Mac iPhoto vs. PC File Structure

As a new Mac user I'm new to OS X Yosemite. Previously, in my old PC I could view all my photos as files that I could open, delete, etc. Now, in iPhoto, these files are no longer visible, but apparently stored elsewhere that I can't seem to reference or see unless I export the photo. I still have all of my photos from my PC in the 'Pictures' folder, but is iPhoto not referencing these files and simply has them stored & referenced elsewhere? So is it safe for me to delete all of these photo files from my old PC? I don't want to delete these files unless I'm sure iPhoto isn't referencing them and has its own storage location. Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks!
@pple_user

By default iPhoto copies your photos to the iphoto library - it is VERY strongly recommended that you do no change this
See iPhoto and File Management
iPhoto is a photo manager and totally replaces the finder (a file manager) for your photos - see - this is conceptually must different than a file based management system
Assuming that you have a default managed library then you can delete any photos that have imported into iPhoto - although I personally would leave them on the PC as an additional backup
LN

Similar Messages

IPhoto and finder file structure

Hi everyone,
How can I make iPhoto use the file structure of Finder?
I understand the concept of "rolls" and the download from your camera is a new roll and these end up in your originals folder as well.
So in the course of a vacation I could have been in 5 cities and want to create albums of these. Is there a way to make the album show in finder? I tried to make a folder but you can't drag pictures into a folder. At least I couldn't.
I'm just trying to simplify life a little when I'm not using iPhoto and need a picture. Hope there is a setting to save stuff in folders outside if iPhoto.

RonsMac:
First, delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that's in your User/Library/Preferences folder. If that doesn't help the try the following:
NOTE: When you use BatChmod there's no indication of the process working after you enter your admin password except when it's done you get hit up for a donaton. Those settings I suggested can also be applied to your User (home) folder. I've done it several times. But only on your home folder!
Have you run Disk Utility and verified the hard drive? If no do so and see if it indicates that some repairs are necessary. It it does, boot into your system install disk, open Disk Utility from the Utilities menu in the first window after the language select window. Repair the disk and reboot.
If you have another account on the Mac, log into it and see if you can get iPHoto to export OK. If not, then I'd do the following:
1 - reapply the 10.4.10 COMBO updater.
2 - run the Quicktime 7.2 updater
3 - reinstall iPhoto (when you reinstall iPhoto you'll have to delete the current application and all files with "iPhoto" in the file name that reside in the HD/Library/Receipts folder).
If iPhoto exports OK in the other account then there's something in your primary account that is the culprit. One test is to determine if there's another preference file that's affecting iPhoto. Here's how to run the test:
Trouble Shooting Preferences
Go to HD/Users/Your_name/Library. Move the Preferences folder (in its entirety) to the Desktop and make a second copy of it so you have Copy A and B. Now try the the process again and determine if problem is fixed.
If the problem IS fixed, then go to the new Prefs folder that the OS will have created and open it up.
Open Copy B on the Desktop and select all of the items inside. Drag them into the open new library folder. When the Copy window comes up check the Apply to All check box and then click on the Don't Replace button as seen here. That will keep the new files created and bring back all of the others.
If the problem is NOT fixed, trash the new Prefs folder and move the intact Copy A folder back to the Library folder .
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto 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 written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), 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. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Export Iphoto-library to file structure

I have been searching around for quite some while how to export the Iphoto-library into a 'classic' directory file structure (e.g. folder/event; folder/album,...).
Main raison for doing this is for backup and consolidation purposes: I have quite some 1000nds of pictures on traditional directory structures on my NAS; I want to consolidate this with the Iphoto data I have, without imoprting all the existing stuff into Iphoto.
I have found in fact 2 applications which should serve this purpose:
- the Iphoto to disk solution: http://www.iphototodisk.com, which seems no longer updated and the album export-feature was only in rel. 4 beta available
- Photoshare: a scripting based tool, but I experienced some issues witht the export of albums (empty...)
- a number of scripts found on teh internet.
I also read somewhere that a good alternativ eis to upgrade to Aperture, which seem sto have a better export-capability, including an export which allows to export to full library accoring to events and albums.
I'm surprise that there are not more apps availble for this,as it seems to be a hot topic on the internet.
Any advice ?
Peter

What advice were you looking for?

