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Author Topic: LR conversion WIN to MAC  (Read 5988 times)

gunnar1

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LR conversion WIN to MAC
« on: May 04, 2008, 12:54:48 am »

Recently, my Windows machine died. I had all of my raw photos backed up onto separate hard drives and had backed up my LR catalog files onto two different drives as well. I decided that with all of my problems with Win machines, I would finally take the leap to Mac for my desktop. It is a Mac Pro if that matters.

Anyway, I was able to download a fresh copy of LR (1.4) using my current license, but I can't seem to get LR to recognize my catalog. I have copied all of the backup files onto the new machine, as well as the LR Cat and LR preview files. When I open LR, and click "open catalog", a popup says that LR needs to re-launch with the new catalog. After a minute or so, only the info bar comes up at the top of the screen, but the program is not visible. It also shows as open in the dock, but no amount of clicking will allow the actual application to show up.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have checked through the forums, but haven't found any references to it. I suppose that I could re-import everything, but all I have is the raw files that were not in very good order as it is. I would then have to go through the process of re-keywording, re-labeling and the like with 25000+ images- a task I DO NOT relish having to do.

I can only hope that if I can get LR to recognize the catalog, that it will then be able to preserve all of the work I have already done to all of the files in the catalog, whether it is the aforementioned keywording etc., or, more importantly, all of the work that has been done to individual files.

If anyone can possibly help me, I would be eternally grateful!

Pat
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DavidB

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« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2008, 08:35:29 am »

We regularly move disks with images and catalogs between Mac and Windows systems, with no special effort required.  This stuff should Just Work.
I haven't seen that exact scenario, but I would suggest:
  • Hopefully the .lrcat you have wasn't damaged in a crash, but if you're using a backup copy that shouldn't be a problem.
  • If you hold down Option while starting LR you get a dialog which will let you choose which lrcat to open, and instruct LR to check the catalog integrity.
  • Don't worry about the previews database: it will get rebuilt as required.
    For a simpler scenario leave the previews aside.
BTW, if you had your old setup configured to automatically write XMP out, after a disaster you could import the files into a new catalog and you'd have all your keywords and image adjustments (you'd lose Collections, Virtual Copies, and Develop history though).
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budjames

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« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2008, 03:11:35 pm »

Another nice reason to use DNG file format.

Welcome to the Mac world. I switched over a year ago and I love it.

Bud
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Bud James
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gunnar1

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LR conversion WIN to MAC
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2008, 10:45:20 pm »

Thanks for the help DavidB but the same thing happens when I try what you suggested. I'm really at a loss here. It's just strange how the bar shows up at the top of the screeen but the program does not.

Any other suggestions?
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gunnar1

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« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2008, 11:12:35 pm »

OK, I decided to see if the second backup catalog from a different external drive would work and VOILA! It showed up. BUT (there's always a but...), I can't seem to get LR to locate the photos on my hard drive. I have moved all of them over from an external backup drive into the new storage HD in the Mac. They seem to not have the proper file names associated, even though they appear the same on the screen. I was able to locate a few by clicking through to individual files and selecting them. Now that would be daunting to have to do!

Thanks again, Pat
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DavidB

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« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2008, 11:33:23 pm »

Use the Folders view in the left panel of the Library.  The folders will show up as red (in-accessible).  Right-click on each top-level folder and select "Locate Missing Folder".
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gunnar1

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« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2008, 11:53:23 pm »

Thanks again DavidB. I have now been ablr to locate all of the jpegs (from when I was shooting them...) but not the raw files. LR doesn't seem to "want" to locate them. When you right click on the red file name and tell LR to locate the missing folder, a dialog comes up that lets you choose the file. I have attempted all of the folders that I know are cataloged the same way on the backup as in LR but all LR does is blip the locating bar in the upper left and then do nothing.


Frustrating, but I feel that I am at least making some forward progress.


Pat
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DavidB

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« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2008, 01:19:16 am »

When you use "Locate Missing Folder" it obviously can only find the files that are in the matching folder structure.  If you've moved some of those files to different folders you'll need to get to a grid view where you can see one of those missing files (they'll have question marks in the top right of the cell).
When you click on the question mark and tell LR where the file has moved to, it will check in the same new folder for other missing files (so you should only have to do this for one file in each folder).  However, if you've renamed a bunch of files (instead of just moving them to other folders) you'd need to go through the manual locate process for each one.

Does that help any?
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gunnar1

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« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2008, 09:01:57 am »

DavidB- thanks again for your help here. I haven't renamed any files, they are as they were backed up when they were imported in the first place. I can manually pick them out, but LR says they have a different file name and asks me if that is correct, but will not apply the correction to entire folders, only individual files.

