Moving a folder of images from an incorrect catalogue to the correct catalogue

[kmc1982]

Hello!

So I have tried to search this up but maybe I am not using the correct terms, so thought I'd ask here.

I have just uploaded my weekends worth of photos for editing, but I uploaded them to a catalogue that isn't my main LR catalogue. Is there any way I can move all uploaded images in their folder from the current opened incorrect catalogue into the correct main LR catalogue?

Thanks so much

[dj_paige]

I'm going to add this to my list of 338 (now 339) reasons why you should use one catalog.

In the "wrong" catalog, select the desired photos, then File->Export as Catalog. Then in the "right" catalog, use File->Import from Another Catalog.

[kmc1982]

Thank you so much for your help! I know it's not the most desirable situation but when my photos come back from my editor they are in separate catalogues. I normally remember to swap back, I just didn't this time.... Thanks so much!

[DdeGannes]

@kmc1982, its as dj_paige  said, you need to be aware Lightroom can only work with one Catalog at a time. You have to close Lightroom and launch Lightroom to access another Catalog. You cannot function with Lightroom and access info from another Catalog. e.g search for images that are referenced in another Catalog.

Thats why its recommended that you work with a single Catalog. Manage your file using Collections, Smart Collections and the like.

[kmc1982]

Thanks for your help too. I normally do only work within the single catalogue, the main LR one. But a new catalogue is opened when my images come back from my editor, so usually I swap it back, it just slipped my mind this time. Thanks!

[meredithb8081254]

you should be able to add the files to the other catalog with little to no problem. Just go into the other Catalog and select "add" versus upload or copy to the catalog. You can find the photos in the location you have put them when adding them to the other catalog. I have used multiple catalog before and do regularly for various reasons. It works just fine.

[dj_paige]

Just go into the other Catalog and select "add" versus upload or copy to the catalog.

Not recommended. You are suggesting importing the photos, which is not the same as "moving" from one catalog to another. Importing has disadvantages compared to "moving".

[richardplondon]

Perhaps it's clearer to speak of "merging" Catalog information (for these photos), rather than of "moving" (these photos)?

And to avoid risks and confusions arising from the fact that the same images on disk are now shown as imported into BOTH catalogs at the same time, it is IMO advisable to work on them within the main Catalog only hereafter.

And to stay out of the other; which if all its images have now been merged in elsewhere, is itself now redundant.

[dj_paige]

Yes, good point, the original poster used the word "moving", but nothing that I described is actually a "move".

[meredithb8081254]

It sounded as if he had not done anything with the files yet. If you have selected in the preferences to write the metadata to the file (I don't have lightroom open right now). Doesn't all of your adjustments adjustments and info for the file get moved with that file even when you just Add the file to a new catalog?

[dj_paige]

meredithb8081254  wrote

It sounded as if he had not done anything with the files yet. If you have selected in the preferences to write the metadata to the file (I don't have lightroom open right now). Doesn't all of your adjustments adjustments and info for the file get moved with that file even when you just Add the file to a new catalog?

No. Your edits do get written ... however ... virtual copies do not get written to metadata, edit history does not get written, collection membership does not get written, pick flags do not get written; and a few other things are not written that I can't remember right now.

[meredithb8081254]

Okay I do remember those things not moving from one catalog to another. Yet I am not sure @KMC1982 wants to actually merge the entire catalog they is working in. It sounds like they just need to go to the file  imported it to the correct catalog. Hopefully not too much work was don't on the files without being writing and saved to the actual files.

[dj_paige]

meredithb8081254  wrote

Okay I do remember those things not moving from one catalog to another. Yet I am not sure @KMC1982 wants to actually merge the entire catalog they is working in. It sounds like they just need to go to the file  imported it to the correct catalog. Hopefully not too much work was don't on the files without being writing and saved to the actual files.

The word catalog was used a number of times in the original post. In any event, the proper way, in my opinion, is not to save the metadata and then import the photos; the proper way is to export as catalog followed by import from another catalog.