In a sense, yes. However, Bridge does not maintain an editing history or allow organization of files into collections and groupings independent of the file system. It simply records IPTC annotations and adds them to the processing parameter settings that Camera Raw writes into .XMP sidecar files (if you have Camera Raw configured that way ...).
The .lrcat file is the database file representing a Lightroom catalog that contains all the information produced or used by Lightroom about the particular set of files you've imported into it, excepting the original files themselves and the previews generated for Lightroom to display. File location, type, time and date, EXIF data, IPTC data, any processing operations, groupings with other files, slide/print/web preset associations, etc etc etc, are all in the .lrcat file. This is a superset of what .XMP sidecar files can contain for each file, one file at a time. XMP data is limited to static IPTC and image adjustment parameters written as image metadata. On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 2:44 PM, John Sessoms <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm pretty sure I don't understand most of that except I think you're saying > the .lrcat file performs the function for the whole catalog of images that > the .xmp files performed for individual images in Bridge? > > > From: Godfrey DiGiorgi >> >> On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 11:15 AM, John Sessoms <[email protected]> >> wrote: >>>> >>>> I'd move it outside of LR (just because why induce the overhead of >>>> having some other application doing the moving) and then just tell LR >>>> "they're over HERE now". >>>> >>>> Not sure how to relocate/point to a different copy when the original >>>> is there and the thumbnails don't have that "?" asking where the >>>> original is, though. >> >> That's the right way to do it for large directory trees of original >> image files. Right- or control-clicking on a folder name in the >> Folders panel brings up a popup menu with the command "Update Folder >> Location...". You can essentially have multiple identical copies of >> the folder tree. Expose the topmost "parent" folder in the tree and >> just point LR to whichever one you want it to use at any time. >> >>> I don't know. I guess that depends on how lightroom stores information >>> about >>> edits & changes. >>> >>> I *think* it may use sidecar (.xmp) files ... >> >> Lightroom stores information about all operations on an image file, >> along with all the parameters, IPTC annotation, keywords, file >> location in the file system, etc, into an SQLlite database file. >> That's what the .lrcat or "catalog file" is. >> >> It can optionally store metadata describing the state and processing >> parameters (along with IPTC annotations) into .XMP format sidecar >> files for native raw files, or into DNG files. It can do the same with >> JPEG, PSD and TIFF files as well, if you enable that option. This is a >> subset of the full information contained in the database file as it >> does not contain the edit history, inclusion into collections, etc. It >> is simply a static output of the state of the processing controls?and >> IPTC metadata in Adobe "eXtensible Metadata Protocol" format. >> >> (I do not enable automatic synchronization of metadata nor do I enable >> it to store processing information into JPEG, PSD and TIFF files ... >> it's unnecessary unless you wish to use other applications in the >> Adobe Creative Suite which are aware of this information and >> synchronized to utilize it in conjunction with Lightroom and Camera >> Raw. >> >> Occasionally, in the production of rendered JPEG files, I force >> Lightroom to write metadata to files as I sometimes produce the >> rendered JPEG files through writing out a slide show or by compositing >> several images in the Print module. The procedure then is to import >> those exported products, synchronize the IPTC metadata from the >> original files, and force a write of the IPTC annotation so that it >> can be picked up on flickr and used by clients. I always strip >> processing information and EXIF camera data from my image products ... >> there's no point to including it.) > > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1390 / Virus Database: 1516/3763 - Release Date: 07/13/11 > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. > -- Godfrey godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