When I attempt to locate the folder, the locate progress bar in the upper left corner flashes momentarily, and then nothing happens, although the strange thing is that it did actually work for ONE folder! I just can't get it to work again. For some weird reason, all of the jpeg files located without any problems. I am beginning to wonder if it isn't a little bug in LR having to do with the raw (CR2) file extensions?
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DavidB

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« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2008, 09:08:41 pm »

Quote
I haven't renamed any files, they are as they were backed up when they were imported in the first place. I can manually pick them out, but LR says they have a different file name and asks me if that is correct, but will not apply the correction to entire folders, only individual files.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=194829\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Then the relevant question would seem to be why does LR think the file name has changed.  Is there a difference in upper/lower case?  Anything at all?
What about the filesystem the files are on.  Was it set up as case-sensitive when it was formatted?  On Windows the filesystem is case insensitive (you can look for "Foo.jpg" and if "Foo.JPG" is there you'll get that, while if you create "Foo.jpg" you'll create "Foo.jpg").  The default Mac filesystem format is also case-insensitive when retrieving files.  If you've formatted the disk as case-sensitive then something might be getting confused when the file names on disk don't match what's in the catalog that was created on the Windows machine.

Quote
When I attempt to locate the folder, the locate progress bar in the upper left corner flashes momentarily, and then nothing happens, although the strange thing is that it did actually work for ONE folder! I just can't get it to work again.
The only time I've seen something like this recently was when a student had (outside LR) moved folders from one external disk to another.  Back in LR the original folders showed up red (of course).  But after selecting Locate Missing Folder and pointing it at the new location, it quickly finished with no errors but still with the missing folder and files there!
It turned out that the student had already synchronised/re-imported the area where the folders had been moved to, so the "new" files were already associated with other copies of the images in the library.  This isn't necessarily exactly what's happened to you, but if you view All Photographs and sort by File Name (with no filters active) do you see two copies of the affected files?

Quote
For some weird reason, all of the jpeg files located without any problems. I am beginning to wonder if it isn't a little bug in LR having to do with the raw (CR2) file extensions?
I doubt it: it's much more likely that it's an organisational/filesystem mixup rather than file-type specific.
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DavidB

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« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2008, 11:04:22 pm »

Quote
What about the filesystem the files are on.  Was it set up as case-sensitive when it was formatted?[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=194934\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Sorry, I just realised I'm assuming that everyone knows how to find this stuff.  In the Finder, right(control)-click on the volume you're interested in, and select Get Info.  I just formatted a flash card I had lying around to the case-sensitive filesystem to show you what it would look like:

If you see "Case-sensitive" that might explain your problems.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2008, 11:04:37 pm by DavidB »
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gunnar1

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« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2008, 12:38:30 am »

GOT IT (almost...)

OK, I've nearly got this licked. First, I realized that I had to drill down in the library folders until I could go no further ie. if the top file was "christmas 07" there was bound to be layers underneath that top file like "imported on" or another date or something. If I find the corresponding file in the backup directory, LR can recognize the files in their new location and all is good. But here is where the "almost" part comes in. Lets say that in the christmas 07 file, when I imported the files from the cf card into the computer via the LR downloader, I renamed all of them with xmas07-(original file name) but the backup has strictly the original file name, like "img-2307.cr2". That's where the problem comes in. As you suggested DavidB, it is a naming issue. The LR library has the custom name/original extension and the backup just has the original prefix and extension and they don't jive.

I hate to keep going back to the well for more answers, but would you have any suggestion, other than the one by one method, of batching this process? I'm guessing that the answer is no, but at least I now have a handle on the "why" of the situation. Just for information's sake, I tried to rename the LR files with the original prefix, but it wouldn't let me do that, saying that the original files were missing and could not be re-named.

Thanks again, Pat
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john beardsworth

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« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2008, 02:59:00 am »

Part of the why is that LR's import on backup is severely reduced in value, almost useless, if you rename your originals, which most people do either upon import or once a shoot has been edited. I think that's pretty self-evident from your story. In general, you're better off doing a backup yourself after the renaming exercise.

OK, do you not have backup copies of files with identical names to those which were on your broken machine? If not, how would this work - import the backup copies to a new catalogue, while renaming them so that they match the names of the lost files? Is that possible in your case? It is a long shot.

I'd also advise you to treat yourself to a copy of Peter Krogh's The DAM Book. Though written before LR came out, it'll really five you some basic principles that will help you use LR to manage your work more effectively.

John
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gunnar1

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« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2008, 09:49:28 am »

Well, it has been a long night. I have located all but roughly 2000 files, about a 90% success rate. Those last 2000, as I explained earlier, have the original prefixes in the backup files and that is where the rub is. I need to find a way to batch rename either the backups to match the catalog names OR the catalog names to match the backups. I can then complete the task of going folder by folder to locate.

Given that the figure is only 2000 instead of 20000, I am not quite as daunted as I would be if I had to rename all 20000, but it would still be a pretty tall order to do it individually! Does anyone know of a program or helper application that I might be able to use for this? I'm not sure what the prize would be, but if someone comes up with a way to do this, I'm sure I could come up with something!

John- thanks for the rec on the dam book. Until now, I though that I had this all under control. Little did I know...

Pat
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gunnar1

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« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2008, 10:45:49 am »

Mission accomplished...

The powers of Google to the rescue. I found a program called A Better Finder Rename 7. It has a very powerful set of tools to allow single and multi step renaming. It took all of about five minutes to learn and I'm up and running batch renaming files.

Thanks again for everyone's help. As usual, the LL forums are the best on the 'net.

Pat
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