OK to use Aperture to maintain iPhoto Referenced Library

I have Aperture and iPhoto. We are an OSX and Windows household. But thanks to the Windows 8 debacle, my wife (the diehard Windows user) has abandoned her PC with all regard to photos and videos (viewing, editing, sharing). Now, I use Aperture most of the time, but my wife uses iPhoto 100% of the time. I manage all the imports with Aperture. (I currently have one referenced library that I use in Aperture of all files and a second default iPhoto Library that is managed but only has post-2010 files in it. Both created in their respective programs, if that matters.)
Coincidentally, we are also at a point where we need to quit adding photos/videos to the PC or we'll exceed its backup capacity.
Now that she is using the iMac, I would like to get the Library organized and minimize my workflow and eliminate duplication. I do not have enough contiguous disk space for single managed aperture library. I have avoided proceeding because iPhoto and referenced files are not recommended by most of the experts here, for well founded reasons. However, now that both apps can use the same library, and Aperture handles referenced libraries so much better... why not go referenced now? I can leave the pre-2010 files on the PC, and keep all the post-2010 imports on the iMac, all in one Library. The fact that nobody is getting into the files on the PC virtually eliminates all the problems I've had in the past.
Is there something I'm missing?
Thanks for any thoughts on this, or hidden gotchas.

No assuming that you have the latest version of both iPhoto and Aperture so there is total interoperability between them
LN

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IPhoto Referenced Library: repair aliases

Hello everyone, I have an iphoto referenced library of about 58 thousand pictures, I have the originals stored on a 1TB lacie hard drive ("castor") connected through firewire 800. Tonight I was doing some funny stuff in order to get that drive clean and empty for re-partitioning (since disk utility wound't let me erase a couple of mac journaled partitions I didn't need anymore without reformatting the whole volume), so I took all the pictures, documents, applications, and a mac os tiger (from which I boot sometimes) to another daisy chained 1TB lacie (pollux) and once I was done, back to it's original home ("castor"), I thought that, even formatted, it would keep it's original path, but may be it didn't for when I tried to open my library all of the files where missing. There were only thumbnails and once at full screen it would ask me for the current location of the picture and if canceled, it would show just a huge exclamation mark.
I remade some of those aliases manually but there are 58,000 + files. So I am looking for a clever solution to get all those aliases fixed automatically without having to re-import all the folders containing my pictures again (not yet).
A few days ago I had a rather similar problem with iMovie which I solved by following a tutorial; editing the project's binary file by turning it into html via terminal and then modifying it with the correct location of the files. I hope there might be some trick like this for my mess. I would guess all of the ilife applications have a similar architecture and way to work.
I will post back if I find any fix for others to learn. Meanwhile, thanks in advance for your useful help and sorry for my english, I am Mexican... greetings! .

Good day, unfortunately filebuddy did not work for me, however I found on the internet a hope for all of us having issue with our referenced libraries: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=711230
This man affirms that by double clicking in one of the files and manually finding it's location when prompted (as expected in iTunes) was able to regain the order of his library.
And in http://thedigitalstory.com/2010/05/reconnecting_master.html this function appears to be more reliable and may be I am upgrading to Aperture now.
My "referenced videos" iphoto library seems to be working quite well, even though it passed through the same odyssey of getting out and back to my external hard drive, and it's also within an intricate directory structure.
I certainly have the need of a referenced library since my computer's hard drive is laptop-size and therefore it can't run as fast for browsing 4 years of amateur digital photography, so I think there's no workaround about that, in fact it is a pretty amazing feature.
Meanwhile I managed to solve it using automator: renaming folders, making aliases, and replacing the dead ones with these. The only problem is that the aliases made by automator which uses (I think) a similar method as Finder for creating aliases is that these links occupy much more hard disk space that the ones generated by iPhoto. I am sure I read on some other post that I can get into the iPhoto application package and mess around with its vital files to get the aliases repaired, in a similar fashion as I did to iMovie. Thank you for your help.
Message was edited by: sighi.dmor

Does iTunes sync metadata when syncing photos to an iPad/iPhone? I am using Aperture v3 as my photo library.

Does iTunes sync metadata when syncing photos to an iPad/iPhone? I am using Aperture v3 as my photo library.

This might sound weird, but here's an idea which worked for me re music that was newly added to itunes and showed up in my ipod but wouldn't play - I simply played the tracks in itunes first, just a second of time or so will do it, not the whole track, then connect the ipod and sync again and this time they played - hope this helps.