IPhoto import finder file structure sort by date taken

Hi! I'm switching from iPhoto11 to Aperture. I've imported my iPhoto Library via the Import menu asking Aperture to Copy the photos.
File structure in the finder in important for me for further usage so I checked the "Aperture Library" package content and discovered that my 10000 photos had been imported in one unique folder with today's date. Even worse each subfolder has a complex name...
Is there an option to specify "Import photos into folders devided by taken date" ?
Thanks

Messy for you but not for the computer. Both iPhoto and Aperture maintain the files in an order that is appropriate for that application. It may not a format that is understandable to humans. I always use managed and allow Aperture to do what it wants in the way of file storage. If I need anything I ask Aperture to get it for me. It is a DAM, Digital Asset Management, system.
If you have valid reason to have to access the files without using Aperture then maybe referenced is the solution for you. Personally I figure that is what the computer is there to do so I leave it do its thing.
Allan

Iphoto library to file folder structure on External Hard Drive?

So I've had some recent problems with my iMac that make me question just using regular Time Machine to back up my photos. So I got an external drive and formatted it for both Mac and PC - just in case my computer crashes and I just dump it and go the PC route...sad I know...
But anyways I'm trying to get my photos out of iphoto with a file structure similar to iphoto - but in explorer view. I have gone to Finder and did show package contents. But with iLife 11 the pictures are stored by date, rather than by how I have it in iphoto.
And if I also tried the export feature in iphoto and it seems to get hung up when it sees a MOV file. Any ideas? I don't really want to pay for any kind of app - I'm thinking there is an easy way and I'm just not aware of it.
Please help!

What version of iPhoto? Recent versions of iPhoto 11 have this in the Export panel:
File -> Export
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.
Earlier versions: Apps like iPhoto2Disk or PhotoShare will help you export to a Folder tree matching your Events.
Be aware that exporting to folders on n external disk is not a back up for your iPhoto Library. Yes, you can choose to export your originals or your versions, but you can't have the connection between them maintained. So you lose the lossless processing. Read the link above on the export settings carefully: do it wrong and you'll lose a lot of data.
Best back up for an iPhoto Library:
Most Simple Back Up
Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.
Slightly more complex:
Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically. Examples of such apps: Chronosync or DejaVu . But are many others. Search on MacUpdate

Transitioning photo library from PC to Mac/iPhoto

I am just starting to acclimate myself to a new Macbook Pro, and I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle my photo library from my old PC desktop. Because of the limited storage on my laptop, my plan is to keep my photo library on an external hard drive.
All of the photos on my old PC are currently organized by year, then by month (a decade's worth of photos), and I'd love to take advantage of this switch to use keywords, faces, and other features of iPhoto for more specific tagging of my photos. But, due to my unfamiliarity with the way iPhoto handles its file structure, I'm a bit hesitant to dive in just yet. Does anyone have suggestions for how I should go about moving my photo library over to the Mac?
For reference, I'm using Mac OS X 10.9.1.

