combining catalogs

[DavidHoffmanuk]

I’ve been try to combine my multiple catalogs so as to have only one. I couldn’t find an explicit ‘import from catalog’ option so I tried selecting all the files in one catalog and with only the receiving catalog set to ‘add/modify’ ctrl clicked for the contextual menu and chose ‘include items in catalog’.

I got a ‘Getting metadata for...’ progress bar in 2,000 increments but it stopped at the last one, became non-responding and had to be force quit. I also tried the menu item ‘Copy/move selected photos’ with the same result.

Is this because I’m importing the catalog into the catalog? How should I copy/move the contents of catalog A into catalog B?

Thanks
David Hoffman

[Kirk Baker]

David,

I’ve been try to combine my multiple catalogs so as to have only one. I couldn’t find an explicit ‘import from catalog’ option so I tried selecting all the files in one catalog and with only the receiving catalog set to ‘add/modify’ ctrl clicked for the contextual menu and chose ‘include items in catalog’.

I got a ‘Getting metadata for...’ progress bar in 2,000 increments but it stopped at the last one, became non-responding and had to be force quit. I also tried the menu item ‘Copy/move selected photos’ with the same result.

Is this because I’m importing the catalog into the catalog? How should I copy/move the contents of catalog A into catalog B?

There is no facility for combining catalogs at this time.

I don't know why it would become non-responsive.

I suggest using Scan to Catalog and choosing the paths that make up the images in your other catalogs.

-Kirk

[PauloBMB]

Hi Kirk, do you mind if I ask a related question? If I Scan to Catalog, as you suggested, would my already built previews have to be regenerated?

Thanks

[Kirk Baker]

Paulo,

Hi Kirk, do you mind if I ask a related question? If I Scan to Catalog, as you suggested, would my already built previews have to be regenerated?

No, they should not be regenerated.  Only the images that don't exist in the catalog that you're scanning into would have their proxies generated.

-Kirk

[PauloBMB]

Thanks, Kirk! That's good to know. So organizing my images across different Catalogs, splitting the one I already have, or having pictures in more than one catalog one won't take as long and won't take more space in my hard drive, am I right in assuming this is true?

[Kirk Baker]

Thanks, Kirk! That's good to know. So organizing my images across different Catalogs, splitting the one I already have, or having pictures in more than one catalog one won't take as long and won't take more space in my hard drive, am I right in assuming this is true?

No.

The proxies that only exist in other catalogs would have to be generated for the destination catalog.  Proxies belong to individual catalogs.  The folder containing the catalog database and the proxies folder are a collection that goes together.  Proxies are not shared between catalogs.  So if the catalog you're adding images to doesn't have a proxy already, then it will have to be generated.

-Kirk