davidset

Q: Could someone please help me restructure my projects,albums, folder system?

I find all kinds of info on how to set up during import, but can't find much info on how to redo all the things I missed before.

I would like to restructure and end up with,

Names, dates, so i can sort (or should put in folders or albums) by month and year.

It would have been easier to set this up correctly from day one, but I didn't think it would matter.

Now it does.

All help will be greatly appreciated

thanks

david s

Aperture 3, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jun 16, 2012 10:08 AM

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Q: Could someone please help me restructure my projects,albums, folder system?

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  • by Kirby Krieger,Solvedanswer

    Kirby Krieger Kirby Krieger Jun 16, 2012 11:15 AM in response to davidset
    Level 6 (12,521 points)
    Jun 16, 2012 11:15 AM in response to davidset

    You have to first learn the parts of Aperture and what they do.

     

    Hi David,

     

    Read the first seven chapters of the User Manual, which provides an excellent overview of the interface.

     

    I have written a very short naming of the parts which might help get your started.

     

    After you know what the parts do, designing and creating your storage and retrieval structures are entirely up to you.  Think carefully about _what_ you want to be able to do, and then set up your Library that you do it fluidly.

     

    Time-stamping of Images, and sorting by time-stamp, is hard-coded into Aperture at both the Image and the Project level.  In Projects view, sort by date using the drop-down at the top left of the border.  You can sort "Photos" view, the same way, as well as group by year using the grouping icon.  You can, of course, sort any group of Images by time-stamp.

     

    Imho, since this functionality is built-in and always available, there is no reason to structure your Library by date.  This hasn't persuaded many to not do so, however  .

  • by davidset,

    davidset davidset Jun 16, 2012 12:02 PM in response to Kirby Krieger
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 16, 2012 12:02 PM in response to Kirby Krieger

    Thanks Kirby,

    I have read the manual chapters, and several other tutorials ,which are loaded with facts and how to, but couldn't grasp turning that into re-doing my current mess.

    Your info on Hard-coded, and your article "naming the parts" is a great help. Now i just have to do it.

    Thanks

    david s

  • by Kirby Krieger,

    Kirby Krieger Kirby Krieger Jun 16, 2012 12:15 PM in response to davidset
    Level 6 (12,521 points)
    Jun 16, 2012 12:15 PM in response to davidset

    When you feel like it (and not before ) here is a post of mine about structuring your Library.

     

    I'm very serious about customization: spend some time _designing_ your Library.  Think through what _you_ want from _your_ Library.  What questions will you have in mind when you launch Aperture to retrieve an Image (or series of Images?).  List these, and then build a structure that allows you to find answers to those questions quickly and seamlessly.

     

    Work out most of this using a sample Library containing _duplicates_ of your image files.  This allows you to experiment.  Delete this practice Library after you re-do your "real" Library.

     

    When you re-do your "real" Library:

    Start by creating two new top-level Folders:

    - My old Library

    - My new Library

     

    Build up your new Library, and move Projects (and perhaps Albums and Folders) into it.  When you are done, you should have no Projects left under "My old Library".  Then delete it.  Then -- if you want -- bump all of the direct-children of "My new Library" up to the top level, and delete the now empty Folder "My new Library".

     

    Aperture is a _phenomenally_ powerful organizing tool.  Ask more questions as you have them.