Referenced masters or library on external drive?

My Aperture library with managed masters has outgrown my macbook pro. Is it better to switch to referenced masters on an external drive or move the whole library to an external drive and continue with managed files?
thoughts on this, please...

Matthew Bergsma wrote:
Keeping your library on one drive and your masters on another has noticeable speed benefits.
I totally agree with that.
I store my files on a ReadyNas Duo that mirrors the images using two hard drives. Gives you some protection when a hard drive dies.

Similar Messages

  • Can't read iPhoto library from external drive

    I suddenly can't can't read iPhoto library from external drive. I have talked to WD and nohing is wrong with the network drive. I can open images and files from it. But, I can't read in iPhoto Library.

    Network Drive? a NAS?
    iPhoto needs to have the Library sitting on disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Users with the Library sitting on disks otherwise formatted regularly report issues including, but not limited to, importing, exporting, saving edits and sharing the photos.
    Basically, you need to move the library to a correctly formatted disk.

  • Can't show User/Library in external drive

    I can set my Mac to show Library in Users on the main drive (terminal or keystroke) but NOT on an external drive...
    How can I access User/Library on external drives?

    Check that you’re in the correct folder and entering the exact text posted.
    If you’re using the Go to Folder command and providing Library, it’ll open the one in the current folder. If you provide ~/Library/, it’ll always open the one in your home folder.
    If you’re using the chflags command, the path will look like /Volumes/volumename/Users/username/Library/ and not /Users/username/Library/.
    (115061)

  • Can't import referenced masters into Library

    I've used referenced masters for years, since Aperture 1. Now I'm trying to import, and I get the error "Insufficient disk space". Here are the details
    OSX 10.7.5
    Aperture 3.4.1 (Just updated)
    Current RAW Folder                              110 GB
    Current Aperture Library                         9.9GB
    Free space on startup disk                    13.3 GB   (not a lot, I know)
    Space required (according to aperture)     3 GB
    Folder I'm trying to import                         19.4 GB
    Camera Nikon D7000, files NEF format. No previous problem with this camera.
    If 100GB can be represented by 9.9 GB in the Aperture library, why does it want 16.3 GB to import 19.4 GB?
    I have "Store files in their current location" selected in the Import pane.

    Gil I think there are a couple of basics you need to come to grips with.
    Assuming your Aperture library is on your start up disk and that you only have 13GB free, DO NOT PLACE ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS DRIVE, until you clear out some space adding more files to this drive is only asking for trouble.
    So Aperture.
    100GB is represented by 9.9GB, yes, Aperture has created previews of the referenced files and has a database to describe them = 9.9GB, 100GB of master files/images still reside on the other drive though.
    The folder of files you are trying to import, 19.4 GB, you say you are now using a managed file workflow, that being the case Aperture now copies the files into the library, so there is no way that 19.4GB will fit into 13.3GB, plus there will then be an additional 1-2GB, based on 110GB=9GB, of space required by Aperture.
    I hope this makes sense.
    Moving forward, get youself two external drives, have you library, managed or not, along with any referenced files on one drive, the other drive use for your back up.
    Tony

  • Moved library to external drive ... now can't reconnect files HELP

    Hi all. I've searched this forum for answers to my problem but to no avail.
    In effort to free-up hard-drive space on my iMac, I decided to move my entire Aperture library folder to my external g-drive. Then, when I started Aperture up again, I opened preferences and pointed to the new library location on the external. I thought it would be that easy...
    At first, it seemed to have worked--the files were all showing up in Aperture. However, when I tried to edit or export any of the images, I got a warning message:
    "Versions with unavailable master images cannot be exported. The selected master image is either offline or not found. Please reconnect it and try again."
    Also, there's a little yellow yeild icon with an arrow above on the images... I guess this indicates that there's a connection problem?
    What should I do? I tried right-clicking the main "Library" icon in Aperture and clicking "Relocate Masters for Library..." but that resulted in another error message:
    "Unavailable master images cannot be relocated. One or more of the selected master images are unavailable. You can relocate all available masters, or cancel, connect the required drives, and try again."
    I have no idea what to do next? How do I fix this? I have a shoot today and I will need this resolved.... If anyone has any idea, please take me thru this. Oh, one more thing--I have over 11,000 photos so forget manually connecting each one.
    One more thing: I am downloading Aperture 3 and will definitely migrate. Will it be easier to connect these files to Aperture 3?

