1. Lightroom (Local) writes edits to XMP metadata files in the same way that Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw have for many years: If it’s a raw file, the XMP metadata goes into a visible sidecar file with the same filename as the raw file; if it isn’t a raw file the XMP metadata is written into a header in the file itself. (Lightroom (Cloud) syncs all edits up to the server.)
2. Because of the answer to question 1, the workflow between Lightroom Classic and the Local tab in Lightroom is exactly the same as the existing workflow of exchanging metadata between Lightroom Classic and Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw, or other XMP-compatible software such as Photo Mechanic or LRTimelapse: For Lightroom Classic to see metadata from Lightroom (Local) or the other software, in the Library module in Lightroom Classic you select the image(s) and choose Metadata > Read Metadata from File, and that copies the external XMP metadata into the catalog. Going the other way, if you choose Metadata > Save Metadata to File, metadata edits made in Lightroom Classic can be picked up by other applications. This ability to exchange should make it relatively easy to bring over image and other metadata edits made in the Local tab of Lightroom, if you wanted to switch to Lightroom Classic. (This doesn’t cover how to get Lightroom cloud metadata into Lightroom Classic.)
3. Everyone assumes that Lightroom Classic and Lightroom will some day merge in some form, but it is possible that even Adobe is not sure when that will be. Currently, Lightroom already has just about all of the features available in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic. What’s missing from Lightroom is almost everything outside the Develop module, such as printing, Smart Collections, full metadata editing, and so on. A lot of people like me find great value in those Lightroom Classic features, and need them to be there.
AdChoices