Lack of control of icloud files

I have filled 2TB in icloud.

I work in media and share the space with my wife.

Its holding about 2017-2021 now.

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1) Why do I lose metadata and dates when backing up outside of icloud? This is out of control.

1b) I need to name my files by file / date. This is simple and proper, why are you forcing your icloud mess naming scheme upon us Apple? Why do I lose my file names and metadata?

This is a huge loss. I already did this in 2017 attempting to archive my iCloud and I’ve never been able to date the files from my previous clearing of icloud.

Now I have a huge number of separated files I had to spend days purging from my RAWs in Lightroom/CaptureOne files. Its just a mess I have no idea how to remedy.

2) I understand how important it is that the system communication needs the system location for the Photos Lib. But why can’t it be on my HDD?

2b) I need to be able to access iCloud and move files that are larger than 100mb, 100gb. Photos should not lock me into the system drive in order to use my lib file fully functioning.

3) Why are you forcing us to use time machine? I can take care of my own files.

So its been years, decades of iCloud. I love how nimble iphones feel with the backups, but iCloud is backing up to nowhere if the files are being skewed.

This issue will only get worse over time, for everyone.

Please let us have our files.

thank you,

M