    OK, I couldn't figure it out so I set everything back to how it was before the move. Everything is working now and all the files are still in the original location.
    Now, I want to move the entire library to the external drive. I've looked into this...please correct me if I'm wrong with the steps to move entire library from my computer to a external drive (note: I don't want to use the computer HD to store/process the photos--I want it all done from my external HD)/. Here's what I found in Aperture help...this is the closest thing I could find for directions on moving the entire Aperture contents from one location to another permanently. Will this work?:
    "Transferring Projects from Another System
    If you work with several computers, or work on projects with other people, you may find it necessary to transfer projects from one Aperture system to another. Transferring projects is a simple import process.
    To transfer a project from one computer to another:
    1 Select the project you want to transfer, then choose File > Export > Project.
    2 Enter a name and choose a location for the exported project.
    3 If your project contains referenced images, select the “Consolidate images into exported project” checkbox to transfer the original masters as well as the previews and metadata as a self-contained project that another Aperture system can use.
    If you are transferring projects with referenced images to another computer and want to transfer just the referenced image previews and not the masters, don’t select the “Consolidate images into exported project” checkbox.
    4 Click Save. The project file is exported to the location you chose.
    5 Connect or network the two computers together. For more information, see the documentation that came with the computers.
    6 Open Aperture on the computer to which you want to transfer the project.
    7 In the Projects inspector, select Library.
    8 Choose File > Import > Projects.
    9 In the Import dialog, navigate to the location on the other computer where the project you want to transfer is stored, select the project, then click Open.
    The selected project appears in the Projects inspector."

  • How To Move Existing Library to External Drive

    I have my Aperture library on my main internal drive. I have just purchased an eSATA drive (CalDigit's SVR Duo) and want to move my library off my internal drive onto the new external drive.
    How can this be done? The only way I can figure out how to do it is to create a vault, backup the entire library, then restore with a new library referenced onto the external drive.
    Any suggestions? Thanks.

    A little easier is merely to move the Aperture library in Finder (Aperture Library.aplibrary) to its new location. Then double-click it to launch Aperture. Aperture will use this library and reset the Prefs. (came in in 1.5.0).
    What I don't know is whether the Vault will still see the new location as the original library and continue providing incremental updates. Hopefully so.
    The other big option is to leave the library "as is" on the internal drive, and using File/Relocate Masters for Project to relocate masters to the external drive leaving a small library. Note that Vault does not back up referenced masters.
    G.

  • Large aperture library on external drive; too large to move to internal before switching to photos

    I have a 395gb aperture library on an external drive. It used to reside on my old macbook pro, but i got a new one (retina) with a smaller hard drive and i haven't found a way to bring it over yet. My plan was (and i started) to slim it down by getting rid of photos and projects that I don't need, but it'll take a while.
    I was hoping i could bring it over piecemeal, like by exporting some folders/projects as aperture libraries, and then importing them into photos, but i'm not sure that's possible.
    I tried opening the aperture library (on the external) in photos so it would migrate, but it said i need much more space (the external is pretty full). Any ideas?
    Thanks,
    Adam

