Import raw files with previous settings

[Guest]

Hi there,

I've had Lightroom installed with my photo collection imported on my PC. However I moved on Mac so fresh LR install and so on.

I copied my entire RAW photos folder on my Mac and imported my collection. The problem is it imported my collection of basic photos - no previous HDR merging, no develop settings previously done. In my collection folder every RAW file (.cr2) has an .xmp file and every photos merged into HDR one has additional .dng files but I can't figure out how to import it alongside the .cr2 files. Please help.

[JohanElzenga]

You should not have imported the photos again into a new catalog, but should have copied the catalog from the old computer to the new one as well. You can still do that: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/

[Guest]

OK, so I fu***d up. I did not backuped anything from my old PC and I already don't have access to it and it's already formatted so whatever. All I have is a folder with my photos, my .CR2 RAW photos, .xmp files created by LR from my previous PC and .dng files created for HDR merged photos.

Am I done? Can't do anything at this point, can I?

[JohanElzenga]

I'm afraid so, but there is something strange going on. Those XMP files should have saved you partially. Not everything is stored in XMP, but edits and metadata such as keywords are. Lightroom will read them and apply the edits stored in them automatically. You do not have to import them separately. In order for that to work, the XMP files need to be in the same folder as their CR2 master, and they should have exactly the same name (except for the file extension). If Lightroom did not read the XMP files, then they are either not up-to-date, or they were perhaps misplaced so they were ignored on import.

[dj_paige]

Or, the edits and metadata were never written to the .xmp files in the first place. Lightroom does not do this by default, you have to turn on an option or issue a command for this to happen.

[Guest]

Aaaand that's probably the case since I didn't checked than... Welp, so I AM f***ed :)... thanks for help to both of you.

[Guest]

XMP files are there with exact filenames yet they are completely ignored during the import, not a single edit not even edited metadata - nothing. Maybe I do something wrong? I just clicked "import" selected folder with photos and done. Files should be up to date, they are maybe 2-3 months old, both lightroom installations from Creative Cloud and up to date.

[richardplondon]

Provided you have got the Raw files that is the main thing: you don't need to take the photographs again!

[What you've really lost is some time and effort. But often re-processing a shot, having learnt the lessons from before, can turn out for the better. More decisive, less laboured. Of course if you did seek to exactly match the prior edits, that would be extremely difficult to do. But why would anyone set such an aim...? 😄 ]

There are a number of ways XMP sidecars can have come into existence. One way is through the involvement of another program than Lightroom Classic, at some point. ACR for example, or various non-Adobe products.

Or it may be that Lightroom Classic wrote a copy of (some of) its Catalog metadata out to file, at some moment. That may have been your most recent edits (for example when LrC's set to write out copies of each change as it happens), or some earlier image statewritten on demand. If the only record of latest edits turns out to have been within the Catalog, those latest edits are now lost (unless a Catalog backup is available).

But whatever is in the XMP, that is understandabe to Lightroom Classic: you should be able to recover at least that during import (which is automatic at import). Just make LrC is not immediately overriding that, with settings coming from an at-import preset).

• Virtual copies only have any existence inside a Catalog hence XMP can be of no use with those.
• Snapshots - even when saved from a virtual copy - are included in XMP (if written to disk).
• Collections and collection sets, picks, prior editing History are not included in XMP when written.
• Keywords etc, and then-current Develop adjustments, are included when written.
• Derived files such as pano merges and external edits to Photoshop, are by default created into the same folder as the Raw / other source file or files on which they were based. So provided it's the same folder of Raws that your previous Lr catalog was referring to, those files should normally be found intermixed.

[Guest]

That is very wholesome start of a reply - I sorta needed it, thanks 😄

Well, I've just done some newbie mistakes, problem is I already don't have access to old PC and that is my nail to the coffin.

Well, it happens, as you've said, it's an opportunity for me to grow. Thank you all once again!