Aperture & iPhoto referenced library issues

Hi,
For the last couple of days I've been busy trying to get my Aperture library to work properly. I recently started using a referenced library because of lack of space on my internal ssd. I've generated previews on all of my 40000 photos. I can see all of my Projects, thumbnails, metadata etc. when my external drive is disconnected. However, there are two major issues:
1) Most of the video thumbnails are broken, both in Aperture and iPhoto. By double clicking a thumbnail of a video (.mov, .avi etc.) it sometimes starts playing, sometimes it doesn't, totally inconsistent. I can export the video and it works just fine.
2) While using iPhoto with the external drive disconnected, all Events are there, the thumbnails are there, everything looks ok, but I can only view some of the previews/photos after double clicking the thumbnails. A dialogue opens up saying "The volume for [imagefilename] cannot be found. Insert the disk or connect to the server volume..", but I can actually see the full size preview behind this dialogue. By clicking "Cancel" the photo dissapears and is replaced by a black screen with a grey exclamation mark. This does not occur while using Aperture, I can see all of my previews in full glory when the external drive is disconnected. However, with the external drive connected everything works in iPhoto (except above mentioned issue with videos).
Please boys and girls, help me out with this!
System information
OS: Maverick 10.9.1
Aperture: 3.5.1
iPhoto: 9.5.1
Thanks!
//Michel

I don;t use iPhoto much so I'm no expert but looking at other posts asking a similar question sems to indicate iPhoto is not capable of doing this.
See Can iPhoto view pictures on a disconnected external drive in a unified photo library? for one example.
Again if Aperture is working correctly on the referenced images on the disconnect drive and iPhoto is not you will need to ask the iPhoto folks.
regards

Using Aperture Photos in iPhoto

In using iPhotos Cards, I learnt that I needed to import Aperture Previews into iPhoto 11 to used them. That wasn't a size / storage concern as I was only making a few cards & only used a few images. I have been using Aperture almost exclusively since 2007, have 12k+ images there for my books & slideshows and closed off iPhoto (9.8k images) except for the occasional card, reprint of a book etc.
In making several 2013 calendars in iPhoto11, I would like to utilize many photos from various trips that are now completely in Aperture 3 - Italy, Oregon and other travels and the idea of importing several thousand & having in both libraries seems much but unable to see where I can share Aperture Preview images w/o importing.
Is that a correct assumption?
Thanks....Gene

Larry - thanks as I had NOT read that article. I have Aperture 3.4.3 and iPhoto '11 9.4.2 so I'm all set there. I had opened the libraries before in each application BUT misunderstood what could or couldn't be done in each application!
So if I now understand it, I can switch & open my Aperture library in iPhoto (and vice versa also) , have access to the particular project of photos I wish to use in Calendar & Letterpress Cards, make these Calendars & Cards, buy & send off to Apple's Printed Services? Since I don't plan on doing any editing work in iPhoto for these photos, those iPhoto '11 created projects are only viewable there?
Gene

IPhoto referenced library, importing

iPhoto looks like a pretty nice app, but I use my photos with a large collection of different picture utilities and keep copies on both Mac, PC and NAS drives. This made using iPhoto with a "referenced" library pretty much a must so all the programs can use the pictures easily.
So unchecking "copy into library" worked ok for me....but one little problem. When I insert an SD card it goes right to iPhoto and when you do an import the new pictures get copied straight into the iPhoto library. Can iPhoto do an import that just drops the files from the SD card into a selected folder?
If iPhoto can't import this way, how do you setup things so iPhoto doesn't automatically launch when you stick in an SD card? ie: just have the SD card (or camera) show up as a folder on the desktop.
Also, I've got hundreds of thousands of pictures in my collection from a lot of sources, does the iPhoto app have a library size or picture count limit?

iPhoto looks like a pretty nice app, but I use my photos with a large collection of different picture utilities and keep copies on both Mac, PC and NAS drives. This made using iPhoto with a "referenced" library pretty much a must so all the programs can use the pictures easily.
You really can not successfully do that - at best you will be working only with the original photos sans any modifications made in iPhoto
So unchecking "copy into library" worked ok for me....but one little problem. When I insert an SD card it goes right to iPhoto and when you do an import the new pictures get copied straight into the iPhoto library. Can iPhoto do an import that just drops the files from the SD card into a selected folder?
No
If iPhoto can't import this way, how do you setup things so iPhoto doesn't automatically launch when you stick in an SD card? ie: just have the SD card (or camera) show up as a folder on the desktop.
In the iPhoto preferences set action when a camera is connected to "do nothing"
Also, I've got hundreds of thousands of pictures in my collection from a lot of sources, does the iPhoto app have a library size or picture count limit?
250,000
LN

Is it possible for one user to use Aperture and another iPhoto?

