CullSync

CullSync lets you cull one copy of a shoot and apply those decisions to another. A CullSync is a named snapshot containing filenames and metadata, including ratings, color labels, flags, favorites, rejections, and IPTC. CullSync transfers metadata, not photos or previews.

For example, review JPEGs on your iPad in the field, then use the snapshot while ingesting the corresponding RAW originals on your Mac.

Automatic synchronization uses iCloud with the same Apple ID on each device and CullSync enabled in Settings → iCloud Sync. You can also exchange a CullSync file without iCloud or a shared Apple ID. On iPad and iPhone, CullSync requires the Full Version — see Purchasing and Unlocking.

CullSync is separate from settings sync and PhotoCuller metadata sync for Apple Photos. See iCloud Sync settings to choose the right option.

Open the CullSync Manager

Choose Tools → CullSync… from the menu bar. The manager opens in its own window.

Open the ⋯ toolbar menu and choose CullSync…. The manager opens as a sheet.

Supported Sources

Create a CullSync from a loaded source. Applying a snapshot to an existing source is more restricted:

Source	Create a CullSync	Apply to existing items
Filesystem folder, including an accessible card or mounted network share	Yes	Yes, when writable
Apple Photos album or smart album	Yes	No
Apple Photos All Photos	No	No
Connected camera shown under Devices	Yes	No
FTP / FTPS server	No	No

Camera metadata edits are stored in PhotoCuller, not written back to the camera. CullSync carries those edits to another copy; apply them to files in a writable folder or use them during ingest.

Create a CullSync

Click or tap + in the manager, give the snapshot a clear name, and choose a Run On scope:

Selected Items — exactly the photos selected right now.
All Visible Items — the items currently shown in the browser after filtering.
Filter Preset — the current matches for a saved filter preset.

Selected and visible scopes have fixed membership. A filter-preset scope is also fixed unless you enable Keep CullSync matched to this filter, which gives it live membership.

Choose Create, then inspect the snapshot’s contents. You can create multiple CullSyncs from the same source. Entries whose metadata could not be read remain listed as Metadata unavailable; they are not complete metadata backups.

How Updates Work

On the producing device, PhotoCuller refreshes a tracked CullSync while its source is open. Changes to member metadata, including favorites and IPTC, are published automatically after a short delay. Use Update Now from the snapshot’s actions with its original source open, and check the contents and updated time before handing it off.

Membership follows these rules:

Fixed membership: existing members receive metadata updates, and items no longer found in the source are removed. New photos are not added, and changing the browser filter later does not change membership.
Live membership: the linked filter preset is re-evaluated against the loaded source. New matches are added and items that stop matching are removed. If the filter is missing, unavailable, or cannot be fully evaluated, updates for that snapshot pause.

For a tracked live snapshot, the producing device can use Reassign Filter… to choose another preset or Freeze Current Membership to stop changing membership with the filter. On Mac, use the snapshot’s context menu or actions menu; on iPad/iPhone, long-press its row in the manager.

Do not rely on CullSync publishing while PhotoCuller is closed. iCloud delivery is not instantaneous either: verify the snapshot on the receiving device before applying it or starting ingest.

Ownership

The manager identifies the device that created each CullSync. Only that device can rename it or publish updates from its associated source. Receiving devices can inspect, compare, export, apply, ingest with, or delete the snapshot; importing a file does not transfer ownership.

Deleting a CullSync removes the snapshot, not the photos or metadata already applied to them. With CullSync iCloud sync enabled, the deletion also syncs to your other devices.

Export and Import a CullSync File

Use a portable .cullsync file when you do not want to rely on iCloud, or when sharing with someone using a different Apple ID.

Right-click the snapshot in the manager, or open its actions menu, and choose Export CullSync. Save the file and send it to the receiving device, for example using AirDrop.

On the receiving Mac, open the manager, click Import, and select the file.

Long-press the snapshot in the manager and choose Export CullSync, or use that action in the snapshot detail menu. Save the file in Files, then share it from there.

On the receiving iPad or iPhone, open the manager, tap Import CullSync, and select the file.

The file contains the snapshot as exported; subsequent edits do not update that file. An imported CullSync keeps the exported set of photos and does not follow changes in a local folder or filter. It also syncs to your other devices if CullSync iCloud sync is enabled.

Importing a file exported from an existing CullSync replaces that CullSync rather than creating a second copy. On the device that created it, this also stops automatic updates from the original source. Do not reimport over the original if you want it to keep updating.

Apply a CullSync to Existing Files

Open the destination folder in PhotoCuller; on Mac, make its tab active.
Open the CullSync manager and select the snapshot. On iPad/iPhone, tap it to open its detail sheet.
Choose which metadata to apply and review the comparison.
Use the apply button and confirm. Check the result for failures before treating the handoff as complete.

The metadata choices are:

All Metadata — culling data, IPTC, and an active saved crop.
Cull Data Only — ratings, color labels, flags, favorites, rejections, and saved stack membership.
IPTC Only — descriptive, editorial, contact, and rights metadata.
Cull Data and IPTC — both categories without the crop.

CullSync merges supported snapshot values into destination metadata; it is not an exact restore or an EXIF camera-correction transfer. Populated IPTC values replace the corresponding destination values, including lists such as keywords. Empty IPTC fields and an absent crop do not erase existing destination values.

On iPad/iPhone, a successful apply offers Keep CullSync or Delete CullSync. On Mac, the result is reported and the snapshot stays available until you delete it from its actions menu.

Filename Matching and Skipped Items

Matching uses the base filename without its extension, ignoring case and accents. For example, DSCF1234.JPG can match DSCF1234.RAF.
Matching is not based on image content or folder paths. Keep base filenames unchanged between the copies until the handoff is complete.
If separate items share the same base name in either set, the match is ambiguous and skipped. Open a narrower destination folder or create a snapshot containing only the intended shoot to resolve repeated camera filenames.
Missing matches and entries with unreadable source or destination metadata are not applied. Review those statuses rather than assuming every listed item was updated.

Use a CullSync During Ingest

In Ingest, select a snapshot in the CullSync section. If the section is absent, create, sync, or import a snapshot first. The two modes are available on Mac, iPad, and iPhone:

All Files — ingest items allowed by the other ingest filters, applying snapshot metadata where there is a unique filename match.
Only Files in CullSync — ingest only uniquely matched snapshot members, still subject to the other ingest filters. Missing or ambiguous matches are excluded; a matched entry with unavailable metadata may be ingested without snapshot metadata.

Membership is not a keeper flag. Only Files in CullSync does not automatically exclude rejected photos: a rejected member can still be ingested. Build the snapshot from an explicit keeper selection or a filter that excludes rejects.

Field-to-Studio Example

Cull the field copy and select only the keepers, or prepare a keeper-only filter preset.
Create a CullSync from Selected Items or that Filter Preset. If you keep culling and want membership to follow the filter, enable live membership.
Sync the snapshot or export/import its file, then verify the receiving device has the expected members and metadata.
Ingest the original card with that snapshot and Only Files in CullSync. Preserve matching base filenames and review the ingest results before clearing the card.

See Ingest for the general Mac ingest procedure and Sources on iPad & iPhone for opening cards and folders on mobile.

Privacy

A CullSync shares filenames, metadata, and information about its source and creating device—not photos or thumbnails.

Names and metadata can contain personal information or paths — including a path in the suggested snapshot name. Review them before sharing. CullSync files are not encrypted; anyone with the file can read its contents.