Aperture & Iphoto Libraries Optimizing

I'm new to Aperture and I think I might have rush thru the process of importing my images from IPhoto and now I don't know what mess I've created and would love if anybody could help me out arrange a little bit things over here.
I have been using Iphoto, when installed Aperture 2 I decided to import the whole Iphoto Library but while "storing the files in their current location" option.
Now I've been tinkering around with Aperture and have actually downloaded pictures from my camera using Aperture, which by the way seems to have created new folders in the "Pictures Folder"
But now I want to use Aperture has the primary photo management software in my computer and I think I might be loosing disk space by having two different libraries on the same computer. I would like to have everything in Aperture and just export JPEG when I need to use Iphoto for something.
How can I do a clean import without fear of loosing any information?
Please help me out or point to me someplace where I can really understand library management in Aperture 2 and Iphoto.
Thanks in advance.

I second this question. Anyone have any advice?

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I just noticed that I can no longer select photos out of my finder that are located in my Aperture/Iphoto Library. I used to be able to attach photos to my gmail out of the aperture library in the finder and for some reason, no longer can.

I just noticed that I can no longer select photos out of my finder that are located in my Aperture/Iphoto Library. I used to be able to attach photos to my gmail out of the aperture library in the finder and for some reason, no longer can.
I can't access these images except to go into the applications.
Also, I'd like to import my iphoto library into aperture, and move aperture library to an external drive. I tried the import first, but there wasn't enough space. Then I tried copying over the aperture library onto the external drive but it failed bc it said file was in use.
As it is, I only have 50gb left on my imac, and the aperture library is 150gb. Also, I have over 10k images in both libraries combined and there are tons of duplicates that need to be sorted, and hopefully not messed up because I've organized most of them.
So in short, I need to know how to do the following:
-select photos in finder in aperture/iphoto libraries
-move aperture library to live on external drive
-import iphoto library into aperture library
-eliminate dups but maintain organization
-moving forward i need a better workflow so that I import images from camera, and can organize right away into albums rather than creating projects by default and then creating albums so essentially the photos are in 2 different places, even tho they are referenced
-live happily ever after
Thanks in advance for any support you can offer!!

If you're using apps like iPhoto or Aperture then they replace the Finder for managing your photos. The point is that you use the (many) options available via these apps for the things you want and need to do with the Photos.
So, simply, you don't select the photos in the Finder. I'll append the supported ways to do this - which are faster and will yield the current version of your Photos - to the end of this post.
-move aperture library to live on external drive
Managed or Referenced Library? Managed -
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit Aperture
2. Copy the Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching Aperture. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Referenced - relocate your Masters first.
These issues are covered in the Manual and on this forum hundreds of times.
-import iphoto library into aperture library
FIle -> Import -> iPhoto Library? Have you done this already? If so are you trying to move the Masters to Aperture from an iPhoto Library? Or Consolidate them?
-moving forward i need a better workflow so that I import images from camera, and can organize right away into albums rather than creating projects by default and then creating albums so essentially the photos are in 2 different places, even tho they are referenced
You can't. Every photo is in a Project. They’re the basic building blocks of the Library.
You might want to spend a little time with the manual or the video tutorials. I'm not sure you've grasped the app you've purchased.
The following is written for iPhoto, but about 97% works for Aperture too.
There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto/ APerture: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics. This is what you use to attach your shot to your GMail
(Note the above illustration is not a Finder Window. It's the dialogue you get when you go File -> Open)
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
There's a similar option in Outlook and many, many other apps. If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto/ Aperture.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
If you want to access the files with iPhoto/ Aperture not running:
For users of 10.6 and later: You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the Library from your Services Menu.
Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser

IMovie and multiple iPhoto libraries

Is it possible to use iMovie 10 with more than one iPhoto Library? I have 3 macs on my home network and each have a number of Aperture/iPhoto libraries on them, but I am only able to see the library on the mac on which I'm using iMovie. Is there a way to access the contents of the other libraries?

have 20,000 photos in iphoto. just starting to organize into separate libraries as recommended by Apple tech support. can't figure out how to view the different libraries in imovie. is it possible? or does imovie just open up the most recent library that was opened in iphoto??

How do I consolidate multiple iPhoto libraries on multiple machines into a single Aperture libraries?

