Moving to Lightroom 3 from CS5, I have a couple of questions?

[Bill Koenig]

I'm about to make the move to LightRoom 3 and I have a few questions.
Just to let you know, I'm not a working pro, just a serious amateur. In the 5 years with my DSLR I have about 1 TB of data, all backed up to multiple drives both on site /off site. At this point I'm not going to import any of this into LR, but from this point on, plan to save all of my future work in LR.


I use Second Copy 8 to back up all of my data from my internal data drive to my external drive, that external drive gets backed up to another that I keep in my desk. Now that drive is rotated off site with yet another drive weekly.
This method backs up everything to 4 different drives minis the weekly rotation.

First question, with the lightroom catalog file, I've read that all files in a catalog must now be moved within LR, this isn't going to work with Second Copy 8
Is there a way I can make LR work with my currant backup strategy?

I work with raw files exclusively, at what point in the LR work flow does the raw file get converted/processed? I assume that a raw file saved in the catalog is still just the raw file with the editing saved as a metadata tag that rides with the file in the catalog. 
There is also a cache file created as well, I assume that rides within the catalog as well, but I see that the cache can be saved in another location to increase performance, so how does LR know where the cache is if I move it to a different partition, and how do I back all of this up?
Thanks for any help, 

 

[john beardsworth]

Bill

With the second backups, you would move them in Explorer / Finder. They don't need to be moved in Lightroom - that "rule" is good but only applies to the original or master images that are registered ("imported") with Lightroom's catalogue. Take this slowly though.

Your assumption is right. Conversion only occurs when you send a file out of Lightroom - so when you export a JPEG to email somebody, or when you send an image to Photoshop.

Re the cache, that is an Adobe Camera Raw cache which is why it can be moved (in Preferences). It is not the same as the Previews folder which sits like a sidecar alongside the catalogue (lrcat extension).

John

PS Maybe post in the LR forum section in future?

[Bill Koenig]

I didn't even know there was a Lightroom forum, sorry, I've moved my question there.
I will try to get this removed from this forum.