New Mac: Copy catalouge or rebuild?

[David Gordon]

Lightroom Version Number

LR Classic CC 8.2

Operating System

1. macOS 10.14 Mojave

I know how to move Lightroom to a new computer. I'm reinstalling everything afreash on a new Mac and wonder if I should do the same with my LR catalouges. I could reimport all my images and end up with a new catalogue which would be 'perfect'. Or is the database LR uses and the way its managed so good I'm wasting my time and just panedering to OCD?!

Yes, I know a few things aren't stored in the original files XMP but I don't use flags, very few virtual copies and only have a couple of 'dumb' collections. But mention is made of other information which is only stored in the caltalouge at How do I move Lightroom to a new computer? | The Lightroom Queen . What else doesn't get written to the XMP?

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Why don't you just copy the catalog folder and the images from a backup? You are indeed wasting your time if you do it any other way involving a new catalog and new imports.

 

[clee01l]

Collections, Smart Collections, Develop History are the big ones that are missing. Foremost, LR is an image organizer. If you are housecleaning your Mac, the best way to do the same with images is within the image organizer that you have (i.e. Lightroom). Go ahead and move your existing Lightroom to the new computer, then use its excellent organization and management tools to clean up your image files.

 

[David Gordon]

Why don't you just copy the catalog folder and the images from a backup? You are indeed wasting your time if you do it any other way involving a new catalog and new imports.

I'm asking about the integrity of the LR database. If there's an inherent issue or a load of redundant data in there I'd be back where I was. I don't know enough about what database LR uses or how good its housekeeping is. Does it contain out of date data relating to now deleted images for example? I could just set my new copy of LR to import overnight or the weekend and go to the pub. So no time wasted

Collections, Smart Collections, Develop History are the big ones that are missing. Foremost, LR is an image organizer. If you are housecleaning your Mac, the best way to do the same with images is within the image organizer that you have (i.e. Lightroom). Go ahead and move your existing Lightroom to the new computer, then use its excellent organization and management tools to clean up your image files.

Yes, but I didn't explain well! When you buy a new Mac you can transfer everything to the new machine. But as that includes all the orphan files, preferences and hidden stuff in the Library that you don't need/want I prefer to rebuild from scratch and know I have a clean machine. I could do the same with LR.Or maybe the database doesn't contain any old rubbish I can do without? So to be clear, I mean the internal database, the data we don't see. Nothing to do with me clearing out old pictures or keywords from the user interface.

Thanks.

 

[clee01l]

Or maybe the database doesn't contain any old rubbish I can do without? So to be clear, I mean the internal database, the data we don't see.

Orphan database records can remain especially with 3rdparty plugins that might not be as tidy as they should. Sometimes I've seen the LR catalog grow to an unexpectedly large size. In the 10 + years that I have been an LR user, I have had to deal with this situation exactly twice.. Here is what I did:
The Optimize catalog function can be run from the menu or as a part of the Exit Backup. During the exit Backup you can also test the integrity of the catalog which makes sure that the indexes and table dependencies are intact. This is mostly why you need to do. But sometimes this still leaves a ragged, bloated catalog. In that situation you can use the Export as Catalog function to create a new catalog from every image in the current catalog. This will copy every record from every valid table that is related to the images that are being copied. It will leave behind every orphaned record and any record not indexed. This new catalog file will then become your new master. You may still lose collections and smart collections but develop history should be transferred. This will also break the link between images in Adobe Cloud albums and the new Master catalog. When this link gets broken, you will need to remove the old cloud images and add in the images from the new master catalog file.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Exporting as catalog should not make you lose collections or smart collections. The only thing you will lose are publishing services, if I remember correctly. And indeed cloud sync.

 

[clee01l]

Exporting as catalog should not make you lose collections or smart collections. The only thing you will lose are publishing services, if I remember correctly. And indeed cloud sync.

Thanks, I want not sure about Smart Collections. Any unpopulated Collections will not get transferred since they contain no images included in the Export.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Correct. Collections only come over if they contain at least one image. Smart collections always do.

 

[Zenon]

Just going to follow and link. Getting a new Mac sometime this year.

 

[David Gordon]

Orphan database records can remain

Thank you, that's just the sort of information I was looking for. I wouldn't have known about or thought to create a 'new' catalogue using 'export as catalog'.

I do sync a couple of hundred pictures via the Adobe cloud but that's easily dealt with. There is one publishing Service I use but it only syncs in one direction so never truly tells me what's on the remote server, so again, no big deal.

Thanks again.