Risk of using Classic and Cloudy on the same machine?

[NicholasG]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom Classic 13.1

Operating System

1. macOS 13 Ventura

I currently use Lightroom Classic but want to check out Lightroom cloudy with the new local storage feature.

Plan to create a folder on my iMac and load some photos there and edit them in Lightroom cloudy. Will not import them into Classic (at least at first).

2 questions:

1) Is there any risk of messing up my Classic catalog if I this is all I do?

2) If I decide to stop using using Lightroom Cloud can I import the photos and any edits by importing the content of the folder I created? Could I then delete the XMP files created by Lightroom Cloud (as the edits would be stored in the Lightroom catalog?)

Thanks!
Nicholas

 

[Woodbutcher]

Once you import them into Classic and it has read the XMP (ie, no metadata flag shows) then you can remove the xmp files. Or just leave them, Classic will ignore them if they are older than the edits in Classic. I did some similar tests a few weeks ago to see and that seems to be how it would work.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Once you import them into Classic and it has read the XMP (ie, no metadata flag shows) then you can remove the xmp files. Or just leave them, Classic will ignore them if they are older than the edits in Classic. I did some similar tests a few weeks ago to see and that seems to be how it would work.

Lightroom Classic always ignores changes in the XMP file. It will warn you that there is a mismatch, but its edits are stored in the catalog and will not change if the xmp file changes. If you would want to use the edits in the XMP file because they are newer, then you will have to use ‘Read Metadata from File’.

 

[NicholasG]

Thanks for the input. It sounds like its easy to get edits from Lightroom Cloud into Lightroom Classic.

I just want to make sure there is no risk of installing Lightroom Cloud on the same Mac as Lightroom Classic or are there things I shouldn't do in Lightroom Cloud?

 

[clee01l]

I just want to make sure there is no risk of installing Lightroom Cloud on the same Mac as Lightroom Classic or are there things I shouldn't do in Lightroom Cloud?

There are some incompatibilities like Keywords. Keywords are one way Lrc to Lr and one time. Sensei is available in Lr but not in Classic. When you delete Images from Lr, they don't get deleted from the Cloud immediately. They go into a "Deleted" Album for 60 days. Whereas in LrC they are deleted immediately.
Knowing these issues, it is easy to work with Lr and LrC on the same machine. I use them both and I use Lr Mobile as a front end to LrC. Because LrC is my master repository, I only use Lr Desktop for viewing what is in the Adobe Cloud and to create albums for integration into Portfolio. I have not found the Local option any more useful than I have Adobe Bridge.

 

[zaralewiz]

Since I'm using the same versions, let me share my opinions. They have different interfaces and workflows.

Besides, Switching between the two might require some adjustment, and it's important to ensure consistency in your editing process if that's a priority for your work.

 

[dmedlock]

I routinely use both on my Mac.

My main work is in Classic. I keep Cloudy on the same computer, and will often upload via Cloudy and sync back to classic so that the original files are uploaded to the cloud (not just smart previews). I have never had any negative interactions between the two.

I use the cloud version when traveling with my PC laptop, and also use it from older Macs I have.