Hullo all,
I run a smallish studio at a University, and I have inherited multiple Macs (2 Powerbooks, 2 Mac Pros) running multiple OS (2 on Mavericks, 2 on 10.7) and multiple versions of iPhoto. These have been used for photo and video work over the years, and each has its own stash of content, project files, etc. In an effort to organize, I wish to consolidate all the various iPhoto and Aperture libraries into a single library. I have a 16TB Pegasis RAID available via Thunderbolt to hold the material. Can anyone tell me the best way to go about this? My background is 20 years production work in film and video and I am rather new to still photo work and as such, do not know much about maintaining archives etc.
If I read correctly from other questions, I need to update all versions of iPhoto to be the same, establish the library on the Pegasus, then export all the files to that library? Is this correct? I am not sure I can update all computers to the current version (one is a late 2009 MacPro) Is there any easier way to do it? I am happy to purchase software if that makes the process easier.
Cheers! Thanks for any info!

iPhoto does not support to merge libraries into one.
The utility iPhoto Library Manager can merge libraries -
download here: iPhoto Library Manager
If you have access to Aperture, you can also use it to merge your libraries (see: Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries), but if you need to buy a tool, iPhoto Library Manager would be the more economic solution, and it is a must-have with iPhoto anyway.

Can I merge multiple iPhoto libraries in the new Photo's app. This was not possible in iPhoto but is possible in Aperture.

Now that iPhoto is 'Photos' on 10.10.3 is it possible to merge multiple iPhoto libraries. It is possible to this this in Aperture but not in iPhoto (I'm using 10.10.2 and can't upgrade until other software I use is qualified for 10.10.3). Here's the deal - I changed my drive to an SSD and backed up my old hard drive (which had the original iPhoto library on it. I did a clean install with my new drive so iPhoto created a new (blank) library. This upgrade was done a few months ago so now I have 2 different iPhoto libraries. Note that the newer library is connected to iCloud and if I was to 'Switch Libraries' it will delete my current photo stream. There is a way to do this manually - I could switch to the old library and locate the root folders in the 'newer library', move them to a new folder and import. This procedure is awkward and not my preferred route. So if there's anyone using the new 'Photos' app on 10.10.3 please let me know thanks!

To merge the libraries manually use "File > Export".
To save the high quality originals, set the export panel like this, with "Kind Original":
If you have edited versions with added titles, caption, places, etc, use these export settings to save your work:

Can I use multiple iPhoto libraries with Aperture?

I've been using iPhoto to manage my photos (successfully) for many years. I have multiple themed iPhoto libraries with many thousands of photos in them (ten years' worth of digital plus another fifty years scanned). I am thinking of downloading Aperture and giving it a try (thanks to an App Store gift card).
Can I use Aperture to edit photos within these iPhoto libraries? Do the libraries become "common" to both applications, or does duplication occur? I have limited hard drive space and don't want to create large duplicate files on my iMac.
Thanks.

luba petrusha wrote:
I have some 50-100 libraries (haven't counted recently) which occupy most of my hard drive. I find it easiest to manage my photos with themed libraries (annual, trip, subject).
You could make each of your "themed Libraries" a Folder in Aperture, with all your current Projects and Albums intact. In this way, you could search across all of your Image at once (e.g.: a Smart Album showing all Images in which you've identified a Face as "Mom"; or filter for the keyword "Sunset"). In general, the more Images in a Library, the more useful that Library is. I strongly recommend one Library for each photographer (or group of photographers working as a business). Aperture has no trouble handling enormous Libraries (officially, it supports up to 1,000,000 Images, iirc).
A more advanced Library organization would replace each "themed" Folder+Projects with Albums. There is no reason to limit your "themes" to the Images in just the Projects contained in a Folder.
My general recommendation has always been to put all your Projects in one Folder (with sub-Folders as needed); and to put all your Albums in another top-level Folder. In this way you build two structures: a _storage_ structure, in which you put all your Projects, where each Project = one shoot, and an _access_ structure, where you have Albums organized by Folders into whatever groupings you need.
The newest version of Aperture (3.3.1) leans in this direction. For the first time there is a default division between Project storage and Album storage (one the Library tab of the Inspector, there are now two built-in top-level containers, one for Projects and one for Albums).
A separate issue is where on your system your Library and your Originals are stored. Aperture allows you to move your Originals to storage on external drives or other non-system drives. The limitation of the storage available on the system drive is something that all active photographers encounter at some point. (In Aperture-speak, you would convert Image's Originals from Managed to Referenced using "File➞Relocate Originals". This isn't something I'd look into right away, but rather after you become familiar with the Aperture interface.

