Export Masters To Organized File Structure

Question

Hello Everyone,
I'm new to Aperture 3, in the past my photo library and folder structure has been a mish mosh of imports ranging from iPhoto to Picassa. The original photo structure of all my photos is a real mess. Of course, when I download Aperture 3, I jumped right in and imported all my photos (as referenced) then went about organizing them in Aperture.
I have looked around and not found the answer to this, but what I would like to do is take my Aperture Organized file structure and Export all the masters to a different location in the same organized File structure. Basically I want my "New" Master file structure to match my Aperture organized folder/project structure and store the referenced files on a share. Currently they are on my MBP with limited disk space.
I have played around with the export versions, but export Masters is grayed our when I select my entire "Projects and Albums". Any help would be much appreciated. I'm just trying to get better organized with my original Master jpeg folder structure.
Thank you,
Steve

Answer 1

scSaxon1 wrote:
Hello Everyone,
... what I would like to do is take my Aperture Organized file structure and Export all the masters to a different location _in the same organized File structure_ . Basically I want my "New" Master file structure to match my Aperture organized folder/project structure .... {Emphasis added}
(Added) First -- and this is important -- you must understand the difference between exporting an image (which creates a new file) and +relocating your Masters+ which moves your Masters to another drive location and tells Aperture where they are.
What you want to do -- quoted above -- can't be automatically (and thus usefully) done ... and (imho and apparently the Aperture design team's HO as well) there is no need.
Stepping into Aperture's world is bit like stepping off the solid pier onto a boat. You feel afloat. You worry about sinking. The boat won't sink.
Aperture is based on image-management. Until Aperture and like programs matured, photographers relied on +file managers+ and, basically, advanced file browsers.
Leave that behind. +There is no utility in having a one-to-one correspondence between your images and your digital negative files+. You literally can no not do this and use Aperture: Versions are images created on-the-fly, based on text files. They don't perdure as image format files (yes, I have been waiting a long time to use "perdure" in a sentence). Aperture lets the user manage their images (in tremendously plastic ways) and (except for backup) ignore file management completely.
I've touched on this in a few other responses in the forum. I'll try to find links. IME, the only file-management need I have is being able to find a file without Aperture. I keep all my Masters in their own directory (no one's captures but mine). I stick to a good file-naming convention. My computer sorts these tens of thousands of images by date in less than a second. I have never not been able to find a file almost immediately (as long as I know what I'm looking for).
If I don't know what I'm looking for -- I'll never find it using a file browser. That's what I use Aperture for.
I realize my presumption in assuming that your needs parallel mine. If they don't, specify exactly what functionality you are looking to maintain. Aperture may not be able to do it. My hunch, however, is that you are trying to stay moored to the world of file browsing. Push off -- there's good sailing out here.
Some additional thoughts and suggestions are [in this thread|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=13294441#13294441]. And [here's a thread|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=13115722&#13115722] with even more.
Message was edited by: Kirby Krieger