I have a new imac 21.5", 3.33ghz, 4gb and I was wondering if it is possible for me as admin user to handle camera downloads automatically with Aperture, and my wife as second user to use iPhoto as automatic camera destination? Any comments would be appreciated.

If you want to use the same account there are a number of possibilities:
1. Set both Aperture and iPhoto to Do Nothing when a camera is connected. Then each one can launch their preferred app themselves. It's just one extra click.
2. Use [Cameras|http://www.flexibits.com> to configure what happens when different cameras are connected.
Regards
TD

Using Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11 together

I was wondering how to use them together. I spent a lot of time on Aperture 3 for geotagging every photos + faces and, trying to import them back to iPhoto '11, means losing all those info and start back again.
I was wondering if there's a way for keeping the main library on Aperture 3 but being able to work on it through iPhoto '11.

Aperture and iPhoto are entirely different applications that work in very different ways.
The only communication between the two is as follows:
Aperture is able to parse the iPhoto Library to allow it to import the contents while stacking the Originals and Modified versions, preserving metadata and so forth.
Aperture can share its Previews with the iLife apps, including iPhoto.
That's it.
So, specifically, what interaction there is between the two is designed to facilitate migration from iPhoto to the more powerful app. After that, iPhoto has exactly the same relationship to the Aperture Library as, say, Pages or iMovie.
for geotagging every photos + faces and, trying to import them back to iPhoto '11, means losing all those info
use an Export preset in Aperture that includes location information. There is no way to share Faces, but you can use it as the basis for keywording.
Regards
TD

Using aperture to update iPhoto EXIF data?

I recently went back and added geocoding data to a number of pictures in my iPhoto library (i.e. I used HoudahGeo to add the relevant EXIF tags to the "original" JPG/NEF files buried in the iPhoto library).
iPhoto lacks Aperture's "Update EXIF data based on master" functionality, so this data is still missing both from the iPhoto database (i.e. it still appears blank in the photo's "get info" window) and from the "modified" file's EXIF tags.
Is there a way I can use my copy of Aperture to make this update? (I'm still very much learning how to use this program, so sorry if the question is naive.) Is there a way to, e.g., "mount" an iPhoto library in Aperture, run the "Update EXIF" command and then have everything be exactly as it was in iPhoto, except for 3 updated EXIF tags on each photo?
Otherwise, has anyone else found a good way to retroactively geocode iPhoto pictures (without losing iPhoto albums, ratings, events, keywords, hidden-ness, etc.)?
Thanks!

This is now easy to due in iPhoto -- thanks to the new "re-scan for location information" menu item added by a recent software update.

Using Aperture along with iPhoto

Hey.
I use iPhoto for my image importing... basically everything..
I got my canon xsi and i like to edit some of my pictures more professionally
i have photoshop too.. and i failed to learn to use..
so i was thinking of getting Aperture, and use it only for images that i want to edit.. and stay using iphoto for everything else!
is this stupid? Is Aperture really an effective editing program?
Thanks

Hi Joe Shaheen;
Personally I think that Aperture is a very good way to process my photos. I find that I am able to process a shot in a much short period of time then with anything else I have used. I especially like it for processing my photos I take in RAW with my D300.
Allan
Message was edited by: Allan Eckert

Can Aperture 3 and Iphoto sinc library ?

Hi .
I´m not photo professional but I want more reosurce with my photos. I bought Aperture 3 and I feel I have most I need from Iphoto. I don´t want have too many space with two photo libraries and have a risk to loose something. It´s possible to sinc my aperture library with Iphoto ? For a hobbist you think Iphoto is enough ?
Thanks,
Daniel Rodrigues
Brazil

No, you cannot sync your iPhoto Library and your Aperture Library.
You will have to make up your mind which of the two you will want to use in future.
If you really feel the need for the advanced editing and organizational tools Aperture has to offer, you can have an easy transit from iPhoto to Aperture by importing your iPhoto Library as it is into Aperture. This will keep all your meta tags, events (now called projects), albums, slideshows, etc.
Aperture has a steep learning curve, but it is possible to use initially no more than than you did use in iPhoto and so gradually get to know the program.
The way back from Aperture to iPhoto is not so easy, for you cannot import your Aperture lIbrary into iPhoto. It is a one-way road. So try it thoroughly before you commit yourself.
Regards
Léonie

Aperture 3 vs. iPhoto '11 library sizes?

