Using Lightroom on more than one computer ?

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Eddie1

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How do people go about using Lightroom on more than one computer please ?

What I mean is - can you run one library across 2 hard drives so that when you edit on a laptop in the field you don't have then to make the same edits all over again when back on the main office computer ?
 
I have never been able to find a solution to this - maybe if you kept you library on an external hard disk and swopped it over depending on the machine that you are using.
But such would mean that editing may be considerably slower
 
I use multiple catalogs. I create a folder with all my raw files for a shoot and then create a new catalog inside that folder. When I backup or want to continue editting on another computer I just copy the folder over.
 
drounding said:
I use multiple catalogs. I create a folder with all my raw files for a shoot and then create a new catalog inside that folder. When I backup or want to continue editting on another computer I just copy the folder over.
Click to expand...

but then presumably you have to keep transferring that folder to the machine that you are working on if it is not current on that machine and what about if you want to work on last years images etc.,
 
BillN_33 said:
but then presumably you have to keep transferring that folder to the machine that you are working on if it is not current on that machine and what about if you want to work on last years images etc.,
Click to expand...
That's correct. You will need to copy the folder over to where you want to work. I suppose you could copy the folders to the cloud but I've never needed to do that.
 
Interesting - can see that that might work so long as I remember to keep things in order
But don't you end up with catalogues scattered all over ?
 
Eddie1 said:
Interesting - can see that that might work so long as I remember to keep things in order
But don't you end up with catalogues scattered all over ?
Click to expand...

if you have 20,000 images that you want to "take with you" and are not sure of which you want to amend …. and then transfer back to the other machine …… it get very complicated and difficult …. unless someone has an easy option.
 
Lightroom was never designed for use on multiple machines, which is why it'll only let you put the catalogue on a local drive rather than a network drive. It has no record locking built in to the catalogue so is ridiculously easy to corrupt.

So here "best" way is to export and import as catalogues between machines.
 
neil_g said:
Lightroom was never designed for use on multiple machines, which is why it'll only let you put the catalogue on a local drive rather than a network drive. It has no record locking built in to the catalogue so is ridiculously easy to corrupt.

So here "best" way is to export and import as catalogues between machines.
Click to expand...

would it be too slow Neil to have all your catalogues on a plug in "back up" type drive, that you just moved from machine to machine, with a further "back up" safeguard of course?

or would that slow the workflow down too much
 
I run my cat from ssd because fast disks make all the difference with lr.

If you can get a usb3 then it might not be too bad. Or even better esata ssd if you can limit it to your cat and current working raw files.
 
neil_g said:
I run my cat from ssd because fast disks make all the difference with lr.

If you can get a usb3 then it might not be too bad. Or even better esata ssd if you can limit it to your cat and current working raw files.
Click to expand...

Thanks Neil

are those portable …… I have no idea what they are ….. but something would suit me as we live in three different places and laptop plus external disk would be a good solution
 
I don't mind having to copy over catalogs and image files etc.

USB 3 or firewire is very fast for external drives but not ideal for working live with. If you ever unplug without first closing lightroom or ejecting you may easily corrupt the catalog.

I don't think is an elegant solution, that's fast and robust.
 
I do a lot of travel photography so I've had to tackle this problem. The solution I came up with was to keep all images on a Firewire external drive, which I take with me on my travels. I also take a cloned copy of that drive, and when I import new images I back up to that second drive. So I always have 2 copies of all images with me.

I create a new catalogue for each trip, which I then import after I return to my 'master' catalogue on my desktop computer. This method does mean that Lightroom on my travel laptop and Lightroom on my desktop can always find all images on exactly the same file path, so I don't ever have to remember to copy files for a particular editing task. (I also back up everything to a NAS on my home network). I've never had a problem with corrupt files as Duncan describes. I do think getting an SSD would be faster than my solution, but portability is a big plus for me!
 
dbr1066 said:
...
I create a new catalogue for each trip, which I then import after I return to my 'master' catalogue on my desktop computer...
Click to expand...
Does that mean you import the dng or raw files again? Does that retain the edit history?
 
Sorry, Duncan, I probably gave the wrong impression by using the word 'import'. I use the 'Import from another catalog' command in the file menu. That simply adds the 'travelling catalogue' to my main one, and keeps all the edits, metadata, keywords, etc. I don't have to actually re-import the RAW images. Actually the only caveat I have with this method is that editing on my laptop runs into colour management issues sometimes when compared to edits on my ridiculously expensive colour calibrated desktop monitor - but that's a whole other discussion!
 
juggler said:
Put the catalogue on an external hdd and use smart previews? It's what they were designed for.
Click to expand...

That's what smart previews were designed for, but I presume you mean put the image files on an external HDD? The smart previews are used (AFAIR) when LR cannot find the underlying image file. The catalogue - and previews - need fast access so whatever is your quickest drive is the usual best bet. My LR cat is only 0.5GB but my 1:1 previews (no smart previews) are nearly 4GB - all of which reside on my SSD. My pictures (RAW) are on an internal HDD and total 80GB, but then I've only been shooting since the end of January.

I think David (@dbr1066 ) has a good workable solution, even if it isn't quite optimal for everybody - simply, there isn't a perfect solution for the reason @neil_g mentions.
 
pjm1 said:
That's what smart previews were designed for, but I presume you mean put the image files on an external HDD? The smart previews are used (AFAIR) when LR cannot find the underlying image file. The catalogue - and previews - need fast access so whatever is your quickest drive is the usual best bet. My LR cat is only 0.5GB but my 1:1 previews (no smart previews) are nearly 4GB - all of which reside on my SSD. My pictures (RAW) are on an internal HDD and total 80GB, but then I've only been shooting since the end of January.
Click to expand...

Yes, I meant put the image files on an external HDD though you are right in that a fast HDD would help. The idea of smart previews is to allow basic edits when the HDD isn't present, so I assume that they're fairly quick when the full catalogue is present too.

In fact I only use my external hdd as temporary transport and interim backup and actually do pretty much what @dbr1066 does, though I include the image files too.
 
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