Old Dog Learning New Tricks

[GregJ]

Lightroom Version Number

Classic 11.4

Operating System

1. Windows 11

I read the thread this morning about troubles syncing LR, LR Classic and storing your raw files in the cloud vs your own disks and it makes me think again about my future workflow and habits.

I've been using LR Classic (or whatever desktop version they called it) almost daily for 12 years or so and I'm comfortable in my work flow, which for me is based on having one catalog on a home "studio" desktop and working off of a powerful laptop on the road. 95% of my shooting is done on the road away from home (san Antonio) because I label myself a travel photographer and in retirement, my wife and I are blessed with the health, mobility and means to be traveling a lot on our own on long trips abroad where I shoot every day. I do that by having all my raw files (currently about 6TB) stored at home on one 8TB SSD and backed up to several single spinning 10 TB disks (using GoodSync). After traveling with the laptop, I bring everything home and all my raw files are in one folder which consists of thousands of sub folders and many hundreds of thousands of files. On the road I shoot and import nightly to LR Classic on my laptop and do all the editing there, backing up as I go to an external 2TB SSD. Then when I get home I delete everything on the laptop and copy all raw files and their sidecars (or with DNG no sidecars) to my folder structure on the 8TB SSD. Then I import those files to my one catalog on the desktop.

I realize that despite my comfort with LR and my workflow, the truth is that I don't know what I don't know. I know that I know one-tenth of what the gurus know because they devote their time to helping thousands of people on LR problems and they have seen it all with a wide variety of computer systems and workflows. I want to review my habits and workflow and improve.

The first thing I did was this morning was to buy the LR Classic book from the Boss and download it to my laptop (I'm on the road shooting a bit in Mexico). I will read it cover to cover, searching out those things that I do not already know. I should have bought it years ago but just never did because I never really thought about it.

But my question now is this. I think I know a little about Cletus and Jim's use of both LR systems - Classic and the Cloud version that syncs everything up there. I want to know if they think it is time for me to try it (knowing what they know about how I shoot and operate).

I have avoided backing up to or storing all of my images on any of the cloud services (old jpegs shot prior to going raw, scanned TIFFs from all my old slides/negatives and raw files). It would not be cheap to have 6+ TB stored in the Cloud, and I'm not sure I trust it yet. Right now I want them all on 1 SSD backed up many times to other single 10 TB HDDs.

I have resisted going to cloud storage with my files and using the other LR to work them because I wanted to wait until it all gets better, meaning a reasonable price to store 6+ TB of files (which is getting cheaper), fast fiber internet (which I have now in spades - 2 Gbps at home), and LR improving the software to the point that there are not posts every day about how to untangle the syncs. I wanted pure speed, reliability and efficiency and me in control of my files on my disks.

But I had a major revelation this week. LR loads to the development module at close to the same speeds from spinning HDDs on old slow ports at close to the same speed as M.2 SSDs on the new very fast ports. I never noticed that because LR is so fast on my fast PC and laptop. But I accept that it is the case. Maybe LR will fix that, but right now, that is the reality. I don't notice it at all on my equipment. The point is that I might not notice it if the raw files are in the cloud because of that revelation. Maybe LR can load raw files from the cloud almost or just as fast as from an external HDD or even SSD if one has a decent internet connection of even half of what I have now at home.

Maybe it is time. But I would then require fast internet on the road in Europe and elsewhere. There are times (about half the time really) when I have very slow internet at night in the lodging we rent, wherever I am. In 6 weeks in Sicily recently, I had blazing fast internet about one-third of the time, even in fairly remote farms and village lodging, while in some cities I had slow internet in 4 and 5 start hotels. You never know until you walk in and do a speed test.

So Cletus, Jim and others who use and are masters with both versions, is it time for me to use LR on the road and at home and wean myself off of Classic, or should I drive with what I am doing and wait? I think I wait because my system with Classic and my own fast drives is very good and works. I'm lightening fast with LR Classic at home and with LR Classic on my laptop on the road, I get it done and LR moves very swiftly while all my files stay ion one place on a very fast SSD under my control.

I read these cloud LR and Classic sync problem treads and it makes me hesitate - plus the fact that I have 6 TB (and growing) of raw files....

Any advice? I'm always willing to adjust work flow and learn.

