# Possible to run LR off Dropbox?



## bohdanz (Mar 12, 2013)

Because I work on 3 (Mac) computers at work and home, I'd like to have LR and my images stored on Dropbox.

Is this possible?  I thought about creating symbolic links on all 3 computers but don't know what happens with plugins, presets, etc.

Any help on this is appreciated.

Bohdan


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 13, 2013)

Hi Bohdan

Yeah, works fine, although it's not officially supported.  I do the same thing.  Symbolic Links for the plugins, presets, defaults, etc.  The catalog and images can be directly in the Dropbox folder or symlinked.

Couple of warnings - you have to be absolutely sure you let one finish uploading and the other finish downloading when you switch machines, otherwise you end up with conflicted copies.  And Dropbox will use up a lot of CPU cycles uploading constantly changing previews, so I tend to pause the sync while I'm working in LR.  And of course, as it's not officially supported, back up regularly.


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## Tom75 (Mar 14, 2013)

Hi Victoria,

this sounds really interesting because I just thought to make myself some sort of a travel catalog.

If I understand your setup correctly you have LR installed on different machines but the LR catalogs and also all the pictures are on dropbox?

I have now some questions to this setup and first of all what did you mean by "symlinked"?

I guess you have one "master machine" where you have basically everything stored, so do you have all your probably hundreds of gigabites of pictures on Dropbox or only a small part of it because you are probably don't need everything on all machines all the time?

This is exactly the solution I am looking for. I have everything on my imac harddisc but I would like to be able to use a part of it from my PC so I guess I should have the full catalog available on the PC but only a small part of the pictures.... the rest will then also show up in the catalog structure etc but will not be available. Have I understood this correctly and is this the this could work?


Thanks and regards,
Tom


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## clee01l (Mar 14, 2013)

The free Dropbox account is 2GB. Enough for the catalog and some master images. Not enough for the catalog, previews, presets and original images. Additional storage is $100-$500 per year. You can buy a lot of portable HDs for that subscription fee. 

The biggest difference between the Mac and the PC catalogs is that the path to the master original requires a drive letter on a PC catalog but there is no drive letter equivalent on the Mac. Locating the master images inside a package folder containing the catalog permits the relative path to be used in lieu of the absolute path. So you can work around this Windows restriction.


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## Tom75 (Mar 14, 2013)

clee01l said:


> The free Dropbox account is 2GB. Enough for the catalog and some master images. Not enough for the catalog, previews, presets and original images. Additional storage is $100-$500 per year. You can buy a lot of portable HDs for that subscription fee.
> 
> The biggest difference between the Mac and the PC catalogs is that the path to the master original requires a drive letter on a PC catalog but there is no drive letter equivalent on the Mac. Locating the master images inside a package folder containing the catalog permits the relative path to be used in lieu of the absolute path. So you can work around this Windows restriction.




Thanks Clee, you probably remember that we have discussed this issue before and I am still struggling with the network configuration between my mac and PC, therefore I picked up this dropbox idea now because Victoria said it worked but I guess she is not using it between mac and PC?

I have already tried dropbox for some documents etc and I definitely don't want to have all my data and pictures lying there but if it would work for some pictures, meaning for example one project I am working on right now then it would be great. After I am done I could then remove these project pictures again from dropbox.

I am not totally with you on your last sentence, does that mean it can work or it cannot work between mac and PC.

Regards,
Tom


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## clee01l (Mar 14, 2013)

Tom75 said:


> ...I am not totally with you on your last sentence, does that mean it can work or it cannot work between mac and PC.


You can share LR catalog and data seemlessly between a PC and a Mac if the relationship between the catalog and the master images is structured properly and portably. 
The easiest way to do this is to construct a portable package using the "Export as Catalog" function to export a complete catalog with digital negatives.  This package can be opened as a new master catalog on the source computer or ported to a target PC or Mac where it can be opened there.  You probably also want to check the option to store LR settings with catalog to include thes inside the package.


