Moving to Managed Files

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Moving to Managed Files

I am experienced Aperture user and have stored my masters as "referenced" because many of experienced users recommended that for maximum flexibility. Now that I have used Aperture for a while, I'd like tor move all my masters from "referenced" to "managed". I understand the concept but would like some help with a recommendation of the most efficient way to do this. All the instructions I see for "relocate masters" recommend moving them a project at a time. Here are my questions:

My "referenced masters" process now has the same file structure in Aperture. In other words, I have a project on my hard drive that is duplicated in Aperture. How do I "relocate" those masters from the file strutcure to Aperture?

Do I have to relocate them one project at a time?

Is there anything I should consider other than hard disk space?

Thanks to all for your help.

Wm.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.1), Nikon D7000, Aperture 3, CS4

Posted on Oct 3, 2011 1:44 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 3, 2011 1:58 PM in response to Wm Y

Really all you have to do is go to the Photos section in the Library tab of your Inspector, select all the photos and choose "Consolidate Masters..." from the File menu.

Aperture will ask you if you want to move the files or copy them. Choose which you prefer and you should be good to go.

HTH

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Answer 2

Oct 3, 2011 2:51 PM in response to Wm Y

Wm Y wrote:

Is there anything I should consider other than hard disk space?

Yes:

• Hard disk speed. Drives slow as they fill so making a drive more full (which managed Masters always does) will slow down drive operation.

• Database size. Larger databases are by definition more prone to "issues" than smaller databases are.

• Vaults. Larger Library means larger Vaults, and Vaults are an incremental repetitive backup process, so again larger Vaults are by definition more prone to "issues" than smaller Vaults are. One-time backup of Referenced Masters (each file small, unlike a huge managed-Masters DB) is neither incremental nor ongoing; which is by definition a more stable process.

Managed-Masters Libraries can work, but they cannot avoid the basic database physics.

HTH

-Allen Wicks

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