Using a catalog between 2 computers for keywording

[steve_spiegel]

Note: I saw this posted on the Adobe Forum and it defines an issue I am struggling with so I am copying it here since there weren't any decent answers (yet) on that forum.

I have a catalog with thousands of images on my desktop computer. I want to transfer this catalog to my laptop without the original photos (as I don't have the space for the photos on my laptop), so that while I am travelling I can keyword the photos and then transfer the catalog with all the keywords back to the desktop computer again, without losing any information. I will also have new images with their adjustments and keywords added to the same catalog.
I have done this before by copying the catalog from the desktop and pasting it on to the laptop. This allowed me to keyword, but not to do any adjustments as the originals were not there. This was fine as I'm only interested in doing keywords. I then did the keywording and put the catalog back on the desktop computer. But it seems I lost other information such as adjustments, which I had made to the images before transferring in the first place.
Can anybody please tell me how this is done properly without losing any information in the process?

 

[Kiwigeoff]

Steve, I think what you would want to do at each transfer is export to catalog and import from catalog. Not just copy the catalog.

 

[Halfje-Bruin]

To copy the keywords I think you need at least one image in the catalog. And, as Geoff said, use export/import catalog instead of a simple copy.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Alternatively you could skip the initial export, and just copy the catalog, but the crucial bit is using Import from Catalog when you come back.

Of course if you haven't changed anything on the desktop while you've been gone, a straight OS copy back should also work, however if you've added new photos to the laptop catalog while you've been gone, the issue of transferring the new photos still arises, so the Import from Catalog is the tidy way of doing it without losing anything.

 

[steve_spiegel]

Thanks for the insight, but confusion still reigns.
Geoff suggests... Export catalog with at least one image in the catalog. How do you export with only a portion of the catalog? Isn't the option export with images or without? Sounds like all or nothing.
Victoria suggests... Copying the catalog would work instead of export but I would need to import back to desktop, especially since you could assume something changed on either the laptop or the desktop since the original export. Still confused as to whether keyword changes will overwrite keywords on the "original" keyword list.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Geoff's suggestion - you can select files and go to File > Export as Catalog to just export selected files.

My suggestion - yep, you've understood that.

Either way - keyword lists will be merged when you Import from Catalog (new ones added, but old ones not deleted), however keywords applied to the photos will be updated according to the laptop catalog, overwriting what's in the desktop catalog, if that photo has changed.

For example..
To start with:
Photo A has keywords fred, katie, dog, cat
Photo B has keywords fred, katie, dog, cat
Photo C has keywords fred, katie, dog, cat

You work on your catalog:
Photo A now has keywords fred, katie and the others are deleted
Photo B now has the same keywords as before, but also Develop settings
Photo C hasn't changed
Photo D is a new one, also with Develop settings and new keyword mouse

When you import your laptop catalog back to the desktop:
Photo A is as per your laptop catalog
Photo B is as per your laptop catalog
Photo C hasn't changed so remains untouched
Photo D is added to your desktop catalog, and new keyword mouse is added to the keyword list.
Keywords dog and cat are still in the keyword list as they may apply to other photos.

 

[steve_spiegel]

Thanks!