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Question

integration book collections with other catalog

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
March 2, 2023
2 replies
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I want to integrate some big book collections with other main catalog. I can integrate normal collections and photo but not "book collections". Please teach me how to do it.

Windows

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M

Masayuki WatanabeAuthor

Participating Frequently

The below clip is book collections I want to transfer to main catalog.

And the next clip is the window of import action on Lightroom main catalog. In this case, all pictures cannot be imported because they has already existed in main catalog. And the book collection I want to transfer is NOT shown in the window.

Regards.

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

So did you Export this Collection as a Catalog?

Is this the temporary catalog you have exported?

Have you tried to 'Open' this exported catalog (by [Double-click] on the {Book 2015 Boston-v12.LRCAT}) ?

If that works then next step would be to import from another catalog into the other main catalog- selecting {Book 2015 Boston-v12.LRCAT}to import.

You must check the 'All Folders' box! as your images in the book may have been assembled from many folders.

This does not copy or duplicate files on your hard-drive. It only adds the folder references into the main catalog.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .

M

Masayuki WatanabeAuthor

Participating Frequently

I finaly did it!

I had to select "Replace of Metadata ---" in the box of "Changed Existing Photos" when importing but I selected "nothing" so I couldn't check "All folders" you suggested.

Thank you for your patience. I'm so glad to merge book collections.

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

The only way you can "integrate" is to use the procedure to [Export a Collection as a Catalog], then in the "other main catalog" do [Import from another Catalog], which will merge the Book Collection.

[Right-Click] on a Saved Book Collection (NOT a standard Collection) and choose the menu option:

Name the temporary transfer catalog something like "Transfer".

Then in your "other main catalog" go Menu > File > Import from another catalog, choosing the temporary "Transfer" catalog.

The method to transfer partial components of one catalog to another is described in more details here, if you think of your Catalog with the book collection as a 'backup catalog'-

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/partial-restore-backup-catalog/

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .

M

Masayuki WatanabeAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks for your reply. I can export a book collection but not integrate the book collection as "book collection". It's just integration of photos information. I want to integrate the "book collection" itself I made to order to Blurb. It includes design of the book. I'm still in trouble. Thanks.

M

Masayuki WatanabeAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the reply, Rob.

I can "export" one book collection but cannot "integrate" the book collection which has book design, with main big catalog. Although I tried to integrate the catalog including the book collection, Lightroom showed the integration doesn't include book collection (book design) but just photo information.

I would like to know how to integrate book collection.

Regards.

I just tested, and my suggested method works for me.
Note: You MUST Export the SAVED BOOK COLLECTION as a catalog. A Saved Book Collection has a small icon that looks like a book.
Do NOT Export a standard Collection of photos.
You create a Saved Book Collection by clicking on the TAB of a new book, after which any Standard Collection is redundant and the standard collection can be deleted! All future work is done by reopening the Saved Book Collection.
(You may see other Collections in the Exported Catalog if photos exist in more than the one Collection of the source catalog.)

Your last post suggests you may have only exported a standard Collection as a Catalog.

And here is a Book in its Saved Book Collection in my Exported Catalog.
It opens just fine in the Book module by a [Double-Click] on the Collection name, or [One Click] on the white arrow that appears after the Collection name when you hover the cursor.

By @Rob_Cullen