As well as changing from PC to Mac, you're also now thinking of changing the paradigm of how you manage your Photos. What does that mean?
Well this is file organisation:
All of the photos on my old PC are currently organized by year, then by month
You could use precisely the same structure to organise word processing documents, or powerpoints or whatever.
But that file is not your Photo. It is just a container - a box - for your Photograph. Think of it this way: In my iTunes Library I have a file called 'Let_it_Be_The_Beatles.mp3'. So what is that, exactly? It's not the song. The Beatles never wrote an mp3. They wrote a tune and lyrics. They recorded it and a copy of that recording is stored in the mp3 file. So the file is just a container for the recording. That container is designed in a specific way attuned to the characteristics and requirements of the data. Hence, mp3.
Similarly, that Jpeg is not your photo, it's a container designed to hold that kind of data. iPhoto is all about the data and not about the container. So, regardless of where you choose to store the file, iPhoto will manage the photo, edit the photo, add metadata to the Photo but never touch the file. If you choose to export - unless you specifically choose to export the original - iPhoto will export the Photo into a new container - a new file containing the photo.
The difference shows best in iPhoto, where you can search on the same things as the file manager, plus a whole lot more, you can organise in many, many ways, effectively and efficiently.
As you want to store your photos on an external then you need a HD, connected to your Mac via USB or Thunderbolt and formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
On that you create a LIbrary and import your Photos to it.
(And you'll need a second one (at least) for back up.)
You can work iPhoto in two modes: one it manages the files and the other you do. Use the first.
For more on iPhoto and file management see this User Tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6361
I strongly urge you to import a couple of hundred images to iPhoto and explore first. It's a good app, but it's not for everyone. So get some in and see what it does (and doesn't).
As for organising: Here's a canned answer that might suggest some possibilities:
I use Events simply as big buckets of Photos: Spring 08, July - Nov 06 are typical Events in my Library. I use keywords and Smart Albums extensively. I title the pics broadly.
I keyword on a
Who
What
Where basis (The When is in the photos's Exif metadata). I also rate the pics on a 1 - 5 star basis.
Using this system I can find pretty much find any pic in my 50k library in a couple of seconds.
So, for example, I have a batch of pics titled 'Seattle 08' and a typical keywording might include: John, Anne, Landscape, mountain, trees, snow. With a rating included it's so very easy to find the best pics we took at Mount Rainier.
File -> New Smart Album
set it to 'All"
title contains Seattle
keyword is mountain
keyword is snow
rating is 5 stars
Or, want a chronological album of John from birth to today?
New Smart Album
Keyword is John
Set the View options to Sort By Date Ascending
Want only the best pics?
add Rating is greater than 4 stars
The best thing about this system is that it's dynamic. If I add 50 more pics of John to the Library tomorrow, as I keyword and rate them they are added to the Smart Album.
In the end, organisation is about finding the pics. The point is to make locating that pic or batch of pics findable fast. This system works for me.
Finally, as an FYI:
For help accessing your photos in iPhoto see this user tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491

New to mac and iphoto, questions about photo structure & organization

I bought a new Macbook Pro a couple of days ago and am still figuring things out. I wasn't displeased with windows...I just decided to try a mac anyway, So far, I adore it except for one thing, the pictures.
I spent hours researching whether to download and use picasa 3 for mac or iphoto. I decided on picasa....and now I've changed my mind. (Mostly because I tried to take pictures of the moon tonight, and they looked great in camera, but Picasa could only pick up a black screen whearas iphoto actually saw and defined the moon- and with the editing software on the two, the picasa auto-edit looked like a picture that was created in microsoft paint, and iphoto came out with a beautifully contrasted photo).
Now that I decided to use iphoto, I have been researching how to switch and still seem to have a lot of questions. (I've poked around numerous forums but have found conflicting answers on different sites).
1) I organize my pictures by folders with the month and year. I know iphoto organizes events, which it seems to determine based on photo similarity. Will my photo structure still appear in finder -> pictures?
2) Is it possible to stop iphoto from organizing my pictures and just trust me on what I want?
3) All of my friends and family use PCs, and there is a chance that due to financial concerns, when I eventually replace my macbook pro (far in the future) I could switch to a pc. Does iphoto make transferring pictures more difficult? (If I understand correctly, it does not change the photo file, a jpeg is still a jpeg but I want to be sure)
4) I do not want iphoto to duplicate all of the pictures already in my library....if I import from finder-users-pictures, will it simply use those, or duplicate all 150gb worth of pictures?
5) Any other tips for someone completely new to macs and iphoto?
6) This is very silly, but how do I uninstall picasa (I know how to uninstall on a windows but want to make sure I do things correctly on my mac!)
Also, just a "bonus"- regarding events vs. files I create, will iphoto create events within the program but leave my file structure in the library it imports from alone? If I use finder to go to where I store my photos, will I still see my file structure regardless of what iphoto does?(Does that make sense? I'm having a hard time trying to describe it)
I apologize if this question is foolish or misplaced- I did read many other posts but didn't see the answers I was looking for.

