Tags in a Muli Computer enviroment

[JohnnyK]

I just purchased Premiere Elements 4. I have installed it on two machines. I have an external Hard Drive that stores all my video.

I've just discovered the Tags and Organizer feature. Seems like something I have wanted for sometime. I'd like to be able to use it on either computer.

Is this a supported scneario? Is there a way to "make" it work?

It would seem like I would want the database that holds the Tag info to reside on the External HD and point both clients to that file.

Thanks,

John ...

[ATR]

John,

Before I attempt to answer this question, I need to know "Do you have Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4 on one computer and Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4 on the second computer as well? Basically, is Photoshop Elements 6 involved in this equation?

I have not yet dreamed up a scenario for this to work, and I do not know if I can. But, as soon as clarify that point, I will think it through.

ATR

[JohnnyK]

Yes I do have Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4 on both machines. I can also map the external drive to the same drive letter.

If I knew where the Tags where stored that might help me a great deal.

[JohnnyK]

It could even be a manual step where I copy a file to my External Drive everytime I finish with a session.

[ATR]

This is not an answer (plan of attack), just a route for you to explore:

When you have Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4 on the same computer, they share the same database.

I guess you know that the Organizer just shows thumbnails of your images on the hard drive. The Organizer stores image info in a catalog.

Local Drive
Documents & Settings
All Users
Application Data
Adobe
Catalog Folders
Catalogs

What I am trying to reason out, if you put the catalog location as well as the images on the external hard drive, would it work for your purposes. I think not, but....still thinking about a plan if at all possible.

I do not have the two computers, each with its own set of Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Element 4. So, you will need to do the actual experimenting. I can only speculate. I am not an "Organizer" person by nature, but let see how we do. If it looks like we are getting no where, I will suggest some alternative sources of info.

ATR

[hukari]

I have PSE5 and the Organizer on a PC and a laptop. I have the catalog on my EHD and it works fine. Just make sure you have the option for the location of the catalog in the Organizer option dialog set to the folder on your HD where you store the catalog (change on both computers). Then you only need to copy the catalog (if you have already started tagging) to the new location or create a new catalog there if you have not yet started tagging.


Oh, yes, and you definitely have to map the drive to the same letter on both computers.

Good luck!

[ATR]

Hukari

Thanks for the information.

I do not know if it will help any in relocating the catalog, but it sounds like it should:

In Photoshop Elements 6 Organizer, if you go File Menu/Catalog, a dialog comes up, giving you the options:
1. Catalogs Accessible by All Users
2. Catalogs Accessible by the Current User.
3. Custom Location

The Custom Location choice seems to fit into this goal. Hukari, does Photoshop Elements 5 have this dialog or does it just have:

Organizer, File Menu/Catalogs, with a list of catalog(s)?

So glad you came to the rescue. I am still not 100% sure if this will work in Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4, so I am looking forward to learning of John's results.

ATR

ATR

[hukari]

In PSE5, it is Edit>Preferences>Files>Save catalogs in:

Is there anything like that in PSE6?

[ATR]

Hukari

I do not see that option in Photoshop Elements 6.

The closest in name but not function are:

Edit Menu/Preferences/

Files
Folders for Saved Files
Automatically Prompt to Backup Files and Catalog

or

Folder Location View

Until proven otherwise, I think that my description of Catalog options in Photoshop Elements 6 is it. Maybe John who also has Photoshop Elements 6 can double check this to make sure I did not overlook something.

ATR

[JohnnyK]

I can't seem to find the catalog mapping either. Since it apparently appeared in previous versions it would be nice to find it burried in a regkey someplace.

I found this key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Organizer\DefaultDatabasePath = C:\ProgramData\Adobe

I suspect this may be the "catalog" setting of which you speak.

The only paths in the Prefrences dialog are on the scratch disk tab. I realy don't see anythning that looks approriate.

[ATR]

Johnny K

Did you find anything that you could use in Documents & Settings/Application Data/Photoshop Elements 6/Catalog, a route that I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread?

ATR

[JohnnyK]

No those folder are not accessible on my vista machine. I dug around programdata and the path to the regkey I posted had a "My Catalog" folder in it. In that folder it had the tags db.

My concearn is what bad things could I cause by pointing that regkey to a different location. It's easy enough to do.

[JohnnyK]

In Photoshop Elements there is a Backup and Restore functionality for your catalog. I had been working with elements and had not thought of looking in PSE for the functionality that I wanted to use in Premiere. I suspect this will work just fine.

When I am done with my session I backup my catalog. If I start using my other machine I simply restore.

[ATR]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like "a go".

I sure many others are interested in the how to for this with Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4, so please keep us updated on your progress.

ATR

[JohnnyK]

It is a go. But, not via the Backup and Restore. I think that is backing up all the actual images that the catalog points to. You can move a catalog to a different drive. You can't move the catalog that is currently opened so you have to make a temp catalog and then move the original

- I mapped my drive to K:
- In Photoshop Elements I created a temp catalog
- I then clicked "Move Catalog"
- choose the root at K:\ to hold the catalog of all the images and videos that are on that drive.

THat's it. Then when ever I mount that drive I just point to the catalog at the root and everything seems to work fine.

Well almost, if the drive is not mounted and you open PSE you get an error saying that the catalog is not availible. No problem, just open the temp one you created. The other catalog is pretty much useless with out the drive anyway.