I'm having issues with Lightroom on an iPad. My workflow when on the road is to import the raw files directly to the iPad from SD cards for editing, and so that they will be synced to the cloud when an internet connection is available.
Everything works perfectly, until a network connection is made. At that time, the photos successfully upload to the cloud, but it appears that they are either deleted off of the iPad or the app is confused and trying to download the photos even though they are already present. Editing is then impossible without a network connection because the app is attempting to download the smart preview and original from the cloud instead of using locally stored images.
In the app settings, I have the "only download smart previews" option disabled, with the expectation that the originals would remain on the device. This is clearly not the case, otherwise they would still be accessible after the initial cloud upload. When selecting a photo to edit, if online, the app will freeze and show "downloading smart preview" and "downloading original" in the cloud sync pop up. If there is no network connection, a busy indicator is presented over the photo, but it is impossible to edit because the app is trying to sync with the cloud.
This is an extremely problematic behavior that makes the app essentially useless when a network connection is not available. It's not a new issue, I've had problems with this for at least a year and it has crippled my workflow in some cases because I'll lose the ability to work with the photos until back on a high speed WiFi network.
The entire point of a high capacity storage like the iPad Pro is to be able to store data locally for when offline. Is there some hidden option that would prevent the originals from being cleared from the device? It makes some sense that it would be possible to sync like this to save storage space, but for a device with a terabyte of storage there is no reason to not keep them, and it should not be necessary to download a file from the same device that it was uploaded from.
The app itself is a great editor, as long as it's always online, but with a defective cloud sync it is severely limited and becomes a liability rather than a usable production tool.
App Version:9.2.1
OS Version: iPadOS 7.4.1
Steps to Reproduce:
While offline, import photos from a SD card
The photos will be editable
Connect to a WiFi network
The photos will sync with the cloud
Disconnect from the WiFi network
Select a photo for editing
Choose the Crop and Rotate button in the right side toolbar
A busy indicator will display, preventing interaction with the photo
Press the cloud button in top toolbar
Messages downloading original and downloading smart preview will be displayed
Connect to a WiFi network
Sync will complete and busy indicator disappears.
Expected Result:
Photos should be immediately editable when offline. Original should never need to be downloaded since it was imported to this device to start with.
Actual Result:
Photos are not editable. On slow network connection, it can take upwards of 30 seconds after selecting an editing tool to actually be able to edit the photo.
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