Your questions are neither foolish nor misplaced.
The first thing I strongly suggest is that you make a trial iPhoto Library. Import 100 or 200 pics and explore. Iphoto isn't right for everybody, and if you're going to use it you will need to rethink things a little.
1) I organize my pictures by folders with the month and year. I know iphoto organizes events, which it seems to determine based on photo similarity. Will my photo structure still appear in finder -> pictures?
A: Events are based entirely on Date and Time not on 'photo similarity' You can set the interval for what makes an Event in the iPhoto Preferences: iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> General Pane: Autosplit into Events... And select from the drop down menu.
Will my photo structure still appear in finder -> pictures?
Yes or no, depending... iPhoto can run as a Referenced or Managed Library. In the former case, yes you files will be visible in the Finder, in the latter case they won't.
Note that Referenced or Managed refers +only to file storage+ It offers no extra functionality, it does nothing at all. App like iPhoto are your go-to app for your photos. If you use it, then you never access the photos via the Finder. Ever. It's always via iPhoto or the many, many hooks into the OS that it has.
I'll detail more on Referenced v Managed below.
2) Is it possible to stop iphoto from organizing my pictures and just trust me on what I want?
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Iphoto does basic date and time organisation by default. You can change it, you can change the location of the photos in Events, merge them and then using the other tools available - Albums, Smart Albums, Faces, Places etc you can organise your photos whatever way you want.
But what do you mean by pictures. There is a distinction between Photos - the image of your child holding his dog - and files: A Jpeg is just a file. Iphoto is designed for you to +forget about the jpeg+ and get on with the interesting bit: the pics of your younger and his pet.
3) All of my friends and family use PCs, and there is a chance that due to financial concerns, when I eventually replace my macbook pro (far in the future) I could switch to a pc. Does iphoto make transferring pictures more difficult? (If I understand correctly, it does not change the photo file, a jpeg is still a jpeg but I want to be sure)
A Jpeg is a Jpeg is a Jpeg. If you migrate to another app or an entire OS you can export the photos plus any and all metadata you've added to the Finder and move it on. (Caveat: You cannot export Faces. There is no agreed standard on any system for exchanging this info.)
4) I do not want iphoto to duplicate all of the pictures already in my library....if I import from finder-users-pictures, will it simply use those, or duplicate all 150gb worth of pictures?
It can do either. And this brings me back to the Referenced v Managed discussion above. By default, iPhoto will Manage the files, that is, it will copy them into the Library. You can choose not to, but I strongly recommend that you don't:
*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 organisers
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.
*If you want to edit the photo in another application:*
You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.
5) Any other tips for someone completely new to macs and iphoto?
*To Push Home a point*
For someone inexperienced with Macs and inexperienced with iPhoto I cannot stress enough that Managed Library is the way to go. I understand there is comfort in seeing all those folders. But inside the Library that's all there is: all those folders, stored so that an inexperienced user can't grub things up!
The iPhoto Library Folder is a Package File. This is simply a folder that looks like a file in the Finder. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves. Want to see inside?
Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
Standard Warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
Now close that window and forget about it.
So, once you've imported your photos to iPhoto in a Managed Library, the surplus duplicates are +your folders+. Of course, in time, trash them to get back the wasted disk space. But don't do it today or tomorrow. There's no hurry. When you feel confident that you understand how iPhoto is working and that's it's working for you, theat's the time to reclaim the space.
I organize my pictures by folders with the month and year.
If you want to duplicate your Folder Tree in iPhoto:
Start at the bottom of the hierarchy and drag a folder of images to the Album Heading in iPhoto. The pics will be imported and an Album of the same name created.
You can then create the Enclosing Folders in the iPhoto Window (File -> New Folder) and drag the Album to it. Folders can contain other Folders (Nested Folders) and Albums.
However, is your folder system date based? Then this form of organisation is a bit pointless in iPhoto when Smart Albums or the Calendar tool (Click on the wee magnifying glass in the Search Box) mean you can find the photos taken on any day, month or year at a click. With Smart Albums it's easy to find photos from specific range - say, June 3 to August 25, 2009 etc.
If your folder system is theme based - Xmas pics, Birthday pics etc, then you'll find Keywords are much more flexible, and can be used in conjunction with other criteria for making Smart Albums and searches.
6) This is very silly, but how do I uninstall picasa (I know how to uninstall on a windows but want to make sure I do things correctly on my mac!)
Drag the app to the trash and empty it.
Regards
TD
v

