IPhoto Library Size What to do.

I really like iPhoto '08. However, I'm going to run into a problem. In the old iPhoto days we would run into the problem of not being able to keep all the photos in the same library because of the number limit on the photos. That is no longer a problem so I put all the photos we own into one library on our MacBook. Now we just bought a new Camera that takes really nice photos but the files are huge. I'm seeing a new problem on the horizon and it will be here quickly. My wife's HD only has about 9 GB left and the new pictures are going to eat that up quickly. We have an external firewire HD just to work with digital content. Does anyone have any ideas about how to manage library size.

My wife's HD only has about 9 GB left
She is past out of space - with less than 10 GB left you are in danger of losing data
Assuming your external drive is formated Mac Extended (journaled) I would recommend moving the iPhoto library to it right away - quit iPhoto, drag the iPhoto library from the pictures folder (default location) to the external drive and launch iPhoto while depressing the option (alt) key and use the select library option - once you have pointed to the external drive and tested your library, drag the library on the internal drive to the trash and test one more time before emptying it
LN

Similar Messages

  • After installing Aperture and leaving photos in iPhoto library, why did iphoto library size almost double?

    I installed Aperture and chose to leave all my images in the iPhoto library until I became more comfortable/familiar with Aperture.
    I was looking at my hard drive space and see that the available space went way down.  In Finder, the Aperture library.ap library is 17.97 gb and the iPhoto library is 122.75 gb.
    When I open iPhoto, it says that it contains 19349 images/87 gb.
    What happened?  Is that extra size related to the Aperture referencing the images?  Should I delete and start over, and move all the images into Aperture so that they are managed there?
    I'm just figuring my way around Aperture, and I'm trying not to over-think the organizational differences, but this size discrepancy seems a bit too much.

    I wish I had more info for this but I'm stumped. As I said there is no reason Aperture would increase the iPhoto library size by importing iPhoto's library.
    BTW how did you do the import, that might shed some light on the problem.
    The image count between the backup and the live iPhoto libraries seems fairly consistent so why the jump in size I can't say. And as for the increase in the number of images in Aperture, you started with an empty Aperture library, correct? And did you import anything directly into Aperture since you did the iPhoto import?
    I'm still a little confused on the whole thing where Aperture shows both original and edited versions of an image, and some show both RAW & JPEG versions of an image,
    Well Aperture really doesn't show both the original and edited versions, all you ever see are the versions unless you specifically ask to see the master. When you import an image into Aperture a version of the master is automatically made and displayed. Because at this point the version is no different then the master (you haven't made any adjustments to it yet) the version looks exactly like the master but it is the version you are seeing.
    As for the RAW & JPG thing, if you shoot both RAW + JPG's in your camera when you import them you have the choice of which to make the master or to make each one a master. Not sure if that is what you are referring to.
    I'm wondering whether I would have been better off just moving the whole iPhoto library into Aperture at the beginning, and deleting the iPhoto library.
    That is definitly one option and the option most users who switch eventually make. You're not going to want to have both programs handeling your photos. But you should probably hold off until you;re more omfortable with Aperture and make sure you have a good backup of the iPhoto library before you do anything.
    Remember when you import the iPhoto library into Aperture you're only choice is to copy the images not move them. This is done so that you can make sure all went OK before doing anything with iPhoto.
    If you have the room you could try bringing in the iPhoto library backup, and trying the import again into a new empty Aperture library.
    regards

  • I have IPhoto version 9.5.1. I cannot export pictures, the following message appears: "iPhoto cannot import your photos because there is not enough free space on the volume containing your iPhoto library." What am I suppose to do? I have a Mac mini.

    I have IPhoto version 9.5.1. I cannot export pictures since the following message appears: "iPhoto cannot import your photos because there is not enough free space on the volume containing your iPhoto library." What am I suppose to do? I have a Mac mini which properly used can perform any reasonable task, the problem is I do not know what to do.
    Any help will be appreciated.

