Merging iPhoto Libaraies

I wish to merge some of my iPhoto libraries but I can't see a way of doing this from within iPhoto.
I can export the photos from a library to a folder & then import them into the library that I wish to use but the photos loose the date that I gave them with Batch Change. the dates all revert back to the date that the photos were scanned. Also non of the Keywords that I had given to the photos seem to survive this process.
Is there a way of merging libraries while maintain the dates of the photos & their Keywords?
Thanks for your suggestions
Gary

Gazzaa54:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. Yes, there is. The only way is to use the paid version ofiMedia Browser. It will merge the two libraries and maintain the keywords, albums, titles, comments, etc.
Happy Holidays
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 created 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. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries 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.

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Merging iPhoto libraries on mac with 2 users

Hi, I have iphoto manager but can't figure out how to merge iphoto libraries
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I want all the photos in one library on my user account but I can't choose her iphoto library as
it says I don't have permission
Weird how everything is on one computer but having 2 users seems like you can only access your own stuff
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This worked thank u so much
Another quick question, iTunes doesn't seem to be aware that id like to use this computer as my new home base
I think I already had it authorized as we shared songs.
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Can i merge iphoto libraries?

Can I merge iphoto libraries?

You can export from one and import into the other or use
iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ -
LN

Merging iPhoto's library with Aperture's

What I want to accomplish: merge my iPhoto library with my Aperture library, creating one Aperture library while removing any duplicates.
What I've done: copied my iPhoto library to an external disc.
What I've tried to do: use "import library" on the Aperture File (while in the current aperture library on my internal disc) menu to import the saved iPhoto library on my external disc.
What happened: iPhoto library is visible but not selectable.
What went wrong? Thanks.

Got it working--not sure what happened.
Probably your iPhoto library needed upgrading to the latest iPhoto version that is compatible with your recent Aperture version. If your Aperture version is currently Aperture 3.5.1, you need to open any iPhoto library that you want to import at least once in iPhoto 9.5.1. Otherwise you cannot select it. See this document:
Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5296

Merging iPhoto Libraries into Aperture, How?

I want to merge 6 iPhoto Libraries in my new iMac straight into my newly bought Aperture. All have been opened in Aperture.
I am assuming that onced merged I can then dip into my large Aperture library wherever I like, quickly and easily.
Yesterday I merged 3 libraries into Aperture. Today I opened a different iPhoto library and then looked for my merged library.
I can't find it and assume I'm missing a vital step. Poring over forums has made it no clearer.
What have I done wrong or missed?

I am not sure how you have tried to merge your iPhoto Libraries. Have you seen this help text?
Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries
basically, you open an Aperture library, and then use the Aperture command "File > Import > Library" to import your iPhoto Libraries, Simply opening the iPhoto Libraries in Aperture will not consolidate them into one libraray - you have to import them.
Regards
Léonie

Merging iPhoto & Aperture libraries

I want to merge iPhoto & Aperture libraries but I have three questions before I do this:
1. Both programs have different events and albums organizing my photos. When I merge the libraries, does each program keeps the photos organized the way that are right now or does it also merge events and albums? After I merge the libraries, when I creat an album or an event in either program, does the event or album appears in both programs?
2. After I merge the libraries, when I import photos from a camera or the iPhone, does it automatically refreshes in either programs and the new photos appear in both programs? I guess this is a dumb question but I just wanna make sure.
3. I Have an external HD backing up my aperture library in a vault but my iPhoto library is not set to back up automatically like the vault thing in aperture. After the merging, now the vault is going to back up the whole master library?
I appreciate the help and guidance with this questions.
Proto V.
PS: I am mexican so english is my 2nd languaje, I apologize if I commited a gramatic mistake

The key question here is what versions of iPhoto and Aperture do you have?
If you have the latest vesions of both, then merging is as simply as using Aperture's File -> Import -> Library command.
Again, if you have the latest versions of both, thereafter both apps use the same library. So, new photos don't "appear in both programs", they go into the Library and you can use either app to see them.
Yes, after merging the vault will back up the Library.

Really struggling with 10.10 and merging iPhoto libraries

I imported my old iPhoto Library via firewire (from Mac mini 1.6 10.6 to Mini 2.53 10.10)
My 2.53 has about 1000 images on it, as I had been downloading / using as main computer
I imported old library onto my desktop of Mini 2.53
I opened the file on desktop, iPhoto said did I want to change library (you would have thought it would have offered option to merge), I said yes and then it went through a long process of updating photos. After one failed / crashed attempts and a few hours later ! success ! ... my old photo Library 225GB ... working and still sitting on my desktop.
Now ... next thing I want to do is merge this Library / import into the one I have on my 2.53 mini (1000 or so images)
1st thing ... finder in 10.10 is so poor that you can't navigate, you can't find anything (10.6 x1000 better) so I can't move the desktop iPhoto (old) library) into the picture folder
2nd I open IPhoto and ask to switch (from old library which has now become default) to the one which was on the 2.53 , and there seems to be 2 options iPhoto Library and one option IPhoto Old Library, I select one of the iPhoto Library and then iPhoto says needs to repair but not enough disk space ...
Really unworkable (I am finding 10.10) ... Snow Leopard was so good.
Thanks for your help

