How can I transfer Lightroom develop edits to another computer without copying the photos?
Asked 6/27/2020
6 views
2 answers
0
I have the same photo files, with identical filenames, stored on two different computers that both have Lightroom installed. I want to do the editing on computer A, then continue working with those same images on computer B, without transferring the full image files because they are too large.
Is there a way to move only the Lightroom develop/settings metadata from one computer to the other? If it depends on file type, what works for RAW files versus JPEG/TIFF/PSD/PNG or DNG?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
For RAW files you ca set Lightroom to use side files (XMP) to store the edits.
Edit->Catalog Settings->Metadata and select "Automatically write changes into XMP"
Then you need to transfer those XMP files to Computer B in the same directories where are corresponding RAW file.
Unfortunately this work for all RAW files but not for DNG. Also it does not work for JPG,TIFF, PSD and PNG. For nonsupported files you should unselect the option above, do edits on computer A and transfer the entire catalog to computer B. Be aware Lightroom catalog can be between dozens of megabytes to few gigabytes. And the place of files on both computers should be the same to avoid a lot of hand work.
Originally by user34947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34947
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. For many RAW files, Lightroom can store develop edits in sidecar XMP files instead of only in the catalog. On computer A, enable:
Edit > Catalog Settings > Metadata > Automatically write changes into XMP
Then copy the generated .xmp sidecar files to computer B and place them alongside the matching RAW files in the same folders. Lightroom on computer B can then use those edits with the local copies of the images.
Limits:
- This works for RAW files that use XMP sidecars.
- It does not apply the same way to JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PNG, and according to the community answer, not DNG.
For those non-supported file types, the practical method is to transfer the Lightroom catalog instead. That can still be much smaller than copying all the photos, but it works best if the photos are stored in the same folder paths on both computers; otherwise you may need to relink files manually.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI6y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Why does Lightroom Classic keep showing “metadata has been changed” after saving metadata to file?
Does rating a JPEG in Lightroom Classic change the original file?
How can I find black-and-white TIFF or DNG files in Lightroom?
Can I use Photoshop Content-Aware Fill and still keep a RAW/DNG workflow in Lightroom?
How do I move a Lightroom catalog to a new computer?