How do I maintain the file structure in iphoto 6 the way i want them?

For the past few years I have been scanning forty years worth of slides on my windows based PC. I have approximately 9500 scan as this point. Each scan is given a number such as "009500" followed by the names of persons or places shown on the picture. They are generally in chronological order. Obviously the creation of the scan has nothing to do with the date of the actual shooting of the picture. They are in the order that I want them in.
I can import them either from an external hard drive or from cds containing a few hundred scans each.
Is there anyway that I can maintain that kind of file structure in iphoto 6?
Frankly, I am somewhat disappointed by all of this. My kids told me how easy the mac was for photos and I now find that it may well complicate my computer life even more.
Mad Judge

MJ,
Once your files are imported into the library you can view them in many ways. When you import a file, iPhoto uses the filename as the photo title. I think you can achieve what you want by using View > Sort Photos > by Title. This will display all of your scans in the alpha-numeric order of their titles. You could then move the size slider toward the left (to reduce the thumbnail size) and quickly group your photos into Film Rolls. Click on the first photo, shift-click on the last photo, and all photos in between will become selected. Then use File > Create Film Roll to group these photos together into manageable chunks. Each time you create (or select) a film roll you can give it a descriptive title and edit the roll date. When you set the View to Film Rolls, each roll is listed in chronological order by the date of the roll - not the date of the photos within the roll. This is handy, since you can easily set the date for each roll, and it's a much less daunting task than redating your entire library. Photos within one roll will display in chronological order based on the date of the photos. I realize that with your scans these will not be accurate. So you could either change the date in iPhoto (but you said this would be a huge task) or don't worry about it. [You could use Photos > Batch Change to quickly redate the photos in a roll. Even if you don't take the time to set the exact dates, you can assign the group to a date or series of dates. By doing this you can use the calendar tool to filter your library by date. It is just one more way to make iPhoto a powerful organizer. Click on a year, month, or date in the calendar tool, and iPhoto filters your library to show the photos with those dates.] This is where your grouping into film rolls helps make your library organized - if the photos in a roll are from relatively the same time frame, then perhaps the internal order of the roll will be less important. And you can always switch your View back to Sort by Title when you need the photos to display in the exact order you have designated with your filenames. Just don't re-title the photos once they are in your library.
If you divided your library into Film Rolls, then you could create an Album for each roll (by simply dragging the roll to the Source Pane). The advantage there is that with regular Albums, you have the option to sort the photos manually by dragging them around. (View > Sort Photos > Manually) You can switch to another sort order, and iPhoto remembers your manual order when you return to it. You do have the option to reset your manual order if you wish.
iPhoto is very flexible, and with so many views, sorts, and filters you may well find a method that works for you. There is a shift in thinking from the way Windows software works, and if you are used to file browsers then you have to learn to play by the rules of using a database. If you can be patient and work through the learning curve, you may be rewarded. If I can clarify anything for you, please let me know.