Consolidate multiple iPhoto libraries to Aperture

I recently purchased Aperture 3.2.2 in order to perform a consolidation of my various iPhoto libraries. I primarily have two libraries, one on my MacBook Pro which contains photos from about the last 2 years (and is about 220GB), and one on my old PowerMac G5 which contains a few more years worth of photos, and size is difficult to determine as that one is partially managed (at about 130GB) and partially referenced (most of the older photos are referenced).
To add to the complexity, I find it very difficult to tell exactly where the referenced photos are in iPhoto. When I go to open a referenced photo that is unavailable, iPhoto gives me the equivalent of a blank stare. If it would at least tell me the expected drive (of the few external Firewire or USB drives I have), I'd be able to connect and point to it.
As I have keywords and stars for quite a few of my photos, I'd prefer to avoid going the route of pulling in the original photos rather than trying to import the iPhoto libraries.
The more recent library (on the MacBook Pro) seems to have imported to a fresh Aperture library successfully. The library from my PowerMac (connected in Fireware target disk mode to the MacBook Pro) got about half way through the import process, and then proceeded to hang in limbo doing nothing but spin.
Ok so
a) Best way to bring in the remainder of this other iPhoto library? (just trying to import and not import duplicates does not seem to work, it looks like it's trying to bring in the whole thing again)
b) Best way to resolve the challenge of finding and importing all referenced images, even if they are residing on unattached drives? Quite honestly I'd be happy to export a spreadsheet of the metadata with photo names, dates, and filepath references, if that was possible, just to know where things are supposed to be as far as iPhoto is concerned.
Thanks :-)

Referenced Libraries on iPhoto are a bug bear. Referenced Libraries on iPhoto where the library is on one volume and the original files on another are a disaster waiting to happen - or in your case, happening rght now. iPhoto 09 and earlier uses aliases to track the location of the actual file, and these break if you move the file after importing, when the file is on another volume.
iPhoto has no tools to fix this problem.
You're not going to be able to get this material into Aperture until you do.
No point in hoping that iPhoto will magically provide the missing information, you're just going to have to make all the drives available to it. If it still can't find the images then you'll need to use an app like FileBuddy to fix the aliases.
iPhoto has no ability to export a spreadsheet with the data you require.

Multiple iPhoto Libraries in Aperture?

I have been an iPhoto user since the beginning, and thus have about 7 iPhoto libraries of about 5000 keyworded pics each. Up till now I have not combined them even though the current version of iPhoto should handle them all.
I am considering a new Intel-based Mac and Aperture purchase, but a key feature need I have is to "see" all 7 iPhoto libraries in Aperture without importing all these libraries into the aperture library. I get the impression this is possible with 1.5, but have not seen it discussed specifically. Ideally I could see these old iPhoto libraries as 7 projects; from then on out I would import from the camera directly into Aperture.
Anyone doing or done this?

Ok, I don't know if this would count but here's what I did:
I have two Macs and use iPhoto on both, populated with different content. So I guess that would count as multiple iPhoto libraries.
I'm on my MacBook Pro and I mounted my home volume on the remote PowerMac G4.
I launch Aperture and created a new project called "say "Import->iPhoto Library…".
The file browser drops down. I navigate to "Remote User Home->Pictures->iPhoto Library". I also chose "Store Files: In their current location". Then I clicked Choose.
Aperture started chugging along. I had created a new project and selected it for the import, expecting the imported photos to be stored in the new project. Instead, Aperture created an iPhoto Library folder on the root level, and a Rolls folder inside it. Each roll in the iPhoto library became a Project in the Rolls subfolder. Each Album in the iPhoto Library became an album in the iPhoto Library folder in Aperture. Slide shows in the iPhoto library did not get imported. Trash in the iPhoto library did not get imported.
Next, I imported the local iPhoto library to see what it would do with a 2nd iPhoto library.
Again, I said "Import->iPhoto Library…".
The file browser drops down and points automatically to "Local User Home->Pictures->iPhoto Library". I also chose "Store Files: In their current location". Then I clicked Choose.
Nothing happened. Background Task List shows nothing.
Thinking that Aperture could only allow one iPhoto Library photo, I renamed the folder and tried again. Still nothing.
I created a new folder and moved all the imported items into the new folder. I then deleted the original iPhoto Library folder that was created. Still nothing.
I then deleted all the items imported from the remote iPhoto library, quit and restarted Aperture and tried to import the local iPhoto library again. Still nothing happened.
So my bizarre interim conclusion is that I can import an iPhoto Library from a non-standard location but not my primary iPhoto Library.
I'm stumped.
I need to take care of other stuff. Will continue the experiments later.
Anybody care to try?

