Smart folder library

I am wondering if you can use a smart folder as the itunes library. I ask because I am trying to remove the need for 2 itunes library, because I have an external hard drive which i sometimes connect to directly, and sometimes connect through another computer. I created a smart folder for these different locations which should return the connected library. however this doesn't appear to be working. Any advise?

Interesting. It isn't on my Mac.
The thing is, if you add the user Library folder into the Spotlight Privacy list in System Preferences, it stops things like search working inside apps like Mail.
All I want to do is exclude the user Library folder from one Smart Folder in the Finder. Basically, I want to make a "Created Today" Smart Folder that doesn't show me files received or sent via Mail.

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Importing to a Smart Folder

I created my 1st Smart Folder just moments ago. And I quickly learned how to get to the Filter HUD. But after setting filter preferences, how does a person Import images that match the Filter?
1) Is the process automatice.
2) If not, can you grab matching images from in many different folders on an external HD, or do you have to navigate to each folder, open it and then Import the images sequentially? That would be a lot of work. :-(

The smart folders in Aperture only relate to images, that already have been imported to Aperture.
Import all folders with images that you want to maintain in your Aperture library; then your smart folders in the library will structure and filter them.
If you need smart searches to find the image files that you want to import to your library, use smart folders in the Finder.
Open a Finder window and press ⌘F, then press the "+" button to add search rules, for example to find all "jpeg" images taken in the last 30 days, you could search like this:
Then select all images that have been found and copy or drag them to a folder or directly into Aperture's import window.

How to create a smart folder that only selects from a specific directory?

I am trying to create a smart folder that lists all my iPhoto original content in the last few months. I want this so that my wife can connect into the smart folder over the LAN when copying specific photos to her PC.
I am have trouble working out how to restrict the search to only those files that exists in the iPhoto directory. When I look at info for a photo is states "Where: /Users/Shared/iPhoto Library/iPhoto Library/Data/2009/....etc etc".
However if I add an filter for "Where from" begins with "/Users/Shared/... etc etc" it returns nothing. Is there a way to do this?

Find the iPhoto library file.
Right click -> Show package contents.
Double click the Originals folder.
Type anything in the Search box at the top of the Finder window.
In the top of the Finder window, click "Originals".
Click the + (plus) sign next to Save.
Select Kind is Image.
Click the + (plus) sign again.
Select *Created date* is *within last 3 months* (or whatever you want).
Go to the search box and delete what you typed. Don't hit the X to delete the search text.
Now save the smart search.
This is saved in ~\Library\Saved searches. Copy or move it to the desktop where your wife can get access to it.

If i delete a file from a smart folder is it deleted from the hard drive?

I've got a late 2011 17" MacBook Pro with a 750 GB harddrive. I'm trying to free up space by deleting movie files. I spoke with tech support about this, and they suggested creating a smart folder of all my movie files in order to find them and delte them. I did this and deleted many files, but when I open system information to check on the amount of hard drive space, I'm still seeing the same amount of hard drive space dedicated to movies.
If I make a smart folder and delete files in that, am I really deleting them from my hard drive or just from the smart folder?

What files are stored automatically by Time Machine? I thought Time Machine pretty much saved everything on my hard drive to my external hard drive. If that is the case, wouldn't my music files and picture files be on Time Machine (via my external hard drive)?
Time Machine does backup almost all files on your hard drive, unless you have chosen to exclude them. There are a few exceptions, but nothing you should worry about. Your music and photos should be there, but Time Machine will not backup your iPhoto library if iPhoto is open.
Also, are the photos from iPhoto automatically stored on my external hard drive via Time Machine? If so, can I delete the pictures from iPhoto without deleting them from the external hard drive?
Yes to both questions, with the above cavat that Time Machine won't backup the library if iPhoto is open.
I notice that it takes iPhoto quite a while to load, and if deleting those photos would allow it to load quicker I would delete them (providing they would remain on the external hard drive.
I only have a few pictures in iPhoto, compared to my wife's 3,500+, and my iPhoto doesn't load appreciably faster that her's does even though I have a faster computer. In my opinion, it isn't worth the effort it would take to delete them for such a small gain.
You should have at least 2 complete backups to try to make sure you won't lose any data. Hard drives do fail and/or files can become corrupted. Time Machine can back up to more than one external hard drive or you can use a cloning program.
Time Machine FAQ

Creating a smart folder with Terminal?

What I'm trying to do might not be possible, which wouldn't surprise me at all. What I'd like to do is one of the following:
1. Create a smart folder that contains everything in the "/" folder.
2. Create a smart folder that is populated with every volume currently mounted on my Mac.
Essentially what I'm hoping to do is create a smart folder I can then use as a stack that would contain all the volumes currently located on my Mac. The only solution I've found so far for this is to use the /Volumes/ folder but this doesn't suit my needs as occasionally I get double icons for drives (1 being the alias the second being a private folder). Also it fails aesthetically which is part of the reason I'm doing this in the first place.
If anyone could recommend a solution that'd be great. I figured Terminal was my best bet, unfortunately my knowledge of this form of coding is non-existent and no amount of Google searches could help me.

