Lightroom Question.
May 3, 2017 16:53:42 #
I took an Adobe Lightroom class 3 years ago and feel somewhat skilled at working with my photos. We set up our external hard drive during the class, which we used at the computers in class and I have been using the same hard drive at home on my iMac desk top. I decided a few days ago to take the same hard drive and use it with my lap top, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to get the photos to appear. I've tried many combination. Once by accident it started loading photos onto the laptop hard drive and filled it, which I don't want. I emptied the photos in the trash. Both the desktop and now my laptop have Lightroom 6.10 loaded. I've tried selecting all of the catalogues which present themselves at startup, but to no avail. I've search on line and I am a Lynda.com subscriber, but I cannot find any answers. What am I missing? Thanks, much in advance for any suggestions. Leigh Simpson
May 3, 2017 17:38:31 #
leighsimpson wrote:
I took a Adobe Lightroom class 3 years ago and fee... (show quote)
You have two separate and distinct installations of LR. One on the desktop, the other on the laptop. Neither knows anything about catalogs being used by the other. If the catalog file for these images is on the external drive, you'll have to point to it in both LR installations. If the catalog file is on the desktop hard drive, then you'll need to create a catalog on the laptop (or use the default one) and import those images to the laptop catalog.
May 3, 2017 20:24:22 #
The catalog files of editing you did in LR are in a sidecar file at a separate location. If one or both computers are keeping those on the internal drive then the two machines can only see the basic imported files on the external drive. You will need to have them store the sidecars on the external drive with the images.
Or, have LR convert the images to Adobe's "dng" format, then the editing sidecar files will be stored as part of the main image file and there will be no more trying to find them elsewhere.
Or, have LR convert the images to Adobe's "dng" format, then the editing sidecar files will be stored as part of the main image file and there will be no more trying to find them elsewhere.
May 3, 2017 20:35:00 #
I tried your suggestion, but I must have done something wrong. I created a new catalog. I saw my external hard drive and when I started importing the photos I noticed that the same external hard drive (went to info) the available gb were going down, so somehow I was losing hard drive space. I'm missing something. It seems I should be able to see what is on this hard drive just like I see what is on it when I connect it my my desktop.
May 3, 2017 20:35:53 #
May 3, 2017 20:37:05 #
May 3, 2017 20:39:35 #
robertjerl All photos are on the external hard drive. I don't understand sidecar. Thanks, I'll look.
May 3, 2017 20:55:36 #
May 3, 2017 21:04:19 #
leighsimpson wrote:
robertjerl All photos are on the external hard drive. I don't understand sidecar. Thanks, I'll look.
sidecar is a simple idea, LR does not change the original image file, it stores all the editing commands in a separate (sidecar) file and when ever you click on the thumbnail in LR it brings up a copy of the image and the sidecar file and applies all editing changes in the LR "develop" window. You can export the final product to another PP program, print etc. If you want to go back to an earlier version you just scroll down the "history" menu in the develop mode and it will revert to the step you select. To keep things simple I make a virtual copy at the point I wish to try something different and work on that copy, then both versions will be shown as thumbnails in LR.
May 3, 2017 21:08:02 #
jethro779 Yes, both are apple. I'm sure the issue is simple, but not for me. It should be a click or two away for me to see all the photos in the external hard drive.
May 3, 2017 21:45:15 #
Sometimes the simplest tasks don't register. Thanks for all the suggestions. Some people like myself are a little too stupid to comprehend. Thanks for trying . . .
May 4, 2017 08:38:40 #
Try to locate your original catalog file.
1. if it is on the external drive you will need to tell the iMac LR software where it is.
2. If it is on the portable you will need to create a new LR catalog file on the external drive and use the Import From Another Catalog command to copy the old catalog file on your portable. Then connect the external drive to your the iMac and locate the new LR catalog file on the external hard drive.
See if this helps.
1. if it is on the external drive you will need to tell the iMac LR software where it is.
2. If it is on the portable you will need to create a new LR catalog file on the external drive and use the Import From Another Catalog command to copy the old catalog file on your portable. Then connect the external drive to your the iMac and locate the new LR catalog file on the external hard drive.
See if this helps.
leighsimpson wrote:
I took an Adobe Lightroom class 3 years ago and fe... (show quote)
May 4, 2017 09:13:45 #
leighsimpson wrote:
I took an Adobe Lightroom class 3 years ago and fe... (show quote)
I agree with others who suspect the problem lies in the LR Catalog. If you are going to switch between the desktop and the laptop, you will want the SAME LR Catalog to be used for viewing your images. NOT a NEW LR Catalog.
Here is a possible solution: With the external HD connected to the desktop, open LR. Then when you close LR, on the Catalog's backup screen, make sure the place where the Catalog is backed up is on the xHD. When you move the xHD to the laptop, that ought to be your default LR Catalog. [First delete the new Catalog you created on the laptop so LR will not be confused.]
Here is another suggestion: You need to have more than one record of your images. Backup. I have an xHD that is programmed to backup my images once daily. I also have a copy of the LR Catalog backed up on it. If you ever have a problem with finding the correct Catalog to use, then it will be in more than one place.
Hope this helps.
Susan
May 4, 2017 09:51:54 #
See the Lightroom Queen's website, this is a well-versed topic. Also for quick and non-judgemental help see the Lightroom help Facebook group. Outstanding!
May 4, 2017 09:58:12 #
I have created six new catalogs . . . also have all of the original catalogs that show up when I boot lightroom. When I go back and boot one of the old ones I can see my photos, but when I go to edit I get a dialogue that says "the file cannot be found." I thought I could plug in my hard drive and use it. When I go to import from the hard drive it begins filling the hard drive. Thanks for trying, but I think I am too lost . . . and I shall need to find someone who can come in and show me. Thanks again,
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