Splitting iPhoto Library

I would like to split my iPhoto Library, one for my digital photos and the other for digitalized photos from scanned slides. Since the scanned photos were inserted into my library at many different times they are scattered throughout my library. Does iPhoto identify scanned slides from the others or do I have to go through my entire library of over 40,000 photos and separate them myself and then transfer them to a new library?

iPhoto does not treat scanned photos differently
You may be able to do a smart album for all photos taken by any or your cameras and use iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - to move those to a new library - the ones left are the ones not taken by any of your cameras and therefore should be the scanned ones
LN

Similar Messages

Split iPhoto Library into two?

If one has an iPhoto Library that is too large to burn to a CD (or DVD), is it possible to split the iPhoto Library into two libraries?
PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4)

I used this method of duplicating the library, renaming, and then deleting appropriate rolls from the two resulting libraries. After doing so, however, my iPhoto applicaton developed some nasty quirks. First, it would not let me rename my rolls. Secondly, it would on occasion unespectedly quit. I do not know if this was a result of my duplicating/splitting libraries, or just bad karma. I tried correcting it by copying back my original iPhoto library from a backup volume, with no results. I repaired permissions, repaired disk, and ran DiskWarrior with no results. Finally, I booted from a cloned drive, checked that iPhoto worked properly on my clone, and then copied the iPhoto library from the clone to my main hard drive, and all was well. So, now I have a working iPhoto, but am stuck with my original large library. As I said, this may have just been an unpleasant coincidence, but I am afraid to attempt to split the library again.
G5 Dual 2.0, 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8) also running IMac Intel 20/2

How to split iPhoto library and NOT loose metadata?

My iPhoto library gets too big (30GB); hence I'd like to split it and make two separate libraries, one for 2008, one for 2009.
How can I do this WITHOUT loosing all the metadata and file structure: e.g. the albums, the MobileMe gallery, the Faces and Places data etc.???
Any solutions, suggestions, pointers are welcome. Thanks.

Splitting the Library will not save you any disk space, and will, in fact, use more as the database and support files will be duplicated. Also, it's less convenient as you can only access one Library at a time. If you're worried about disk space you can run a Library from an external disk.
That said:
Duplicate the Library in the Finder.
Open the first one - lets say it's the 2009 one - and remove all the 2008 elements from it.
Then Open the second one and remove all the 2009 elements from it.
Result: two libraries, intact for the respective years.
To choose a Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
Managing Multiple Libraries - including moving pics/albums/rolls and metadata between them - is greatly facilitated by using iPhoto Library Manager
Regards
TD

Best way to "split" iPhoto library?

Usually, at the beginning of the year I create a new, clean library for iPhoto. This helps me keep my library size managable. Well, this year I forgot to do it and now my iPhoto library contains pictures from 07 and 08. Is there an easy way to split my iPhoto library? How do I create a new library with my 08 pictures? There must be a way to do it. I know what events I want to move to a new library I'm just not sure how to go about doing it.

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
iPhoto Library Manager will copy Events and well as Albums, for further information consult the Help on the app or contact the Developer.
I have an external network drive to store the libraries so I also want to experiment with sharing those libraries with my wife
Users have consistently reported problems when using a disk not formatted for OS X (such as a NAS) with iPhoto. These issues include problems sharing, problems saving changes and others. I would not recommend using iPhoto on any disk not formatted for OS X.
Regards
TD

Splitting iPhoto library and social media

Greetings,
I am in the process of breaking up my gargantuan iPhoto library into smaller libraries, by year (this scheme works perfectly fine for me). However, I ran into a problem last night which I would like not to repeat. Starting with all of the photos from 2013, I had exported all of them out of iPhoto.photolibrary into folders on my desktop. Then, I had created "2013 iPhoto Library" and mass-imported all the files from the desktop. When I was satisfied that I had everything I wanted, I both securely deleted the desktop files and also the albums from within iPhoto. However, when I started doing the latter, they began removing themselves from Facebook. It makes sense, but it's an undesirable side effect.
Since I plan on doing this reorganization at the end of each year, I obviously don't want to keep this from happening, i.e. I'd like to leave my albums which take me a great amount of time to put together for sharing on Facebook in place so that they don't get removed. My proposed solution is something like the following:
1. Continue the process all the way back to 2005 and before (since I hate to have a disconnect with last year's albums gone but none of the others deleted, I might as well delete them all from my Facebook).
2. Leave 2014's photos in "iPhoto Library" (thus leaving my photos still connected to my Facebook albums.
3. When 2015 rolls around, rename "iPhoto Library" to "2014 iPhoto Library" and create a new "iPhoto Library" (hoping such a name change is permissible).
4. Repeat 2. and 3. every year.
Can anyone tell me if this is a recommended solution, or if this will/won't work? My main concern is that "iPhoto Library" is somehow special and has to be left as-is, i.e. I can't rename it, or have a new file called "iPhoto Library" which might corrupt something
Thanks,
Mike

The Social Media albums are attached to the library that created them. So step 2 works. Yes you can rename libraries.
The way you're splitting the Library destroys the non-destructive editing feature of iPhoto and, depending on a: what you've done in iPhoto and b: the exact export settings you are using, risks significant dataloss. If you must split the library (and deal with all those inconveniences) use iPhoto Library Manager to do it, and preserve all your versions and data.
For the sake of others who may read this: iPhoto can only open or search one Library at a time. That's just one of the inconveniences of multiple libraries. An iPhoto Library can contain up to 1,000,000 million items

How to split iPhoto library

my library is too big. What is the easiest way to split? Has to be simple to access.

