Lightroom using over a network share

Following on from Messiah Khan's question I created this set of instructions which allows Light Room to use a library stored on a network share.

In order to use this you need to consider the amount of data being moved around. This works it you have a reasonable speed server and you are using a reasonable speed network.

Having had a play with this on my MBP using wireless with a big library I would suggest that it would be rather annoying!


So IF you have a wired network then give it a try it works perfectly on my iMac and Mac pro whilst wired and also with the MBP when wired.

Right here goes.....


The reason you can't do it normally or using an alias is because it is a database file that cannot be locked to make it single user and as such two people attaching to it at the same time would break it so we need to place it somewhere where this sharing is not apparent to LR and here is how.....

1 - First BACKUP your current LR catalogue and image files .....


2 - If you have not used light room before then run LR and create a default library.


3 - Exit LR


4 - Run Disc utility



5 - Click New Image and create a disc image on desktop.

This image has to be big enough for the LR directory and your entire photo directory.
The field "Save As" is the name of the DMG file.
The field "Name" is the name the the virtual drive will appear as.
The field "Size" is the size that the drive will be, make sure this is much bigger than you need (mine is 75Gb). EDIT: but see below


The drive will be automatically mounted.




6 - Now copy your lightroom directory and your photograph directory into the image too



7 - MOVE your existing Photograph library from it's current location onto the desktop. EDIT: but see below


8 - MOVE your existing LightRoom directory from inside Pictures onto the desktop


9 - Run LR and you get the create new catalogue or use existing prompt - select existing


10 - You will now see this



11 - Click "change" and go to the catalogue inside the mounted drive


12 - Select Choose and Continue


13 - Now in the left hand side of the screen right click on the photo directory which should have a question mark on it and select find missing folder then navigate to the photo directory inside the DMG file



14 - Everything should now work as it did before


15 - Once you are happy with this exit LR


16 - Copy the image to the network share


NOW THIS BIT IS FOR EACH COMPUTER THAT WILL USE THE SHARE.....


17 - Open the network share and navigate to the DMG file and open that


18 - Now locate the file "Lightroom 2/3 catalog.ircat" and drag this to the doc (because it is a data file rather than a program you must drag it to the data area of your doc ie below {or if the doc is at the bottom, to the right} of the dotted line near the trash bin.

Now all you have to do to run it is click on the icon in the doc, it will automatically open the network share and mount the DMG file for you (because its MacOS )

NOTE **** UPDATE **** 13/08/10

IF you are running the picture files off a network server then you can change the above instructions slightly. Basically DO NOT include the PICTURE files in the DMG file but place them in a folder on the network drive. This will allow the DMG drive to be maybe 6Gb rather than 120Gb. Having the files separate makes it quicker.


DONE

If you try and attach to it whilst it is on the other computer then you get this error message:



So on each computer when you have finished using Light Room you must either LOG OUT or alternatively you can EJECT the DMG file.

I will leave this here for a week or so before it I ask for it to be moved to tutorials before it gets lost. That way it is more likely to be seen by those people who might find it useful.

Added modifications making the process much quicker if you are running it all off a NAS.

It works with LR3 as well as 2.

BUMP