I'm going to read every page of the book I just downloaded and see what I don't know about LR - even on the editing, which I am very good at because I know how to get what I want out of LR with those masks and sliders. I've edited probably a quarter million files in LR - or something like that. But I bet I can improve that skillset too.

 

[Califdan]

I think your WF is basically fine. I woujld not introduce LR/Cloudy into the mix as you do not mention a need to see or edit on mobile devices. with the volume of photos you are talking about sending images to/from the cloud would be significant, and you seem comfortable traveling with a Laptop.

The only change I'd make is that when you return home, rather than importing the new images into your home catalog, hook your Laptop and desktop machines together so they can see each other and on the desktop machine do an "Import from another catalog" to get the images from the travel catalog merged into the desktop catalog. This is better than re-importing the images as it will preserve your edit history and use of collections (among other things), that re-importing the RAW files loses.

Dan

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Dan just wrote everything I was about to, for exactly the same reasons.

 

[GregJ]

I think your WF is basically fine. I would not introduce LR/Cloudy into the mix as you do not mention a need to see or edit on mobile devices. with the volume of photos you are talking about sending images to/from the cloud would be significant, and you seem comfortable traveling with a Laptop.

The only change I'd make is that when you return home, rather than importing the new images into your home catalog, hook your Laptop and desktop machines together so they can see each other and on the desktop machine do an "Import from another catalog" to get the images from the travel catalog merged into the desktop catalog. This is better than re-importing the images as it will preserve your edit history and use of collections (among other things), that re-importing the RAW files loses.

Dan

Dan, thanks for that advice regarding sticking with LR Classic (in my case). Everything is moving to the cloud these days and who knows what it will be like 5 years from now, but I will stick with what I'm doing and keep an eye on the landscape with LR clous stuff and even putting my files up there.

Now your second recommendation is a big deal and I have been thinking on it for 5 years. I know I should be using import from another catalog . But I tried it a few times and it created a mess for me in terms if adding folder structure I didn't want and even renaming stuff. I'm sure that it can be done cleanly but I didn't like it the few times I tried it and messed it up.

I copy the raw files and their sidecars (or DNGs when I shoot Leica) into my home PC 8 TB SSD with me controlling the folder structure and naming conventions. Then I import the new folder into LR. All the edits and metadata adjustments are there, except for ratings and flags, which I don't use and are not saved to the sidecar files but are only kept in the cat. But yes, I should be doing it the way you said and will try it again with some test shoots.

Last thing - You said edit history. So the edit history is not saved in the side car? I never noticed because I never look at edit history. If I see something I don't like when I get home and review my road edits on my PC and the big pro studio monitor, I just make the edit - slider and mask edits in develop or title and other changes in Library).

So, what is written to catalog that is not written to sidecar files or the DNG file? Ratings, Flags, edit history - what else?

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Flags, virtual copies, collection membership, uncommitted location data, Develop history, stacks, Develop module panel switches and zoomed image pan positions are currently only stored in the catalog

 

[GregJ]

Whoaaaa! Virtual copies!!!! Stacks! Oh no.....

I use those a lot. I was wondering where those went when I got home. I can redo them easily, but yep - come to think of it that raod work is gone.

Sometimes on the road I take an image and do virtual copies and do a B&W and other process versions for various purposes. Gone when I get home and don't transfer the cat but instead just copy the raw files and their sidecars! Don't care about Flags, collection membership, uncommitted location data, develop history, Develop module panel switches or zoomed image pan positions. But that is good to know.

Is that in your book My Queen? Bet it is.... LOL. If it's not, start editing now....

 

[Victoria Bampton]

It is indeed. What's in XMP is page 390.

Try page 455-458 for the "Import from Temporary Catalog" workflow that Dan suggested.

 

[GregJ]

I'm gonna read your whole book and when I get home from Mexico I'm gonna import from cat instead of copying the files into my folder structure and importing it to the LR cat after that. If this cat import process adds folders, folder layers, naming conventions, or anything else to my carefully constructed folder or file structure, I'm going to be unhappy and blame Dan! I would never blame you. I got ahead in life by always sucking up to the Boss and doing their bidding and then later seeking advantage over their minions via brutal Machiavellian strategies taught to me at West Point.... LOL.

Wait.... You said page 455. Uhhmmmm.... Does that mean it is over 500 pages and I just promised to read it all?

