# Store originals on external drive attached to iPad?



## mikebore (Jan 15, 2020)

Now that ipadOS allows external storage to be connected to a current iPad Pro with a USB-C port, it is in theory possible to store a full set of originals locally with an iPad, just as it can be with Macs. However there doesn’t seem to be a setting to do this.

I personally don’t have a desire to this, but it came up in a discussion with someone who does not have a Mac, so wants to do everything on an iPad, but wants the warm feeling that he has a set of his originals locally as well as in the Adobe Cloud. 

Am I correct that it can’t be done currently? And is it likely to be possible in the future?

Thanks


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## Johan Elzenga (Jan 15, 2020)

I'm sure that you can't do that right now. Whether you can do that in the future is everyone's guess.


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## mikebore (Jan 15, 2020)

Thanks for quick reply.


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## clee01l (Jan 15, 2020)

An iPad will store only originals that have been imported locally. Lightroom (cloudy) stores originals in the Adobe cloud ONLY if they have been generated from a Lightroom Cloudy upload and 20 GB of Lightroom cloudy storage will not be sufficient for most users. Any images not originated locally will be SmartDNG proxy’s of any original stored in the cloud unless you turn off that option in settings. Downloading all originals to your iPad will first download them to local storage and be limited by the capacity of local storage. You can move these to an attached EHD but all of this is going to be time consuming amp lots of manual effort tracking which files are where.

I have a portable 1TB iDiskk. Which I use in conjunction with Lightroom Cloudy My primary database is Lightroom Classic. Lightroom cloudy does not have all of the functionality found in Lightroom Classic I do not see a path to using Lightroom cloudy exclusively or only on an iPadPro


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## mikebore (Jan 16, 2020)

clee01l said:


> I do not see a path to using Lightroom cloudy exclusively or only on an iPadPro



Thanks Clee. 

Can I ask what is the main reason for this, and is it also Adobe's intention?

I can see that someone who wanted to use Lightroom entirely with an iPad,  would (currently at least) have to give up the warm feeing of having local originals, and that it might get expensive for more >1TB libraries, but is there another reason?  Photoshop on iPad is a step in the breakaway from Macs.


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## johnbeardy (Jan 16, 2020)

I'm sure they have their eyes on the possibility, but in the future and when demand merits it.


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## Jim Wilde (Jan 16, 2020)

mikebore said:


> Thanks Clee.
> 
> Can I ask what is the main reason for this, and is it also Adobe's intention?


I assume that Cletus was saying that he doesn't see a path to use Lightroom exclusively *for him. *There are certainly former Classic users who have switched to using cloudy only, and there are many more users who have never used Classic but have adopted cloudy, so it's wrong to assume that nobody could use cloudy exclusively. Not all potential users, whether existing Classic or not, require all the additional bells and whistles that Classic provides. 

Speaking personally, if Classic was to stop working today, could I switch to using Cloudy only? Yes, I think I could. Are there things missing which would make that transition a bit painful? Absolutely. Any showstoppers? None that I can think of.


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## mikebore (Jan 16, 2020)

Thanks for that Jim.

The emphasis of my question (and the Thread)  was more about iPad vs Mac, both with Cloudy.

Any reason why someone shouldn't use only an iPad with no Mac?


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## johnbeardy (Jan 16, 2020)

It depends how limited your use would be.  It lets you do such a small range of tasks - eg what if you want to print? Plus there's the matter of efficient use of your time - eg changing the title or caption of multiple items. And what  if , heavens forbid, the caption won't fit on the single line that Adobe provide? LrM might be OK for travel, but not when you're back home.


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## Jim Wilde (Jan 16, 2020)

mikebore said:


> Any reason why someone shouldn't use only an iPad with no Mac?



If you really mean "no desktop computer" I'd expect there are some cloudy users with only a phone or tablet and no desktop computer, and in that scenario "what happens when you get back home" is pretty irrelevant.....so there's no technical reason why it couldn't be done, though as John points out it would be hard work doing some tasks. I'd also personally find the subscription cost a bit off-putting for a single mobile app with 1TB of cloud space.

Or do you really mean "on the road with just an iPad" but with a desktop computer back at home? I think you'll find plenty of users trying that model with varying degrees of success.


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## mikebore (Jan 16, 2020)

Thanks all, for wise words.

Predictably I guess, it boils down to what you want to do, and what limitations you are prepared to accept.


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## clee01l (Jan 16, 2020)

mikebore said:


> Thanks Clee.
> 
> Can I ask what is the main reason for this, and is it also Adobe's intention?
> 
> I can see that someone who wanted to use Lightroom entirely with an iPad, would (currently at least) have to give up the warm feeing of having local originals, and that it might get expensive for more >1TB libraries, but is there another reason? Photoshop on iPad is a step in the breakaway from Macs.



For me, it is Classic functionality not (yet?) found in Lightroom (cloudy). Things that are stoppers for me are: Hierarchical keywords, Color Labels, Publish services and Print Services on par with Classic print capabilities. I’m sure there are others and perhaps in time the functionalities of both apps will merge into one.

Lightroom (cloudy) does not meet those needs listed above if you are an active dedicated user or professional. Lightroom (cloudy) is perhaps a suitable solution for the initiate and the light (“selphie”) photographer. I’m sure there are some users that might at some point work exclusively in on mobile equipment. And to the extent that Lightroom(cloudy)meets their needs, it is for now the perfect solution. If I had never developed a workflow based upon hierarchical keywords and color labels, and never did a professional quality print, then Lightroom (cloudy) might be suitable for me too. However like your friend, I have learned the importance of a good backup plan Restoring from the cloud is tedious and not practical for large data volumes. Putting all of your critical user image data in the hands of one party (Adobe) only works as long as the product is viable for them. Future price increases are not acceptable for the individual and there is always the possibility that a commercial entity will Cease operations. 


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