disk space - which is bigger Catalogs or Sessions? With many old sessions

[EricWHiss]

If I have say a 100 sessions with 200 files each, and I decided to move to a catalog with all of these files since the native .MOS files don't work with Lightroom, how much disk space will the new catalog add?   Does the catalog function delete the old session previews or would I have to do this manually?

[David Grover / Phase One]

Hey Eric,

It depends what the preferences are set to for the Preview size.

Under Image, in Preferences, change the Cache setting to your preferred amount.

David

[Doug Peterson]

Does the catalog function delete the old session previews or would I have to do this manually?

Catalogs have no impact on sessions. So if you start a new catalog the previews held in sessions are not changed/deleted/updated. In a catalog the previews and settings are held entirely within the catalog (until/unless you export an image from the catalog).

[EricWHiss]

Thanks Doug,
So if I decide to stay with catalogs, then I guess I should go ahead and delete the session data?


 I am sort of on the fence about all the idea of trusting the newly developed cataloging features of C1 will all the processing/edit decisions instead of having the sidecar files. 

E

[Doug Peterson]

I am sort of on the fence about all the idea of trusting the newly developed cataloging features of C1 will all the processing/edit decisions instead of having the sidecar files. 

Re: deleting the session data, I would say yes. It's not required but after you've made a catalog, and backed it up, keeping the session data would seem to me to lead to possible future confusion over which version (the session based version or the one in the catalog) is the master version.

But at this moment in the very first version there are some quirks/limitations to exporting a raw file with all C1 adjustments placed in a proper side car. This means going back to sessions from a catalog is - for the moment - not smooth.

Anything requiring you to make your decision today? Continued improvements to the speed, feature set, and flexibility of cataloging in v7 should happen rather rapidly. Until you've decided one way or another you can simply open any v6 session in v7.

[jeanvalentin]

Thanks Doug,
So if I decide to stay with catalogs, then I guess I should go ahead and delete the session data?


 I am sort of on the fence about all the idea of trusting the newly developed cataloging features of C1 will all the processing/edit decisions instead of having the sidecar files. 

E

I disagree with Doug. DON'T delete your data. At least, not yet. I had the application crash and lost all my work. Keep your data until v7 (catalogs) becomes more stable.

Also, currently, you would have to export each file, one by one, if you want your adjustments saved outside the catalog (in order to be safe from a crash problem during a working day, that's the only way to do it; Phase doesn't deem writing to an XMP file the adjustment worthy of their time; even though it's done when using sessions).

In my opinion, catalogs are not ready for prime time. It seems that there are some that are lucky and didn't experience any crashes, but I don't rely on luck when it comes to my work/time.

[EricWHiss]

Valentin,
Are you saying that if C1 V7 crashes whatever work you did before save is actually lost?  That would stink!

Doug,
The reasons for going catalog are simply that for the moment, I can not use Lightroom for .MOS files.  I could run them through the Leaf RAW converter, however then I would lose the ability to apply a LCC after the fact and I sometimes play with the LCC to lower contrast in images in C1 so it would be silly to convert the files (which are larger in MB's) just to use LR.   I don't like the idea of having two catalog programs, but I'd rather have my MOS files organized so that I can find things which is harder now.  Still my preference would be for Leaf/Apple/adobe to work together more such that the compressed MOS files could be opened and managed so that I could continue to use sessions.   The idea of a session - shooting in the studio on the laptop and having an easily boxed up and migrated package of files makes a lot of sense.  PhaseOne would do well by making their catalog function better integrated with the sessions so that it isn't so much an either or situation. I wonder if they couldn't do the catalog database but still keep the previews, keyword and adjustment data in the same format and location as the sessions do?
Eric

[jeanvalentin]

Valentin,
Are you saying that if C1 V7 crashes whatever work you did before save is actually lost?  That would stink!

That's exactly what happens. See this thread and post in it. Apparently, Phase needs a lot of suggestions for something that, to me, it's common sense.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=72376.0

[EricWHiss]

Ok then I'm holding off on catalogs then. v7 crashes about every hour on my machine.

[Phil Indeblanc]

Valentin,
Are you saying that if C1 V7 crashes whatever work you did before save is actually lost?  That would stink!

Doug,
The reasons for going catalog are simply that for the moment, I can not use Lightroom for .MOS files.  I could run them through the Leaf RAW converter, however then I would lose the ability to apply a LCC after the fact and I sometimes play with the LCC to lower contrast in images in C1 so it would be silly to convert the files (which are larger in MB's) just to use LR.   I don't like the idea of having two catalog programs, but I'd rather have my MOS files organized so that I can find things which is harder now.  Still my preference would be for Leaf/Apple/adobe to work together more such that the compressed MOS files could be opened and managed so that I could continue to use sessions.   The idea of a session - shooting in the studio on the laptop and having an easily boxed up and migrated package of files makes a lot of sense.  PhaseOne would do well by making their catalog function better integrated with the sessions so that it isn't so much an either or situation. I wonder if they couldn't do the catalog database but still keep the previews, keyword and adjustment data in the same format and location as the sessions do?
Eric


YES! I so strongly agree with Eric.  There are multiple ways to do a "Database" style developer, and I hope that is further explored for future C1 versions. The way it is now, if you simply Launch C1 and you had last used a catalog, you have to either make a New Session, or use the Open Session feature to have the System Folder enabled to browse the files.  This just doesn't work smoothly.