 

[johnbeardy]

Now your second recommendation is a big deal and I have been thinking on it for 5 years. I know I should be using import from another catalog . But I tried it a few times and it created a mess for me in terms if adding folder structure I didn't want and even renaming stuff. I'm sure that it can be done cleanly but I didn't like it the few times I tried it and messed it up.

I usually suggest people import from another catalog, and then read the dialog box carefully. You can import without moving anything, and in many ways this is safer - if you make a mistake, it's easier to clean up and start again. Then once stuff is in your catalogue, you can move it where you want in your folder structure.

Import from catalogue wouldn't usually rename anything.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Wait.... You said page 455. Uhhmmmm.... Does that mean it is over 500 pages and I just promised to read it all?

More like 750 pages!

 

[clee01l]

But my question now is this. I think I know a little about Cletus and Jim's use of both LR systems - Classic and the Cloud version that syncs everything up there. I want to know if they think it is time for me to try it (knowing what they know about how I shoot and operate).

Because of the more robust storage needs of Lr, I opted for the 1TB storage plan since my camera cards are always more than the 20 GB that comes with the basic Photography Plan. On my travels I take a 12.9" iPadPro with Lightroom installed. I have a card reader that attaches to the iPadPro and import the camera card contents at the end of each day usually at the hotel where I am staying. My iMac runs 7X24 while I am away and my images are sync'd full-size by the time I return if the field internet is decent.

In another post I just posted this: "
"I continue to use LrC as my primary and let sync the images in the Adobe Cloud to my master catalog on my iMac. I import photos into Lr on my iPad. I can work these in the field or at home without involving the iMac and LrC. I can even create Albums to share. Back in LrC I can publish, Print ,Keyword and organise in ways that Lr does not permit.
Lr Albums can be imported into the Portfolio website that I maintain to showcase my work.

I never forget that LrC is my primary and that it is best to permanently delete images from the master catalog on the iMac."

You will notice that other than Importing into Lightroom from a camera Card to the iPadPro, to the images showing up in the master catalog in the folders that I have assigned automatically and collections that correspond to Lightroom Albums, there has been no human intervention on my part.

This is the workflow that I find works best for me and takes into consideration the incompatibilities and inconsistencies between LrC and Lr. If you want to try my workflow you can install Lr on your field laptop and set your master catalog to auto sync everything from the Adobe Cloud.
Remember Cloud storage is not backup and while the Adobe cloud stores images and their Lightroom/LrC adjustments and some metadata, it does not store develop history and deleted images are not recoverable after 60 days in the "Deleted" album.

FWIW, I am 75.

 

[GregJ]

I usually suggest people import from another catalog, and then read the dialog box carefully. You can import without moving anything, and in many ways this is safer - if you make a mistake, it's easier to clean up and start again. Then once stuff is in your catalogue, you can move it where you want in your folder structure.

Import from catalogue wouldn't usually rename anything.

John, I appreciate you, Clete, Dan and others commenting on this and influencing me to import the temporary catalog from travel laptop to home PC master LR Cat vs copying in the edited raw files with sidecars and then quickly importing them to the cat on my desktop master cat.

Doing it my ways costs some info that is not written to the sidecar file (edit history, virtual copies, flags, ratings and the other things Victoria listed). I will read the book and try it when I get home from Mexico. But could I ask just a few questions in general about this:

1. When I do it my standard way and just copy in the edited raw files with sidecars (or written to DNGs) into my PC's data disk folder structure, everything picks up except for the list Victoria provided of what is not written to sidecar but is written to the cat. When I import and everything is in LR on my PC, does the info from the sidecar get rewritten out to the cat or does it remain in just the sidecar (doing it my way)?

I know if I do it the right way and transfer from temp catalog, all the editing and metadata info (except for those few items) transfers into the PC master cat. But if I just copy in the sidecars with the raw and then import to the cat, does the info in the sidecar files write back out to the cat? I would think so. But I never really transferred the cat doing it my way. I just copied in the sidecars. But wait, when I imported the raw files with cat into LR on the PC after copying them in, I bet the LR cat on my pc reads the sidecar info and transfers it back out into the cat. Then it is in both the cat and sidecar, like it was in the laptop (except for the items that don't write to sidecar)

2. Does LR write exactly the same info to the DNG file (when shooting with Leica, which uses DNG) as it does to the Sidecar when shooting with Fuji RAF (or other proprietary raw formats)? So with either DNG or sidecars, the list of stuff not written to sidecar that Victoria listed is the same?

