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dave_roberts_6779374
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Mon, Apr 30, 2018 7:41 PM

Lightroom CC: What files are saved in Pictures/Library.lrlibrary? It's using more disk space than I'd expect

Files and disk usage Is there a clear description anywhere of what LR CC stores in places such as Pictures/Library.lrlibrary? Despite having moved the “Pictures/Library.lrlibrary” to an external SDD the file on my MacBookPro SSD still occupies 30Gb, why?

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2 years ago

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Rikk

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3 years ago

Greetings Dave, 

Did you move the Library.lrlibrary file via the OS or did you use the Lightroom CC Preferences option?
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dave_roberts_6779374

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3 years ago

Via LR CC preferences.

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Rikk

Adobe Administrator

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3 years ago

Dave,

How long has been since you've set the move in Preferences? Sometimes it can take a few days for all the image originals to move out.  Leaving Lightroom CC open in the background and letting it grind through the operations should allow it to get your image originals moved to the newly specified alternate storage location. 

To answer your question specifically, in the .lrlibrary file you will find:
Images (previews and originals)
Import and Migration information
Your managed catalog file
Temporary edits 
and some miscellaneous details.
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dave_roberts_6779374

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3 years ago

Hmm i assumed that when LR CC said it had finished it actually had finished! However I will let it run for a while and see what happens, the vast bulk of the residual data is in the package in a folder called /proxies.

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jim_wilde_2296988

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3 years ago

I don't actually believe it's possible to move the Lightroom.lrlibrary package to a different drive (though Rikk will correct me if I'm wrong). My understanding is that the user can only redirect the imported/downloaded originals to a different drive, but all the other stuff that Rikk has mentioned, including the "Proxies" (smart previews) and other previews, will remain in the lrlibrary package in the user Pictures folder (though that'll be in a different location on Windows).

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Rikk

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That is correct. It should only be the Originals from the .lrlibrary that move out. The reset of the goodies will remain in place in the Pictures folder (Mac).
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3 years ago

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dave_roberts_6779374

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Well given that and I am struggling for space I tried the following from Terminal to create an alias:

(myssd is my external SDD)

ln -s /Volumes/myssd/LR-CC/Pictures/Lightroom\Library.lrlibrary ~/Pictures/Lightroom\Library.lrlibrary

But it doesn’t work! am I flogging a dead horse as they say?

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3 years ago

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simon_wrigley

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Hi Dave. I've recently moved the os and apps to a new SSD but kept my User folder and data on the old HDD. This made a huge difference to the speed of LRCC opening up (takes about 5-10 secs now) but still spent ages loading images from the HDD (from the lrlibrary in Pictures).

So I moved the lrlibrary to the SSD and setup a symlink from the old location within the Picture folder. This has been transforming. Using LRCC is almost instantaneous now (on my ageing late 2009 iMac) it will now start up and load images (38k smart previews) ready for use in about 10-15 secs.

I understand that you are wanting to move the lrlibrary file off the boot SSD but I guess the principle of using symlinks should be the same either way. I've used a system plugin to do the symlink so I'm not familiar with how to do it via the terminal but my main point here is that it does work, so far with no hitches. So maybe worth pursuing.

Good luck

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3 years ago

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dave_roberts_6779374

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Thanks, what system plugin did you use? Many thanks. Dave

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3 years ago

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simon_wrigley

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Hi Dave. It was from some time ago so had to do a bit of a search but think it's 'SymbolicLinker' It adds a service to the context menu. It's been recently reviewed by lifehacker - macos-app-of-the-week-symboliclinker-1824289156

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3 years ago

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dave_roberts_6779374

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Thanks you, I will check it out.

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3 years ago

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dave_roberts_6779374

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Simon, works a treat, great thank you. A note for others if interested, after using Symlink the 'alias' it produces has a further extension 'symlink'. So 'Photos Library.photoslibrary' alias becomes 'Photos Library.photoslibrary symlink'. It does not work unless you remove the 'symlink' from the end of the filename.

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3 years ago

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dave_roberts_6779374

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3 years ago

Thanks, interesting, let’s wait to see what Rikk says.

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brettjralton

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540 Points

2 years ago

I have zero photos remaining in that library and it still takes up 2.57GB. Not sure what's stored in there but it isn't my photos!

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