Regress Ligthroom Catalog

[dmoyes1]

I've gone back to using LR6 from LR11 Classic. I was able to use an older version of my catalog and just reimport the newer images. Is there anyway to export any of the collection information from the V11 catalog that would be usable in the new V6 catalog?

Thanks,

Dennis

[dj_paige]

Is there anyway to export any of the collection information from the V11 catalog that would be usable in the new V6 catalog?

No

However, if you assign a keyword (instead of a collection) to indicate your groups, then you can get those keywords into Lr 6, they will come through when you export from LrC and import into Lr 6.

[richardplondon]

Yes I think that's the only way. In more detail, you shouldn't need to Export, just write metadata out to file from the v11 Catalog. It is not possible to do this just for the keywords without including all latest edits. This info will get interpreted and used as part of importing those same files back into the v6 Catalog. Alternatively if these images are already imported in both Catalogs, then it would be a matter of reading this same external metadata back into those v6 images. This would overwrite their v6 editing, however their History would still retain that prior image state that you could go back to.

Keywords expressing your groupings should therefore come in fine. These keywords can then be used as a basis for making new standard or smart collections. Note, this process cannot include Virtual Copies.

Any Develop editing parameters that v11 employs, that v6 does not understand, should get ignored. The v11 images will be set to a later process version most likely, but IIRC the earlier software will still do its best. Later version standard profiles (such as the new Adobe Color and Adobe Monochrome) were not within Lr 6 so would necessarily be substituted, with consequent visual differences (can be significant)  however well the various global editing parameters may have transferred in. Also v6 local adjustments are up-compatible into v11 masks, but not necessarily the other way.

[dmoyes1]

Thanks. I'm a bit confused. I didn't think it was possible to export a V11 catalog in a format the was usable by V6. If it is possible, how do I do that?

Thanks,

Dennis

[dj_paige]

I don't see where anyone suggested exporting a catalog.

You write the metadata to xmp using LrC, then when you import photos into Lr 6, the metadata ought to come with it into the Lr 6 catalog.

[richardplondon]

Yes, highlighting (within the v11 Catalog) images that you want to transfer this info for; using the menu item Write Metadata to File / the shortcut Ctrl+S.

As already explained this is still relatively longwinded, and transfers only partial information and not for virtual copies - and for those that do transfer, still with potentially the need for quite a bit of fiddling to get to more or less the same visual appearance.

The v11 Catalog and contents will continue to be available after the subscription plan runs out (not allowing further editing, but still allowing further output) so perhaps only those particular images that must be further actively edited, would need to participate in this transfer. and in any case, unless the OS version can be kept frozen indefinitely , at some future point Lr6 may stop running.abruptly.

[TheDigitalDog]

Yet another case were a DNG workflow would make going backwards a bit easier in terms of what can be contained within the container. 

Unfortunately, not for 'dumb collections' but not too difficult with Smart Collections based upon data in the DNG. 

As for Virtual Copies, again proprietary until you export them as DNG. Now they are no longer virtual, fully raw and edited.