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Author Topic: How to delete catalogs?  (Read 5215 times)

huguito

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How to delete catalogs?
« on: October 27, 2014, 08:45:31 pm »

I have a mess on the catalogs.
Can I delete them and start a new one fresh?
I can't find a command to delete
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howardm

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2014, 09:08:27 pm »

there isn't one.  the catalog (.lrcat) is just a single  filesystem 'file' so use whatever method your computer uses to drag the ones you want to discard to the trashcan

huguito

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2014, 09:53:09 pm »

I see
So where is this folder located so I can drag it to the trash can?
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aduke

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2014, 12:29:07 am »

Open the catalog, then edit>catalog settings. The dialog contains the full path to the file.

Alan
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huguito

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2014, 03:20:12 pm »

Thanksguys.
Find the path, erased them and started with a new catalog from scratch.

Once the catalog was created and the system start to create the previews, I chosen standard previews, seems to take a long time.
Already over 24hs for a total of about 90,000 images, most of them Raw files.

Is that a longer time than it should take?   Looks like it will need just another few hours looking at the progress bar.

Is that telling me that my computer is running out of muscle and need to be upgraded to run Lightroom eficiently?

Hugo
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Steve House

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2014, 05:40:07 pm »

Now you've got to look at 90k images and re-edit them.  Sheesh!  All the information about previous edits is gone.
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huguito

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2014, 06:17:38 pm »

Not really

I was creating the initial catalog when all the mess of multiple catalogs happened.

No edits where done in Lightroom before, all the existing edits where done in ACR and Photoshop. I understand the edits to raw file will stay unchanged as sidecar files
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Schewe

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2014, 09:06:13 pm »

No edits where done in Lightroom before, all the existing edits where done in ACR and Photoshop. I understand the edits to raw file will stay unchanged as sidecar files

As long as you've done ZERO to your image settings, key wording, etc, that's true...but if you HAVE done anything in those catalogs, you might want to open them and save the metadata to the files–this will update the .xmp files so the next import will pick them up.
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Alan Goldhammer

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2014, 06:49:33 am »

As long as you've done ZERO to your image settings, key wording, etc, that's true...but if you HAVE done anything in those catalogs, you might want to open them and save the metadata to the files–this will update the .xmp files so the next import will pick them up.
I have a somewhat tangential question here.  Last Spring we got back from a trip and I did the usual import of images into LR.  For some reason (maybe user error???) LR put everything into a new catalog.  I didn't pay any attention to this and did some editing on maybe 20 or so images when I saw that none of my other images were in this catalog.  It was then that I discovered that this was all part of a new catalog with only this trip's images.  I know how to do an import and did so but it looks like none of the .xmp files are associated with the import as I can't see any edited images.  Can someone explain how to get these .xmp edits to transfer over as I really don't want to have extra catalogs if I don't need to.

Thanks in advance.
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john beardsworth

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2014, 07:15:31 am »

Forget xmp files - they're OldThink. Open your main catalogue, and use File >Import from Another Catalog, point to the trip catalogue, and import it.
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bjanes

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2014, 07:19:39 am »

I have a somewhat tangential question here.  Last Spring we got back from a trip and I did the usual import of images into LR.  For some reason (maybe user error???) LR put everything into a new catalog.  I didn't pay any attention to this and did some editing on maybe 20 or so images when I saw that none of my other images were in this catalog.  It was then that I discovered that this was all part of a new catalog with only this trip's images.  I know how to do an import and did so but it looks like none of the .xmp files are associated with the import as I can't see any edited images.  Can someone explain how to get these .xmp edits to transfer over as I really don't want to have extra catalogs if I don't need to.

Thanks in advance.

Did you try importing from that extra catalog into your default catalog? .XMP files will not exist unless the Automatically write changes into .XMP is checked in the Catalog Settings dialog. It is off by default.

Bill
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Alan Goldhammer

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2014, 08:04:59 am »

Forget xmp files - they're OldThink. Open your main catalogue, and use File >Import from Another Catalog, point to the trip catalogue, and import it.
That's what I did, all the images imported but none of the development instructions did.
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john beardsworth

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2014, 08:11:41 am »

That's what I did, all the images imported but none of the development instructions did.

Are you certain you pointed to the right catalogue, and that the pictures in that catalogue weren't also in the main catalogue but with more recent edits? What you might do is give these pictures a flag or label in the trip catalogue, making their edit time more recent, then try the File > Import from Another Catalogue.
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Alan Goldhammer

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2014, 08:21:09 am »

Are you certain you pointed to the right catalogue, and that the pictures in that catalogue weren't also in the main catalogue but with more recent edits? What you might do is give these pictures a flag or label in the trip catalogue, making their edit time more recent, then try the File > Import from Another Catalogue.
Perhaps that is what happened.  I think when I did the original import I didn't set the dialogue box correctly so that development settings were imported.  As with everything 'user error' is the chief culprit 99% of the time!  Things are fine now and the development settings are now in the main catalog.  Thanks!
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huguito

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2014, 02:35:30 am »

What will be the command I need to ener once edits are done to an image so the edits get attached to a file in the way sidecar files work in ACR?
So the images travel with the edits in case I move them, copy or export them?
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john beardsworth

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2014, 06:34:59 am »

What will be the command I need to ener once edits are done to an image so the edits get attached to a file in the way sidecar files work in ACR?
So the images travel with the edits in case I move them, copy or export them?

The command you want is Metadata > Save Metadata, or Ctrl S on Windows, Cmd S on Mac.

But remember that sidecars don't contain all your Lightroom work, and the right way to safeguard your work is by backing up your Lightroom catalogue. And when you move images, move them in Lightroom.
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huguito

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #16 on: October 30, 2014, 10:51:07 am »

Thanks John
What does Lightroom do when I use "synchronize" ?
I was under the impression that was the command that got all the edits attached.
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john beardsworth

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #17 on: October 30, 2014, 11:34:01 am »

It checks the folder for files that haven't been recorded in the catalogue and gives you the chance to import them, and removes photos that the catalogue has recorded but which are no longer in the folder. It doesn't do any harm, but be cautious when using it.
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Tim Lookingbill

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #18 on: October 30, 2014, 05:05:48 pm »

The command you want is Metadata > Save Metadata, or Ctrl S on Windows, Cmd S on Mac.

But remember that sidecars don't contain all your Lightroom work, and the right way to safeguard your work is by backing up your Lightroom catalogue. And when you move images, move them in Lightroom.

It's always helpful to come across a thread like this as a refresher on how much I've forgotten on how Lightroom catalogue system works. It's just that threads like this indicate how there are so many different approaches and scenarios that get each user into LR Cat trouble I never would've anticipated or could ever have developed precautionary best practices for.

OK, John, what Lightroom work are you referring that doesn't get recorded in an xmp side car file after doing a Save (Cmd/Ctrl S) in Develop module?
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Schewe

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Re: How to delete catalogs?
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2014, 05:33:33 pm »

OK, John, what Lightroom work are you referring that doesn't get recorded in an xmp side car file after doing a Save (Cmd/Ctrl S) in Develop module?

.xmp stores all image settings (including Snapshots) and keywording but doesn't store history nor collection info which is only stored in the database.
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