Export iPhoto pics to PC while maintaining file structure

Hi,
I am sure I am going to flame up the old Mac vs PC war, but I want to export all my iPhoto photos to a PC while maintaining some sort of file structure.
Is there an app that can do this? Can it be done from the Macintosh version of Picasa?
I did find this youtube tutorial on how to do it, but going into Terminal to get it done may be above my abilities.
Thanks in advance for all your help,
Phil

1 - there is no "old Mac vs PC" war - only old PC users who want to make a Mac just like their PC - it is not and will not be - we explain how thing DO work - not how they should or what is best
2 - does yoir question involve iPhoto for the Mac in any way? It appears to be a Picasa support question - this is the wrong place for that - you need a Picasa suppor forum fot that
3 - this makes no sense
but I want to export all my iPhoto photos to a PC while maintaining some sort of file structure.
since anything you export from iPhoto is in "some sort of file structure" - impossible not to be as that is the only way photos can be stored digitally
If you have iPhoto '11 you can export in a folder structure that matches your event structure - see this user tip for details on export options including this one
4 - I'm not going to watch the YouTube video but there should be no reason to use Terminal to export yoru photos
LN

Retaining existing file structure when importing into Iphoto 8

Hello,
I'm new to the list and to iphoto. I'm an historian, and I have about 10,000 images of documents on my mac, all divided into dozens of folders, sub-folders, and sub-sub folders, depending on where the documents originated in the collections I was researching. I'd like to be able to work with these images in Iphoto 8. When I tried to import a folder that contained photos in sub-folders, Iphoto simply imported the photos without the files, making them pretty much useless for me. Can anyone on the list tell me how to work with these images with Iphoto without losing the existing file structure, and without me needing to recreate that file structure within Iphoto? Barring that, I'd be obliged for suggestions of other programs that can do this. Thank you!

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. If you must maintain your folder structure then you might want to look at another application for that.Media Expression will do exactly what you want. You setup your folder system and it works with it. You can keyword, set up categories (albums in iPhotoese) and lots more. It's one of the better DAM (digital asset management) applications.
Otherwise you can simulate your folder structure in iPhoto with iPhoto's virtual folders and albums like shown in this screenshot:
Click to view full size

Controlling File structure within iphoto

Aloha,
I am new to the macs and am trying to figure out the filing system with iphoto. I am interested in doing the following with my files in iphoto:
1. Is there a way that I store the images in folders that mimic my organization in iphoto? If not how can I navigate to a particular photo?
2. If I have a folder structure that I want to import to iphoto how do I go about doing that? As I belive iphoto uses 3 main picture storing folders (data, modified and original). Am I to drag my additional files into original? and will it mimick that structure within iphoto?
Thanks
macbook Mac OS X (10.4.7)

nayrsmith
I'll take these one at a time:
Can I do a mix of how the images are stored? aka some that are imported in the file structure that I have them organized in, and others (presumably new images) that are imported directly into iphoto? How would this work
Not comfortably, though you could do it using aliases I guess. You could certainly experiment with a few shots. My worry would be the complexity of the system would leave open the possibility of Human Error.
2. If I use filing outside of iphoto, I have to manually delete files? aka trashing then iphoto will not delete them from the files? What about if I rotate or modify the image in iphoto, does this then become permanent aka I cannot revert to the original?
Yes you would have to manually delete the files. No, you can still Revert To Original.
3. If I do use the filing outside of iphoto is there a way to use automator to delete pictures when I trash them
Not that I know off. I'm no Automator expert, but I looked in the Automator Library and could see nothing. The difficulty would be trying to make an internal app event (empty iPhoto Trash) match to a system event (Move to Trash) without a hook of some form from the Automator Library, Might be worth a post in the Automator Forum.
4. Iam concerned about space; does iphoto create a duplicate file for each image that is modified in iphoto (what constitutes modifcation, just cropping etc, or rotating as well?).
Yes, iPhoto makes an apparent duplicate of each file that is modified, and yes, modification includes any change. If your concerned about space, move the entire library to an external disk.
I am still skeptical about not having any control over how the images are stored, thus my hesitancy about just going with iphotos database storing.
The iPhoto Safety Net: If you go with the default setting in iPhoto your photo are stored - in plain view - at Home/Pictures/iPhoto Library Folder in the Originals folder, where they are organised in Rolls (really just a folder) based on Date. You can go there and visit them anytime. They are just as accessible as in your own file structure.
The iPhoto Library Folder is organised as follows:
There are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three folders
Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.
(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.
This allows the Photos -> Revert to Original command
(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.
But remember, It is strongly advised that you do not move, change or in anyway alter things in the iPhoto Library Folder as this can cause the application to fail and even lead to data loss.
So essentially, the storage on iPhoto is as plain and secure as your own file system.
Feel free to ask more if you need more.
Regards
TD