I wanted to switch from iPhoto '11 to Aperture 3, so I imported my iPhoto library to Aperture. It took a little while, but went without a hitch. I was about to delete my iPhoto library, but then I noticed that my iPhoto library is 94.68GB, while my Aperture library is 68.26GB. I've read that there is a discrepancy because of thumbnail sizes, but a 26GB difference seems to be pretty significant.
All my photos and videos seem to have transferred over and when I select random pictures in Aperture, right-click and select "Locate Referenced Files..." I get a pop-up saying "The selection doesn't have any referenced files." which seems to indicate that everything is in Aperture.
I just wanted to get your opinions on what the huge discrepancy might be due to before I deleted the iPhoto library. Thanks in advance!

Ah yes, I forgot about the iPod Photo Cache; I'm resyncing my iPhone and iPad with iTunes right now to sync photos from Aperture, and it's taking forever, since it has to resize over 12,000 photos. I can't imagine that would account for 26GB of data, though I guess those photos take up about 12GB on each device. I'll have to recheck the library sizes after both devices are done syncing.
I didn't specify a preview size. I didn't know you could. What exactly are the previews that one can change the sizes of? The thumbnails that show up in Aperture?

Aperture not seeing iPhoto Libraries on external drive when trying to do a REFERENCED import.

I am trying to bring all my iPhoto libraries (one for each year) together into one REFERENCED Aperture library. I have the iPhoto libraries on an external hard drive and want the Aperture Library on my main drive. Whe I go to the Import window I do see my external hard drive on the list of drives, but the files do not show up. It shows folders and any readable files in the folders, but not the iPhoto Libraries, which are not in any folders. I am running out of space on my hard drive, so want to do a referenced import, not a managed one, but I can't seem to get it to work. I have tried doing the copy drag and drop method (holding command+option and dragging and dropping from finder to Aperture, but it still copies the whole library to the main drive, it does not reference it). Help, please!

Whe I go to the Import window I do see my external hard drive on the list of drives, but the files do not show up.
Aperture will not show you files in libraries in the import panel. iPhoto libraries are not imported using the import panel. Importing the files using the import panel would result in importing a mess of thumbnails, previews, and originals, and you would lose your organisation in events and albums and probably most of your metadata tags.
You import iPhoto Libraries as library:
File > Import > Library
If the library you are importing is referenced, it will be imported referenced, if it is managed, the images will be imported managed. You can relocate the managed originals to your external volume directly after import using the command "File > Relocate originals"
See: Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries
Regards
Léonie

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

Can you use iPhoto as your referenced library in Aperture 3?

Hi folks, new to the forum here and I've searched around older posts for an answer to this dumb question but can't seem to find it. Any insight much appreciated.
I'm a relatively new mac user, migrated over just under 5,000 photos from Photoshop Elements on the PC to iPhoto on my new iMac and very happy with it. I was going to get the new PSE for Mac to use as my editor with iPhoto, but now that Aperture 3 is such a ridiculously good price on the App store I've been testing that out and I love it!
So the question is, as I start to get more serious about my photography I would love to be able to use Aperture for everything - but the rest of the family just want the simplicity and great interface of iPhoto for the family shots. Can I / we keep importing, storing photos in the iPhoto library, and everyone else just uses that for the cropping, red-eye removal etc., but I can access the library in Aperture (sort of like a referenced library) make changes, add versions etc. without messing it up?
Hope that makes sense, and again, apologies for what must be the millionth time this question has been asked.
James

In a word, no.
Aperture and iPhoto are entirely different applications that work in very different ways.
The only communication between the two is as follows:
Aperture is able to parse the iPhoto Library to allow it to import the contents while stacking the Originals and Modified versions, preserving metadata and so forth.
Aperture can share its Previews with the iLife apps, including iPhoto.
That's it.
So, specifically, what interaction there is between the two is designed to facilitate migration from iPhoto to the more powerful app. After that, iPhoto has exactly the same relationship to the Aperture Library as, say, Pages or iMovie.
Regards
TD

OK to use Aperture to maintain iPhoto Referenced Library

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