I don't see how either item on your wish list can be satisfied by any of this "smart" stuff. The smart searches/folders are based on queries against the same metadata used by Spotlight - and that doesn't even look at / or /Volumes. Even if the info were available, is it up-to-the-minute enough to really be usable?
If you want to examine the built-in searches as a guide, you'll find them in:
/System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Resources/CannedSearches
Note that each of the items therein is a package, so you'll have to drill a bit deeper to get to the query file. I found that Property List Editor from XTools was a good way to get a structured view of them.

If I create a smart folder in iPhoto, and then delete it, are the pictures gone?

I am still trying to figure iPhoto out. I just created a "Smart Folder" and it imported some of my photos. I decided to delete that folder. Did that delete the pictures or are they still somewhere else in iPhoto or on my computer? Thanks!

several issues with your question
1 - there is no such thing as a smart folder in iPhoto
2 - folders in iPhoto can not hold photos and it is not possile to import photos into them
3 - there are smart albums - deleting a smart album has no effect on the photos - the "contents" of the smart album are simply pointers to the photos in your library that meet the criteria - deleting the album has no effect on the photos themselves
4 - as the contents of a smart album is the photos that meets the criteria it is no possible to import photo into a smart album
5 - it is helpful to know what version of iPhoto you have
So please ask with correct terms since we can not see you or your computer and can only help based on wha tyou tell us
LN

MobileMe Gallery + Smart Folder; why doesn't it automatically update?

I used to use Photocasting on iPhoto 6. This worked great in that I published a photocast of a smart folder and any new items that matched the smart folder were automatically published.
I upgraded to iPhoto '08 specifically so that people could subscribe to an album via RSS and have it work on any computer.
Unfortunately, with iPhoto '08 the MobileMe Gallery doesn't seem to remember that it was based on a smart folder and I have to manually add additional pictures to publish in the MobileMe Gallery.
What am I missing? All I want is to have a smart folder automatically publish all new matches to an RSS feed for my friends & family to see new pics.
Please advise as to how anyone is able to accomplish this.

MobileMe galleries are separate from the album that you initially use to create them. Any photo added to the album also has to be manually added to the gallery. It's the nature of the beast. You can put in a feature request to Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) 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 or later), 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 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. 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.
Note: There's now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Today smart folder showing old email attachments

Hi,
The "today" smart folder is very useful. But IMAP mail periodically decides to revisit every message it has ever seen, which apparently gives them all "today" tags according to the finder. So, just now my "today" folder contains 1,482 items (most of which I really have NOT worked on today!). These are all located in Library/Mail/IMAP...etc.
Is there a way to set a smart folder to exclude the Library directory? I know I can reserve it to search a single folder, but if I set it for the document folder, then it won't search the picture or applications folders. This folder must already exclude mail messages, since they don't appear; but attachments can be any kind of thing.
(Alternately, if there is some way to get IMAP to stop doing that.... It does not happen every day, but often enough to be annoying.)
thanks for any hints.
sarah

they are litterly old emails that i deleted months or even years ago... from different senders... but they are reappearing under a new sender/message.... thats really the only way i can describe it.. for example, this is just an example...
say 4 months ago i got an email from newegg and deleted it.... yesterday i got an email from my boss and when i opened it, it was the email i deleted 4 months ago from newegg... but when i go to my webmail it is the actual email from my boss...
another real example... i deleted an email from my preacher about 3 months ago and i receieved and email from my dad last week.. when i opened it, it was the old email from my preacher...
I hope that is a little clearer... these are all emails from mobile me.. i have all my mail FWDED to mobile me
Message was edited by: Devin Stephens
Message was edited by: Devin Stephens

Smart Folder and Album option

I'm trying to make a Smart Folder inside a project where have all the photos that are not inside any album. Is it possible?
thank you!
max

no. it's not possible with Aperture. you'll have to work around this limitation.
in my library, I use keywords including one ' unidentified'. when I decide to place an image into a smart album, I first apply the appropriate keyword and then remove (shift-click the keyword control button) the ' unidentified' keyword.

Last Played Smart Folder Help

Ok so I have created a smart folder to show any tracks from my library that have not been played in the last year. However, it only removes the track if it gets played all the way through, rather than if I skip it after a few seconds.
What parameters can I set to ensure they get removed if it gets played all the way through or it gets skipped?
Thanks

ah i have worked this out! Just incase anyone else is looking for the answer here it is...
last played - is not in the last - 12 months
then click the ... as opposed to the +
last skipped - is not in the last - 12 months
you should see whenever you skip the song the track will disappear. Result

Smart Folder Bug: Iphoto fails to match using 'filename' filter

Hi, this issue has popped up here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6008267
and here:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22401
though I've yet to find an answer.
Briefly, the problem:
When using a smart album with a 'filename' filter, iphoto fails to produce a match when it should. Interestingly, I have some of my photo's included from their current location (simply a folder structure on my mac) and others imported directly into iphoto, so are directly in the library. Now, those photo's that are included from their current location are correctly indexed, and the smart folder provides correct matches (e.g. all filenames that contain '.jpg'). However, none of the photo's that reside in iphoto's own library are present with the example filter above.
I'm not sure how much this topic has been bashed, but this is definitely an iphoto issue, and an irritating one! (Yep, I've rebuilt the library too)
Thoughts?