    Hmm... that was labelled:
    As a Test:
    In bold and all
    Try repair the main Library:
    Option 1
    Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
    If that fails:
    Option 2
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
    This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.  
    Regards
    TD

  • IPhoto library size smaller than original collection

    I've seen several iphoto library size questions but nothing seems close to my own situation.  If anything, it's mostly the other way around. Apologies if this has already been covered but I've searched long and hard!
    I have my photo collection in two places- an iPhoto library and separately stored in a finder folder called "Photos".  For backup purposes and in case anything goes wrong, I prefer to have them doubled up like this.  My iPhoto library is 7.96GB when viewed in finder, whereas the folder "Photos" is 8.95GB.  The same number of images are in both.  Can anyone shed some light onto why this would be the case?  There are no other items contained in either collection, movies etc., just the same amount of photos in various folders within folders.  Surely the iPhoto library would be at least as big, if not bigger with thumbs, photos modified etc?

    I would expect the iPhoto Library to be significantly bigger than the folder tree so something is not right.
    Are you running a Managed or a Referenced Library?
    A Managed Library, is the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing. The files are then stored in the Library package
    A Referenced Library is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.
    BTW:  Storing the files in a folder tree and iPhoto on the same disk is a waste of space and not a back up. A back up needs to be on a separate disk, at least. The most common problems are disk issues. Such a set up offer no protection whatever from that.
    Regards
    TD

  • Iphoto Library Size Too Big

    I am getting increasingly nervous over the size of my Iphoto library as it exceeds 60gb. In prior versions of Iphoto you could open and find photos through the finder. In Iphoto8 you can't, so if something happens to that file, or even the backup you are screwed. Is it possible to break this down into more libraries of more manageable size without duplicating everything? Alternatively if I were to use Aperture, would it make a duplicate database or reference Iphoto; I think smaller libraries might be possible there.

    cybermooks:
    If you're looking for a method to find a photo for use outside of iPhoto then read Terence Devlin's treatise on file access. There's no need to go into the iPhoto Library package to get to an image file.
    If you maintain a recent backup of your library, either with Time Machine or a 3rd party backup application like Synk Standard you'll be able to recover a single file or entire library.
    Also, in order to be able to recover from what many users are experiencing, corruption of the library's database file, Library6.iPhoto, you should backup that one file frequently. The tip at the end of my signature below describes one way you can do that very easy, like using the Save feature in many applications.
    There is a way to create multiple, smaller libraries and that's by using iPhoto Library Manager. However, if you don't have a backup strategy for them you won't be any better off than having one large library.
    TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
    I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
    Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

  • How long to import an iPhoto Library? What settings....? Arrrrgh!!

    I have now been importing (leaving images in the iPhoto Library) for over 4 hours now. 
    My iPhoto Lib is 240Gb with 45k photos and an hour or so of Video. I am running an iMac i7 with latest OSx and 4 Gb RAM
    Aperture is 'grinding' away and has consumed the available RAM and a lot of the processor. 
    With this process running the system is almost unusable and at times freezes.  I have found that Time Machine (which kicks in every hour) causes a massive lock where the two processes seem to be competing over the same patch of land...  Turning this off has helped.
    Initially I tried an import "to 'Pictures' " which I left running overnight, however the system settings sent the machine to sleep before it was finished and I had to force quit on resuming this morning.  I then tried to 'resume' the import selecting "No Duplicates" however the import was starting from scratch again.  This may have only been events/projects but it was simply taking for ever.
    An initial import of a folder from "iPhoto Browser" view did not pull through the GPS or faces or other project data - so I decided a full import was required.
    My end goal is to work out the best setup of the different import options for me.
    What's better and what are the pro's 'n' con's of loading images into the Aperture Library or leaving in the iPhoto Lib?  What about in folders in 'My Pictures"?
    After reading through some of these forums I have noted that there are a few of the "consumer" functions which Aperture does not have I will still want to use the card/calendar features of iPhoto - what might be the best setup for me?
    It's a bit confusing when looking to transition from iPhoto......  I've tried reading through the support pages and watched the How To vids - but I cannot find a Why do it this way or that way....?
    Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated
    Thanks
    qBall