Using Adobe Bridge file structure with iPhoto (latest version)

I use Adobe Bridge and have all my pics in named folders in Pictures/PICS/Folder Names. Inside the PICS folder is the iPhoto Library (only a few pics in it). Is there any way I can use the file structure I have set up with Bridge and iPhoto (latest) simultaneously? I really dont want to import (copy) all my pics into IPhot because I am pretty sure I will end up with two versions of each. I havent been able to manage pics manually the way I like to in older versions of iPhoto.

Here's some info to help you setup Photoshop for use with iPhoto:
Using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements as Your Editor of Choice in iPhoto.
1 - select Photoshop or Photoshop Elememts as your editor of choice in iPhoto's General Preference Section's under the "Edit photo:" menu.
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window
that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
NOTE: With Photoshop Elements the Saving File preferences should be configured as shown:
I also suggest the Maximize PSD File Compatabilty be set to Always. In PSE’s General preference pane set the Color Picker to Apple as shown:
Note 1: screenshots are from PSE 10
Note: to switch between iPhoto and PS or PSE as the editor of choice Control (right)-click on the thumbnail and select either Edit in iPhoto or Edit in External Editor from the contextual menu. If you use iPhoto to edit more than PSE re-select iPhoto in the iPhoto General preference pane. Then iPhoto will be the default editor and you can use the contextual menu to select PSE for your editor when desired.
OT

AVCHD File Structure From MAC to PC

Hello,
I know this is sort of off topic but I need the expertise of this forum....
I am the videographer (mac user) for a speaking group and have to film speeches 5-7 minutes in length each week. The problem is how to get the videos to each person without processing on my Mac and uploading to youtube so they can see them.
I am Using a Canon HF10 and wonder if I could pop out the memory card from the camera put it in a card reader attached to a person's PC and transfer the files that way. I know that I would copy the entire file structure to their computer. I assume the PC person would have to have something that could work with the AVCHD files but I don't know what is on a PC computer these days. The other dilemma is that the speakers HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO COMPUTER skills.
Anyone have any ideas how to get the video to a viewable state without going through FCE.
thanks,
Al

I agree with Martin and might add that I was in a similar project late last year with several folks who certainly weren't as computer savvy as myself, and YouTube turned out to be the solution. That way I didn't have to deal with the perennial "I couldn't open it" comments you WILL receive. Everyone was able to view YouTube.
You might try uploading to Vimeo - I think you can actually upload .MTS files directly to their site, if you want to just post your raw footage. You could just get the files in the Finder directly from the file structure on the HF10, copy them to your Mac and upload from there. (I haven't tried this, but Vimeo's site says they accept .MTS files, which is what the HF10 videos will be, in the "STREAM" subfolder)
The downside is that their free account maxes out at 500MB of uploads per week. That may be enough for you but I don't know. If you pay, the limit is quite a bit higher.

