Hello! I’m new to tropy, but before I put a whole lot of time into starting a project on Tropy I’d like to know if I can move everything on to a new computer if necessary (and if there’s a way I should think about saving my files before I start my project to make it easier/possible)
I’m not getting a new computer yet, but given the state of my current one, it’s something I need to think about.
(I apologize if this info is somewhere else - if it is and you can point me in that direction I’d be happy)
If your project size allows for it, I would recommend a single folder per project. The folder should contain your project file and all the photos. It’s OK to create sub-folders for the photos, if you prefer, the important thing is that if both your photos and project file are in a single folder, it is much easier to backup, archive, or move the entire project.
There are performance benefits if your project file is on your fastest hard drive, so for large projects it’s often better to store the project file on your main drive and keep the photos on larger (possibly external) drives or even scattered across different locations. But keeping everything in one place certainly makes handling the project much easier.
I am new to Tropy and also am worried about transferring the data to a new computer in the future. So to clarify, when I set it up can I put the Project File and all the photos onto an external hard drive and still be able to use these on the next computer (just plug hard drive into new computer?) to continue using it or is it more complicated, please?
Yes, transferring to another computer is possible, as well as accessing a project on an external hard drive from multiple devices.
The crucial aspect about this is the relationship between the project file and your photos. By default, Tropy stores the references to your photos using absolute paths. This allows you to use photos from many different sources easily as well as moving the project file around, without also moving your photos. The downside is that if you do move your photos or when you open the project on a different device you typically need to consolidate your project for Tropy to find the photos at their new location. To address this, you can make Tropy reference your photos using relative paths: this allows you to move both your project and photos around together. In the current release, this feature is still marked as experimental, but with the upcoming release, you’ll be able to change these settings in the preferences window.
Thank you for replying. I will try to work out how to to do this. Thank you again.