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## Tom75 (Mar 14, 2013)

clee01l said:


> You can share LR catalog and data seemlessly between a PC and a Mac if the relationship between the catalog and the master images is structured properly and portably.
> The easiest way to do this is to construct a portable package using the "Export as Catalog" function to export a complete catalog with digital negatives.  This package can be opened as a new master catalog on the source computer or ported to a target PC or Mac where it can be opened there.  You probably also want to check the option to store LR settings with catalog to include thes inside the package.




Ok, sounds not bad but with your suggestion I would always have to export a catalog and then how does this system work the other way, back to my imac if I have done changes on another machine?

If possible I would rather prefer to access my original LR catalog which is stored on the mac form my PC and work with it and all changes will be done in the original catalog no matter from where I access it. This catalog access could work either via WLAN or via Dropbox.
Like that I will of course not have access to all master images fromm the PC but at least I could make the ones I need for working available.

Regards,
tom


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## clee01l (Mar 14, 2013)

Tom75 said:


> Ok, sounds not bad but with your suggestion I would always have to export a catalog and then how does this system work the other way, back to my imac if I have done changes on another machine?
> 
> If possible I would rather prefer to access my original LR catalog which is stored on the mac form my PC and work with it and all changes will be done in the original catalog no matter from where I access it. This catalog access could work either via WLAN or via Dropbox.
> Like that I will of course not have access to all master images fromm the PC but at least I could make the ones I need for working available.
> ...


The exported catalog becomes the new "original"  

Let's assume that you are going to use a portable HD for all machines.  
Begin by running the "Export as Catalog" function on your "old" original catalog as I suggested above. 
This will create  a package with the following files and folder structure:
	
	



```
LightroomFolder
.....NewMaster.lrcat
.....NewMaster Previews.lrdata (folder)
.....Lightroom Settings (folder)
.....Pictures (folder)
..........Images Parent folder
...............Images sub folder
...............Images sub folder
...............Images sub folder
```
Now because this package is on an EHD, you can simply plug in the EHD to any PC or Mac that has LR installed and open the catalog file "NewMaster".lrcat.

If you want to do this within the DropBox cloud environment, you just copy the folder in the example above named "Lightroom Folder" and all of its contents to the local Dropbox folder and sync Dropbox across the cloud to all of the local dropbox folders on all of your computers that have LR installed. It will run "right out of the box" on both Mac and PC.


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## Tom75 (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks a lot, it seems that I am getting closer now.

If you remember our earlier discussion about my problem I got right now after quite some weeks a big step closer........ I just managed to create the network between the mac an PC which means I can now see all files and folders I am sharing on my imac from the PC. This is what I wanted originally.

Of course I am again experiencing some other problems, but if I remember correctly you have also managed to sync between mac and PC?

So I can now see my mac drives and folder from my PC, now I tried to make the imac folders on my PC "available offline" however for some reason this gives only errors, meaning it cannot make the files available offline for some reason? Is there an explanation for this?

Actually my idea was to make my whole pictures folder and the LR catalog on my imac accessible from my PC, then make everything available offline that I am able to work with it without being connected and when I reconnect it would sync automatically with the imac harddisc.

I would give everything to make this work........

Regards,
Tom


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm back, sorry for disappearing briefly!

Yes I have LR installed on different machines and LR catalogs are on Dropbox.  Until recently, I had older photos on a network drive and recent photos on Dropbox - once I'd finished editing, I'd move them onto the archive network drive (accessible as long as I was home) and that would free up Dropbox space for more photos.  I have a 100gb Dropbox account (actually 117gb after referrals!) which I use for all of my working files, so it justifies the price.

Presets, defaults, etc. are all stored in the Dropbox folder, and I create symlinks (using Symbolic Linker) with the correct names to put in the Application Data folders on each computer, so that Lightroom never knows the difference.

I have used it between Mac and Windows in past - simple case of making sure the Folders panel is showing a hierarchy so I can easily relink a single folder when I switch platforms.  A relative location would work just as well.