Now ... next thing I want to do is merge this Library / import into the one I have on my 2.53 mini (1000 or so images)
iPhoto cannot merge libraries.
You can just switch between the libraries and view them in turn.
If you try to import one library into the other you will create a mess of duplicates - thumbnails, previews, etc. You should be glad, that iPhoto did not let you do this. It would have wrecked your iPhoto library.
To merge iPhoto libraries you can use the full, paid version of iPhoto Library Manager: Fat Cat Software – iPhoto Library Manager
It s a very useful addition to iPhoto and has rescued many libraries.
The other option is to export the photos from library 1 and import the exported photos into library 2.
I select one of the iPhoto Library and then iPhoto says needs to repair but not enough disk space ...
If you are short of storage do all merging and preparing your libraries on the external drive. It is risky to update or work with iPhoto libraries, if you are in danger of running out of storage and having iPhoto crash. That may corrupt your iPhoto library beyond repair.
If you want to use an external drive, if only temporary, make sure the drive has the correct file system. The drive needs to be formatted MacOS Extended (Journaled). See: iPhoto: Issues with FAT32-formatted drives
Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture
Really unworkable (I am finding 10.10) ... Snow Leopard was so good.
It is a large step from Snow to Yosemite. I loved SnowLeopard to. It is well designed and stable, but yosemite has many things to offer.
To see what changed between versions:
OSX Tips Some Changes in Lion
OSX Tips Mountain Lion Changes

Merging iPhoto Libraries- will events carry forward?

I am exploring unifying my iPhoto libraries. To keep the size of the main library down, I have removed the majority of photos from older events and placed in alternate libraries( eg a vacation library). Will I be able to combine the events back together in Aperture unified, or should I manually combine them back before switching over?

Hi,
See this document: It will tell you, which Aperture and iPhoto versions are compatible with the new, unified library format:
Aperture 3.3: Using a unified photo library with iPhoto and Aperture
The newer vesions of Aperture and iPhoto are using the same library format.
Aperture can combine iPhoto libraries into one library and keep the events and albums.
This document describes how to do this: Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries
So you could create a new library in Aperture and import your iPhoto libraies into this library, using the command "File > Import > Library". This will preserve your old events and albums, edits, tags.
Only remember to unhide all hidden photos in iPhoto; you cannot unhide them in Aperture.
And backup all libraries, before doing a major reorganisation.
Regards
Léonie

How do you merge iphoto libraries without duplicates and maintaining events?

I have a few iphoto libraries on my computer that I need to merge, without duplicates, and maintaining the seperate events. Does anyone know how to do this efficiently?

"Terence Devlin" does not work for Apple, for the makers of Library Manager and has no beneficial interest in whether or not you use or purchase this or any other app. If "Terence Devlin" did have such an interest the terms of use of the Forum would require that he add such information to the post. No, Aperture cannot merge iPhoto Libraries. Aperture can convert them to Aperture Libraries and merge them, but that would be of no use to an iPhoto user, as iPhoto can't open an Aperture Library.
And the fact remains that the paid version of Library Manager is the only way to merge Libraries
Regards
"TD"

Merge iPhoto name with Address Book contact card?

I have a lot of pictures named on iPhoto under faces. But then I just put some contacts in my Address Book and I wanted to know if theres a way to merge the Faces name and the Contact Card. Or maybe if I can just rename all of the Faces at once under one person, and change them to the contact card name? P.S. I am currently running Snow Leopard. But i I need Lion for it, I will be biying it tomorrow anyways=) Thanks anyone who helps!:D

Oh wait! Nevermind! I found I can just rename it! I'm a little new to the Mac:P

Merge iphoto libraries onto an external HDD

We have 3 macs at the house and they all have different Iphoto libraries. I would like to merge them all onto the one Library of the Imac with an External HDD. The problem is that a bunch of the pictures are on more than one of the computers. I was hoping that there was a way to import them but not import the duplicates like when I import from a camera.

You'll need to use iPhoto Library Manager to merge the Libraries. There is no other way to do it without losing versions or metadata.
Regards
TD

Error Message (Arrow and Exclaimation Mark in Yellow Triangle) Showing on Bottom Right of Some Photos after Merging iPhoto Library into Aperture

