Using iMatch with multiple Lightroom catalogs

[philburton]

I would like to use a Lightroom test catalog while I do my evaluation of iMatch and then revise my workflow.  How do I manage iMatch?

[Mario]

Catalogs are a Lightroom feature and irrelevant for IMatch.

IMatch manages the images, videos, PDF files, Office documents you add to your IMatch database (see Indexing Folders and Files).

[philburton]

Understood.  I assume that iMatch works with the currently active LR database.  But what if I want to test out some ideas, techniques, etc in a separate LR database, precisely because I don't want these test files and edits to be in my "production database?"

If I switch back and forth between "production" and "test" databases in Lightroom, does that cause iMatch to seamlessly add and subtract files and folders in its database?

Out of curiousity only, when Lightroom updates its database, as it just did with LR 13.3 how does that affect iMatch?

[Mario]

I assume that iMatch works with the currently active LR database.

No. IMatch is not even aware of Lightroom and completely independent from any Adobe software.

IMatch manages images, videos and other files you have stored on your disk. When you add a folder to IMatch, IMatch scans the files int that folder, extracts metadata, produces thumbnails and cache images etc.

Whether or not you have these files also in one (or more) Lightroom catalogs is completely irrelevant for IMatch.
If you add or remove files and folders from Lr catalogs is of no importance for IMatch.
When you uninstall Lightroom and switch to another RAW processor, nothing will change from the perspective of IMatch.

[philburton]

I assume that iMatch works with the currently active LR database.

No. IMatch is not even aware of Lightroom and completely independent from any Adobe software.

IMatch manages images, videos and other files you have stored on your disk. When you add a folder to IMatch, IMatch scans the files int that folder, extracts metadata, produces thumbnails and cache images etc.

Whether or not you have these files also in one (or more) Lightroom catalogs is completely irrelevant for IMatch.

A pleasant surprise, since I have a backlog of photos that I have not yet added to Lightroom.