Merge two iPhoto libraries into an Aperture library for my Macbook Air

Hey,
I've searched around a bit for this but can't seem to figure out how to to it.
I'm trying to manage my ~140GB photo library on my Macbook Air which has 128GB of HDD. On top of that, you can imagine that most of that 128GB is filled with system stuff.
My objective is to keep most of my library offline from the Macbook Air, but still keep it all together.
I kinda went "all-in" with iPhoto a few years back to organize my photos so gave up on Aperture. I'd always wanted to move to Aperture or Lighroom but the migration appeared to be a complete disaster. Now with "transparent" compatibility it seems like a no brainer to get the best of both worlds.
I thought that Aperture allowed you store files on external hard drives but still have "thumbnail" access to them even when the drive wasn't connected. Or did I misread that? (Is that Lightroom?)
Anyway with the new update I thought that I could merge my available iPhoto libraries into one Aperture library that I could always have access to, while offloading the actual photos somehow to an external HDD.
This would be a real winner for me. It seems tho that an iPhoto library stays an iPhoto library. So while merging might be helpful for someone with a big hard drive, it's completely useless for me as if anything, I need to split. Or create more. Or some other form of adding complexity.
Any ideas here?

Figured this out on my own.
Make a backup of everything - Aperture seems to require rebuilds and stuff and stories abound of "things going a bit wrong."
Did you make a backup? If you don't want to or can't, I wouldn't do this. After all, it's your photos!
Setup your Aperture library on a USB drive.
Update iphoto to the newest version. Open all your libraries in iPhoto to update them. This may take awhile depending on library size.
Import whatever iphoto libraries you have to Aperture. This make take awhile (hours!) - if your stuff is more than say 25 gigs I'd recommend setting it up for overnight.
Once everything is in Aperture - check its all working right. Then go ahead and maybe make another backup
Then migrate your photos out of the library. This takes all the originals and stores them elsewhere, called "offline". Once they're there, you can't move them around, so pick a good spot!! This also takes forever.
Once this is done your Aperture library should be smaller and just copy it to your MacbookAir
I'm still working on this as it looks like something went funky and I have to rebuild my thumbnails, another overnight processing thing. Like I said, keep a backup But I have a slimmed down Library on my Macbook Air now which is what I wanted.
This whole thing is kinda a mess and while it's feasible Apple hasn't made it easy. There's also some crazy stuff Aperture does with thumbnails and "previews" so that they take a bunch of space up (in my case almost as much as my photos), so you might have to work with that.
The guy at Apertureexpert.com is a genius.
Check out this post for more on slimming your Aperture Library:
http://www.apertureexpert.com/tips/2010/1/20/reducing-library-sizedramatically.h tml
Edit:As a side-note I put some HTML in my message and it looks like it isn't used in the forum - why does Apple bother having the formatting tools if they don't work? Kinda like the close-door button on an elevator?
Edit2: Haha it shows up in the answer but not in the normal thread. Strange, eh?

Before Mountain Lion and Aperture 3.4 Iphoto libraries would show up as a project. Can I still have this feature?

Before Mountain Lion and Aperture 3.4 Iphoto libraries would show up as a project. Can I still have this feature? I want to keep my iphoto libraries on another drive but now it appears the only way I can have Aperture search all libraries for a photo is to merge the aperture library with all the iphoto libraries. In the past the photos were referenced photos in their orginal libraries but now we are creating one big aperture library. Does this make sense? I liked the old way were the iphoto libraries showed up in the left window as a project. Does anyone know of a work around?

Try trash the com.apple.iPhoto.plist file from the HD/Users/ Your Name / library / preferences folder.
(On 10.7 or later: Hold the option (or alt) key while clicking on the Go menu in Finder to access the User Library)
(Remember you'll need to reset your User options afterwards. These include minor settings like the window colour and so on. Note: If you've moved your library you'll need to point iPhoto at it again.)
What's the plist file?
For new users: Every application on your Mac has an accompanying plist file. It records certain User choices. For instance, in your favourite Word Processor it remembers your choice of Default Font, on your Web Browser is remembers things like your choice of Home Page. It even recalls what windows you had open last if your app allows you to pick up from where you left off last. The iPhoto plist file remembers things like the location of the Library, your choice of background colour, whether you are running a Referenced or Managed Library, what preferences you have for autosplitting events and so on. Trashing the plist file forces the app to generate a new one on the next launch, and this restores things to the Factory Defaults. Hence, if you've changed any of these things you'll need to reset them. If you haven't, then no bother. Trashing the plist file is Mac troubleshooting 101.