    So - after a lot of playing around this is what I have sorted out.
    Aperture is pretty awsome
    Cannot possibly go back to iPhoto now....
    ....but will still need iPhoto for some of the 'Grandparent' stuff like cards and calendars!
    On the setup/installation side when importing from iPhoto, depending on library size - expect this to take a significant amount of time.
    Turn off TimeMachine
    Disable 'sleep' in Energy Saver
    Set import up and let it run overnight!
    I have imported my entire iPhoto library both into Aperture and 'in place' to see what is the best way to make it work/run and performance etc.
    Thinking that I would not want to duplicate a massive library file - I wanted to see if there was any performance or other like issues with either method, and if there was any siginificant space savings of doing either.
    Here are some stats:
    On file sizes:
    iPhoto Library 230.36 GB
    Aperture 'Leave in current location' Library 26.48 GB
    Aperture 'In Aperture' Library 216.27 GB
    On Time to import:
    Aperture 'Leave in current location' Library 8+ hours (this was before i worked out to turn off timemachine)
    Aperture 'In Aperture' Library - overnight..?  It just worked this time!
    On Opening Aperture: Average time taken until application is fully responsive
    Aperture 'Leave in current location' Library -> 2m:35s
    Aperture 'In Aperture' Library -> 1m:16s
    On Exit with Update to previews: (obviously this has a lot to do with changes in your library)
    Aperture 'Leave in current location' Library -> 7m:40s !!!!!
    Aperture 'In Aperture' Library -> 2m
    Using Aperture
    I could not find much difference in creating slide shows, editing images or working with faces/locations etc once Aperture was loaded with either library.  The big difference seems to be in the post processing of libraries once imported. With the 'In location' library this seemed to take 'days' as each time I opened this library I had massive lags and delays and became frustrated so went back to the 'In Aperture" library.
    Now this processing is complete I also find the Application is running well and not completly hogging all the RAM/Processor available.  I am now comfortably able to run Aperture, Web browser and another profile on the iMac without too many performance issues!
    Still looking at how 'going back to iPhoto' using the Aperture library combinations might work - aaarrrrggggh - can I really be bothered ????
    Summary
    For me I am going to use the In Aperture setup.  Performance is greater and the library size is smaller.
    If looking to import a large iPhoto Library I suggest:
    Turn off all background and other programs which could steal any processing power/RAM
    Run it overnight
    Import with the 'In Aperture' option
    Be prepared for the 'post processing' and allow this to complete before you become concerned bout the performance

  • IPhoto Library size

    I've just been getting set up on a new MBP after, and have been trying to clear as much clutter out as possible. I looked at Aperture, but am no just going back to using iPhoto. Along the way, a good number of duplicates were created, but I've now been through the photos in iPhoto and deleted all the duplicates.
    The total size of the images in iPhoto, according to select all > get info is 5GB.
    But the Finder is reporting the total size of the iPhoto library as 11.64GB, mostly made up of 8.63GB originals, and 1.41GB modified.
    Is this normal, or should I be able to clear more stuff out? If so, what would be the best way of doing this?
    Cheers.

    Iain:
    iPhoto reports just the size of the original files of those displayed. There is a lot of overhead in the library in the form of modified files, thumbnails, database and cache files as seen here. However, the Originals folder should be closer to the size reported by iPhoto for the entire library. Make a temp backup copy of the library and launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys depressed and follow the instructions to rebuild the library. Select the first three options. That will do some cleaning of the library and you can then check to see what the sizes are. But the Finder will always report a larger size than iPhoto.
    Happy New Year
    TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
    I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
    Note: There's now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

  • IPhoto library size and movie imports - getting HUGE!

    In iPhoto 08- (in my primary library) I have 23,000 photos, and about 300 movies (some MPEG) from an older Sony digicam, and now I have a Canon Powershot TX1 which is a flash based still digicam/720P HD camcorder that captures very large AVI's (depending on shot length, they range from 30MB to 400-500MB). I know I can choose on import to not bring them into iPhoto, and just bring in the still shots. However, it does make it easy to bring them into iPhoto along with the still pics, but I am concerned about the growing size of my 45GB library (1 of 3 libraries - I have not been splitting them up in the last couple of years, relying on the fact that iPhoto is stable with very large libraries- and going to enable a Time Capsule w/ Time Machine very soon). Time Capsule would save me here, right? Am I playing with fire here on the library size, and setting myself up for a crash?? There are so many downsides to multiple libraries when it comes to projects, searches, imports, etc. I'd love to know that I can safely stick with one.
    Wondering also if I should NOT import the movies into iPhoto, and keep them seperate? The benefit to doing this, is that we can post MULTIPLE movies to the .Mac gallery at the same time, and have them appear as seperate movies...whereas in iMovie 08, if I put a bunch of clips into a project to post to .Mac gallery, it compiles them as a single movie - which is, many times, not what we want.
    Any advice here is greatly appreciated!!!

