Migrate from LRC to LR without the cloud?

[X32307045]

Why did I have to learn from Reddit how to migrate from LRC to LR without the cloud?

If you go to LRC and select "Write metadata to file" it writes XMP files and you can then simply open that folder locally in LR and have all your previous work (without going through the cloud first and only then archive it locally).

Meaning LR team can implement a much better solution for those asking to move from Lightroom classic to Lightroom and not use Adobe cloud or go through loop holes in order to work locally.

[JohanElzenga]

Just out of curiosity: why would you want to 'migrate' from Lightroom Classic to Lightroom if you are not going to use the cloud? The local option of Lightroom is very limited compared to what Lightroom Classic offers, so what is the advantage of giving that up in exchange for.... what?

[X32307045]

To start from the bottom line: Lightroom will be the only product in a few years. 

I know software development from up close and I knwo there isn't a reason to maintain two apps and two codes, especially when one is decades old. Lightroom isn't called Lighroom Cloud, but Lightroom. The legacy Lightroom is called Lightroom Classic and so, Adobe will sunset the older app in a few years, no doubt. They add more and more features to LR from LRC, including local editing which works great, they just didn't decide it is the right time to make it extra convenient. That will probably happen once some of the relatively few key features missing will be added to LR. 

I never liked the catalog method, nor the old UI and buggy, slow software that is LRC. I find the newer LR much more comfortable and easier, straight forward to use. And for me it has all the features I need with as little compromises as possible at this point.

I wanted to switch for years and I knew they will add Local support because as I said, no use in two similar apps in the long run. And so a few weeks ago I decided to try it again and now I am making the switch. 

[JohanElzenga]

If you prefer Lightroom over Lightroom Classic, then that's the right choice. But don't do it because you think Lightroom Classic has no future. Seven years ago, when Lightroom was introduced, people said the same thing as you are saying now. Lightroom Classic would disappear within two or three years max. It didn't and it still sometimes gets new things even earlier than Lightroom. As long as most fellow professionals still prefer Lightroom Classic, I'm not that worried and will stick to Lightroom Classic!

[X32307045]

There's almost feature parity between the two now. That's not the case a few years ago. And I didn't say when, but if you worked for a big software company you know it will happen eventually. Maintenance of two similar apps is expensive. And the feature set already exists in LRC, meaning there are only things to migrate to LR, not the other way around, this is a one way street. It is now only a marketing decision by Adobe.

And yes, I prefer Lightroom in almost every aspect. 

[Conrad_C]

There's almost feature parity between the two now.

By @X32307045

Only for certain use cases. For me, there are entire feature categories that I regularly use in Lightroom Classic that have not appeared in Lightroom to this day. For the people who use those features, Lightroom is still far from feature parity.

There are probably enough influential professional users who are tied to those Lightroom Classic features that Adobe might think Lightroom Classic can’t be discontinued just yet. I don’t know what Adobe really thinks, but I think that’s likely.