3. I do it the right way. As an example, I will have a folder called "Mexico July 2022" on my laptop in a master folder called "raw files." Lets say I have 400 DNG files (from the Leica Q2) and they are edited and all edits are written to file. I get home and I want only that folder to be copied into my folder structure on my PC and only the catalog info for those photos - for that folder only. I assume in the dialog boxes I can designate that. The files will copy over along with the catalog. I won't have a mess. Right?

4. Should I export the files and cat to an external SSD from the laptop and then import the files and cat fom that SSD to the laptop? You said to connect the laptop directly to the PC. So I should connect my laptops USB-C TB 4 port to a fast USB-C port on my Motherboard (the back of the PC - 40 Mbps) and transfer the files and cat that way? Direct connection?

I will study the book I got yesterday. Sorry if this is covered there. Probably is. I will try it! When I mess it up I'm blaming Dan.

 

[clee01l]

2. Does LR write exactly the same info to the DNG file (when shooting with Leica, which uses DNG) as it does to the Sidecar when shooting with Fuji RAF (or other proprietary raw formats)? So with either DNG or sidecars, the list of stuff not written to sidecar that Victoria listed is the same?

The DNG Header block contains a XML metadata block. This is a structured Text section. The Same XML metadata block is written to a side car file for proprietary RAW file formats.

 

[johnbeardy]

4. Should I export the files and cat to an external SSD from the laptop and then import the files and cat fom that SSD to the laptop? You said to connect the laptop directly to the PC. So I should connect my laptops USB-C TB 4 port to a fast USB-C port on my Motherboard (the back of the PC - 40 Mbps) and transfer the files and cat that way? Direct connection?

It's about convenience. If you can connect the laptop directly to the PC, direct connection would be simplest and quickest.

But often, maybe usually, it's easier to copy the files and catalogue onto an external hard drive (or do it by File > Export as Catalog), and then connect to the PC. I tend to copy onto an external hard drive, rather than Export as Catalog (with negatives), but I can think of pros and cons.

So either approach, done with care?

By the way, sorry about my patronising comment earlier about thoroughly reading the dialog box. I'd just say that in my experience none of us do that enough, and the problems you described are typical of that. Especially with Import, and Import from Catalog, I always try to pause and run through all the main elements of the dialog box checking I've deliberately chosen Add or Move or Copy, picked the right Destination etc. It's a few seconds, and it takes much less time than clearing up whatever may result from failing to do so.

 

[GregJ]

It's about convenience. If you can connect the laptop directly to the PC, direct connection would be simplest and quickest.

But often, maybe usually, it's easier to copy the files and catalogue onto an external hard drive (or do it by File > Export as Catalog), and then connect to the PC. I tend to copy onto an external hard drive, rather than Export as Catalog (with negatives), but I can think of pros and cons.

So either approach, done with care?

By the way, sorry about my patronising comment earlier about thoroughly reading the dialog box. I'd just say that in my experience none of us do that enough, and the problems you described are typical of that. Especially with Import, and Import from Catalog, I always try to pause and run through all the main elements of the dialog box checking I've deliberately chosen Add or Move or Copy, picked the right Destination etc. It's a few seconds, and it takes much less time than clearing up whatever may result from failing to do so.

John, I did not take it that way at all - certainly not as patronizing. That is sound advice. In fact, I bet that is how I messed it up back when I tried it several times. You said "I tend to copy onto an external hard drive, rather than Export as Catalog (with negatives), but I can think of pros and cons." Not sure I'm following that.
At the conclusion of all my shooting trips, I have an external 1TB SSD that contains all of the raw files (and their sidecars if I'm not shooting DNG) because I'm backing up to that SSD every night after shooting. So at the end of the trip the raw files are on the SSD already edited and in a folder named how I want it. I want that exact folder on my PC in the parent folder I send it to.
You know I currently just get home and copy them to my PC from the external SSD then import them to the catalog, thus losing some info not written to DNG or sidecars.
Is there a way I can make use of those raw files already on the SSD as part of that cat transfer doing it the right way (as you all suggest)? Sometimes after a a long trip there are 3,000 of them and they are already on the external backup SSD.
Or do I have to export them from the laptop as part of the catalog and copy them to the PC drive?
It is hard to talk about now. I can't actually try it until I get home and see all the dialog boxes and menu choices on both ends.