And apart from all that waffle, I'll just nod at everything Clee's said.


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## Tom75 (Mar 16, 2013)

Hi again,

it seems that I have now a working solution ..... a friend helped me yesterday with some more advanced stuff that woks basically like a mixture between a dorpbox and a network drive. The whole system is based on sparkleshare and had to be set up in in command line so it was a little to much for me as non-programmer.

Anyway I have now on my mac a folder called "share" and I have the same on the PC. I have now moved my whole whole LR catalog folder to this share folder and just mad an alias to the original location of the LR catalog etc. 

This means when I work in LR all the changes in the LR catalog file will be in the share folder. 

The main difference of my system and drop box is now that my share folder is not somewhere in the web on a cloud server, it is on my local imac harddisc.
this means as soon as my PC appears in the home network it will sync with this share folder. So on the PC I can now open LR with the catalog from the share folder.

Regarding the images it works like that that I don´t have to sync all the old stuff from years back...... I didn´t want and need that. So the more recent stuf like project etc I am working on I just move also to the share folder and same as with the catalog make an alias to to original location in my pictures folder in order not to confuse the LR on my imac.

I will use this solution now a little and experiment with it to see if it works without problems.

Regards,
Tom


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## Tom75 (Mar 16, 2013)

Hi Victoria,

I have experimented a little with the above mentioned system and noticed that the previews etc create a lot of sync traffic. Is is posible to sync only the LR catalog file and basically use the previews locally so not form the dropbox or share folder.

Since you mentioned symbo linker above I have now alos installed that but could you please explain me one more time what you mean by that 
"I create symlinks (using Symbolic Linker) with the correct names to put in the Application Data folders on each computer, so that Lightroom never knows the difference."

which correct names and application data etc are you referring to?

Regards,
tom


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 16, 2013)

Here's Symbolic Linker http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/10433/symboliclinker

Install it according to the instructions.

Close LR.

Create a Lightroom Sync folder in Dropbox, and copy the following folders into it.
Macintosh HD / Users / [your username] / Library / Application Support / Adobe / Lightroom /
Macintosh HD / Users / [your username] / Library / Application Support / Adobe / CameraRaw /

Right-click on each of those folders, which are now in Dropbox, and choose Create Symbolic Link.  It'll create 2 symlinks in that same location, called Lightroom symlink and CameraRaw symlink.

Go to Macintosh HD / Users / [your username] / Library / Application Support / Adobe / and rename (i.e. Lightroom old) or delete the existing folders.  Drag the symlinks you've just created from the Dropbox folder to that Application Support folder, and remove the word symlink from their names so that LR sees them as the original folders.

Open LR and check all your presets etc. are still visible.

Go to the other computer and repeat from process from "right-click on each of those folders".  Windows locations are listed here: http://members.lightroomqueen.com/i...icle/View/1147/198/lightroom-4-file-locations and here's the Windows version of a Symbolic Linker that I've tested: http://code.google.com/p/symlinker/


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## Tom75 (Mar 16, 2013)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Here's Symbolic Linker http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/10433/symboliclinker
> 
> Install it according to the instructions.
> 
> ...




Thanks a lot victoria...... I have the symbolic linker installed and tried, that works great.
just some additional questions regarding your above explanation, What are these folders needed for?

Macintosh HD / Users / [your username] / Library / Application Support / Adobe / Lightroom /
Macintosh HD / Users / [your username] / Library / Application Support / Adobe / CameraRaw /


I am right now able to sinc my LR catalog with changes etc but for some strange reason when I go over to the PC LR is using absolut locations for my master files and not relative ones. How can I make that LR is using relative locations?


I am really excited because now I am so close to having a solution 

Regards,
Tom


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 16, 2013)

Lightroom folder contains all of your user presets, templates, etc.

CameraRaw folder contains custom lens profiles, custom camera profiles, default settings.