    jpvp wrote:
    Hi,
    NoisyScott: do I understand it correctly that your masterfiles on the server are just sitting in a folder individually, or are they within an aperture library that is on the server that just has your masterfiles???
    And FINALLY: can you back up your referenced files (or versions) as well, and how do you go about that?
    My master files are just sitting in folders on the server. I leave the Aperture Library on my laptop hard drive as it just contains thumbnails, previews and the actual Aperture database.
    You can back up your master images any way you want; a separate hard drive, a Network Attached Storage device, Mozy.com, Amazon S3, etc. The issue is that backing up these images is now up to you as you can't use the Aperture Vaults with referenced masters.
    For what it is worth, moving master images around in Aperture is ridiculously easy once you get used to it. You can Reference your masters to a new location at any time you want, as many times as you like then change your mind and consolidate them to your Aperture Library (and thus make them managed masters again) all without Aperture missing a beat.
    The critical thing to remember is you must do any and all Master Image file operations through Aperture.
    If you decide to re-organize your Master Image folder structure through the finder, Aperture will no longer be able to connect to those Master Images and you then have to attempt to re-connect the images to the references in the Aperture database. This sounds like it should be easy, but for some reason Aperture has a very difficult time doing this. If you only ever use Aperture to move the files around, everything works swimmingly.
    Try all of the Relocate and Consolidate Masters functions with a small test project or two at first until you are comfortable with how you want to organize all of your files and then go for it.
    Good luck.

  • Aperture library on external drive for multiple computers

    I would like to store my aperture library and all masters on an external hardrive (with a backup). Ideally I'll be able to only transport this external drive to work to edit photos and return home to my personal computer and continue where I left off. I've tried something similar but ran into problems with lost adjustments, etc and am wondering what the simplest method is that others have discovered.
    Cheers

    All the editing work is stored in the *****.aplibrary file.
    THe most obvious way will be to keep it on the external drive. If you experience it is to slow with USB you could probably have a better performance with FW800. Probably not so much with FW400.
    I have no experience with ***-aplibrary on external drive. Probably ist it to slowdown the editing.
    The best way to edit on 2 different macs will need in my opinion some extra preparation.
    Set both Aperture in exactly the same way pointing to referenced files on the external drive.
    Keep the *****.aplibrary file on the HD of the mac you are using and at the end of your work copy it somewhere (may be on the same external HD where you keep the referenced masters). Before starting to work on the second mac copy this ****.aplibrary on it.  You will need to do the same reversed to go back to the other mac.
    This will probably give you the fastest editing but you will need time to copy the  *****.aplibrary files, may be a lot of time. Even if you use a program like Tri-Backup to do the copy you will se that even if the *****-aplibrary has few changes it takes a lot of time to overwrite the older copy.
    Keep projects and libraryes as small as possible, or you will waste more time coping it compared to the more speed in editing.
    This is only my opinion, and I am not 100% sure of it. I'm giving it to you only as a suggestion you could try and see if it works for you.
    Regards
    Walter

  • Aperture library on external drive - Aperture not responding

    as my laptop filled up - I created an external Aperture library on an external drive - with a matching drive used as a vault - worked fine - then I was deleting images from the laptop library that were also in the library on the external drive and when I re-connected the external library drive Aperture would be unable to start, had to force quit - I can not open the library on the external drive in Aperture - I can open the library on the laptop - but I need the images in the external drive - the vault was updated 6 days ago -
    I am in the process of restoring the library from the vault - my question -
    can anything be done to open the current library on the external drive? - any kind of work around?

    Well, yes and no. When my laptop drive got full, I copied the laptop library to the external 500gb drive and gave it a different name. Then I proceeded to use it as the primary library as I shot 3 weddings. So, yes, I have 2 separate libraries, the one on my laptop and the one on my external drive(s), both have masters (no referenced files), the external drive has everything that the laptop has - the external drive has probably 100 gigs more than the laptop (the laptop has about 85 gigs of files) - I also have a second matching 500gb external drive that backs up the first external drive which is where the vault for the first 500gb drive is located.
    I just restored the library from the vault (from December 1) to create yet another new library on another totally spare drive just to see if it would work - that was successful now it is recovering the 41 projects
    that were in the vault - it looks to be running pretty smoothly - although the process has so far taken several hours. Recall, however, that this vault backup is 6 days old. The most current library still will not load. This new restored library opens fine. So, there is something corrupted (a bad image perhaps?) in the most current 500gb library that is hanging Aperture.
    I still have the original cards that I shot in the past 6 days (about 20 gigs) which were not in the vault, but I did a lot of work with those files and would like to recover the projects from the library
    that can't currently open. I have a desktop at my studio and I am thinking I will try opening the problem library (on the 500gb external) there and see what happens.
    This whole thing started when I figured I could clear some files from the laptop that were both on the laptop and the external drive. I have done this before to create more working space on my laptop.
    Have I clearly answered your questions? - thank you for your P.S. - I didn't know I could get the .approject files out - I may try that -

  • Moving iPhoto to external drive; have formatted external disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), moved the iPhoto library to external drive; when trying to change the library, the iPhoto file on new external is greyed out   can't be selected.What went wrong?

