Can't Access Aperture Photos from Other Applications

Question

I am using the trial version of Aperture. I can't access the photos in Aperture from Photoshop, Word or any other application (except Mail). I can see the icon for Aperture and the words "Aperture 3 Trial Library" but it is grayed out. Is there a setting or what? I have Snow Leopard and Mac OS X 10.6.5.

Answer 1

I guess one thing that bothers me about all my pictures being "bundled" in iPhoto or Aperture is that they don't show up in the Finder.
This is a real non-issue. A Package is simply a folder that looks like a file. Want to look inside? Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library or the Aperture Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
See? There are all your files, in folders.
Why are they Packaged? Because if you move, rename, or alter them then you will corrupt your Library. So it's a simple protection for the structure of the Library. That's all. No big secret.
But there are other things you need to consider too.
Supposing you want to attach a file to an Email in Aperture. Presumably you want to send the edited file of your photo. So, how do you do that +when there is no edited file+? Aperture doesn't actually edit the file at all it simply records the decisions you have taken and shows them to live when you view the pic. All your edits are "virtual". So, the fact that your original files are stored out the the package will be no help to you at all.
iPhoto is pretty much the same - though the details are different.
So, you have to use the applications when you want to access the files for whatever reason - editing, printing, sharing, whatever. That's the point of these apps. They are your Photo Manager, what AddressBook is to your Contacts, iTunes is to your Music and so on.
Here's a macro I use for when these questions come up on the iPhoto Forum. Most - if not all - of these will also work for 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.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
*_(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:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto or 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 or 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 iPhoto Library from your Services Menu. Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
*File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. This produces, producing a copy.
Regards
TD