*Whew* That was really...

...scary.

Any first-time experiment that involves *really* important stuff (my photos) and new software (Adobe Lightroom) and the primary index file of a large and important database (Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat) has got to be scary.

The primary problem is that I have two essentially identical shiny-new Win 7 boxes to use for photo post-processing.

Each has its own copy of Adobe Lightroom 3, and Adobe Photoshop CS5.

The core idea here is that I can be working on one project, move to the other box when something on the first is taking time (i.e. printing) and keep right on working -- but on a separate project.

Or just switch back and forth between two projects: work for a half hour on wrestling, work for a half hour on basketball, lather-rinse-repeat.

Or wanting to print photos from one project simultaneously on both boxes when the catalog's only on one.

The problem is that over time I get two entirely different catalogs of photos on each box.

Which at the very least is a PITA trying to remember what's where.

So, search Lightroom Help for "combine catalog" or "merge catalog" or variants, only to finally discover that what I want to do is "Import from catalog".

Which is, of course, right there on the File menu in the first place, but whatever...

Select "Import from catalog" and navigate to the *.lrcat file on the other box over the network, select it, and "OK".

"Check All".

"Add new photos to catalog without moving" i.e. keep them out on the file server.

Select "Replace metadata, Develop settings and negative files" and "Preserve Old Settings As A Virtual Copy".

Click "Import".

Hold breath.

And it works -- although it takes a while, given that I've got over 6,500 photos that have been imported.

And what I get is identical catalogs on both computers, with photos in an equivalent state on both boxes.

Of course the two catalogs will diverge as I work separately on each box, but it's nice to know that I can synchronize them pretty painlessly -- and quickly, having done the heavy lifting once the first time.