Can't Access Aperture Photos from Other Applications

The Aperture library is a bundle or package.

You access the images using the media browser (iLife & iWork programs use this by default when adding media).

Photoshop won't be able to open the library, but you can use the 'Aperture menu > Preferences > Export' dialog to select Photoshop as the 'External Photo Editor' if you wish (just use the 'Choose' button to navigate to the Photoshop application file). Once selected, you can send an image from within Aperture to Photoshop in a couple of ways:

1 - Photos menu > Edit with Photoshop command

2 - Control-click (right-click) image > Edit with Photoshop command

Aperture will create a new TIFF or PSD version of your image and then send to Photoshop, which will automatically launch and open image. Just save changes to go back to Aperture to work with adjusted version.

One other thing you can do is drag-n-drop a preview out of Aperture to another application. This only gives you a JPEG of the image at the size and quality of the preview (which you specify in Aperture preferences).

Hope this helps. 😉

BTW, I forgot to welcome you to the Apple Discussions.

Welcome! 😉

KatieKat008 wrote:

Apparently it's only partially true. The fact that Mail can access the photos shows me they could do that with all applications if they wanted.

Another option is to run a 'Referenced' library (where you keep all the master image files in folders created how you like in the Finder).

The Aperture library would then contain the thumbnails, previews, albums and the adjustment parameter files for creating versions of the masters. This allows access to the master files by other applications, but it doesn't really help with allowing access to the Aperture adjusted files unless you export those adjusted versions for use.

It does allow direct access for Photoshop to the master images if that is the most important function to you (although it sounds like you want direct access to the adjusted images for all programs you would use with images).

Definitely one of the downsides to working with proprietary RAW files. Hopefully someday they will just build really good cameras that output JPEG files of such quality to nullify the need for RAW. 😉

I guess one thing that bothers me about all my pictures being "bundled" in iPhoto or Aperture is that they don't show up in the Finder.

This is a real non-issue. A Package is simply a folder that looks like a file. Want to look inside? Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library or the Aperture Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.

See? There are all your files, in folders.

Why are they Packaged? Because if you move, rename, or alter them then you will corrupt your Library. So it's a simple protection for the structure of the Library. That's all. No big secret.

But there are other things you need to consider too.

Supposing you want to attach a file to an Email in Aperture. Presumably you want to send the edited file of your photo. So, how do you do that +when there is no edited file+? Aperture doesn't actually edit the file at all it simply records the decisions you have taken and shows them to live when you view the pic. All your edits are "virtual". So, the fact that your original files are stored out the the package will be no help to you at all.

iPhoto is pretty much the same - though the details are different.

So, you have to use the applications when you want to access the files for whatever reason - editing, printing, sharing, whatever. That's the point of these apps. They are your Photo Manager, what AddressBook is to your Contacts, iTunes is to your Music and so on.

Here's a macro I use for when these questions come up on the iPhoto Forum. Most - if not all - of these will also work for Aperture:

You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.



*_(Note the above illustration is not a Finder Window. It's the dialogue you get when you go File -> Open)_*

You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:




If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto or Aperture

If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.

*If you want to access the files with iPhoto or Aperture not running*:

For users of 10.6 and later:
You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu. Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.

*File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. This produces, producing a copy.


Regards

TD

KatieKat008 wrote:
Hummm. That's something to think about - having a 'referenced' library in the Finder. However, I have no idea how to set that up. I guess one thing that bothers me about all my pictures being "bundled" in iPhoto or Aperture is that they don't show up in the Finder.

Katie,

TD explained the bundle idea well.

For a referenced library, here is the online rundown of importing into a referenced library structure:

http://documentation.apple.com/en/aperture/usermanual/index.html#chapter=4%26sec tion=11%26tasks=true


You can also download the AP3 user manual here:

http://support.apple.com/manuals/#aperture

Starting at the bottom of page #175, you can get the outline of creating your referenced library.

I have found that some programs are best used when you make the program do all the work, instead of mixing in manual creation of some procedures. Aperture is definitely one of those programs.

For example, having Aperture create your new folders using a preset (either canned or custom) from inside Aperture will allow you to keep image files outside the library (in a folder structure you can view in Finder without 'show package contents' command). This still requires discipline though, as moving or changing the files via finder will confuse Apertures database.

As TD mentioned, any changes you make to the images in Aperture must be either exported from within Aperture (via command or drag-n-drop) or accessed in the media browser functions of OS X. Otherwise, you will be working with the unmodified image file you imported.

