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thomas5CED
Inspiring
July 2, 2025
Open for Voting

P: AI blob storage size should be limited and automatically cleaned up (like previews)

  • July 2, 2025
  • 返信数 4.
  • 722 ビュー

As discussed in the other thread, LrC 14.4 will store AI denoise/super resolution data in .lrcat-data. This storage seems to be permanent: once AI denoise is enabled for a photo the blob will be stored indefinitely.

 

The proposal is to limit the amount of AI blobs stored in .lrcat-data by some threshold size and automatically clean up old blobs. If a user opens a photo with a deleted blob again, it needs to be recomputed by running AI denoise again. So this basically trades storage space for additional processing.

 

I know that this means that opening a photo with a missing blob the first time will result in a significant delay. Users might still want this behavior. Standard size preview generation could use the non-AI-enhanced version of the photo since AI enhancements (except adaptive color profile) are probably not visible on small previews anyway.

 

This would make AI blobs work the same way was preview storage works.

    返信数 4

    _lajos_
    _lajos_
    Participating Frequently
    May 25, 2026

    The denoise and other AI data saved into lrcat-data has also increased my LRC catalog size to the point where backing up and transferring the catalog between laptop/desktop has become an issue, and as others pointed out it’s taking up too much internal disk space.

    The denoise data should not be kept in lrcat-data, but rather in a cache similar to previews, or there should be an option to keep it next to the raw files like before.

    In addition, the denoise data should definitely not be added to lrcat-data if the DNG file already contains the denoise data. IMO this actually counts as a bug, not as a feature request. In my workflow, RAW photos are denoised in Camera RAW and the photos are saved as DNG, that already contains the data. LRC still adds the denoise data to lrcat-data, duplicating the data.

    Also, the denoise data is not cleared from the catalog even after unchecking denoise in the development panel, deleting history and optimizing the catalog.

     

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 25, 2026

    “In addition, the denoise data should definitely not be added to lrcat-data if the DNG file already contains the denoise data. IMO this actually counts as a bug, not as a feature request. In my workflow, RAW photos are denoised in Camera RAW and the photos are saved as DNG, that already contains the data. LRC still adds the denoise data to lrcat-data, duplicating the data.”

     

    I think you misunderstand what denoising in ACR and saving as DNG really does. I think you believe this creates the type of Denoised DNG that Lightroom used to create, before denoise became non-destructive. It does not. It creates a normal DNG with the denoise data in metadata, just like what Lightroom does if you would use denoise in Lightroom, convert to DNG if your image was not DNG yet, and then choose ‘Save Metadata to File’. Your special workflow does not seem to serve any purpose. As Lightroom does not read metadata from files all the time, it must duplicate the denoise data into the lrcat-data in order to function normally. It simply does what it does with all imported images that have embedded metadata, either in XMP (raw files) or in the file header (DNG).

     

    And no, that is not a bug. It would be a bug if Lightroom did not copy the denoise data to lrcat-data, because if it didn’t do that, then the DNG would show as original (non-denoised) in the catalog.

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    Conrad_C
    Community Expert
    Conrad_CCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 22, 2026

    Issues that can result in large amounts of user local storage being used should now be a higher priority to address than in the past. The reason is the painful increase in the cost of storage, especially SSDs, due to the well-documented memory shortage that’s driven by demand for AI processing hardware.

     

    Many types of the memory used by photographers now cost several times what they did a year ago. It’s wise to help users minimize the growth of their local data, to help delay the need to spend limited funds on what is now very expensive additional storage.

      Camagna
      Camagna
      Known Participant
      October 27, 2025

      A good one would be an option to remove Denoise data from lrcat-data files upon request. Often, if not always, we don't need to save this data forever, as it's easy to regenerate it.

      Backups are a pain in the ass now. My lrcat-data file is about 100GB of denoise data that I don't need anymore, and I can't delete. Precious SSD/HD space is also lost.

      Please Adobe!! Do something.

      Thanks

      Maurizio

        Camagna
        Camagna
        Known Participant
        October 27, 2025

        We need something to manage the absurd size of lrcat-data files. We're using Denoise, but we don't need to archive it forever, it's something that can easily be (batch or not) regenerated if needed. Backups are gigantic now (mine is way above 100GB!!) and precious SSD/HD space is wasted. We need an option to batch remove Denoise data from folders, selection, catalogs, whatever. Simply going back in history and delete everything after denoise is NOT an option if you have done something to images (and always is the case) after the Denoise, and it's not really possible on hundreds, thousands or even (in my case) 200,000 and more photos. Adobe! Please help!!

          johnrellis
          johnrellis
          Legend
          July 3, 2025

          I like the idea of managing denoise data in the catalog like previews, giving users the option of pruning older, unused denoise data to save on catalog-folder space, at the expense of having to Update AI Settings if you want to export or edit the photo. This would help people who keep their catalogs on internal laptop drives with limited space.

           

          (By "denoise" I mean everything in the Develop > Detail panel -- Denoise, Raw Details, and Super Resolution.)

           

          "once AI denoise is enabled for a photo the blob will be stored indefinitely."

           

          If you remove the photo from the catalog, the denoise data will disappear after you do File > Optimize Catalog.

           

          Alternatively, if you clear the Develop History step for Denoise on a photo, the denoise data will disappear after doing File > Optimize Catalog.

           

           

           

           

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