LrC edit (photos located on NAS) on Desktop and laptop?

Report · Feb 26, 2024

Hi,

I'm fresh subscriber of photo package in Adobe.

I have my RAW files on NAS.

And I've beeh hapily editing them in LrC by adding a folder as on screenshot

Two side notes: 1) I'm generally not (or was not) interested in Catalogues or any other forms of organization/colletion of photos as I'm pretty happy as they are organized in folders on NAS. And so I found it very convinient to add a folder where photos are and just edit them in LrC, export (e.g. JPGs) somewhere else also on NAS. 2) And did assume that .dng files contain all the changes (history) and for that reason I believed that when I don't want to sit by my desktop I can edit same files (on NAS) from ly laptop. By editing same files I mean continue editing them on laptop from the state I saved them on desktop.

Apparently that isn't the case 🙂

So the qustion is:

Given that I bring my RAW files to LrC by adding a folder. What are my options to see/pick my edits on my second computer? If it is somehow important I do not need to edit on both computers at the same time - I'll be just happy to iterate one-another-one-another. I'd be ok to saving "something" to NAS whenever I want to switch and then read that "something" from another computer, as long as I can save it on NAS. It would be very uncomfortable to work on laptop with attached to in externad disk.

Thank you for helping.

Technical details:

Windows,

Lr, LrC, Photoshop are updated to the latest version as per today.

Report · Feb 26, 2024

Just to be more specific when I say "my edits" I mean this:

This is what I want to be able to see on both of my computers. And continue editing it from this point.

Report · Feb 26, 2024

Given that I bring my RAW files to LrC by adding a folder. What are my options to see/pick my edits on my second computer?

If your catalog file is on an external HD, you can move the external HD from desktop computer to laptop computer. But you say later that you don't like that, and I'm not aware of other solutions that work.

I'd be ok to saving "something" to NAS whenever I want to switch and then read that "something" from another computer

this is not how Lightroom Classic works, there is no "saving" the photo from one computer and reading the photo into LrC from another computer. Your exports are not designed to be edited by LrC on a different computer, that is not how LrC works; and your export (if it is JPG) is lower quality than the original. Ideally, LrC always edits the original.

If you really want to do this, you might want to look into Lightroom (not Lightroom Classic) and then your photos are stored in the cloud and you can edit them from any computer that has internet access (or any cell phone or tablet or Chromebook).

Report · Feb 27, 2024

Thank you @dj_paige for answering.

I tried to specify details, but I didn't do it very well.

As I mentioned I use NAS (Network Attached Storage) which in case of Windows seen as a harddrive on my PC. And so let's say my photos are on drive P:

And on that drive I do have a structure of filders one of them as on screenshot 2022-08-11_Austria

And then as on screenshot as imported that folder into LrC.

And so in that sense there is no much difference between an external disk (which also would mount as a P:) and NAS storage. Because on the other PC withing my home I do mount it with same letter P:, etc...

However, once I edit a photo on desktop, take laptop, go to another room and open LrC there ofc I need to import same folder again to LrC of the laptop. Sady after importing same folder on laptop - no edits done by desktop can be seen 😞

A tried following: I did try to export as Catalog my folder to same NAS storate (same P: drive)

However with that I didn't achieve my goal - may be didn't do it totally right.

And the other thing though - the export did create me another folder on my P: that contains all my photos plus overhead. Kinda extremely inefficient 😞

May be approaching it with big picture is easier?

Say there are two comuters 1. and 2.

They share same network drive P: (and so see same raw files P:/folder/raw_file)

Once a file been edited on computer 1. the history of edits isn't going to P:/folder/ it is stored somewhere else on computer 1.

Is there a way to bring it to computer 2.?

Optionally photo star rating and color rating would be welcome to sync too!

For the second part of your answer.

It isn't the exports that I wish to edit on the second PC. It is the originals + already existing edits. The once I see as .dng in computer 1.

And speaking of Cloud services in the given scenario .

Why should I subscribe/pay some cloud services (and run over internet my own files) when I have my perfect (for my needs) own "cloud" that awailable for me withing my home?

Isn't like warming air around the house to be warm inside...?

Report · Feb 27, 2024

However, once I edit a photo on desktop, take laptop, go to another room and open LrC there ofc I need to import same folder again to LrC of the laptop.

No, there is no importing at this point. Just open the catalog and continue to edit. However, you have to somehow access the catalog on the 2nd computer, which is on an external HD despite the fact that you don't want to do that. There is also no exporting to make this work. In your situation, where you are switching computers and want to continue to edit, both exporting and another import is wrong and will cause the problems you are seeing. Which was discussed in my previous message.

Or use Lightroom (not Classic) which stores your images in the cloud.