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SoloHiker
Participant
November 18, 2019
Question

LR Classic: rebuilding multiple libraries

  • November 18, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 514 views

Good evening, all! So this may be a fairly basic question, but I wanted to know if there's a quick method ("rescan existing libraries and put new one HERE") that will allow me to rebuild and reorganize my various libraries to differnt drives/location. 

 

So basically, I've got a smattering of libraries scattered across various drives that I've been building since v1.0.  I'm at a point where I have TOO MANY scattered, and I need to seriously re-organize it moving forward.  And no, I do not want to move everyting to the cloud: I'm one of those people that needs my content (read: copyrighted images) to be under my and only my control.

 

Is there a non-painful way to get to where I want to be, without losing edits on existing images?

Thanks!

Steve

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5 replies

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 21, 2019

Caution: I would merge all the Catalogs FIRST- without moving the Negative files! Leave ALL image files exactly where they are (including leaving them on multiple drives) until the Catalogs are merged.

If you move the image files first then some, or all, of the Catalogs may have 'Missing' photos even before you merge catalogs and so a bigger mess to sort out!

 

Merge Catalogs first (the merged Catalog will know where all the files remain)-  Re-arrange folders and files later (move, relocate, etc) in the merged Catalog Folder panel.

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 .
Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 19, 2019

Yes I think your approach will work OK.

Possible problems may include- Selecting your 'most recent' versions of Catalogs to merge to the new 'empty' Catalog, (You may have 'old' unused catalogs existing)

If the one raw file has been imported & edited in multiple Catalogs, then a merge can create Virtual Copies of each edit version- that is OK.

You biggest problem will be "Folder Structure" with the [Include Negative Files] as the Catalog merges will move the files as in their current folder structure, and not in a new neat merged 'Date based' structure. This will still require some shuffling of folders in the 'Master' new Catalog. This may be a 'good thing' if you ever used Folder names for event descriptions.

Much work ahead of you- take it slow.

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 .
S
SoloHikerAuthor
Participant
November 20, 2019

WobertC, thanks for replying!  I've been doing some reading and experimenting, and I think I need to take a 2-step approach first: move all source files to the new destination FIRST, *then* import the scattered libraries.  But you're correct, I'm going to do this VERY slowly.  😛

 

Thanks for replying!

Steve

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 18, 2019

Thanks Jim, I did not consider that the OP might want to consolidate PHOTO files. As you say- that is something totally different to 'Merging Catalogs' - requires a totally different answer!

https://laurashoe.com/2019/03/22/learn-how-to-safely-move-your-lightroom-photos-to-a-new-hard-drive/

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/move-photos-another-hard-drive-leaving-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 .
S
SoloHikerAuthor
Participant
November 19, 2019

Thanks for replying, guys!  It really comes down to organizing the various catalogs *and RAW files* from a scattering across multiple machines and on-the-road backups done and never consolidated.  I don't like having to keep multiple backups, and my sloppy organization has led to what I'm trying to resolve.

First and foremost, I do need to consolidate CATALOGS; having three sporting event catalogs , 8 landscape catalogs , 4 astrophoto catalogs , etc is sloppy and is no longer productive for me.  Second, while the physical RAW file locations are standardized *by folder*, I do want to move the RAW source files to a single location (keeping that same by-date organization for RAW files).  I currently organize by year (date), but again, they're scattered across different drives. So it's beginning to appear that I will need to jsut create a new (for example) Landscapes catalog, import from my separate older catalogs WITH the RAW files (yes, that would create a new set of RAW files, but I'm OK with that), and just push forward.  I guess I was hoping there was a technique for profiling catalogs for duplicates or latest edits, and doing a cool merge, but that's probably not in the cards.  😉

Thoughts?  Thanks!

Steve

JP Hess
JP Hess
Inspiring
November 18, 2019

There is nothing wrong with having images spread over multiple hard drives. I have images on four different drives, and Lightroom handles everything just fine. If you are trying to consolidate all of your images onto a single drive that is one thing. If you are trying to consolidate catalogs that is something different. What is it that you really want to do?

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 18, 2019

    So first question- Which Version of Lightroom do you have now?

    If you do not want your files in the Cloud then you would need Lightroom-CLASSIC v9.0

     

     "smattering of libraries" - Do you mean you have multiple Catalogs (the Catalog.LRCAT files)?

    "rescan existing libraries" - If you mean ReIMPORT all your photos- then this would be the wrong thing to do!!

    "without losing edits on existing images" - A re-import would lose your edits!!

     

    A possible answer- Multiple Catalogs can be merged. You would open an existing Catalog, or start a new one, and use the Lightroom feature of [Import from another Catalog] to merge multiple catalogs into one.

    (An anaolgy- You have written Book Chapters in multiple document files- You would 'copy&Paste',- merge -, the Chapters into one complete document.)

    You will find full instructions from the Lightroom Queen in this 1st link, the first of four articles, very helpful articles on merging catalogs-

    https://www.lightroomqueen.com/merging-catalogs-1-identifying/

    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 .
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