Exporting Of Entire Library for use with Tversity and PS3

Question

I'm a recent Mac owner and my background is windows. I have a setup at home where all my photos are backed up to a windows server which uses tversity to distribute photos etc to my PlayStation 3 for display on my television. I want to use the Mac as the source for my photos. Having imported all my photos into iPhoto I have realised that my standard concept of organising all my photos into folders based on the month they were taken is perhaps outdated and iPhoto creates it's own library. I still want to be able to view the photos on the PS3 so somehow need to get the files back to my windows PC.
I have the following questions:
1. Is there any software that will keep the iPhoto library in sync with another external folder structure, making changes as necessary when photos are added/modified? (This is a long shot I know).
2. Assuming not can I export the entire library to the windows PC? If I can what happens to the folder structure and file names? Is it possible to export just changes from a point in time?
3. Are exported photos always the latest version of the photo including any edits that have been made?
4. I'm struggling to understand how Albums, Projects and Events relate to the underlying folder structure that I am used to. I prefer to have the photos organised into smaller folders by month, preferably with the date and time in the filename. Is there a way to force iPhoto to maintain this type of structure?
Apologies if any of these are stupid questions. I've had a good look through the forums and can't find any answers that address this issue.

Answer 1

iPhoto has no cross platform ability at all. It may well not be the app for you.
1. Is there any software that will keep the iPhoto library in sync with another external folder structure, making changes as necessary when photos are added/modified? (This is a long shot I know).
No.
2. Assuming not can I export the entire library to the windows PC? If I can what happens to the folder structure and file names? Is it possible to export just changes from a point in time?
You can export the files easily using the File -> Export command. A app like *_[Iphoto To Disk|http://www.Iphototodisk.com>_* will help automate the process for you.
3. Are exported photos always the latest version of the photo including any edits that have been made?
No, not always. If you choose 'Originals' in the export dialogue that's what you'll get.
'm struggling to understand how Albums, Projects and Events relate to the underlying folder structure that I am used to.
They don't. When you import photos to iPhoto they are stored in folders that reflect the Events in the iPhoto Window. But if you move files between Events in the iPhoto Window that's not reflected in how the files are stored on the HD. Albums are virtual, they are entirely constructs of the iPhoto Database. They have no corresponding folders on the HD at all. This is why a photo can be in 100 albums and use no extra disk space at all.
I prefer to have the photos organised into smaller folders by month, preferably with the date and time in the filename. Is there a way to force iPhoto to maintain this type of structure?
No.
The point of iPhoto is that it's about managing Photos not Files. The idea is to let iPhoto store the files and for you to forget about them and get on with organising the photos. You do all your work in the iPhoto Window and iPhoto tracks the relationship between what you decide and the actual files.
What you can do is run a Referenced Library.
*I strongly caution you against doing this because you are inexperienced with Macs and iPhoto*
It's a limited way to meet your requirements. You can decide how to store the unedited photos only. You still have no access to the edited ones except via iPhoto. Really, the best this offers is some comfort for people who have a burning need to see where the files are on the HD. It offers no functionality.
That said:
*How to do it:*
Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.
*What Happens:*
Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. To do this it will create an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder.
*Some things to consider:*
1. Importing and deleting pics are more complex procedures. You have to to put the files where they will be stored before importing them. When you delete them you'll need to remove the files from the HD yourself.
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
4. Because iPhoto has no tools for managing Referenced Files, if, for some reason, the path to the photos changes then you could find yourself resolving aliases for +each photo in the Library+ one by one.
My own opinion:
I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organiser
If disk space is an issue, you can run an entire iPhoto Library from an external disk:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library as an entity from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. 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.
If you're concerned about accessing the files, There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
*For Users of 10.5 and later*
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!
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
*For users of 10.4 and later* ...
Many internet sites such as Flickr and SmugMug have plug-ins for accessing the iPhoto Library. If the site you want to use doesn’t then some, one or any of these will also work:
To upload to a site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. However, if you're using Gmail you can use iPhoto2GMail
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
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 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.
For Users of 10.4 and later:
Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser
Other options include:
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *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. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
Regards
TD
Message was edited by: Terence Devlin