@platypus while I believe that my proposals above are not difficult to implement, they require development from DxO and even if that is (hopefully) forthcoming in one form or another it does not solve the problem today or in the intervening period while we are waiting for such features! A lot was discussed in a similar topic How to use PhotoLab on multiple Apple Computers - #27 by John7 and @John7 had described his technique there, i.e.
and @platypus wrote
Unfortunately I would not recommend either of these approaches because although they will work I hate the idea of deleting real data under any circumstances because the onus is on me to get things right and not wind up trashing the data completely!
So will the following provide the solution slightly more safely?
Re-Import Procedure for PL5:-
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Change the name of the folders to be re-imported to e.g. -saved 2022-01-18 (i.e. the date of the operation within PL5. All images DOPs and sidecars will be maintained on disk and in the PL5db. The data is intact in all environments except a DAM and/or other file editors you may use which have their own DAMn database etc. etc. but this is supposed to be a temporary operation and what I am proposing is no worse than the wholesale deletion of the data!
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Terminate PL5 (not actually necessary but better safe than sorry).
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If all the data from the other computer is to be added wholesale, i.e. it is the latest version and nothing is required from the old directory then simply copy the new data to the system with the original name.
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Restart PL5 and navigate to the original (original name which now has the new data) directory and it should re-import the data it discovers.
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Verify that everything is as it should be and delete the (previously renamed) saved data at you leisure by deleting from disk, PL5 does not currently possess a directory deletion command.
Things are slightly more complicated it you want/need to mix and match data from more than one directory from more than one location because you started working in PL5 on your return and forgot to import the work from the laptop etc. etc.
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For maximum safety you could (should) copy the incoming contents to another location on the machine to be updated.
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Using your favourite comparison software (Beyond Compare in my case) compare and contrast the two directories, the original to be replaced and the new to be used and copy anything from the old to the new that is required and that must include the photos, the ‘xmp’ sidecar and the DOP sidecar. This then gives the new content that you wish to add to PL5 in a consolidated form and leaves the original and the new still intact ( so the process can be repeated as many times as required until it is it right!!)
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Execute the Re-import procedure for PL5 described above.
This process does require “swing space” on the receiving machine, on the main machine when importing from an “away trip” and on the laptop when preparing from an “away trip”.
Re-Syncing Metadata:-
But I have a problem with part of @John7’s original statement
I should have picked it up at the time but I have only recently returned to testing keywords that I hadn’t done for a long time when the original posts were made, principally about later DAM changes to keywords etc. not being picked up by PL5 and forcing PL5 to “catch up” with these changes by the deletion process.
If the ‘Sync’ option is set in the ‘Preferences’ PL5 will automatically pick up any such changes when you navigate to the specific directory (possibly only the specific photo - needs checking) and there is a warning given when you set the ‘Sync’ option about the possibility of data falling down a “crack”.
Alternatively select the photo or all the photos in the directory in PL5 and use the ‘Medata’ ‘Read from image’ command which should refresh all the metadata using the sidecar ‘xmp’ for RAWs and the embedded ‘xmp’ for JPGs etc or RAWs if you are using the DAM to update the RAW itself (I have done tests on that using Photo Mechanic). WARNING:- This is NOT a perfect strategy, I repeat that this is NOT a perfect strategy, I repeat ….
It is not a perfect strategy because it can (will) overwrite any keywords that have been added to PL5 that have not been automatically “flushed” to the external sidecar/embedded ‘xmp’ (please note that PL5 only uses the sidecar for RAW files) as a result of the the ‘Preferences’ ‘Sync’ option, or manually “flushed” to the external sidecar/embedded ‘xmp’ using the ‘Metadata’ ‘Write to image’ command.
Any left in PL5 that have not been “flushed” will be lost with the ‘Metadata’ ‘Read from image’ command - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED sorry about the use of capitals and bold but it is a trap that could catch the unwary (probably me when I forget my own advice!)
‘Rating’ changes should be in the DOP but also in the ‘xmp’ but ‘Tag’ data is only stored in the DOP and a ‘Sidecar’ ‘Import’ should sort those out but they are only set by PL5 itself!
Keywords in the DOP are not currently used (who knows what might happen in the future)
It is possible @John7 that you had problems with getting PL5 to accept or recognise the changes but we did not have an opportunity to explore the issue because I failed to question why you had to execute your strategy. PL5 has never “played nicely” with ExifPro and refuses to automatically recognise any changes made to keywords (to JPGs) by that program because it ExifPro makes those changes without changing the ‘date last modified’ file timestamp.
In most tests I have been conducting (PL4.3.6.32 Ghosting Ratings for Same image in different directories (Win10) - #114 by BHAYT things work well with PL5 but I have not tested Photo Supreme which I think you have mentioned in one post or another.