Copying Develop Settings (And Other Database Entries)

[Chris Kern]

Is there any way to copy just the develop settings (and other information stored as entries in the Lightroom database) from one catalog to another where the filesystem paths for the source and destination image file directory hierarchies are different?

In other words, suppose I store new photographs in a directory with the path ~/somePlace/here/ (where "~" refers to my home directory), and do some work on them -- e.g., create develop-module settings -- which is stored in a Lightroom Catalog #1 database.

Subsequently, I want copies of the same photographs to be saved in ~/someOtherPlace/there/, and for the previously-performed work to be associated with them in a Lightroom Catalog #2 database.

I know about Lightroom's Import from Catalog function.  It properly captures the database entries associated with the work in the source catalog, but it insists either on importing the photographs where they currently reside in their source directories or relocating them to ~/someOtherPlace/there/somePlace/here/ -- i.e., appending the path from the point where the source and destination directory hierarchies diverge -- not what I want.

If I copy the files manually from the source to destination directories, then import them into Catalog #2, there appears to be no documented way to associate the Catalog #1 database entries with the Catalog #2 files; I'm guessing that might be because Lightroom identifies each image by its absolute file pathname rather than using intrinsic attributes of the file.

Does anybody know a workaround/trick/magic incantation that would allow me to do what I want?

I'm running Lightroom on OS X, in case that wasn't evident from the notation I used for the path specs, although I suspect the issue is the essentially the same for the Windows version of the product.

Chris

[Richowens]

Will "Export as catalog" work?

 As a test I chose a parent folder, "D300s-2010" and exported it to an external USB drive "J" using "Export as catalogue" naming the new catalogue "Test".

 I also had "Export Negative Files" and "Include Available Previews" checked.

What I now have is a catalogue with copies of the original files, including virtual copies, and previews in one folder on my "J" drive.

Rich

[john beardsworth]

For one or two images, try saving presets.

Otherwise, you're probably going to tie yourself up in knots using catalogues in this way.

John

[wolfnowl]

Are you pushing the metadata to the files (within Lightroom) before you copy them? (Ctrl/Cmd-S).  This won't cover virtual copies, flags, stars or collections and you won't have a 'History' associated with the Develop settings, but it will allow you to import the processed images with their processing intact.

Mike.

[Chris Kern]

First of all, many thanks for the quick responses.

I asked:

Is there any way to copy just the develop settings (and other information stored as entries in the Lightroom database) from one catalog to another where the filesystem paths for the source and destination image file directory hierarchies are different?

As stated, it appears the answer is no.

The best workaround from my perspective appears to be the one suggested by Mike:

Are you pushing the metadata to the files (within Lightroom) before you copy them? (Ctrl/Cmd-S).  This won't cover virtual copies, flags, stars or collections and you won't have a 'History' associated with the Develop settings, but it will allow you to import the processed images with their processing intact.

I do think the current file copying behavior of the Import from Catalog function -- i.e., appending the path from the point where the source and destination directory hierarchies diverge -- is odd, if not downright pathological.  As I mentioned in my initial post, the only rationale I can imagine for this is that the Lightroom database relies on the file pathname as the key for each image file rather than using some intrinsic characteristic of the file contents.  Seems to me the user should always have complete control over where his files wind up even when Lightroom is copying them.

Again, many thanks for the replies.

Chris