Larry,
I have been searching a solution to my problem and came across this post. My circumstances and imac is almost identical to dougfromfruitvale to which you responded:
"Back up your iPhoto library, Depress and hold the option (alt) and command keys and launch iPhoto - repaid permissions and then repeat and rebuild your iPhoto library database" which Doug found helpful!
I am a bit more nieve it seems, I was wondering if I might find some more specific instructions to these instructions. My photos are backed on the cloud (i assume as I utilize photo stream) as well as a time capsule. I get pressing alt and command while launching, but what is meant by repaid permissions, repeat and rebuild iphoto library database. The last step seems particularly daunting!
Thanks so much

Split iPhoto library to solve sluggishness?

Hello, we have 23000 pictures in our iPhoto library. It seems like iPhoto is particularly "burdened" by all the photos (i.e. sluggish at times). At least that's our theory.
We're wondering, provided our theory is correct--if splitting the library into multiple libraries, and then setting iPhoto;s default library just to the most recent pictures would solve its sluggishness?
Would that help, or would anyone have other ideas how to give iPhoto a break from having to load 23000 pics every time we load it?
many thanks!
--sluggish in Dallas

i split the library by creating a new one and them importing the pics I wanted to have ready access to in a streamlined library.
problem is, all my ratings didn't come across in the import. what did I do wrong? I even check the prefs file to ensure ratings and other metadata would be included in the import, but no dice.
any ideas?

Splitting up iPhoto library into two locations

How do I split my iPhoto library to have some events on my laptop (in one library) and some on my external drive (in another library)

Here's one way to do what you want:
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
Now you have two full versions of the Library.
3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
Some Notes:
As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager

Splitting the iphoto library

hey everybody.
i have about 7000 high-resolution pictures in iphoto. now with all the music in itunes and the other stuff - and my hd only being a 80gb disc- my hd is full. since i need all my data and music with me, i'd like to save space by putting fotos on an external drive.
but: i don't want to put the entire library on an external drive. i thought that maybe i could keep the good ones as originals on my hd and put the others on the external drive.
so, is it possible to split the library? and, is it possible to move photos between the two libraries afterwards? how is it done? are there any negative aspects of doing this? ...

1. Copy the iPhoto Library Folder from your Pictures Folder to the External Drive.
Now you have two full Libraries.
2. Launch iPhoto. It will open the Library on your mac. Delete from it the pics you don't want to have with you: (Put them in the iPhoto trash and go iPhoto Menu -> Empty Trash). (Hint: Do this in batches of less than 100 at a time. iPhoto won't trash more at one go: protection against little ones being er, helpful)
Now you have a Full Library on the External and a sub-set of it on the Mac.
To choose between libraries: hold down the option (or alt) key on launch and select 'Choose Library'.
Managing multiple libraries is greatly facilitated by using iPhoto Library Manager. It is also the best way to move albums/rolls/pics and metadata between Libraries.
Regards
TD

Splitting an iPhoto library?

I've been using Macs since 2005 and have been taking digital photos for a few years before that (not including prints I've scanned), si I have a rather large iPhoto library - currnetly standing at 81GB. On my 1TB iMac this isn't a problem, but as I have an Apple TV for watching movies wirelessly, I'm thinking of switching back to a high end Macbook Pro with a 256GB SSD. Obviously, I don't want a third of my storage space to be filled with decade old family photos, but I also don't want to lose them.
Is there a way to either split my iPhoto library, so anything older than 3 years or so is archived to an external drive? I've just set up my Airport network to have my Time Machine and another storage drive work wirelessly, so if I can't split it, can I store my iPhoto database file on an external drive? The only problem with that would be if I wanted to access iPhoto away from home.
Thanks
Matt

You can do either or both.
To store on an external drive:
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
To split a Library
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
Now you have two full versions of the Library.
3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
Some Notes:
As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager
Or you can use the Split Command in iPhoto Library Manager
Regards
TD

IPhoto library, split or move?

My iPhoto library is on my old system disk which is now full, >1.5Gb. I'll buy a new 1gb drive but should I move the whole library or can I split it between two hard drives?

