Aperture library configuration

[koffiejunkie]

Question for anyone here who uses Aperture (I suspect it's just bwana and me, but who knows). I guess this applies to Lightroom too, but I haven't spent enough time fiddling with it's library options to really know.

Do you let Aperture move your images into the Aperture library, or do you maintain a separate folder structure?

What are the pros and cons of either *for you*? What's your reasoning?

Thanks

 

[bwana]

I let Aperture manage the library.

When I'm done with a project I export a set to JPG, copy the entire project to a DVD and then relocate the masters to an external hdd - from then on I generally just use the preview image for most things but if I need to work on a photo I just connect the hdd with the relocated master.

EDIT - It took me a while (tool long in fact) to understand all the benefits of the shared previews - these days all of my Flickr uploads (at least for this account) are generated from there instead of the more labourious export method.

 

[koffiejunkie]

That makes sense. Once my collection exceeds available disc space, anyway. I have 250GB in now, and 500GB is available

I made the mistake of importing (but only referencing) my iPhoto library. Now it's showing all the originals *and* all the modified versions. I was kinda hoping it would import the original and apply whatever iPhoto did, but I realised afterwards iPhoto doesn't save actions like Aperture, it just does what you ask it and save it as a new image.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to delete those from aperture without deleting the files themselves.

 

[bwana]

Maybe something like this? http://www.hyperbolicsoftware.com/TidyUp.html

I'm sure I read somewhere of a terminal command to slim down iPhoto.

 

[koffiejunkie]

Maybe something like this? http://www.hyperbolicsoftware.com/TidyUp.html

I'm sure I read somewhere of a terminal command to slim down iPhoto.

Well, it's not duplicates, if it was I could just delete the ones from Aperture and be done with it. I imported them, and set the store option to "in their current location" so the files are still in the iPhoto library. So if I hit command+delete, I'll delete it for good.

But as luck have it, I listened to an old episode of O'Reilly's Aperture podcast (I'm still working my way through them), and they discussed importing from iPhoto. Seems there is a better way to do it, by using the normal import, instead of the specific iPhoto import. The normal import will let you choose what you're importing, instead of bringing over the whole library. So I can do that, and copy them into the Aperture library at the same time, and once I'm done with it all, delete the original import.

Not the cleanest way, but it'll work. I'll delve into the Aperture book tonight and see if there are better ways.

 

[koffiejunkie]

I imported them, and set the store option to "in their current location" so the files are still in the iPhoto library. So if I hit command+delete, I'll delete it for good.

I should go to bed earlier. I noticed last night that the "confirm delete" box has a tickbox for exactly that - deleting the referenced file. Unticking that made deleting the whole lot from Aperture a breeze.

 

[stix]

I use Lightroom to manage my collection, i download my images from card straight to external hard drive, and then import into a catalogue using the "in their current location"

FYI - I haven't used Apeture but Lightroom is probably the best piece of software i have ever used...