workflow question - Capture Session as used by Capture One

Software darktable
1

Hiya, I have been a user of Capture One for a few years but switch to linux in recent times. I am trying to migrate to darktable and it works quite well so far. But I have a question regarding if there is something similar to Sessions in Capture One (CO).

In CO you use a global library and import your files into it, this is the default. But there is also the possibility to create a session. That is a kind of self-contained database. The idea is to collect all the files that are required to move files and settings to another location and continue your work their. Or to archive the folder and have your settings saved within it.

I do know that darktable saves the development settings for each picture in a sidecar. I was just wondering what would be the ideal workflow here.

My situation is as follows - I am shooting at an event. I want to import the pictures on location onto my laptop, do a bit of light editing and culling and make a quick slideshow during the event. Afterwards, I want to move that folder to my PC at home and continue working on it.

What would be the ideal way of doing that and save all metadata including ratings and color tags.

2

Use sidecars, copy the folder with all contents to your main computer and import there into darktable. Darktable should read the metadata and edits on import if there’s a sidecar present.
Although darktable by default uses one global database, what’s shown are film rolls.
Film rolls are basically folders or search results.

Note that you can run into issues if you use different programs, or dt versions, on laptop and main.

1 Like
3

Great. That was how I hoped it to be.

For archiving I should probably make a readme what version of dt has been used.

4

Sidecars are readable (or at least have always been readable) by newer versions, trying to read a sidecar with an older version than the writer can be problematic.

That’s also why using git versions other than the releases requires some extra care.