Relative locations - export as catalog should create a catalog with relative locations, but I'd just relink on each machine personally.


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## Tom75 (Mar 16, 2013)

Thanks for the information.

Ok, so it is only possible to create relative locations if exportin gas catalog? Clee has already suggested this solution above and if I understood this correctly exporting a catalog also exports att he same time all the necessary master images, is that correct?
I have not tried this solution so far because I thought I can just access the same catalog from different machines which works also great except for the absolut paths.
Anyway if using the the export as catalog system, how do I  then get a project etc back into my original catalog on the mac? This was not clear from clee´s explanation.

Of course if there is no other way I just have te relink as you suggested....... I will try how that works.

Thanks a lot for your help.
Regards,
tom


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## Tom75 (Mar 19, 2013)

Hi again,

I have another question about the solution clee mentioned to export as catalog because I would also like to try that.

If I have understood clee´s explanation correctly when exporting as catalog you are exporting basically the whole project including LR catalog, master images etc, ist hat correct.

If so, does it mean I can then work on my windows laptop an this exported project independently from my original / full LR catalog on my imac? If I understand this correctly this means also that I could also work on OTHER project on my imac. when I have at some point finished the project I am working on from my PC then I somehow just import the whole thing  back into my original catalog?

If so, how do I get the modified or finished project back into my catalog?

Thanks and regards,
tom


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## clee01l (Mar 19, 2013)

Tom75 said:


> Hi again,
> 
> I have another question about the solution clee mentioned to export as catalog because I would also like to try that.
> 
> ...


This is what I do with my rMBP.  I have a travel catalog on it configured inside a package as I described earlier.  When I return home, I open LR on my iMac and run the import from catalog function across the network accessing the travel catalog directly on the rMBP HD ans the source catalog for the import from Catalog function.

If you have master images on both the master catalog and the travel catalog  (because you took some from the master to work on while traveling), LR will give you a choice to create a Virtual Copy on the master catalog to preserve both edit histories.


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## Tom75 (Mar 19, 2013)

Thanks for explaining this again.

I don´t ned both edit histories but I need master images on my network drive dropbox or whatever to be able to work when out travelling.

The part I don´t fully understand jet wit this system is this: I have a certain project already imported, meaning it is in my LR catalog and the master images are on my HD.
I I want to take this project with me on the PC for working away from home, then I can export the whole project including master images to my network drove or dropbox. All fine, now I am able to work on it but at some point I want to get the whole project back into my original catalog and you mentioned this I have to do with import from catalog. So, does this function then import the changes into my imac catalog and replaces the "old" files I have not worked on.

When using import from catalog, what happens to the master images I exported. These wil actually not be required anymore, is that correct because there are again the original master images.

Sorry for asking so details but I just want to find the best way of working for me without messing up something.

Regards,
Tom


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## clee01l (Mar 19, 2013)

Tom75 said:


> ...So, does this function then import the changes into my imac catalog and replaces the "old" files I have not worked on.


When ever there is a conflict, you have the choice on import.  Create a virtual Copy, Overwrite the original edit history or ignore the edit history on the import catalo.  





> When using import from catalog, what happens to the master images I exported. These wil actually not be required anymore, is that correct because there are again the original master images.


LR leave your "Import from Catalog intact. If you are not needing the contents you can use the usual tools to clean out that catalog and image copies or or just delete the whole package.


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## Tom75 (Mar 20, 2013)

Thanks a lot for the information. So basically it is not possible that anything goes wrong.

I will try it and see how I like this system.

Regards,
Tom


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## camner (Mar 27, 2013)

Tom75 said:


> So basically it is not possible that anything goes wrong.


Alas, when it comes to computers I have found this sentiment NEVER to be correct.


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## Tom75 (Mar 29, 2013)

Hi,

I chave used this export as catalog function now for a while and yes I think it not possible to mess up anything. However if you work with different machines in the same catalog it is possible to mess up or create conflicts with synchronising etc, therefore I went away form this solution

Regards,
tom


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