P: Allow Catalog to be stored on a networked drive.

I think there is really a need for a network catalog for multi-computer usage.
We have the usb harddrive solution but it more a workaround.

Are you guys (Adobe) working on a solution to allow Lightroom to work from a networked hardrive?
Seems like an obvious next step, so places like my studio can run multiple machines and reference the same catalog...

I don't really want to share a catalog, because the laptop won't be attached to the network most of the time. A shared catalog would be OK as long as each computer keeps a copy of the preview files, and changes to develop and metadata are only permitted when the machine is connected to the network. But I do need to be able to reconcile the same image on two computers.

There are ways of doing it without sharing the catalog - basically things to help me instigate a regime of self-discipline. Colour coding of folders in Lightroom (this has already been discussed), and/or the ability to lock/unlock folders would help greatly, so that I can more easily keep track of which images have been 'sent' to the desktop - then I know not to do any more adjustments or metadata on the laptop.

Another requirement is to be able to export a collection (from the laptop) in a way which only exports membership of that collection, instead of overwriting all the metadata in the target catalog (on the desktop), because I sometimes do a selection on the laptop after the images have 'gone' to the desktop - where they may have been added to other collections and may have had more develop work done. I don't want to clutter the catalog with loads of virtual copies either.

Patrick Cunningham

Adobe already has this programmed for Bridge using MYSQL and full access control and locking permissions. (They did a too complicated job in my opinion) SQlite can literally be emulated on top of mysql. The only piece would be to add a few lines of code that point lightroom to a TCP socket and network share containing the files; and have a little listening port that keeps your local copy of LR up to date on what files other users have clicked on. (or that could just be part of the sqlite db presented to the client) The "server" could be any dumb sql backend + sqlite emulator layer + a file store. All the "processing" could be done by client computers at ingest and outclick. If you want to dumb it down even more, use some userland Fuse implementation of SQL so Lightroom doesn't even have to know it's going over TCP. You would have to optimize it.

I run networked LR catalogues this way by putting them inside writable DMG files hosted on a fiber server 5 miles away from my desk. It works like a charm and haven't had a corruption once since I started 3 years ago. (only one client at a time mind you.)

This mutli-user thing is totally normal workflow and there is no reason why a networked DB would cause any performance slowdowns or be a trouble to build. Local cache/ripping would have to certainly be implemented but how much time does it take to upload a 3 megabyte jpg to a central cache file? Less than 1/2 of a second at gigabit. I could see a multi-client interface actually increasing the speed of Lightroom in the future by farming out intensive tasks to multiple idle computers just like Final Cut does today.

As long as the server is running memcached and is powerful enough, I don't see this back and forth of part of the db being a problem at all really. SQlite can run multi-user as long as their is a layer between it and the client. So build a layer that presents Lightroom clients with their "individual" sqlite db. That individual sqlite db is really constantly updated by all the other users and the only sql that is unique (and that the client caches in memory) is each client's opened files. Networks are fast enough.

Walker

Sure. I knew the *current* file support angle of Carousel would be a deal-breaker for most pros, but the synchronization aspect would show that we're investing in multi-user, multi-computer, multi-device workflows. Because Carousel is heavily tied to Tablets and Phones, raw file support wasn't in the cards for that workflow with those devices as 1.0 release - but realize that what's underneath is a subset of Adobe Camera Raw (the subset that these devices can drive in a performant manner) and that the rest of the engine can be engaged later on. Hopefully that gives you an idea of the trajectory they're on.

Hey Jeff. I'm excited about the potential of Carousel. Recognizing that it's just "a start" I'm holding back my criticisms to this--I think it would have been nice (speaking personally) if the the "start" had been a feature set more geared towards lightroom's serious or pro users. What I mean by this is addressing RAW file workflow, and as Sean Mentioned, more of a LAN based synching solution.

Carousel seems like and circle on Adobe's big Venn diagram of partially overlapping products; and it certainly introduces some features and Ideas that will satisfy certain types of users. But for me, there's just not a point in engaging yet and therefore, difficult to give constructive feedback.

Same here. I think I'd rather have a locally installed Lightroom (on all the computers I want to use), but with a cloudish backend, that might sync all the settings + when necessary the files I want to be working on. Or if I'm on the go I could press a sync button and it sends the files to a fileserver running at home (or in the cloud). But such a system would have to be very flexible, which could make it rather confusing to use I suppose?

I can see myself using a backup/cloud service run by Adobe, where all my photos are stored (encrypted), something like Backblaze/Mozy/Carbonite/..., but with a photography focus and a tighter integration into Lightroom (it should be competitively priced (perhaps slightly above the aforementioned services, when you have a Lightroom license there are discounts or vice versa, ...) and offer backups of other files too... especially media files, but also documents). Perhaps Acrobat.com could be integrated into it, so that when we have backed up our Word documents that way we can, online, access these files and modify them, Acrobat.com documents are automatically synced with your computer too, ... I think that would be really awesome.

That's exactly my thought Dan!

So, if I got it right, in a few years or so, we may actually see Carousel be the multi-user version of Lightroom... in the global cloud, or local-cloud/p2p/lan...(?)

With the caveat that I don't work on the Carousel team (though I know several of its members), nothing it does would preclude P2P operation of the sync'ing protocol. At least for my part, it is of no interest to me until there is a P2P version since I don't really _want_ all my photos in the cloud even upstream bandwidth didn't make the upload process impractical.