1 - you need a minimum of 10GB of free disk just to operate safely so you need to act quickly to free up disk space on your boot drive
I'll buy a new 1gb drive
2 - I assume you mean a 1TB drive since they do not make 1GB drives. Will this be an internal or external drive? If external how will it be connected?
3 - I would move the iPhoto library to one of the other internal drives if any of the three have space - or make space on one of them by moving less active data to an external drive - the faster the drive and the faster the drive connection the better iPhoto is going to work
LN

Displaying the name of iPhoto library

I have a large number of different iPhoto libraries, and was wondering if there was some way to display the name of the Library in use. I have given them all different names, and can usually tell which one I am in, but not always.
iPhoto insists on calling each one "Library" in the information pane. I've looked through the responses to this question in the iPhoto 5 section (i.e. "can't do it") but, now that iPhoto offers multiple library support, you'd think this would be addressed.
Th causes of my problem are twofold: 1) I often duplicate libraries and then split them by deleting different film rolls from each and 2) I'm getting old, and my memory is not what it once was, so I tend to forget which of the two libraries I've opened and which files should be deleted.
Any suggestions?

luba:
Yes if you use iPhoto Library Manager to manage your multiple libraries as you can see here. iPLM adds the library title to the top of iPhoto's window when you go thru iPLM. It will also let you copy albums or rolls between libraries and keep the keywords and comments like this.
I have my workflow setup to always go thru iPLM so I always know exactly which library I'm opening. My memory isn't good enough to remember the last one I had opened.
Do you Twango?
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 written 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. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Help. Why can't I move an iPhoto library to another Mac.

Help. This should be a simple thing to do but I can't make it work. While on vacation in Europe, I created a new iPhoto library on my MacBook Pro for my son to load his photos into - all worked well, his library is 1.44 Gbytes. We live in different states and now I'm trying to get his iPhoto library to him so he can load it into his computer. Because of it's size (1G limit), I can't use my MobileMe Public folder so I'm trying to put it onto a Flash drive so I can send that to him. (I even split the library into multiples to get under the 1G public folder limit but when I try to upload to the Public folder I always get a Public folder upload error message. Maybe there's a reason that the iPhoto library file can't be moved this way.)
Anyway, I reformatted the Flash drive for Mac Journaled and moved the iPhoto library onto it. Then I plugged the Flash drive into my iMac to make sure all is okay. When I try to open the iPhoto library on my iMac (holding the Option key), I get this error message: "You can't open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto. You have made changes to your photo library using a newer version of iPhoto. Please quit and use the latest version of iPhoto."
The error message is incorrect, I have iPhoto '09 Version 8.1.2 (424) on both my MacBook Pro and my IMac.
Anyone know what's happening here and how to make this simple transfer work?

You'll get that message in error with a corrupted database sometimes.
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
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

Importing from one iphoto library to another--how to?

I want to go into a large iphoto library and break it up into several smaller ones.
I currently have two iphoto libraries which, it turns out, are much bigger than the optimal size. One is 25 gigs and the other 71 gigs.
I was told that 5000 pictures should be the max, and the SMALLER of the two has about 6000 pictures and movies. It works fine.
The 71 gig library, however, has had some problems, and run slowly. I want to break it up into several smaller libraries.
I know how to create a new library. And how to close one and open another. But how do you move images from one libary to another?
thanks
t

You can split the library by duplicating it and then delete those photos from the second copy that you don't want in it. If you want to move photos between libraries and keep the keyword, titles, comments, albums and event intact then use iPhoto LIbrary Manager that Niel suggested.
Happy New Year
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.

How do I transfer photos from 'iPhoto Library' to external HD?

Hello everyone. I have an iPhoto back up question for you all. I've recently had severe troubles with my 2010 21.5 inch iMac. After an OSX update, the system suffered all kinds of problems, and I am unable to even open the majority of my apps without getting error messages. Something is seriously wrong - possibly with the physical HD. In any case, I am attempting a clean install of OSX to fix the issue.
I'm in the process of transferring all of my important files to an external drive so I can migrate them to the clean OSX. However as you're all aware iPhoto likes to make this difficult. Just to clear this up right now, I CANNOT open iPhoto, so I must do this through the iPhoto Library package. That is the ONLY option.
Anyway, I've viewed the package contents, and I notice two folders, one 'Originals' and the other 'Modified'. There is also a data folder, but it is my understanding it is just thumbnails. In the past, like when I bought this iMac and needed to move the files from my old iMac, I just copied a folder from my iPhoto library in Finder and dragged it into the iPhoto window on the new computer, and all my photos were loaded. The file structure must be different now though, because I don't remember 2 folders. I presume one contains modified versions of photos, or worse yet, the data for a single picture is split between them.
Which folder should I transfer to my external HD? Or should I move both? And will I still be able to just drag the folders into the iPhoto program? I will be reinstalling to Snow Leapord.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

No. Case sensitive can cause problems. Reformat it as shown below:
Also once you change the location of the library you should launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and select the library in it's new location. Just clicking on the library on the EHD will open the last opened library which will be the one in your Pictures folder.
OT

Splitting iPhoto Library

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for