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FeedbackCommunityMember
Inspiring
October 25, 2017
Answered

P: Restore Import from external catalog over LAN?

  • October 25, 2017
  • 51 replies
  • 1421 views

After the update to Lightroom Classic CC on both of my systems I am not able to import from the catalog on the other computer via ethernet. I get an error message that the external catalog seems to be a non valid Lightroom-catalog. On the other computer the catalog works.

I run Lightroom on an iMac and a MacBook. Usually I import pictures to my MacBook to sort and develop them - for example when I am traveling. From time to time I use the functionality "import from another catalog" on my iMac to get the new pictures from the catalog which is stored on the MacBook via LAN/WLAN. In the previous version this was working fine. Since the update to Lightroom Classic CC I see the error message above.

When I copy the catalog and the negative files from my MacBook into a folder on my iMac I am able to import them into the iMac catalog. So the issue should have to do with access via network.

    Correct answer Rikk Flohr_Photography
    The team has carefully reviewed the outstanding issue regarding import from an external catalog over a LAN and will not be making any further changes in current (7.x) functionality or planned future functionality in this regard. Though we realize it may have been possible to do this in previous versions, Lightroom was not designed nor intended to allow the import of an external catalog over a LAN.

    Thank you for your patience while we researched this request.

    (Note: edited to include versions beyond 7.x)

    51 replies

    Show previous replies
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    February 1, 2018
    That is disappointing. You guys broke this software and your answer is simply "We're not going to fix it"

    I would like to know why?
    Sunil_Bhaskaran
    Community Manager
    Sunil_BhaskaranCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    January 28, 2018
    At this point of time, we are not at fixing this technical limitation.

    Thanks,
    Sunil
    erics14009476
    erics14009476
    Participant
    January 27, 2018
    Any updates on this? Finally bit the bullet to update my main catalog with a workaround: Manually copy over the catalog file, then manually copy over image files, then re-attach missing files in thecatalog. What a pain! Old process was a single step.

    Also, I wonder if this has anything to do with the deprecation of AFP networking on APFS devices with High Sierra. Right now, only SMB worlds with APFS.
    J
    Jack Deblanc
    Inspiring
    January 26, 2018
    Import over network does not work. Copy .lrcat over network and import does not work. Copy to usb thumb drive, move file to host and import DOES work. Likely a file permissions issue.
    erics14009476
    erics14009476
    Participant
    January 13, 2018
    Same problem. Main catalog is now coming on 4 months of not being updated 😞
    B
    brandong50226833
    Participating Frequently
    December 30, 2017
    Any update on a fix for this?
    B
    brandong50226833
    Participating Frequently
    December 18, 2017
    Sunil, there has to be a mistake somewhere because that can't be right. Limiting users to only importing catalogs on the host computer completely makes the entire "import another catalog" feature useless. We need to import catalogs because we have moved them to another computer to work on. That was LR's answer to networked catalogs so many years ago.

    This update is a gigantic step backward. It was supposed to increase speed and it hasn't. I just can't believe the database is what is limiting importing over a network. This should be something your engineers can fix (and absolutely should fix). It's not a mac only issue and it's not something minor. This is a gigantic bug in LR that needs to be addressed not passed off as a limitation that we all know is not a limitation; it's a database design error or a bug. Both can be fixed. 
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    December 15, 2017
    That is not correct, i have the same problem when trying to import from another catalog over the network between two windows machines. Laptop (on the road) -> desktop (main catalog).
    Sunil_Bhaskaran
    Community Manager
    Sunil_BhaskaranCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    December 15, 2017
    That's right, Brandon.
    It happens only on Mac.

    Thanks,
    Sunil
    B
    brandong50226833
    Participating Frequently
    December 14, 2017
    Thanks for responding Sunil. I'm curious, are you saying this database limitation makes it impossible to import catalogs over a network like previous versions?
    Show more replies
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