    GaryFL1:
    You might consider creating a separate library for the movies and see if that will speed up your primary library. If you needed a movie in an album to create a web gallery you could put it in an album in the Movie Library and copy that album to your working library.
    A lot of iPhoto's quickness depends on both CPU power, RAM and free space on your boot drive. I would imagine your iMac would be your primary iPhoto machine and it should meet the CPU and memory criteria. How about your free space?
    Time Machine is a very good backup device in my experience. Depending on how big your backup drive is and how much you're backing up, you can go back in time a fair amount. I've got a 750 GB TM drive backing up my boot drive and one external. It now goes back 5 1/2 weeks for me.
    TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
    I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.≤br>
    Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

  • Library size:  what's "normal"?

    I have around 13,000 images equaling 140 GB. When I first built a library, with normal rendered previews, the library was close to 19 GB.
    I then rebuilt the library, I believe without previews, and it reduced its size to under 2 GB. Now, my libary has swelled to around 8 GB, even if I delete the 1:1 previews.
    What is "normal" or reasonable when working with LR? How can I keep a balance between speed and reasonable library size? Is a new hard drive looming in my future?
    I would appreciate guidance, clarity, and recommendations!
    Thanks!
    Reid

    Hello, Reid. I recall your posting on this some time ago, and since then I concluded for the mix of images I put in, the library plus previews will equal somewhere between 8 and 12% of the overall. Recognizing milegae, of course, but it doesn't seem like you are out of line.

  • Aperture vs. iPhoto library size

    I imported my 41GB iPhoto Library into Aperture 3. The resulting Aperture Library is 53GB. Any idea why such an difference? Thanks.

    I regenerated all my thumbnails but did not get a significant difference in file size. I had earlier down a precautionary "repair database" which may have meant my file sizes were corrected then already.
    Not sure how much you want to play with this problem, but if you have an Aperture Vault, you could consider restoring your Aperture Library from the Vault with Aperture 3.0.2. That's one way of not losing any changes (I hope) and getting everything defined correctly (and I hope).
    I was sure that Aperture never used to copy Previews to the Vault by the way and today when I first updated my Vault after upgrading to Aperture 3.0.2 March 25th, the Activity Window showed it was copying all my Previews to the Vault - and that took quite a while! I wonder if this is a new feature. I'm sure it didn't do this with Aperture 3.0.1. Nice to see Activity Window being more informative in any event.

  • Lost photos after iPhoto library rebuild - what happened?

    After noticing that there were albums entitled Recovered photos in my iPhoto library, I deleted those albums. As expected, i got a message that i was not really deleting the originals, just getting rid of such albums. There were about 5 of those "recovered albums": one contained about 30 photos; three had zero and another had over 1000 photos. Subsequent to that, thinking of making this library totally clean, I decided to do a "libraty rebuild" using the option-command rebuild procedure of iphoto. I checked all the options presented for that procedure. To my surprise, when the process was finished I had less events, and less photos. A careful visual check of the display pane of events and photos confirmed that i had lost actual photos. I tried to reclaim those lost photos with another rebuild -- this time using iphoto library manager, but without success. What happened? Is there any way to reclaim those lost photos?
    I do have a backup, but would prefer to correct the problem in the original library to avoid having to assemble and clean up duplicates that i had before.
    I'm using the newest version of iPhoto: 8.1 and OS X 10.5.8 on a MacBook 2.4 Ghz - 2Gb Ram - 250 GB HD, 42 GB available. My iPhoto library has over 12000 photos

