Updating a sub-catalog after creating it

[A7_Photographer]

I have created a sub-catalog with some raw file. I then save it to an external drive and remove the original folder. I then import the sub-catalog and edit one of the raw file. How do I save the edit. I try setting the (Edit > Catalog setting > Automatically write changes into XMP) and also (Metadata > Save Metadata to file) to create a xmp file but when I re-import the sub-catalog, the preview show the new edit but when I go to "Develop", it revert to the edit when I originally created the sub-catalog. I also try using "Export as catalog" to create/update the catalog without saving the raw since it is on the external drive but nothing get updated in the external drive/folder. I think it is a bug or a feature not put in. If you know of a way to proceed or a new update, do let me know.

System:

Windows 10

Lightroom Classic v 13.5.1

[Moved from ‘Bugs’ to ‘Discussions’ by moderator, according to forum rules.]

[JohanElzenga]

I don't think it is a bug, but I have a very hard time trying to understand what you are saying and doing. It sounds like you created a new catalog (there's no such thing as a 'sub catalog', but I guess you just call it that way). Then you copied that catalog to another drive, but from there you've lost me. I think you are importing images from that sub catalog (not the catalog itself, which is what you should do), and because you also copied the images, but did not 'relink' the catalog, you are actually importing the wrong copies. Please explain step by step what you a trying to do and what does (not) happen when you try.

[A7_Photographer]

This is what I did:

First I have a folder with some raw file already in LRc

Then I apply auto adjustment to a image.

(Right click on the folder) "Export this folder as a catalog" to a flash drive

I then remove the folder from LRc

I then click "File" > "Import from Another Catalog..." and select the [catalog].lrcat from the newly saved one on the flash drive

I then made an exposure adjustment to the same raw file in this folder

This is where I had a problem. I need a way to save the ajustment to the raw file.

I try selecting "Metadata" > "Save Metadata to file" to create/save xmp file

I then remove the folder from LRc and then click "File" > "Import from Another Catalog..." and select the [catalog].lrcat from the one on the flash drive to test if the changes was save to the raw on the flash drive. What I did to test was click on the raw file and go to "Develop" it revert to the adjustment when I create the catalog on the flash drive and not the updated exposure adjustment.

I even try (Right click on the folder) "Export this folder as a catalog" to the flash drive again to the same .lrcat to attempt saving the update but got error.

If you find a way to do what I want to get done, let me know in the reply.

[Rob_Cullen]

I'm curious about your workflow, and it makes no sense whatsoever to me.

Edits and adjustments are always in the Catalog.

Why dont' you just - in the one master catalog

1) Apply [Auto]  and

2) Make exposure adjustments- ?

"test if the changes was save to the raw on the flash drive"- A raw file cannot be changed. Only if you [Save Metadata to File] will you create an XMP sidecar file. But in your long process of exporting and re-importing a Catalog you achieve nothing-  all the metadata and 'exposure' changes made in the temporary catalog on the flash drive can just as easily be made in the one primary master catalog.

You have the History panel where you can view any step in the editing process (eg. after [Auto], and after [Exposure changes] ) so why bother with catalog exports and merges?

[JohanElzenga]

I'll have to agree with @Rob_Cullen . This workflow does not make any sense to me, and quite frankly I do not even understand what you are trying to achieve with it. What's the point of exporting folders as a new catalog, removing them from the original catalog, and then importing the exported catalog again? What am I missing here?

[A7_Photographer]

The reason for exporting the catalog to a flash drive is to simulate backing up to external drive. What I'm try to do is find a way to back up the edit for the raw file without exporting as dng so I can save like a yearly progress. Also just in case in the future if I edit the raw again I can find a way to save the "new" edit.

With the xmp (sidecar) step, I was able to make some progress, apparently LRc favorably catalog over xmp and I had to click the exclamation icon on the raw file to load the xmp progress. But if I were to make edit on multiple file I would have to click on each one each time.

In term of workflow, if you have some good suggestion, I did interested to know.

[JohanElzenga]

If exporting as catalog serves as a backup, then you should leave it with that. Backups should not be touched until needed, and there is no reason to want to write to XMP from within the backup. There are easier ways to have a good backup workflow, however. Why don't you use Lightroom to create catalog backups? The advantage of doing this is that Lightroom verifies the catalog before making the backup, and optimizes the catalog.

To backup the images, use a backup utility. There is no reason to save a copy of the images with each catalog backup (which you would have to do with the catalog export if you want to write to XMP as well), so this makes more sense than exporting as catalog and include the images with the exported catalog. Make at least two backups, not just one. You can also use this utility to make additional copies of the catalog backups if you want to have more than one copy of each catalog backup.

Finally, making catalog backups is far more efficient than exporting catalogs. A Lightroom catalog backup is an exact copy of your catalog, frozen in time. If your main catalog fails, or you did something really stupid, then you can simply replace your catalog by a backup copy and move on. Exported catalogs are not a mirror of your current catalog if you include the images. Their image paths will point to the included images, not to the original images. So using such an exported catalog to replace your current catalog in case of a calamity is not nearly as straightforward!