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Question about importing raw files to iPad Pro…

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
June 29, 2021
5 replies
4065 views

Just bought an iPad Pro 2021 256G version. I have watched a lot of videos about using it to import images rather than into my iMac. While the work flow looks great. As I understand it, when done, full NEF RAW files will be stored on iPad, Adobe Cloud and on my iMac. Great for doing edits on whatever device but 45 MP images will fill a iPad’s SSD card up fairly quickly. How do I downgrade images on the Ipad to smart previews. I know if I go the other direction and import to the iMac, I will have RAW on iMac but smart previews on cloud and iPad. This negates having cloud as a real backup. This also then involves making collection which, as I understand it, if I delete an image on my iPad, it is deleted in cloud and the collection but not in the LR folder. This kills using iPad as a culling device, which it excels at BTW. At any rate, having a years worth of full size 45 MP images on my ipad is not an option. Any thought or ideas welcome. New to mobile CC not Classic so figuring this out as I go…

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Theresa J

Community Expert

The raw images are uploaded to the cloud when your iPad is connected to the internet. They only stay on your iPad temporarily for you to work on them. Over time the full resolution image will automatically be replaced by a smart preview on your device. You can speed this up by clearing the cache in Lightroom on your iPad. Here's how.

From the library, tap the more options (3 dots) in the upper right corner
Tap Settings
Tap Local Storage
Tap Clear Cache. This will remove the Locally Stored Copies.

To check on the location of an image do this.

Tap on an image to select it
Tap on the cloud in the upper right corner
Most likely you will see Smart Preview for Local and Original for Cloud Backup. This means the photo no longer resides on your iPad.

IF you imported the raw photos to the Photos app before importing them to Lightroom you should delete them from Photos after they have completed the upload sync process in Lightroom. They do not need to stay in the Photos app.

D

Dave737Author

Participating Frequently

Thank you for the reply. This is maybe the third version of how it works so far. Is their a definitive source on adobe's site that discusses this topic. A training video maybe. I find a lot of talk about what you can do but nearly nothing on the actual mechnics of who is where and more importantly what size. If what you say is true then great. But after clearing the cache, my photos on my ipad still say they are NEF RAW and 45+ MB.

Theresa J

Community Expert

This is how it works. Lightroom still stores some data locally on your iPad, but I don't know exactly what that is.

What do you mean "my photos on my iPad"? Where are you looking for this number? If you are looking at the Photos app, that has nothing to do with Lightroom.

JP Hess

Inspiring

Message removed by original contributor.

JP Hess

Inspiring

I guess I'm not following your logic. If you are using your iPad, importing to your iPad with no Internet connection (Sync paused), if the raw files are somehow magically converted to smart previews what is going to happen to the original full-sized images?

D

Dave737Author

Participating Frequently

No I have full internet. I want full res to go to cloud and iMac but then when done initial culling, be able to convert RAW files to smart previews on ipad to save space...

JP Hess

Inspiring

In reading the comments from both of you, I think (and I may be wrong) you are going about things the wrong way. If you are going to import the images onto the iPad then the full-sized raw images are going to be in the cloud. That's the way the system works when you use Lightroom (the cloud version). If you want smart previews in the cloud thing you need to import the images into Lightroom Classic, create collections, and then synchronize the collections. Then you can edit the collections, do the culling, etc. on the iPad. And you don't need 4 TB of cloud space. You don't even need 20 GB of cloud space. That's my take on it, but I could be wrong.

D

Dave737Author

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I understand that part. It is the inability to remove the RAW files from the iPad that is the bump in the road. Delete them and they are deleted from everywhere. Just a simple, convert RAW to smart previews would do the trick.Would like RAWs in cloud and on iMac but not permanently on iPad. Input from iMac side and RAWs are on iMac but not in cloud ot iPad.

P

Philip5DA9

Participating Frequently

Thanks for writing this question! I have the same problem. You should be able to easily delete the raw version of a photo without losing your edit+smart preview.

I'd like to import and edit the photos taken on one (!) day directly on my ipad (offline). Then export them on the go and keep only the edit+smart preview to save cloud/ipad disk space. When I then go online I don't have to wait hours to upload RAWs to the cloud but I have my edits synchronized with my desktop.

If I needed to, I could plug in an external HDD with the RAWs to edit or export the photos a second time.

Please unlock this feature, because otherwise this whole "mobile-app-cloud-thing" is pointless!

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