    Why these things happen is always difficult to answer. My experience with iPhoto is using it since v1 on with a single library that's upgraded each new versions and migrated from G4 iMac to G5 iMac to Intel iMac and then a second Intel iMac. I load photos in, my wife does and my 12 year old does too.
    And never had a problem.
    The database gets corrupted when the app is interrupted when writing to it. The usual causes of this include a crash, a force quit or a lost connection to the Library on an external disk. More rarely minor disk or directory damage might be a cause.
    I wondered when I read your report
    Subsequent to that, thinking of making this library totally clean, I decided to do a "libraty rebuild" using the option-command rebuild procedure of iphoto. I checked all the options presented for that procedure.
    The options presented for that procedure include various items that require the app to read the database file plus this one
    Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
    +I Wonder+ - I stress, I wonder, no more - if reading to rebuild various thumbnails from a file that is being vacuumed +while at the same time+ is being replaced by a backup is what caused the issue.
    If it is, then the Rebuild from Back Up option should be sandboxed and not possible while the other events are going on.
    But that's just a guess.
    Regards
    TD

  • Can aperture reduce my iPhoto library size?

    Hi, I have spent hours reading lots of discussions and whilst, maype part of my questions have possibly been answered somewhere else, I cannot get a definitive answer to everything I need to know.  I undrestand that aperture is different to iphoto, but I am confused by some of the answers regarding libraries that I have read! Any opinions or answers are gratefully received...
    I have read that aperture organises the photo library differently to save space when compared to iPhoto that I understand makes duplicates for every change/edit that you make to a photo. My current photo library is nearly 120GB and I want to get some space back! I have external drives that I could move my iphoto library onto, but I want to keep my photos (well, certainly half of it) on the internal drive as I work away from plug sockets often and my 3TB drive needs power.
    If I purchase aperture, do I import my library into aperture and will it then reduce my library down in size?
    I know that iphoto and aperture can share a library, but can I split my library into photos onto my hard drive that I don't often need and keep the ones that I want on my internal drive?  Would iphoto and aperture be able to work fully if the external hard drive wasn't connected? My thinking is that only aperture can cope with having multiple libraries on multiple drives to work with at the same time, and that iphoto needs one complete library on one drive
    I am happy with many of the photos that I have edited from years past ie rotation, red-eye correction and can't see a reason for every wanting to revert to the original.  Can I just export these as full size jpegs to my external drive and then delete them from iphoto to reduce the multiple versions of each photo it keeps, before re-importing them into iphoto which means it will only make retain 1 copy of the photo (the one that I need)?
    Huge thanks for taking the time to read this!
    Neil

    I have read that aperture organises the photo library differently to save space when compared to iPhoto that I understand makes duplicates for every change/edit that you make to a photo.
    It uses the same Library format as iPhoto, so no, it doesn't organise the library differently. It gives no thought to saving space. Digital photography with a non-destructive workflow uses a lot of space. iPhoto makes no duplicates. It has a preview of an edited version. One thing that Aperture can do is not generate the preview. But that means no integration with other apps, and you'll need to export the shot everytime you want to email or use an image in a document etc.
    Frankly, I don't think that space would be a reason to migrate to Aperture.
    My current photo library is nearly 120GB and I want to get some space back! I have external drives that I could move my iphoto library onto, but I want to keep my photos (well, certainly half of it) on the internal drive as I work away from plug sockets often and my 3TB drive needs power.
    Split the Library. It's cheaper:
    Make sure the external drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    1. Quit iPhoto
    2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
    Now you have two full versions of the Library.
    3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
    Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
    Some Notes:
    As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
    You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
    You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager
    If I purchase aperture, do I import my library into aperture and will it then reduce my library down in size?
    No you just open it. It doesn't change it in any way without further intervention from you.
    I know that iphoto and aperture can share a library, but can I split my library into photos onto my hard drive that I don't often need and keep the ones that I want on my internal drive?  Would iphoto and aperture be able to work fully if the external hard drive wasn't connected? My thinking is that only aperture can cope with having multiple libraries on multiple drives to work with at the same time, and that iphoto needs one complete library on one drive
    See above. I don't think you need Aperture. iPhoto can have the same number of Libraries as Aperture - i.e as many as you want.
    I am happy with many of the photos that I have edited from years past ie rotation, red-eye correction and can't see a reason for every wanting to revert to the original.  Can I just export these as full size jpegs to my external drive and then delete them from iphoto to reduce the multiple versions of each photo it keeps, before re-importing them into iphoto which means it will only make retain 1 copy of the photo (the one that I need)?
    Yes you can, but you might want to ask yourself why you're using a non-destructive workflow at all, if you're going to that bother to try and defeat it?
    IMHO: there are many excellent reasons for moving on from iPhoto to Aperture - and they are all to do with the limited nature of iPhoto's tools. You mention one of them. I think that the suggestion I have above is the way to go forward, with multiple libraries.