IPhoto 11 file structure

I had my laptop stolen recently and have my iPhoto library backed up using Carbonite. I have been trying to restore it from Carbonite, however, at the rate it is restoring it will take months to restore. I have a locally backed up version of my iPhoto library from two months ago. What I want to do is just restore from Carbonite photos taken over the past 2 months and then I'll re-add those to the local backup I have. The problem I have is that I'm finding the iPhoto Library file structure really hard to navigate through and work out. Where would I find the photos from the past couple of months (it is under Masters?). Also where is the metadata I would have added when I imported them to iPhoto (file name, faces info, keywords etc.).
I've tried to find online something that explains the file structure without success.
Thanks,
David

the iPhoto library is a SQL database - you can not reconstruct it in pieces - the best you can do is to restore your local i{Photo library and then get the recent photos from the masters folder and import them to the library
Metadata is stored in the database - file names are as imported (iPhoto does not modify file names)
LN

IPhoto Library file structure

I have consolidated a large number of photos into rolls with meaningful names (e.g. NOT Roll 108 etc.,) and when the roll is empty in iPhoto the title disappears. However, if I try to use othr applications to access the originals, all the old, empty rolls are still shown in the file structure. Can I safely delete these in Finder or will it affect iPhoto? I just want to tidy up the file tree for when I'm using something other than iPhoto for manipulating my photos.

BreizhRonB
an I safely delete these in Finder or will it affect iPhoto?
It is strongly advised that you do not move, change or in anyway alter things in the iPhoto Library Folder as this can cause the application to fail and even lead to data loss. Given that iPhoto is not removing them automatically may be because there are pics in the trash that belong to these Rolls (solution: empty the iPhoto trash). However, it might also be due to HD issues.
However, if I try to use othr applications to access the originals,
This is also not recommended. What other apps are you using? Photo editors? You can set any image editor as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in the editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically.
or
There are three ways (at least) to get files from the iPhoto Window.
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.
Also, many applications use the the media browser. However, the key information is that Users and/or other Applications should not attempt to access the iPhoto Library Folder.
Regards
TD
Message was edited by: Terence Devlin

IPhoto file structure corrupted?

Dear all,
It seems that my file structure of iPhoto is corrupted.
I import my photo's from a Sony digital camera and during vacations I use the iPod as an in between storage medium as well.
After the holidays I downloaded the pictures into iPhoto, and I see now that the photo's are not saved any longer in the 'Year, Month, Day' folder structure as it used to do before using an iPod, but now all of a sudden the pictures are stored in the an 'Original' folder in the iPhoto Library and which has now also year folders like 2001, 2004, ... 2006, etc.
These folders in turn, contain subfolders either labeled for example 'Filmrol 228', 'Filmrol 229', etc., and '100APPLE', through '103APPLE', which contain the individual photos. So no 'Months' or 'Day' directories.
It seems that my file structure has been corrupted (by the iPod??) somehow.
Currently there is no logical way I can find my pictures under the 'Year, Month, Day' file set up any more, exept by clicking on the photo and with the right mouse button and select "Show file".
How can I correct this mess?
Thanks,
Hans

Hi Hans,
From your post, it seems as though you are now using iPhoto 6. I say this because this is how iPhoto 6 organizes in the finder.
iPhoto 6 Library folder in the Finder
As you can see the structure is now related to rolls. Rolls are created for each folder you import and each import session from a camera.
It is very easy to change the names of film rolls within iPhoto to make them easier to find images within. Open the info panel in iPhoto by clicking on the "i" icon. Once it is opened, click on the roll title in the viewing window.
Click on the word "title" in the info pane and type in your new title. I like to use a date and text format such as 12/25/05 Christmas at Mom's, 1/05/06 my birthday, etc. Once the roll names are changed within iPhoto, they are also changed within the Finder, making it easy to locate an image.
When importing from a camera, make sure you name the roll with a date and text before the import.

Mac iPhoto vs. PC File Structure

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