The umpteenth thread on how to use LR and the CC cloud to sync images between two PC's...and a phone.

[BillNM]

There are a lot of threads (and apparent confusion) about how to get Lightroom to work with two computers (syncing settings, images, edits, catalogs, etc)...pardon me if this has been covered, but I've looked and can't find the answer.

I have a common setup...a desktop at home which I use as the "master", and a notebook I travel with, which of course has a separate catalog...plus a phone running Lightroom Mobile, and trying to keep all that in some state of sync.

(I know that one way of "syncing" is to use a portable hard drive containing the images and catalog, moving the drive back and forth between computers, but I'd like to avoid that external hard drive requirement.)

Up til now (after I get home from a trip) I have been opening the catalog on my notebook, selecting the new images, and choosing FILE...EXPORT AS CATALOG, giving the catalog a name, checking "export negative files" (would have been helpful if this box instead said "include image files"), and exporting that to a thumb drive...I then insert the thumb drive into the desktop, and choose, FILE...IMPORT FROM ANOTHER CATALOG.

That has worked OK, but I'd like, if I can, to skip these steps and use the cloud.

So I tried to start using Lightroom's ALL SYNCED PHOTOGRAPHS "sub catalog"...this works fine between my phone and ONE of the computers, but when I open the other computer to continue working with those images, LR tells me it can't sync with those images unless I am using the SAME CATALOG (or at least a catalog with the same NAME?).

I am signed into all 3 devices with the same username and password...but I guess that's not enough in this case.

So...

Is it possible to use a catalog with the SAME NAME on two computers without screwing anything up?

Thanks...

--

Bill

[Theresa J]

The only solution is to use Lightroom CC, not Lightroom Classic on your desktop. Classic is a desktop focused app. All images in a Classic catalog reside on your computer (even the ones in the cloud that you capture with your phone). Lightroom CC is your solution. But Lr CC doesn't have all of the functionality as Classic, and it puts ALL of your images in the cloud, not just selective ones.

I have answered your question, but I'm also going to move this thread to the Lightroom CC forum where it belongs. Maybe the experts there will have more information about the best way to move your images from Classic to CC. I haven't done that yet myself.

[BillNM]

Theresa,

Thanks for that advice...but I'm not interested in Lightroom CC.

I was asking how to best manage LIghtroom Classic using the cloud and two computers, and specifically, this question:

Is it possible to use a catalog with the SAME NAME on two computers without screwing anything up?  (With the idea that I want to be able to sync some images between the two computers using the ALL SYNCED PHOTOGRAPHS "sub catalog" (don't know what else to call it), without using an external hard drive?

In other words, I want to be able to open Lightroom on either computer and see the same set of photos in the ALL SYNCED PHOTOGRAPHS section, without Lightroom complaining that it can't do that outside of a single catalog.

And honestly Theresa, for you to proclaim "I have answered your question", is REALLY assuming a LOT, especially as your answer had very little to do with my actual question.

Thanks...

[Theresa J]

The only way to do what you want is with an external hard drive, which you say you don't want to do. You can try putting the catalog in a cloud drive like Google or Dropbox, but you have to be very careful that everything finishes syncing from one computer before you open it on the other.

You can only sync one Classic catalog with Mobile. There is no way around that.

Lightroom CC was developed to solve this problem, but I understand your not being interested in it. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you.

[BillNM]

Thanks Theresa...yeah I was only talking about that "all synced photographs" section...not my entire catalog which is 100,000+ pics...maybe that's where the confusion started...anyway, thanks again.

[Jim Wilde · Accepted solution]

BillNM  wrote

In other words, I want to be able to open Lightroom on either computer and see the same set of photos in the ALL SYNCED PHOTOGRAPHS section, without Lightroom complaining that it can't do that outside of a single catalog.

You can't. Only one Classic catalog can be sync-enabled at any one time. Yes, you can dance around that by switching syncing from one catalog to another, then back again, but that's a routine with complications which means you'll almost certainly eventually trip up. Better to stick with one of the other options such as the single external drive or the export/import catalog method. As has been mentioned, you COULD consider using LRCC on the travel computer, and it would even work without internet connectivity if you set it up properly before starting your journey (i.e. download either all originals or just smart previews of the synced photos first). But there are other pitfalls as well using LRCC in this way which you'd need to avoid.

[BillNM]

Thanks very much Jim...that's the answer I needed...much appreciated.

--

Bill

[selondon]

If you want to use the Cloud it may be worth you looking at Lightroom CC to import as an option when travelling, dependent on if it has the functionality you require at that point. A pain point might be having the ability to upload the Originals.

I don’t really use Classic currently but don’t think you can sync more than one Catalog or machine to the Cloud, may be wrong though.

There are quite a few ACPs and Users on here that will be able to help but it may be worth testing other options if you want to use the Cloud?