Sauermugg

Q: Learning the basics, structure etc in Aperture

Hi!

 

I`m currently learning FCPX, but my need to start organising in Aperture just became imperative as well. I don`t have that much time these days, but I just want to start the prossess. My fear is to do things wrong from the start. So how do I learn the basics, in like an hour or so?

 

I will use referenced media.

 

My thought is to have only one library, and next sublevel will be folders like vacations, concerts etc. In each folder I will have albums like summer holliday Barcelona 2013. Hmmm, I guess I missed the project part. When do you use projects? Whats the difference between projects and folders....

 

Yeah I´m newbie; FOR SURE.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Feb 2, 2014 4:36 AM

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Q: Learning the basics, structure etc in Aperture

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  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 2, 2014 5:04 AM in response to Sauermugg
    Level 10 (105,523 points)
    iLife
    Feb 2, 2014 5:04 AM in response to Sauermugg

    Aperture and FCPX are both Pro Applications and there is no plug-and-play mode like in iPhoto.

     

    So how do I learn the basics, in like an hour or so?

     

    That will not work. Invest a day at least (or better more) to explore Aperture, read the first chapters of the manual, look at the video tutorials at the Aperture support page.

    Have you previously used iPhoto? Then make a copy of a small iPhoto library that you know well and open this library in Aperture for testing, to see, how things have changed.

    My thought is to have only one library, and next sublevel will be folders like vacations, concerts etc. In each folder I will have albums like summer holliday Barcelona 2013. Hmmm, I guess I missed the project part. When do you use projects? Whats the difference between projects and folders....

     

    The projects are the essential containers holding the images. Each image will be imported into a project (event in iPhoto) and you build your library from that by creating albums,smart albums, folders.

    Folders will group the projects and albums. The albums will only reference the images in the events, but do not store them. So each image will be stored only once in its project.

     

    • The folders  are used to group related projects and albums, so you can find your library items more easily. Folders don't hold images, only other library items like albums or projects.
    • Albums and smart albums are different views of the images in the project. Use them to create collections of thematically related photos. Albums will just index the photos in the project and need no extra storage. Define smart albums to group photos by date, place, face, keyword or any any combination of metadata.

    To get you started, you may want to have a look at the User Tips in this forum:

     

    And it never hurts to look at the really good Aperture User Manual:  Aperture 3 User Manual

     

    Post back with more questions.

     

    -- Léonie

  • by Kirby Krieger,

    Kirby Krieger Kirby Krieger Feb 2, 2014 6:42 AM in response to léonie
    Level 6 (12,521 points)
    Feb 2, 2014 6:42 AM in response to léonie

    OP:  This sage advice is easy to overlook, but is, imho, essential to your satisfactory use of these programs:

     

     

    léonie wrote:

    So how do I learn the basics, in like an hour or so?

     

    That will not work. Invest a day at least (or better more) to explore Aperture, read the first chapters of the manual, look at the video tutorials at the Aperture support page.

    Have you previously used iPhoto? Then make a copy of a small iPhoto library that you know well and open this library in Aperture for testing, to see, how things have changed.

    It's true, and it's well put.  I bolded the most important part.

     

    Aperture is conceptually different than any other program you have used.  The conceptual difference will trip you -- while you are carrying a tray of digital slides -- until you understand it.

     

    The first seven chapters of the User Manual cover the UI.  They are required reading.

     

    If you have not previously used iPhoto, make a small Aperture Library from scratch and use it as a learning tool.

     

    A brief story (to brief to be well told):

    Telescopes were all the rage at the end of the XIX Century.  They were sold as kits -- the only way to afford one was to grind your own lens (Aside: consider the value in our currently available camera lenses.)  The lens size needed -- to see the moon clearly, and stars well -- was 6".  So the mfr's sold the kits with 6" lens blanks.  And 70% of the buyers got in touch with the mfr's and asked for a new 6" blank.  The lens blank was the only expensive item in the kit, the buyer's couldn't afford two kits to make one telescope, and no-one was happy.  The mfr's were puzzled -- why were the kit-users failing?  It turns out, grinding a lens well is hard -- so hard, that it is unusual to do it even close to correctly on the first try.  So someone in kit-selling hit upon a great idea: give away a 4" blank with the lens kit, have the buyers grind a 4" lens first, then (and only then), having learned a skill, give them a 6" blank to grind.  End result: lots of kits sold, happy sky-watchers, and lots of poorly ground 4" lenses thrown out.

     

    The 4" blanks were big enough to learn on, and significantly less expensive than the 6" blanks.

     

    Here is another post of mine that is a kind of follow-up to the User Tip Léonie pointed you towards.  Imho, the _fastest_ way to set up Aperture that will result in the fewest wasted blanks is:

    Set up _two_ structures in your Library: Input & Storage, and Output

    Import all files into Projects based on Shoots.  Stick to "one Project = one Shoot".

     

    There are significant other parts to a successful set-up (naming Projects and Files is prob. the most significant), but the two above are, imho, primary.

     

    Good luck.  Ask you go.

     

    --Kirby.

  • by Sauermugg,

    Sauermugg Sauermugg Feb 2, 2014 10:18 AM in response to Kirby Krieger
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 2, 2014 10:18 AM in response to Kirby Krieger

    Ok, I understand.

     

    So, folders are in a way like libraries in Fcpx, projects are like events and albums are like projects,, He, he, confusing. In an album you can pick pictures from other folders/projects?

     

    I will spend some more time, and learn it properly.

     

    Thank you.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 2, 2014 10:40 AM in response to Sauermugg
    Level 10 (105,523 points)
    iLife
    Feb 2, 2014 10:40 AM in response to Sauermugg

    So, folders are in a way like libraries in Fcpx, projects are like events and albums are like projects,, He, he, confusing. In an album you can pick pictures from other folders/projects?

    You got it.

    • Aperture "Projects" hold the imported media (images, videos), like the "events" in FCPX or iPhoto,
    • Aperture products (books, lighttables, slideshows) are the final results you share, like the FCPX Projects,
    • Albums, Smart albums, are ways to define sabsets of the images, not really products, more an organisational tool.
    • Folders group projects and albums/smart albums - I like your library analogy.