Moving Images and Catalog Questions...

since first started using lighroom, have kept images in 1 catalog on laptop hard drive. time change , move images nas, further backing copy of external drive, , keeping copies of images on laptop when undocked , want show best work.

 

seemed way use 2 catalogs, created new 1 images on nas.

 

after checking , making backup of laptop catalog, copied master folder of images , sidecars nas. opened new catalog empty , imported new location.

 

so, have 2 catalogs , both backed catalogs , complete image sets no matter what. let's call them laptop , network. have not yet deleted on laptop.

 

network found not images, somehow 21 more on laptop. cannot figure out how number of images different, are. not problem, curiousity, no?

 

all edits there. images identical laptop. keywords, image titles, folders - perfect.

 

but here questions:

 

i lost edit histories. mean if compare edited raw image on laptop. can see original image before started edit. helpful. on network catalog, shows current image , not have original preview. laptop catalog shows original , current state.

 

and lost collections. not end of world, nice not have rebuild these.

 

so, there way these 2 back? let's assume, moment, both catalogs identical (even though there 21 image difference). can catalogs or previews folder bring collections , original pre-edit images?

 

i thought worth checking before start delete images through lightroom on laptop catalog , continue edit on network catalog. anything? export catalog , replace .lrcat , rename it? copy on root-pixels.db? trick?

 

and last, if reading, feature request:

 

would nice have preference select number of backups keep. example, if set ten, never have worry @ abotu backing after each session , going delete old backups no longer needed.

 

thanks advice. posted on  several boards hoping might reply before start edit again later today. apologize if see in multiple places.

 

~bob

you imported photos 2nd catalog. once have images in catalog, shouldn't ever import them again. never re-import!

 

go original catalog, select images desire in "new 2nd catalog", , file->export catalog

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