    Must have done something wrong..
    1.  formatted external disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) - required a partition, but that went fine.  Entire new external disk was included in the partition formatted to Mac OS Extneded (journaled).
    2.  moved iPhoto library to new external disk
    3.  Holding Option key down, opened iPhoto
    4.  Choose library feature appeared, however when new library function option appeared and "choose library" selected, the iPhoto folder appearing in the new external drive was greyed out and not able to be selected.  Therefore the default library remains the original iphoto library on the Mac. 
    I've moved the original iphoto library to the trash and then tried to start iPhoto.  A message comes up that the iPhoto is in the trash and needs to be pulled out before iPhoto can start (clearly the new iphoto library on the external drive is not being seen.
    Can anyone suggest where I went awry?  Thanks!

    Try trash the com.apple.iPhoto.plist file from the HD/Users/ Your Name / library / preferences folder.
    (On 10.7 or later: Hold the option (or alt) key while clicking on the Go menu in Finder to access the User Library)
    (Remember you'll need to reset your User options afterwards. These include minor settings like the window colour and so on. Note: If you've moved your library you'll need to point iPhoto at it again.)
    What's the plist file?
    For new users: Every application on your Mac has an accompanying plist file. It records certain User choices. For instance, in your favourite Word Processor it remembers your choice of Default Font, on your Web Browser is remembers things like your choice of Home Page. It even recalls what windows you had open last if your app allows you to pick up from where you left off last. The iPhoto plist file remembers things like the location of the Library, your choice of background colour, whether you are running a Referenced or Managed Library, what preferences you have for autosplitting events and so on. Trashing the plist file forces the app to generate a new one on the next launch, and this restores things to the Factory Defaults. Hence, if you've changed any of these things you'll need to reset them. If you haven't, then no bother. Trashing the plist file is Mac troubleshooting 101.
    Then try select it again.

  • Local preview database with library on external drive

    I'm wondering if iPhoto '09 has made any progress with the handling of photo libraries on external media and drives. With so many large photos it is impossible to store my entire photo archive on my laptop, but I'd like to have access to small preview images, while storing the originals on an external drive. To this date there is no option that I'm aware of to move some photos to the external drive, but still have access to the previews when the external is not connected. Adobe lightroom does this and so do other photo managers. This is really the one thing keeping me from using iPhoto and I think it's a horrible oversight. Has this been fixed or improved in iPhoto 09?

    You're referring to a referenced library and even though it's possible the risks, IMO, greatly outweigh the advantages. Since you have a laptop and want to have at least some of the pictures to take with you on the road I suggest two libraries: a full library to be run off the external HD and a smaller one with the most current or needed photos.
    You can use iPhoto Library Manager to copy Events or Albums between libraries and keep the metadata intact (titles, keywords and descriptions - Faces and Places are not yet supported but should be soon).
    There are some apps that can create a catalog of thumbnails for viewing with the originals not available. QPict is one that can do what you want. More on the professional side isMedia Expression. It can do that as well as much, much more. I use it as my primary DAM (digital asset management) application and iPhoto for creating books, calendars, etc.

  • IMovie 11 can't "see" events library on external drive

    I can't reconnect iMovie with my Events Folder. I was successfully using iMovie 11 with the Events and Projects foldersstored on an external drive (for space reasons.) Then I slipped up trying to back up the Events library in Dropbox (I forgot to hold down the Alt. key to make it copy, instead of moving the folder.) I immediately shifted it back and cancelled the operation. But now iMovie can't "see" the Events library and I get the little yellow triangle on the projects showing it can't locate the source files.
    I'm using the blue iMovie browser setting that shows all files and I can see, and access, the Events folder on the external drive through the Mac Finder. The Events folder is sitting on the top level of my external drive. I've tried everything I can think of. Any suggestions? Thanks!