The strange thing is that some of these said photos with an error message have a normal thumbnail and can be opened fine, but the others (most of them) just have an empty space in the thumbnail as if the image can't be found.
I tried to Locate Referenced Files as Leonie suggested in https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3686982?tstart=0 but got this message 'The Selection Doesn't Have Any Referenced Files', so i presume that's not the issue.
In the thread mentioned above, Leonie mentioned something about not emptying trash. I did empty my trash recently, and started to think these images may have been poor quality ones i previously deleted in the iPhoto library … but that still doesn't explain why the error currently appears on some images which seem to work fine (these images are ok quality ones and there is no way i would have deleted them in the past).
Also - the 'Processing' message at the bottom of the browser seems to be spinning endlessly. I just left it for over 10 hours overnight and it's still going. Could this be linked to these error images which it's having a hard time finding/loading?
Quite baffled at the moment, and would really appreciate any feedback. TIA.
EDIT:
I just looked more closely. It appears that most of my folders have duplicates of the same image with exactly the same file name. And all the images with the error message have them on both duplicates (i.e. one on an image that has an empty thumbnail, and one on an image that's fine).
When i initially tried to import the library, it proceeded half way then failed. After opening the iPhoto library in Aperture first, and then doing the import again, everything worked fine. So, i'm wondering if the images with errors that are empty/blank may be the result of the failed 1st import.
What's puzzling is why they weren't overwritten (especially since all the file names are exactly the same). When importing the library, i chose 'merge' instead of 'add' when prompted, thinking that would solve it. Obviously not.
EDIT 2:
After reflecting on this, i thought one solution may be to:
a) Find all the error'd images that are empty/blank and delete them, and then
b) Find and remove all duplicates
So i followed Leonie's suggestion to create a Smart Album and use the 'File Status is Missing' rule.
But now, i see that there are images that i imported into Aperture months ago that have the same problem. And the new thing is that there are duplicates with errors where *both* images are visible (whereas for the iPhoto library i just imported, there were dupes where one version was blank and the other was visible and seemingly ok).
I'm really hoping there is a simple solution to this, and am awaiting some feedback before i try anything else.
NB. This is a super large (over 100GB) Aperture library that i am trying to consolidate everything into. It is Work In Progress and i was only going to back it up once the import of various iPhoto libraries was done. However, I'm wondering if it's better to just back up first - but if i do it now, the backup will include all these errors and duplicates. What would you guys do?

UPDATE 2:
The users in these 2 threads seem to have a similar File Status Not Found issue:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4086569?tstart=0
https://discussions.apple.com/message/17757686#17757686
Followed Leonie's advice to look for the (missing) masters inside the Masters folder, and indeed, they were missing. So, that confirms the reason for the error message.
If this does not work, because you have managed originals, inside the Aperture Library, look for your originals in the Aperture Library Package. Select the Library in the Finder and ctrl-click, then select "Show Package Contents" from the pop-up. In the Finder window that opens, navigate to the folder "Masters". Your missing images should be inside; the folder is structured by date of import.
Of course, the question is - why the masters for these few images are missing, when the other images in the same project that were imported/merged at the same time are fine.
Trying to do the library import/merge from iPhoto into Aperture again. Fingers crossed. Will report back on the result.

Merging iPhoto Libraries from two Macs

Does anyone have a way of physically combining (not just sharing) iPhoto libraries from two macs? I'm hoping there's an easier, smarter way of doing it than just exporting all of the photos from one and importing them into the other and then just doing the reverse. Is there software that does this smarter? Can get rid of duplicates, etc.?

Merge?
Do you mean 'sync' libraries
The general term means when two Libraries (A and B) are compared and files in Library A are copied to Library B, while files in Library B are also copied to Library A so that both Libraries are identical.
This is bi-directional copying and you cannot do this with automatically with iPhoto. No Syncing software is capable of parsing the iPhoto Library in this manner. One or both of your Libraries will be damaged if you try this.
The nearest you can get to syncing is to use iPhoto Library Manager to move files/Albums/Events plus assoicated metadata between Libraries. This process cannot be automated.
The Export/Import route will not get your versions.
Regards
TD

HT201340 Merging iPhoto library into Aperture - what really happens?

If I merge my iPhoto library into Aperture does it mean I will have all my photos showing as projects in aperture the same as events in iPhoto? I only want to bring in my professional photos from different events in iPhoto and put them into projects to create a themed workflow and edit these in Aperture. I do not want iPhoto and Aperture to be the same.
I am extra new to the Mac invironment.
Thankyou

Open your iPhoto library with Aperture. Select the events you want combined with your Aperture library and select File->Export Projects as library. This will create a new Aperture library with just those events. Then reopen your normal Aperture library and File->Import library and select the new library you just created.
Once you import this library, you can delete the separate library if you want.

Merge iPhoto and Aperture libraries?

I boght Aperture and as I was installing it, I made the wrong choice when it asked me if I wanted to merge the iPhoto library with the Aperture library. I can't figure out how to do that after the fact. Do I need to reinstall Aperture?

I can't figure out how to do that after the fact. Do I need to reinstall Aperture?
No, you don't. Aperture can now merge any iPhoto Library into the Aperture Library.
But do you really need to merge the Libraries? If you want, you can keep the libraries separate. iPhoto can now open Aperture libraries, and iPhoto can open Aperture Libraries. You can switch between Aperture and iPhoto any time from within Aperture.
But back to your question:
To merge the Libraries
open your iPhoto library at least once in iPhoto 9.4 to upgrade it. Quit iPhoto.
Open your Aperture Library in Aperture.
From Aperture's main menu bar use the command "File > Import > Library" and select your iPhoto.
When prompted if you want to "merge" or "add" duplicate library items, select "merge".
Good Luck
Léonie

Merging iPhoto Libaraies

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