FDmac

Q: Aperture: edit and move referenced/originals

My Aperture library was too big to handle my Macbook Air storage capacity so I moved the originals to an external disk. I have spent a few hours reading how to do it but can´t find a clear solution on how to work from now on.

 

I would like to know what happens with the photos if I move them to different projects or even delete them in Aperture. How do I synchronies those new changes? Also, in the next days I will be adding new photos to some of my already existent Aperture projects, how can I move the originals of the new photos to the external disk? Should I move all the originals again?

 

Thanks if someone can clarify those dilemmas I´m having right now.

MacBook Air

Posted on Feb 21, 2015 10:14 PM

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Q: Aperture: edit and move referenced/originals

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  • by William Lloyd,

    William Lloyd William Lloyd Feb 22, 2015 7:36 AM in response to FDmac
    Level 7 (21,141 points)
    Feb 22, 2015 7:36 AM in response to FDmac

    The command in Aperture is "relocate originals." As long as the external disk is plugged in, all is OK. If the external disk isn't moved in, you can do certain things with the photos (add keywords, etc.) but you cannot make adjustments. If you delete the photo, and the disk is not connected, the original won't be deleted and it will stay on the external drive, but it will be "orphaned" and no longer tracked in Aperture.

  • by FDmac,

    FDmac FDmac Feb 26, 2015 11:58 AM in response to William Lloyd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2015 11:58 AM in response to William Lloyd

    Thanks William Lloyd.

     

    With the external disk plugged, I have tried to delete some files in Aperture but they are still showing in the external disk with all the other originals. Not sure what am I doing wrong here. I have organised the photos through projects´ name and it doesn´t look the photos will move of folder if I do the same in Aperture.

     

    Also, if now I want to add new photos how the backup of the new ones will work? Should I "relocate originals" again from scratch?

     

    Thanks.

  • by FDmac,

    FDmac FDmac Mar 13, 2015 6:02 PM in response to FDmac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 13, 2015 6:02 PM in response to FDmac

    Any caritative help for the two questions above?

  • by Kirby Krieger,

    Kirby Krieger Kirby Krieger Mar 13, 2015 6:53 PM in response to FDmac
    Level 6 (12,521 points)
    Mar 13, 2015 6:53 PM in response to FDmac

    Hi,

     

    You're going to have to learn more in order to do what you want to do and not lose any data or risk loss through incomplete back-ups.  It's beyond the scope of this forum to provide all the information you need.  A _brief_ overview can be found in my concise guide to Aperture.  This come up regularly, and with some sleuthing you should be able to turn up a few of the longer, excellent post on the topic of Referenced Originals.

     

    I will respond to your questions — but my first advice is to be careful.  It is not clear what you are asking, and it seems that you do not understand how Aperture works.  I _strongly_ suggest mastering this while using a small test Library, before using any of it on data that is important.

     

    If you put the last Image attached to a Referenced Original in the Aperture Trash, and empty the Aperture Trash, you should get a dialog asking you if you want to move the Referenced Original to the System Trash.  Do you not get that dialog?

     

    If you say "Yes", the Referenced Original file should be put in the System Trash.

     

    Note that OS X keeps individual Trashes for each drive (even though it shows the collected contents of every drive's trash).

     

    When you import files, you have the option of storing the files in the Aperture Library package, or wherever you specify.  You can import files and leave them where they are, or you can import them and relocate them (to, e.g., your Originals drive), or you can import them and have them stored in the Library package.

     

    If your Originals are managed ("managed" means "stored inside the Library package"), whenever you back-up your Library the Image's Originals are backed up.

    If you Originals are referenced ("referenced" means "stored outside the Library package"), you are responsible for backing them up _in addition to_ backing up your Library.

     

    An extra note:  Aperture was designed to work with each "shoot" imported as a "Project".  (The misnaming of the container "Project" is, imho, a spectacular and costly mistake.)  Unless you have good reason to do otherwise, you will find your workflow smoother if you stick to "One Project for every shoot".  Use Albums for longitudinal collections of Images.