Need help with my workflow please!

[Nic98A4]

Hello, I am currently running Lightroom Classic on my M1 mac mini with 8gb ram.

My current workflow is as follows:

1. Import photos from sd card and place the photos into my catalogue on my Network NAS device (not usb connection, just network).
2. Edit photos and then export into a "processed" folder on my Nas drive.
3. While editing my images, previews are slow to render and when I zoom to 100% there is a slight lag.
4. I am using standard previews.

I am assuming the lag could be because my NAS storage device has a disk read speed of 130mbps.

I then connected an external enclosure with a M2 NVME drive. This has a read speed of 720mbps.

I then used the following workflow with the new external drive connected via thunderbolt 3:

1. Import images from sd card onto the NVME drive and created a new catalogue. The new catalogue is located on my Mac Mini's main internal drive.
2. While I was editing the images, I noticed a vast improvement in image rendering and also when scanning through the images in the library mode, they were instantly loaded and viewable, sort of like a movie scene when skipping through them. This was not achievable on the NAS drive!

Now this is where I am stuck, the NVME drive has proved to be a lot quicker, so can I assume that when you import the images, thes images get worked on during edits? Reason I ask, was when i was skimming through the images in the library module, the led activity light was blinking, so assumed they were being accessed?

Also because I created a new catalogue on the NVME drive, what happens to it, and what happens to the raw files?

If someone could help me out I would be truly grateful, or is there another way to use the faster NVME drive to work on my images (for speed) and then export to my NAS drive?

I do hope I can get this sorted out because it is driving me nuts 🙂

Thanks in advance!

[dj_paige]

A couple of things

First, you didn't have to create a new catalog.

Second, the images on the NVME don't "get worked on" in any meaningful sense, as Lightroom Classic doesn't modify your original images. When you apply edits, they are shown on your screen and are stored in the catalog. And new catalog doesn't have anything to do with it.

I doubt there will be anything faster than your NVME drive; any possible speed improvements caused by a potentially faster drive would be trivial.

Which brings us to the real problem, which I don't think you have explained. What actions in Lightroom Classic are slow? Please be specific. Some problems can be fixed with faster drives, other problems not.

[Nic98A4]

Hello, generally I find the zooming function to be lagging, and also slow previews of images when scanning through them in the library.

Overall the performace is fine but i find that when i edit my images (which were imported onto my NAS drive) they seem even slower.

For example, when cropping it takes a moment to actually crop down, whereas the NVME drive is instant, that's why i thought my NAS drive may be the issue?

You said I didnt need to create a new catalog, am I right in thinking like you have said, that the images when imported onto an external drive are not worked on, only previews that are stored in the catalog?

If so could i then just import the images into my existing catalog (on intermal main drive) and send the images to the NAS drive with no loss of speed? Or do I import onto the NVME drive? Sorry not sure how to impoort without a catalog.

Sorry for the questions!

[dj_paige]

You said I didnt need to create a new catalog, am I right in thinking like you have said, that the images when imported onto an external drive are not worked on, only previews that are stored in the catalog?

Actually, nothing is stored in the catalog except metadata (which includes your edits). Previews are separate files, not stored in the catalog.

If so could i then just import the images into my existing catalog (on intermal main drive) and send the images to the NAS drive with no loss of speed? Or do I import onto the NVME drive?

Either works, although NAS drives may have speed issues compared to internal or external drives.

Sorry not sure how to impoort without a catalog.

At no time did I suggest you import without a catalog (which is impossible).

[Nic98A4]

Thanks for you help, it is appreciated.

[Ian Lyons]

This link will take you to the latest Adobe document for performance optimisation https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/optimize-performance-lightroom.html It is includes the following note that many choose to ignore.

"Catalog files cannot be stored on network drives but you can store your photos on a network drive. However, network drives (hard disk accessed over a network) have slower data transfer rates. Therefore, it can take more time when switching modules or when switching from one file to another in Lightroom."

Personally, when working with images in LrC,  I avoid any form  of network storage as my experience is that LrC performance is dramatically reduced compared to direct access to images stored on a rotating disk drive or SSD. 

[Nic98A4]

That's what I have noticed!

So in theory I can import me images onto my External NVME drive, edit them and then send to the NAS drive for storage?