  • IPhoto library size bloated by previews

    I have worked through part of this issue in the iPhoto forum so now I just need a little clarity in the world of Aperture.
    The issue was the old favourite - lack of HDD space on my retina MacBPro. I moved all the images to a referenced library - no issues there. But I found that the iPhoto library was still over 40GB. With help from the iPhoto forum I have found that the previews folder is the culprit.
    I do not use iPhoto ever.
    What I want to do is simply free up as much HDD space as I can. Do I really need the iPhoto previews if I am an Aperture user? Can I dispense with them and if so how?
    Many thanks
    Iain

    Hi Léonie
    Thanks for this. 37GB HDD space has been reclaimed!
    A little extra research from your suggestion completed my revised workflow. I have not removed the new project previews option on the basis I work on the road with editing etc. SO in fact I keep the current project stored locally (not referenced) until edited etc. Then I'd manually delete the previews and update them to a lower sized image where required.
    I have deleted all previews and updated those that are recent enough to warrant being able to share and sync.
    How does that sound?
    Thanks
    Iain

  • How best to reduce iPhoto Library size?

    1. Can I delete big HD movie files from iPhoto (that were uploaded from camera) after I have run iMovie so they are now iMovie Events, without any subsequent impact (ie, deletion of) my iMovie Events?
    2. How can I find out size of iPhoto Books to see if it's worth moving them (and all those photos) to a second Library on an external drive?
    I have 100GB in 15K photos & 227 movies, but Finder says iPhoto Library is 134GB. That implies that the Book Projects are big and self-contained rather than pointers, but I think I read somewhere that if I just move photos from this Library to a second Library,  it will "break" the books still left on the first Library?
    A search found an old link to Old Toad's application note about duplicating/moving Libraries on web.mac.com but that's no longer available. Is there a new link?
    Thanks.

    1. Can I delete big HD movie files from iPhoto (that were uploaded from camera) after I have run iMovie so they are now iMovie Events, without any subsequent impact (ie, deletion of) my iMovie Events?
    You really need to ask that on the iMovie forum. It's very possible that it just links to the material stored in iPhoto.
    2. How can I find out size of iPhoto Books to see if it's worth moving them (and all those photos) to a second Library on an external drive?
    Book projects are not large. They are entries in the database only. They take up negligible amounts of space.
    There is no way to move a book from one Library to another.
    I have 100GB in 15K photos & 227 movies, but Finder says iPhoto Library is 134GB.
    The  iPhoto Window reports the nominal size of a folder if you exported everything from iPhoto at the Current setting.
    The Finder reports the size of the Library Installation. This includes: Original shots, Preview of Edited shots, thumbnails, database files, cache files and so on. All of these are required for iPhoto to work. There is no material in the Library that can be deleted.
    If space is an issue you can run a Library from an external disk:
    Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    1. Quit iPhoto
    2. Copy the iPhoto Library 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.
    Regards
    TD

  • Imported iPhoto library now what?

    Probably a real newbie question.... After importing my iphoto library and keeping files in original location, I'm confused how to get new images into Aperture without manually selecting each file. I still use iphoto to upload new images/videos, but it looks like if I try importing my iphoto library again it will create another duplicate library of all my files (even if I check the "do not import duplicates" box). Is there an easy way of having Aperture 3 import files as new ones are placed in iphoto? Or do I now need to start having Aperture manage my files?
    Thank you!

    You select one or the other. Do not use both. The only exception is for some publication projects which are only available in one or the other, in which case you would export your edited images and import them just for that project.

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