Merging pictures from several iphoto libraries in aperture

I have 5 separate iPhoto libraries becaue of the large amount of picture. Now I want to consolidate all 5 star ***** rated pictures of all 5 iPhoto libraries into one "Aperture Project".
When I switch Libraries in Aperture I can's see the Library anymore where I want to consolidate some of the photos.
There should be a way that I can drag pictures for one iPhoto Library to a Project folder in Aperture, switch to a differen iPhoto Library, drag more photos to the Project folder in Aperture, switch to a third iPhoto Library, drag more photos ...... etc.
Is this possible in Aperture?
Thanks for any suggestions.

There should be a way that I can drag pictures for one iPhoto Library to a Project folder in Aperture, switch to a differen iPhoto Library, drag more photos to the Project folder in Aperture, switch to a third iPhoto Library, drag more photos
You open one library in iPhoto and one library in Aperture, and even drag images from iPhoto to Aperture, but unfortunately this way you can only drag the previews of the edited versions to Aperture, so you would lose image quality.
Why not open each iPhoto Library in turn in Aperture, export your five***** rated images a a new Aperture Library, and then merge this new library into your main Aperture library by importing it? This way you will import the original master image files as well as the adjustments and ratings and don't lose any image quality in the transit.
Regards
Léonie

Confused about import iPhoto Libraries Aperture 3.2

When I first purchase Aperture 3.2.3 back in May I had many iPhoto librarys split out by year. I wanted an integrated view so when I imported them to Aperture I chose the "leave iPhoto library in place" option. That may not be the exact wording. I was under the impression that this meant that Aperture would point to those libraries, but not duplicate them. I'm not so sure of that now. My Aperture library is around 25GB. My iPhoto libraries add up to at least 120GB.
I have upgraded to Aperture 3.4.2. I know about the library switching option, but I still want an integrated look at all my photos in one place. I got Aperture so I didn't have to do the iPhoto library switching I was doing.
Yesterday I spent a good amount of time deleting a bunch of extraneous photos I had from a project I did throughout 2011. My Aperture library shrunk 1GB. The iPhoto library didn't change size. That makes me think that the import actually put the files in the Aperture Library.
So, now I'm not sure what's going on. Is there a way to see which libraries are pointed to the original iPhoto libraries?

Is there a way to see which libraries are pointed to the original iPhoto libraries?
When you select an image in the Aperture library and use the command "File > Show in Finder" you can see the location of the original image file. If this points into a folder inside an iPhoto Library, you are really referencing the iPhoto Library. But if the command "Show in Finder" is disabled for an image, it is managed inside the Aperture library.
But frankly, I do not think it is a good idea to use Aperture to delete images inside your iPhoto libraries. Ypur iPhoto Libraries may be corrupted this way.

Merging iPhoto libraries...Aperture stalls near the end

that about says it all, trying to merge two iPhoto libraries into one Aperture library.
First off one empty Aperture library, import one iPhoto library, stalls near the end and have to FQ.
Try to import and merge the second library, same stall and have to FQ.
Any ideas....totally new to Aperture.
Using latest versions of Aperture and iPhoto.

update: second time around with merging libraries, it went to the end. But now I have the one library contained thousands of duplicates!

Merging iPhoto Libraries into Aperture, How?

I want to merge 6 iPhoto Libraries in my new iMac straight into my newly bought Aperture. All have been opened in Aperture.
I am assuming that onced merged I can then dip into my large Aperture library wherever I like, quickly and easily.
Yesterday I merged 3 libraries into Aperture. Today I opened a different iPhoto library and then looked for my merged library.
I can't find it and assume I'm missing a vital step. Poring over forums has made it no clearer.
What have I done wrong or missed?

I am not sure how you have tried to merge your iPhoto Libraries. Have you seen this help text?
Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries
basically, you open an Aperture library, and then use the Aperture command "File > Import > Library" to import your iPhoto Libraries, Simply opening the iPhoto Libraries in Aperture will not consolidate them into one libraray - you have to import them.
Regards
Léonie

Seeing shared iPhoto libraries in Aperture

I have Aperture on my iMac and iPhoto on my Mac mini. The iMac and Mac mini are networked. The iPhoto library on the Mac mini is set as shared in the preferences. If I open iPhoto on my iMac I can see the iPhoto library from the Mac mini. If I open Aperture on my iMac I can not see the shared iPhoto library from the Mac mini. I am using the 'Show iPhoto Browser' option in the File menu. I can see my iPhoto library on my iMac in the iPhoto Browser.
In Aperture is there a way to see shared iPhoto libraries from other local networked computers?

I don't think that part of Aperture is that advanced. I'm pretty sure it only looks on the local Hard Disc.

Aperture & Iphoto Libraries Optimizing

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