Photos are not showing up in Finder

Question

I am using Aperture 3.2.4 on an iMac purchased in July 2011.
This is a new problem...suddenly none of the photos that I have imported into Aperture and then renamed are showing up the Finder.  By renamed, I mean it is a photo I gave a new version name to by using the metadata tab.  (Ex: "IMG_5678" was renamed "6.1.12 John & Jane").
I imported a bunch of photos last week after returning from a vacation.  In the Finder I can see most of the projects, but inside the projects only the versions still labelled IMG_XXXX are showing.  Any versions that I renamed are not there.  And the project I created called Photo Album - which has only renamed versions in it - doesn't show up at all.  This was not the case 4 days ago, because I downloaded the photo album to Facebook.  (I did so manually through FB, choosing the photos in the Finder, not through the FB button in Aperture).
Its not just an issue with these new vacation photos, but with all photos I have imported directly into Aperture...
When we bought this iMac last July, the Apple store downloaded a bunch of our PC data into it, including loading all of our photos into iPhoto.  About a month later I moved all the photos from iPhoto to Aperture.  The photos imported from iPhoto are all showing up in the finder just fine, and are organized into the folders just like they are in Aperture.  Ex:
Main Folder: Photos 2010
     Subfolder: Thailand April 2010
          All the projects then show up, with all their versions (renamed or not), including the Photo Album project
     Subfolder: New Orleans May 2010
          All the projects then show up, with all their versions (renamed or not), including the Photo Album project
So these are still perfect in the Finder.
When I click on the Photos 2011 folder, the photos pre-August (the ones imported from our old PC and then from iPhoto) show up just fine.  But from August-December, all I get are projects (not organized into their folders), and the renamed photos have disappeared, as have the Photo Album projects.  (Again, the Photo Albums contain only renamed versions.  But the Photo Album project doesn't show up empty, it simply doesn't show up at all).
When I click on the Photos 2012 folder, all photos imported directly into Aperture, I get the same problem: a list of projects, not organized into their folders, all of the renamed versions within the projects have disappeared, as have the Photo Album projects.
I've tried restarting the computer, hoping it would 'reload' the photos into the Finder, but no.
Can anyone help?

Answer 1

"Photo" has no useful meaning in Aperture.
You import files.  Once imported, Aperture refers to them as "Masters" (prior to 3.3) or "Originals" (3.3).  Keeping with this new change, I will refer to them as "Originals".  Every Original shows in Aperture as an Image.  Every Image has a Version.  The Version has a name.  The Version is actually a text file that contains instructions on what changes to make to the Original in order to show you the Image.  The Version and the Original are not the same (one is an image-format file, the other is a text file), even though the Image of the Version and the Image of the Original may appear to be identical.
Within Aperture you work with Images.  Since every Image has a unique Version, Images are often called "Versions".
Originals can have several Versions.
Aperture never alters your Originals.
Aperture either stores your Originals inside the Aperture Library (in which case they are called "Managed" Originals) or lets you put them on any locally mounted drive on your system (in which case they are called "Referenced" Masters).
When you want an image-format file to share with another program, you create one by exporting a Version or an Original.  "Export" means "make me an image-format file that looks like this".  You set the format and the parameters for that format in an Image Export Preset.
Aperture is an image-manager, not a file-manager.  There _cannot_ be a one-to-one correspondence between Images in Aperture and their locations in the Library structure you create, and files in Finder and their locations in the Finder folders you create.  Images are not files; Aperture Folders are not Finder folders.
I can't tell from your description whether you have any Referenced Originals or not.
Once you import a file into Aperture and it becomes an Original, you must never move or alter it with any program other than Aperture (or -- as of Monday -- the newest version of iPhoto).
My general suggestion for those having difficulties like you are, is to select all your Images (by, yes, clicking the misnamed "Photos" near the top of the Library tab of the Inspector) and run "File➞Consolidate Masters".  This will move any Referenced Originals to inside Aperture's Library (and thus convert them to Managed Masters).  Take advantage of Aperture's strong and robust organizing tools.  Build a structure of Projects, Albums, and Folders that gives you the storage and retrieval capabilities you want.  Use it.  When you need image-format files to share with other programs, create them by exporting.  Do not use Finder to organize your Originals.  Do not use Finder to look for your Originals.  Do not use Finder for image-management.
HTH.
Message was edited by: Kirby Krieger -- many minor.