Tom
Thoughts?
Here's one:
I have some of my photo's included from their current location (simply a folder structure on my mac) and others imported directly into iphoto, so are directly in the library.
Running a mixed library, where iPhoto is managing some of the files and you are managing the others, is a recipe for data loss. When there's complexity in managing the data, mistakes will occur.
That said: this could be a damaged db file.
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

Batch OCR from Smart Folder

Setup:
Acrobat 8 pro
Apple OS X Leopard
I'm trying to batch OCR from a smart folder. I've got the Batch process set up and have created a smart folder from a search in Finder that contains all PDFs created in the last seven days, which is placed into the Finder's sidebar. The difficulty I'm having is that I can't get Acrobat to OCR a smart folder. I've tried setting the batch process to ask for a location when running the batch and to run the batch automatically for docs in my smartfolder (located in Library - Saved Searches).
When I run the batch using the ask for location method, it will not allow me to select the smart folder - it shows up in the selection window, but is greyed out. When I run the batch using the pre-designated location option, I have been able to designate the saved search folder, but upon running the batch it tells me that no files were processed. I thought that perhaps I could selected the saved search from the sidebar of the Acrobat folder selection window, but saved searches do not appear there, only media and the usual locations.
Has anybody run up against this? Hopefully, there's something simple that I'm missing. All suggestions most welcome!
-Martin Lively

There may not be much you can do if you want to maintain search support for those apps.
The items listed in Other... are Metadata Attributes and custom ones are defined by the app's Spotlight Importer.
If you have 3 Copyright attributes, your app's programmers were not thinking when they wrote the importer.
Apple specifically recommends to developers, "You should avoid creating new metadata attributes if an existing key would be appropriate. For example, if your document tracks the photographer of an image, use the kMDItemAuthors attribute rather than defining a custom photographer key. Or, if your document includes a company name, use the kMDItemOrganizations attribute."
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/MDImporters/index.htm l#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001267
If you don't mind limiting your searching ability for those 3rd party app files, you could probably clean up by deleting the offending importer(s) from /Library/Spotlight

Address Book - smart folder - need to delete

I have created a smart folder that for some reson lock up my Address Book when ever I click on it (applicaton not responding and have to force quit). How can I delete the the smart folder in question. If I click on it the program immediately freezes.
I do have several days of time machine backups I could retore from. I am also synced to mobil me and my iphone.
What and where is the file I would need to replace to remove the last added smart folder?
Thanks,

You might want to try:
Back up your address book (File -> Export)
exiting the Address Book
Going to your Library/Application Support/AddressBook directory (in Finder, Go -> Go to folder -> ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook
Moving the AddressBook-v22 to your desktop
Open the Metadata directory
Use the finder's search feature to search in that directory for "Group"
You should find files with names that contain "ABSmartGroup" - move these to your desktop
Restart Address Book
That should remove them, but don't hold me to it (make sure you have backups). This is more mucking with the Address Book than I'd like to do. If the Address Book starts acting weird, you can move these files back to the original location.

Why can't I delete photos from within a smart folder?

I setup smart folders to help me weed out certain types of bad photos. The problem is, now that I have collected these photos I am unable to "move to trash" from within a smart folder. Why do you suppose Apple did this? Every time I find a photo I need to delete, that is inside one of these smart folders, I have to return to the Photos library and try and track it down in there......then move it to trash.
Any ideas?

Perhaps you are hitting the wrong key combination?
Command key is the Apple key. So you should be holding down the Apple key & the option key and while holding hit delete.
Perhaps you are holding down Ctrl instead?
Also, which keyboard do you have? I wonder if there is an issue with the laptop and new iMac shorty keyboards where delete and backspace are treated differently. The new keyboards do a "forward delete" by holding down the Fn key along with delete. Maybe something there is causing an issue?
Patrick

Smart Folder not showing files

Hi guys, i'm trying to save a search on folder ~/Library/Application Support/iLifeAssetManagement/assets/sub/, but the smart folder is not showing the files even when i'm looking at those files, can any one tell me what am i doing wrong?
Thanks!

I have bad news for you. There appears to be a problem with the [Contains Attachments] condition in smart mailboxes. For smart mailbox purposes, Mail does’t realize a message contains attachments until you view its contents. I don’t think there is anything you can do about it other than reporting the problem here:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/

Smart folder library

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