10 Replies Latest reply: Jun 10, 2010 7:36 AM by RGracia RSS

    Best sync workflow question

    RGracia Community Member

      So we have upgraded to LR3 today, two computers in a network. All our images are in a network drive share and we both add images form their current locations to our catalogs, which in turn are stored in our respective computers. My question is:

       

      Is there a way to sync keyword information, matadata, etc. between the two computers via some sort of export command or sync command? So that when I finish tagging, and adjusting, my colleague can sync back to her machine?

        • 1. Re: Best sync workflow question
          dj_paige Community Member

          There are no Lightroom capabilities to do this.

           

          I believe you need to use some third-party synching application.

          • 2. Re: Best sync workflow question
            Butch_M Community Member

            You could use Save Metadata to File and Read Metadata from File commands ... but it is a manual process ... and would not share Development history or Collections, etc.

            • 3. Re: Best sync workflow question
              RGracia Community Member

              Butch_M that might be a solution for us, thanks. I am not so concerned about development or collections as I am about tags and keywords...

              • 4. Re: Best sync workflow question
                areohbee Community Member

                The only way I know to get tags and keywords and such from one catalog to another is export / import as catalog.

                 

                dj_paige - do you now of any 3rd party solutions for this sort of thing?

                 

                Rob

                • 5. Re: Best sync workflow question
                  dj_paige Community Member

                  I agree with Rob Cole that you want to use File>Export as Catalog and then File>Import From Catalog on the 2nd computer, if you are going to do this using only Lightroom; but gee that's a lot of work to keep track of what has changed and then transfer the files each time you make changes.

                   

                  I disagree with Butch that you should do this using Write Metadata and Read Metadata.

                   

                  Even though I agree with Rob Cole, I just can't see this working in the long run unless you are extremely disciplined in your actions; I doubt it would work for me because I wouldn't be that disciplined.

                   

                  I do not know any synchronization software because I don't need to use any such application.

                   

                  Elvis has left the building

                  • 6. Re: Best sync workflow question
                    areohbee Community Member

                    dj_paige wrote:

                    Elvis has left the building

                    But the fat lady hasn't sung yet...

                     

                    I would think better catalog sync is ripe for a plugin or app - if it hasn't been done already.

                    RGracia - if you discover anything please do tell, OK?

                     

                    Rob

                    • 7. Re: Best sync workflow question
                      dj_paige Community Member

                      Upon further thought, I now do NOT recommend using a synchronization program, as it will not work in this case. If at day 1, the Lightroom catalogs are identical on two computers, and then each computer has individual changes, there is no way to synchronize these catalogs via a synchronization program. The ONLY way to do this is via File->Export as Catalog and then File->Import as Catalog whenever one or both catalogs have changed, a tedious process indeed.

                       

                      The original question can be solved with a true multi-user application.

                      • 8. Re: Best sync workflow question
                        RGracia Community Member

                        Yes after reading how long this will take I am back to square one. The export as catalog might work for us. We will give it a shot, I am afraid becuase we have such a large catalog (30K+) images it may be a long process to maintain.

                        • 9. Re: Best sync workflow question
                          thedigitaldog CommunityMVP

                          areohbee wrote:

                           

                          The only way I know to get tags and keywords and such from one catalog to another is export / import as catalog.

                          Yup, and all you have to do is export a single photo, import and then delete that one photo. Learned that trick from Ian.

                          • 10. Re: Best sync workflow question
                            RGracia Community Member

                            thedigitaldog wrote:

                             

                            areohbee wrote:

                             

                            The only way I know to get tags and keywords and such from one catalog to another is export / import as catalog.

                            Yup, and all you have to do is export a single photo, import and then delete that one photo. Learned that trick from Ian.

                             

                            So if I only choose one image, the export as catalog will still include all the tags and metadata for all images in the catalog? Not just the one I selected? How does it know what to do with that extra data once I reimport in the second machine?