syncing keywords between catalogs

[eatstickyrice]

I have setup several catalogs, one for each major location I shoot in. However, I'd like to have the same keyword set in all catalogs. I know I can export my keywords, and then import them into a separate catalog. Sometimes I add new keywords when working in a particular catalog, and am curious if there's some way to sync the keywords in various catalogs after adding the new words?

Rick

 

[clee01l]

The keyword list is maintained in the catalog. AFAIK, Exporting and Importing is the only way to sync the Keyword List. I've recently added some new catalogs to assist in a housekeeping task and have discovered this little problem too.
If you think about your work flow, you may realize that there is no compelling reason to have more than one catalog. (You can always export a partial image set to another catalog). You can happily keep master images in unique sets on several different harddrives if that helps. External HDs do not need to be attached if LR does not need to access the images.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Another quick way to sync keyword lists, is to keep a sample image, with all of your current keywords applied. Just import it into each secondary catalog. (Credit to Victoria for this one)

I haven't tried it, but I imagine you could keep the same identical image in all of your working catalogs, and just write/read metadata to it, in order to move the keywords around. Maybe I'm missing something, but that seems like it would work.

 

[johnbeardy]

This is exactly why I prefer to use a single catalogue. After all, the location field can split up the pictures by location. Breaking up control of your pictures into multiple catalogues will mean you'll just have to put effort and time into sorting out keywording inconsistencies.

 

[eatstickyrice]

So, if I import a keyword set that is the same as I have in a catalog, but with a few additions, will it import everything, or just the non duplicates?

Rick

 

[johnbeardy]

Non duplicates, and it's case sensitive and also sensitive to hierarchies. So if the same keyword in capital in one, lower case in another, you'll end up with both being listed. Likewise with hierarchies, you'll end up with both if they differ. Using multiple catalogues means you'll have to take care avoiding such inconsistencies, and spend time sorting them out afterwards.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Rick, to add a picky pedantic note, 'keyword set' has a very specific meaning/function in Lr, and it doesn't mean what you intended in your most recent post. Keyword list would be the better terminology there.

( Not trying to be the Lr police here, it's just that I've observed user confusion on this specific terminology in the past, and thought I'd clarify, just in case. We all knew exactly what you meant, future forum keyword searchers may not.)