    I dont have any answers for you, but I do have the same problem as you on my brand new mac, which is using an iPhoto library from my old Mac. I have tried rebuilding the iPhoto database but it doesnt help.  iMovie is getting stuck on trying to create the thumbnails from iPhoto.  It says "the movie file "clipXXXXX cannot be found, without this file, the movie cannot play properly. "  Even though that file exists in the iPhoto library masters folder.  It offers to allow me to cancel or seach, and when I search to it, the iPhoto library is grayed out as an option to search in.  I also tried to manually move the file out of the iPhoto library to the Movies directory, but that doesnt help either. 

  • Managing picture library from external drives

    Hi everyone.
    I have just received my first Mac computer (iMac 27" 3.2) and I want to use external drives to store pictures rather than filling up the iMacs internal drive. If I use Aperature to manage photos can I, for example, set everything up to import from CF Cards to the external and manage all pictures in this manner?
    With my PCs in the past I filled the internal too fast as I shoot and edit a great deal of work.
    I'd rather manage all pictures through external drives.
    What's the feasibility of doing all this and do you have any recommendation s for the best type if external drives to use?
    This is a big learning curve coming from the mind numbing PCs that kept crashing every time Windows updated... Glad I'm here now.
    Thanks,
    Gordy.

    Hi Gordy.
    Gordypix wrote:
    Hi everyone.
    I have just received my first Mac computer (iMac 27" 3.2) and I want to use external drives to store pictures rather than filling up the iMacs internal drive. If I use Aperature to manage photos can I, for example, set everything up to import from CF Cards to the external and manage all pictures in this manner.
    Yes.  Keep it simply until you are comfortable: just put your Aperture Library on an external drive directly mounted to your system (and formatted "OS X extended (Journaled)").  Buy external drives in triplicate: one for your working copy, one for your on-site back-up, and one for your off-site backup.  (Yes, this generates a big gulp in both your throat and your wallet.  I have thousands of hours of labor in my Libraries.  The cost of secure back-up is worth it to me.)  Use the fastest drives your machine supports (cutting corners here is, IME, a false economy in the long run).  For your machine that is probably USB-3.
    Once you are comfortable with your Mac and with Aperture, you can look into putting your Library on your system drive, and storing your Image's "referenced Originals" on your external drive(s).  Doing so now, though, strikes me as too much too soon.
    HTH,
    --Kirby.

  • Storing library on external drive??

    I want to have my aperture library on my external drive, but want to be able to see the previews/images when the drive is not connected.
    I recently moved my library to the ext, then re-pointed to it, but if i start Aperture without the drive connected i get nothing...
    How do i let Aperture control the file hierchy on the ext and be able to see previews when its not connected?

    You can first click on the Library in the Projects Panel. The go File>Relovate Masters for Library. After Aperture checks to see if mit can locate all of your Masters, a dialog box opens up. For Subfolder format keep "Project Name" and for Name Format keep " Master File Name" This will move the files as the are setup in the Aperture Library. You then select the drive youm want to move the images to.
    Jeff

  • Linking I-tunes library to external drive

    I have managed to successfully relocate my i-tunes library onto an external drive, having followed instructions in the i-tunes for Dummies book. (my laptop internal hard drive was full). However, i-tunes has not linked itself to the external i-tunes library file. I understood that this should happen automatically. How do I link them together?

    Hey there,
    One thing you should check is where your iTunes searches for your iTunes folder. Head to iTunes and then Preferences. When the window pops up, head over to the Advanced tab. Near the top of the tab, you will see where iTunes currently locates your Music folder. Click the Change button and then direct it to where the folder is located on your External drive. See if that helps.
    B-rock

Maybe you are looking for