Taking a Catalog 'offline' to work on a laptop?

[Mike Guilbault]

I'd like to be able to work on some of my photo-shoots by transferring the images to my MacBook Pro. I want to select/sort and do some basic processing and such, and then when I return to the studio, bring these back into my main LR library - replacing the folder of images already there.
I understand the concept of exporting as a catalog, but when I want to 'return' the images to the main LR library, what's the best method to handle this?
Any insights would be appreciated.
Mike

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi Mike

Yeah, you've got the idea. You use Export as Catalog to split it out from your main catalog onto your MBP. Make sure you set it to 'include previews' and 'include originals' so that you can do the editing. If you don't include the originals, you can only do library tasks (culling, rating, keywording etc).

When you come back, you open the main catalog, go to Import from Catalog, point to the MBP catalog and let it import - it'll give you the choice of just updating the metadata, and creating virtual copies if you're not sure.

Do a trial run and see how you get on.

 

[Mike Guilbault]

Thanks Victoria... that's what I needed to know.
Cheers,

 

[perottol]

A think that a new feature request should be a "Suitcase". Drop pictures in a suitcase, close it when done, bring the suitcase folder to whatever computer you like and work on it, and unpack it back to your catalogue when you're done.

Didn't windows have a suitcase once?

 

[Roy Mathers]

Yes, Windows did have what I think was called a Briefcase - and I think it would be a good feature for Lightroom.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Neat idea! I like that! http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform"]Official Feature Request/Bug Report Form[/URL] time!