# Working offline on a laptop



## ken1921 (May 17, 2015)

Hi

I have Lightroom CC installed on an iMac and also on my MacAir.  I am about to go on holiday where I won't have an internet connection and would like to achieve the following.

1. Have my iMac catalogue on the MacAir
2. Work with smart previews whilst I'm away
3. Sync MacAir catalogue back to iMac when I return.

What is the best way of achieving this?

Also just so I've got this correct, my understanding is that working with smart previews allows you do work in Develop module whilst offline without having the actual images.  Is this correct?

Many thanks


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## johnbeardy (May 17, 2015)

It's as you suspect. Generate smart previews on the iMac and take them and the iMac catalogue with you. Afterwards, copy the MacAir-updated-ex-iMac catalogue back onto the iMac.

There are other ways, but this is how I now work on extended trips.

John


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## ken1921 (May 17, 2015)

Many thanks.

So what files do I copy to the laptop ?


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## johnbeardy (May 17, 2015)

The catalogue file, which has an lrcat extension, and its smart previews file. You can find these by going into Catalog Settings and clicking Show. So my catalogue is "LR6 Master.lrcat" and its smart previews are next to it "LR6 Master Smart Previews.lrdata", but I won't take "LR6 Master Previews.lrdata" with me.

Start off on the iMac by deciding which photos you want available as smart previews. You can take all, though I take about 20% - using a smart collection of photos in the last year or have state ("county" in my UK mind) = WhereIAmGoing or have >3 stars. So I make sure I have smart previews for these.

John


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## clee01l (May 17, 2015)

I am currently on such an extended trip.  I chose to start the trip with an empty copy on my master catalog on my MBP copied from the one that is on the iMac.  The empty catalog has all of the keywords, Smart and Static Collections, Publish Collections and all of my extensive collections of presets (develop, Metadata, and Import).   I'm not working on any of my existing images (I have too many new ones added daily).  But if I did, I would just (export as Catalog) those that I thought I might need to work on while away from my master computer (iMac).


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## johnbeardy (May 17, 2015)

I used to do export as catalog, but since smart previews were introduced it means I (effectively) take far more pictures with me. I probably wouldn't need to work on existing images, but the smart previews mean it's easier to copy treatments or metadata from older images.


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