You can of course use a program like Photoshop to directly open and modify the image files in the referenced folders independent of Aperture, but Aperture won't know that you modified the file(s). Aperture can still generate a new preview of the Photoshop modifed file, but you need to manually generate it once an original preview has been created.

Many here swear by the referenced library system, and I have nothing against the idea (especially for large libraries that need to reside on external drives), but as you can see it takes discipline to maintain (and not fiddle with the images outside of Aperture without following up on letting Aperture know what changes have been made).

Since I am not a professional, I simply run the Aperture library as a managed system (the 'bundle' system). I keep the library on a dedicated internal drive on my Mac Pro and let Aperture import images into it and maintain the internal structure. I send images to Photoshop if needed via the 'Edit with Photoshop' command. If I want to work on an image file independent of Aperture, I just export the master to the desktop and work outside of Aperture (this leaves the Aperture library untouched and problem free).

It took me a while to give my music control over to iTunes, but eventually I did. As TD has said here and other posts, Aperture (or iPhoto) can be thought of as 'iTunes' for your pictures.

The real proviso with Aperture (other than my opening thought about letting Aperture doing the work from inside Aperture), is that the program is pushing the envelope with real-time changes to the image files. This really taxes any Mac system if the user is doing a lot of adjustments and has a tendency to remind us that computers still take time to do some things (especially when a database comes into play).

Hopefull this long-winded comment helps in some way. 😉

Shared asset problems with Aperture....since upgrading to Ilife11.
Since the upgrade, i cannot access my aperture Library from email photo browser, Iphoto, screen saver, etc. Apparently some file has been corrupted in the process??, likely in Aperture? Aperture itself is working just fine. I have tried: All aperture first aid repairs, did also regenerate all previews. If i export and create new libraries, from portions of my main aperture library, i get some success, but if i try to create the entire new aperture library with all of my projects....no good, cannot view or access in shared programs.
Been on tech help with apple for 2 weeks, still no effective answers.
Help.

Marrco,

Here is another thread that started shortly after release of AP 3.1 discussing the same issue:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2621721&start=0&tstart=165




Not sure what Tech Support had you try, but I have noticed during a few installs that once iLife '11, AP 3.1 and ProKit 6.0.1 were all installed, running Disk Utility from OS X install disc fixed a large amount of 'media browser' permissions. This tells me that it could be a contributing factor.

Suggest at least running Disk Utility via OS X install disc and repairing permissions if you have not already done so.

Note - I have not seen any issues like this, but my installs were clean installs after updating to 10.6.5 (repaired permissions after that prior to iLife '11 and AP 3.1 installs). 😉

KatieKat008 wrote:

I have another issue for you. I think the referenced library sounds a little complicated and I don't think it is necessary for my purposes. However, I am running out of space on my hard drive and was wondering if I could somehow store my photos and movies (that I have in iMovie) on an external hard drive.

For iMovie; you can post in that forum for more info, but here are a couple of links based on your question:

1 - The basic question for using iMovie files on external drive http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12291463&#12291463

2 - Help page for moving current movie projects to external drive http://help.apple.com/imovie/interface/index.html#move7d66613

Is that possible using iPhoto or Aperture without having a referenced library?

No problem for either program with the proviso that there is a speed penalty (and therefore a performance penalty) when using an external drive. I would suggest Firewire 800 if you have one of those ports on your MacBook Pro. This will give you the best performance for either program.

iPhoto should be less of a performance issue than Aperture will be.

To do this with either program, you simply copy the iPhoto Library or Aperture Library to the external drive and then double-click the Library icon to tell either program to load that library and set it as the default library.

Once completed you can remove the original from the internal drive (default location for both of the Library files is in the 'Home/Pictures' folder). Backing it up first might be a good idea here.

If planning to use a USB connected external drive, you will probably just have to live with a bit slower performance.

Hope this helps. 😉

And remember if you use an external drive make sure you format it Mac OS X Extended before using it with Aperture.

No, connectors need to be the same at both ends.

Hello, my aperature edition won't work with 10.6.5. It's a few years old, now i can't access my photos.
do i have to purchase a new edition of Aperature?
I started using iphoto and found that to work fine. but need to have all my photos in one place and can't seem to get to them. If i have to purchase an upgrade of Aperature just to ge my photos... that's not cool.