 

[johnbeardy]

John, I did not take it that way at all - certainly not as patronizing.

Good!

You said "I tend to copy onto an external hard drive, rather than Export as Catalog (with negatives), but I can think of pros and cons." Not sure I'm following that.

It's often a matter of weighing up the exact circumstances. For example, if I know the laptop catalogue only has folders X, Y, Z from one trip or event, then I simply copy the catalogue (and folders) because I know it'll cover everything I want, and nothing else.

But imagine that I didn't start a new laptop catalogue for the trip, and the catalogue still includes folders A, B, C from earlier trips and which I'd already transferred to the PC. Maybe there's other random stuff too. In that case simply copying the catalogue means that on the PC I'll need to sort out the irrelevant folders. I'd prefer to do that while I'm still on the laptop, and therefore would tend to use Export as Catalog and only export X, Y, Z and the negatives.

So for me it's a narrow choice, and varies depending on the exact case.

 

[tspear]

@GregJ

You seem fairly conscious of backup/recovery concepts. Even with 6TB, I would suggest you look for some offsite backup solution in case you lose your primary abode. (Driven home by a friend whos house just burned down). It could be as simple as depositing a copy of you latest sync with kids/neighbors before you leave home on each trip. Or you could use an online backup solution. I use iDrive and have the 2TB package which is no longer even sold it is so out of date.

Tim

 

[GregJ]

@GregJ

You seem fairly conscious of backup/recovery concepts. Even with 6TB, I would suggest you look for some offsite backup solution in case you lose your primary abode. (Driven home by a friend whos house just burned down). It could be as simple as depositing a copy of you latest sync with kids/neighbors before you leave home on each trip. Or you could use an online backup solution. I use iDrive and have the 2TB package which is no longer even sold it is so out of date.

Tim

Tim, of course. I ain't no rookie! I went to a lot of trouble to avoid RAID and NAS and multiple disk storage and backup solutions with image files split among various disks. I'm a single-disk everything - primary and backup.

I have all of my 6 TBs-worth of image files (raw, Tiff, DNG, Jpeg) on one internal 8 TB SSD in my PC. That one SSD is backed up 6 times to 6 different single 10 TB spinning drives (two internal and 4 external). Two of those external drives are kept off-site.

Why so many? Really I need only 2 or 3 single backups - not 6. But HDD storage is cheap and I'm paranoid.

The only challenge is that I have to connect the external HDDs to my computer every week or two and use GoodSync to syn each drive separately as named jobs. Easy to do and fast. The off-site disks get re-synced every month or two. If I ever have to resort to using the off-site disks, then something bad has happened and I've lost my house and PC. But I have it. I would lose a month or two worth of files.

So, if my 8TB SSD goes down, I can instantly switch to one of the two 10 TB HDDs in my PC for data. They contain exact copies of my 6TB pictures folder and nothing else.

We don't back up OS and programs anymore. If you are you should not be. Those are all on a separate boot very fast (M.2 PCIe 4) SSD and if you lose that you buy a new one that day and reload everything (OS and programs) from the web. Easy to do but might take 3 hours. Reload windows. Reload Adobe. Reload Office. Reload Norton. Reload a few other programs. Reconnect your cat to the new drive. Done. Some of you need that to happen tpo you anyway so that you get a better boot SSD! LOL.

Now, I would be down a couple of days if I lost my internal 8 TB SSD where my image data is stored because I would have to buy another one and copy all the image files back to it. Or I could instantly shift to one of the spinning drives that is an exact copy of the 8TB SSD and link the LR Catalog to it. Up in a few minutes.

For me" No RAID. NO NAS. Just a powerful PC and powerful laptop. All images on one internal big SSD on the PC backed up with exact copies of my pictures folder to single, stand alone 10 TB HDDs.

What happens when my 6 TB folder of images goes to 8 and then 10? If I live that long, by then they will have cheap 12 TB very fast SSDs and hard drives will not exist. I'll just copy everything to a 12 TB super fast future SSD and throw away all of my old HDDs and SSDs.

 

[tspear]

Why so many? Really I need only 2 or 3 single backups - not 6. But HDD storage is cheap and I'm paranoid.

