# First steps



## LightKhan (May 29, 2017)

I am evaluating the feasibility of having LR running on a second device for some away-from-home editing.

I am currently evaluating on a Android device although the final application would be under a Windows 10 one (i.e. a Surface Pro)

I am on Lightroom and PS CC.

I activated "Synch with LR mobile" on LR running on my desktop. I created 36 test Smart Previews from photographs in my catalogue (my catalogue is on "C" drive, on my desktop. My actual photos library is on a external drive, connected to the desktop).

I installed LR for Android on my Android device, started it and logged in to my CC account.

Shouldn't I now be seeing the Smart Previews synced to the Android device also? There are none.

Thank you for any input.

LK


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## Johan Elzenga (May 29, 2017)

Your images do not automatically all sync with Lightroom Mobile when you activate sync. It's a selective process. You have to put the images you want to sync in a collection and have that collection synced with Lightoom Mobile.


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## LightKhan (May 29, 2017)

Thank you for your help. 

I've created a "Test" collection as you indicated, things started working right away and am in awe at what I can do, even on my "meager" Samsung Tab S2 8.
I can not believe I was missing out on this, with bulks of of Raw photographs to process from each project/trip and so much time spent away from home with off time to kill, on account of my work.
I will now create a "Processing" collection each time I have a set to process, activate the "sync" function on that collection and will happily and effectively split the required time to process them between home and way.

Simply awesome! Thank you. 

(...am I correct to assume that the server space requirements for the upload, download and keeping of the Smart Previews is included in my CC plan?...)


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## Victoria Bampton (May 29, 2017)

LightKhan said:


> (...am I correct to assume that the server space requirements for the upload, download and keeping of the Smart Previews is included in my CC plan?...)


Yep!


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## LightKhan (May 29, 2017)

Thank you, Victoria 

...since I got your attention, another question, if you please.

I was so enthused with this that I installed LR CC on my wife's laptop to see if everything went as smoothly in a Windows machine, with a full version of LR, as it did with my Android Tab testing.

It did and I am now an happy camper, since, as soon as I get a Surface, I will be able to use my rest time on layovers away from home towards processing the never ending sea of Raw files I keep pumping out of my cameras.

As I validated the test, I un-installed LR and the Creative Cloud app from that laptop, so I will still be able to installed PS and LR CC on a second machine, as per CC conditions, right?

Thank you.

LK


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## Victoria Bampton (May 29, 2017)

Yep, that'll be fine. Just note that the LR Sync doesn't work between multiple desktops - it only works with a single desktop catalog.


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## LightKhan (May 29, 2017)

Yes, I think I got that right. I will only be using my current catalogue.

I managed to edit a test photo on my wife's laptop from the test collection I created in my desktop LR full-version because the photos on that collection were first synced to the LR mobile app, from the desktop and, from the mobile app to my wife's laptop.

Does this make sense?

LK


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## LightKhan (May 30, 2017)

Can anyone confirm the approach I described as a valid one?

It seemed OK, in my tests, but I would hate to go and get an expensive portable device just to find out there's another caveat.

LK


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## Victoria Bampton (May 30, 2017)

Had you moved your desktop catalog to your wife's laptop? Or had you started a new catalog on your wife's laptop?  Lightroom does not currently sync between desktop/laptop catalogs, even via the cloud. At least, not cleanly.


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## LightKhan (May 30, 2017)

No, I used the brand new catalogue created there.

When I opened my usual copy of LR in my desktop and signed in, a pop-up appeared advising me that, in fact, LR only works with one catalogue and asking me if I wanted to update my main catalogue with the changes made to the photos.

The way I see it - and please correct me if I am wrong - is that this can be a walk-around to said limitation of not directly syncing between catalogues.

What I think I have done:

1. My longstanding catalogue is in my desktop.
2. I installed Lightroom mobile in my Tab.
3. In the desktop LR created a collection of photos I want to process from both sides (desktop and the laptop).
4. Installed LR in the laptop (brand new catalogue there). Closed LR on the laptop.
5. Synced desktop collection with the tab.
6. Logged out of LR and shut it down on the desktop.
7. Opened LR in the laptop. Synced it with the collection on the tab. Performed some adjustments to the photos. Waited for LR on the laptop to synchronize with the tab.
8. Closed LR on the laptop.
9. Opened LR on the desktop.
10. Was prompted about the inability to syncs between catalogue and asked if I wanted to update the current catalogue with the changes made to the photos. Pressed "yes" and the photos were updated (which. I believe, locks the changes into the main catalogue).

Am I missing something?

LK


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## Victoria Bampton (May 31, 2017)

You'll create a real mess if you try to do that, because only a limited amount of metadata is synced via the LR cloud. If you want to use a desktop catalog on you need a way of getting a single desktop catalog to be available on both computers. How do I use my Lightroom catalog on multiple computers? | The Lightroom Queen


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## LightKhan (Jun 3, 2017)

Ok, I think I sorted things out...


Say I got a new set from a trip that I want to process both in my desktop and my laptop...


1. Transfer the Raw files from that trip to my regular photo folders tree, in my regular archive drive.

2. Open LR and create new catalogue inside a dedicated folder, in a USB drive.

3. Import the photos into LR from the photos folder in the archive, using that new USB-based catalogue. Create Smart Previews from those photos. Work the photos as needed. Interrupt work as might be required and close LR.

4. Away from home, with some time to spare, open LR in the laptop with the catalogue from the USB drive.

5. Proceed with post production of the photos, using the Smart Previews. Close LR when the available free time elapses.

6. Go back and forth from the desktop to the laptop as needed, using the catalogue in the USB.

7. When the set post-processing is finished, merge the USB catalogue into the main catalogue using “Import photos from catalogue”, selecting “Add new photos to catalogue without moving” (...as the originals are already in the archive folder, since the beginning...)


I tested this and it seemed to work Ok with about 20 test shots, 10 processed ones on each side (desktop and laptop).


Any further comments?


Thank you.


LK


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## Victoria Bampton (Jun 4, 2017)

Yeah, that should work fine.


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## LightKhan (Jun 4, 2017)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Yeah, that should work fine.



Thank you !

LK


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