (I think) Publish Services. That ought to leave any accumulated cruft behind.
 
Copy the lrcat file and rename it. Then remove - not delete - any photos you don't want in the catalogue. All published collections and other information will come across.
 
Copy the lrcat file and rename it. Then remove - not delete - any photos you don't want in the catalogue. All published collections and other information will come across.
The problem with this is that it would just copy any of the same bugs that slowed down the cat in first place. Basing this on past issues with other software that was used for years and found that weird issues kept coming back. So basically I'm trying to start brand new and then adding all the collections.
 
There's an "Import from another catalog..." command. Create a new catalogue and then issue that command to import your old one into it. Everything will come across except (I think) Publish Services. That ought to leave any accumulated cruft behind.
I'll give this a shot on a smaller cat first and see what results. Hopefully try this with the full cat and report back....
 
The problem with this is that it would just copy any of the same bugs that slowed down the cat in first place. Basing this on past issues with other software that was used for years and found that weird issues kept coming back. So basically I'm trying to start brand new and then adding all the collections.

Actually, John is really on target. The problem with a bad catalog is that the “cruft” is in the data records associated with the images. There are no “bugs” per se, just orphaned data records and corrupt indexes. Remove the images, then these records that are bad are no longer accessible. Records that pertain to publish services, Keywords etc. remain in the empty catalog as lists and definitions for database structures which will read as having zero imports. When you do the import from another catalog only the valid image data records will come across leaving the orphaned cruft in the old original catalog.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Actually, John is really on target. The problem with a bad catalog is that the “cruft” is in the data records associated with the images. There are no “bugs” per se, just orphaned data records and corrupt indexes. Remove the images, then these records that are bad are no longer accessible. Records that pertain to publish services, Keywords etc. remain in the empty catalog as lists and definitions for database structures which will read as having zero imports. When you do the import from another catalog only the valid image data records will come across leaving the orphaned cruft in the old original catalog.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Hmm, thanks for adding that. It makes more sense explained that way. I'll work on that but may have more questions.....
 
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