How do you guys swap between you laptop and destop? (You know any sync softwares)

[TimoH.]

Hey Guys, 

another day, another question which came up in my head.
Not long ago I bought myself a new Laptop to be more flexible with my work.
Now there are a few problems that aqqure. My mane concerne right now is: "How can i work on both devices with the same catalog in the most efficient way?"
The idea right now is to use a external storage device and sync my data back and forth. 

Now I wanted to ask:
"Is this the most efficient option, and is there a software (or more softwares) which you can recommend?"

Best Regards and thanks for the help already 🙂

[Rob_Cullen]

""How can i work on both devices with the same catalog in the most efficient way?" The idea right now is to use a external storage device and sync my data back and forth. "

The best answer (for two Lightroom-Classic installs) is to use an external storage drive that has BOTH your photo files and the Catalog. Just swap the drive from one computer to the other.

Some users are now adopting a method that uses Lightroom-Classic on the primary computer and Lightroom (with syncing) on any secondary system.

Check out this article link- MULTIPLE COMPUTERS- How to use (Lightroom Queen) 

[TimoH.]

First of all, thanks for the quick reply.

The problem with those solutions are, that:

• I often travel in my car or spend my time in coffeshops and i would be very scared to lose or damage the externen harddrive, so i would want to have the main catalog on one device with a automatic backup.
• also i would have to check which photos i want to have with me because i have to many to fit them all on one drive
• when im on the go, i want to be able top print or send the edited pictures in full quality to my customers so they don't have to wait if im currently on a trip.

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

Next suggestion (with LrC on both systems)-

1) Select photos in Home System and [Export as a Catalog] including "negative" files. Export this "Travel" catalog & files to a transfer external drive.

2) Transfer (Copy) this exported folder with catalog and photos to the Travel laptop.

3) Use LrC on the lap[top with the 'Travel' catalog. Import new photos, edit photos copied with the catalog, etc.

4) When returning home open the Home catalog and do [Import from another catalog] and merge all the travel work back into the Home catalog.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/classic-on-vacation/

TRAVEL CATALOG MERGING

[TimoH.]

That is sounding like a very good way, to how i will manage my LrC. But it comes with two more questions.
First:
When I import a catalog to my mane catalog, the pictures get moved into the smart-collection "no labels" and there aren't any folders that are getting createt. So I always have to add the collections from the importet catalog by hand and organize the pictures to it.

Second:
When i create the the travel catalog, i want to also take some pictures with me, which i need to editurgently. 
I know how to create a smaler catalog out of my mane catalog but when it comes to managing the files i want to know if one of you knows any good sync-software to copy the files from my destop to an ext. ssd but also when i come back from the trip it deletes the files from my destop which i had deleted on my trip.

Hope you get behind my point in the second qestion

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

First question: 

Collections and Labels created in the Laptop transfer catalog should also be merged back into the main desktop catalog. Folders will also be created for new files that you imported into the laptop catalog (See diagram A),  [Choose] a folder location in your desktop computer for these new photos in the Catalog merge dialog.

Photos that previously were edited in the Desktop catalog, and subsequently edited in the laptop catalog- when the different edits are merged- you can keep the two edit versions as Virtual Copies. (See diagram B)

Second Question:

"copy the files from my destop to an ext. ssd"  - Why?  The process to [Export as a Catalog] with Negative files WILL copy the photos to the external drive where you are creating the transfer catalog. (ie. the pictures you want to 'take with you'.)  And [Import from another catalog] WILL copy your new photos taken while travelling from the travel catalog into your desktop.

" it deletes the files from my destop which i had deleted on my trip."- DONT DELETE files (anywhere)! Instead use the Reject Flag on unwanted images- then later when the travel catalog is merged back to the desktop- review the Rejected images for deletion.