Aperture corrupted. Can't access images in my library. HELP!

Question

I have a MacPro Retina running the current version of Aperture. The Aperture database became corrupted today. I had just finished uploading some 35mm images scanned from an Epson V700. I was in the middle of editing one of them when Aperture froze. I ran a FORCE QUIT and tried to relaunch but kept getting an error message (this was hours ago, so I don't remember the exact wording, but it wa something about needing to reload the library). After repeated tries to relaunch failed, I decided to try restoring my Aperture Library from a Time Capsule/Time Machine backup. I tried several differnt backups (going back one version each time) and after trying three versions, finally got one to open in Aperture.
The problem at this point is that a large number of the 3,000 images in the library are visible, but corrupted or totally invisible (showing up as an all black or all white frame in VIEWER and THUMBNAIL); others appear as digital noise (checkboard or random noise patterns).
So far, I have tried running this repeatedly to no effect.
Then, I ran DISK UTILITY VERIFY DISK, VERIFY and REPAIR PERMISSIONS. The disk was ok. There were several incorrect permissions. Repair fixed all but one of them (it read: "WARNING SUID file 'usr/sbin/pppd' has been modified and will not be repaired.").
Some of the images in the library show up as white frames in BROWSER, but will load to a viewer frame when clicked. However, those images are corrupted because they cannot be accessed by the ADJUSTMENTS menu or by the SHARE menu (the share menu, for example, says
"The selected original image is either offline or not found. Please reconnect it and try again.").
An added couple of wrinkles for some of you very smart detectives to consider that may or may not be relevant.
*Many of my images are shared directly to Flickr from Aperture. At first I thought these might have been the images that survived intact, but now I'm not sure that there's any pattern here.
*Except for the my last set of uploaded images from earlier today and a few other recent, but seemingly random ones, none of the images in the library that can be viewed are able to be edited or shared. I can see 'em, but I can't do anything to them. And, many of the other images can't be viewed at all -- they appear as white, black or noise. A few images a partially visible -- half black or half noise and half image (images that were okay prior to the problem.
*I have NOT been using VAULTS (I assume that's a dumb choice that one of you will urge me to correct in the future, but that's not an option for recovery right now).
All I can say is... HELP!
Thanks.
PS, I have ONE-TO-ONE. Any chance someone at my local store will have enough Aperture knowledge to save me here?

Answer 1

BTW in your previous post you wrote
Once I have this problem fixed, I'll almost certainly shift to the managed process.
which is why I thought you were using referenced originals.
Rob,
it is still not clear if your library is referenced or managed. You may have meant to import managed, but accidentally turned off the import into the library at some point. Have you checked the "Masters" folder inside the Aperture library package, if your masters are actually there?
If it is referenced, you need to find your original image files - if they are really missing from your system drive, restore them from your Time Machine backup. But if you know exactly where they are, reconnect them using "Locate Referenced Files".
But if your library is managed, "Locate Referenced Files" will not work. Repairing this will require to patch the database files inside the package, that would be a tricky operation. You may save your edits and tags for your most important images however, by reimporting your masters and then lifting and stamping your adjustments and tags from the versions with the missing originals onto the newly imported original master image file.
Regards
Léonie