I resemble that remark.
But since I only have a 1TB of data, my solution is a little easier. Glad you have it covered!

Oh, I wish rebuilding my PC only took a few hours. My primary photography desktop is also my primary work computer. So I have a lot more software to install!

Tim

 

[GregJ]

Good!



It's often a matter of weighing up the exact circumstances. For example, if I know the laptop catalogue only has folders X, Y, Z from one trip or event, then I simply copy the catalogue (and folders) because I know it'll cover everything I want, and nothing else.

But imagine that I didn't start a new laptop catalogue for the trip, and the catalogue still includes folders A, B, C from earlier trips and which I'd already transferred to the PC. Maybe there's other random stuff too. In that case simply copying the catalogue means that on the PC I'll need to sort out the irrelevant folders. I'd prefer to do that while I'm still on the laptop, and therefore would tend to use Export as Catalog and only export X, Y, Z and the negatives.

So for me it's a narrow choice, and varies depending on the exact case.

John, I think I follow that, but I would love to talk to you on the phone on WhatsApp and make sure I'm thinking about this in the right way and pick the best course of action since I do this a lot and want to start doing it the way Adobe intends, and that you all recommend (vs just copying the raw files and sidecars into my PC data disk and importing to the cat after that).

I keep my laptop clean. I remove all image files from the data folder and the catalog once I'm back and everything is in the home PC. There is probably some residual trash in there because I've had this laptop for 20 months and taken a lot of shooting trips. I've noticed tat there are a couple of hundred MB of preview files still in the preview folder. I assume those delete along with the deletion of the raw file. I will just delete the preview folder and let LR build another. I sometimes just delete the image folder in my laptop using windows. Then when the file is not found in LR I just remove them all from the cat. I know ... I should use the library module to delete all of the files and clean it up. Anyway, my laptop is a blank slate for the start of each trip (or shoot).
So I will get home after this trip and there is one folder on my laptop with a few hundred edited Leica DNG files in it. I left the Fuji MF gear at home this time. I will want to transfer (copy) all the files and the cat info to the master cat on the PC. I will want to figure out the best way to do that for my case.
Obviously, I want to export the cat and images to the PC from the laptop that are related only to that one folder. I need to get that dialog box perfect for that and chose the best method. Also, I need to decide if I export to an external SSD and then import using that SSD to the PC, or connect the laptop directly to the PC using my fastest USB-C port. I predict a mess.

 

[GregJ]

John, I think I follow that, but I would love to talk to you on the phone on WhatsApp and make sure I'm thinking about this in the right way and pick the best course of action since I do this a lot and want to start doing it the way Adobe intends, and that you all recommend (vs just copying the raw files and sidecars into my PC data disk and importing to the cat after that).

I keep my laptop clean. I remove all image files from the data folder and the catalog once I'm back and everything is in the home PC. There is probably some residual trash in there because I've had this laptop for 20 months and taken a lot of shooting trips. I've noticed tat there are a couple of hundred MB of preview files still in the preview folder. I assume those delete along with the deletion of the raw file. I will just delete the preview folder and let LR build another. I sometimes just delete the image folder in my laptop using windows. Then when the file is not found in LR I just remove them all from the cat. I know ... I should use the library module to delete all of the files and clean it up. Anyway, my laptop is a blank slate for the start of each trip (or shoot).
So I will get home after this trip and there is one folder on my laptop with a few hundred edited Leica DNG files in it. I left the Fuji MF gear at home this time. I will want to transfer (copy) all the files and the cat info to the master cat on the PC. I will want to figure out the best way to do that for my case.
Obviously, I want to export the cat and images to the PC from the laptop that are related only to that one folder. I need to get that dialog box perfect for that and chose the best method. Also, I need to decide if I export to an external SSD and then import using that SSD to the PC, or connect the laptop directly to the PC using my fastest USB-C port. I predict a mess.

I said that badly. I think what you are telling me to do in my case is connect the laptop to the PC. Then "Export as Catalog" and in the Dialog box chose the "Mexico 2020" folder that is on my laptop (and I don't want the parent folder to cross over).

That folder and every image in it is exactly what I'm trying to get into the master LR Cat on my PC and the images on my PC's 8TB internal SSD.

The disadvantage now is that I'm describing this without seeing the process on screen, but I will when I get home.