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iPhoto 8.1.2, 557 events, wanting to simplify

ON iphoto lost links I found out that I was running a referenced library. And from the link provided by Terence, it sounds like I can still manage to not get too many duplicates in a managed library. I want to make sure I get these steps correctly. Currently my Pictures folder is in a second partition; both partitions are cloned regularly. I have iPhoto 8.1.2, Mac OS X 10.7.3 with the Flashback patch installed. It is an iMac 5,1 with 2 GB of RAM. Naturally taking iPhoto to merge the events into one is taking forever, and I may end up if necessary just force quit iPhoto, if I can get the relevant info on how to edit my xml file.

Intriguingly enough my Dock shows two iPhoto library entries when I click iPhoto. I've tried rebuilding my library to no avail. I would like to simplify and only have Albums & Keywords as my method of attributing all my photos by date. With 38000 photos and movies all in one library, you can imagine this is a daunting task.


Is there a way to make one event out of the 557 easily by editing the XML file with Textwrangler? Or will that take me longer?

Can I just change to a managed library and will iPhoto clean up all the duplicates correctly? I've had the problem before where iPhoto deleted the actual photo, and not the thumbnail. I want to avoid that happening.

Mac OS X (10.7.3), * Links may give me compensation

Posted on May 26, 2012 7:29 AM

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Posted on May 26, 2012 7:42 AM

You get no more nor no less duplicates with a Managed Library. What duplicates are you referring to?


You can merge Events just by dragging one to another.


One way to get eveerything into one Event: Flag all the Photos in the Library (easy to do in Photos view) and then Events -> New Event from Flagged Photos.


Though I'm not at all sure why you would want to do this? You ge exactly the same effect by using the Photos view.


s there a way to make one event out of the 557 easily by editing the XML file with Textwrangler?


This file is what other apps/ media browsers look at when they access the Library. It is created by the Library database, and not the other way round.


Remember: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things, deleting them or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.

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May 26, 2012 7:42 AM in response to a brody

You get no more nor no less duplicates with a Managed Library. What duplicates are you referring to?


You can merge Events just by dragging one to another.


One way to get eveerything into one Event: Flag all the Photos in the Library (easy to do in Photos view) and then Events -> New Event from Flagged Photos.


Though I'm not at all sure why you would want to do this? You ge exactly the same effect by using the Photos view.


s there a way to make one event out of the 557 easily by editing the XML file with Textwrangler?


This file is what other apps/ media browsers look at when they access the Library. It is created by the Library database, and not the other way round.


Remember: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things, deleting them or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.

May 26, 2012 7:48 AM in response to Yer_Man

The reason I want to do this, is the events system is all messed up. I'm having photos from one event falling into other events. I'm having photos from multiple dates that have nothing to do with each other going into the same event, and just want a one to one way of looking at both my keyword and my albums so I can look and see where photos were taken, and when. Nothing more. Adding events to the whole system from before just complicated matters too much.

May 26, 2012 7:52 AM in response to Yer_Man

As for the duplicates, I find the directions for a managed library sound like it will make copies when I import. Is that what it actually does? Does that mean I can safely delete the original from outside the Pictures folder when I do the import? If the package status of the Pictures folder gets corrupted, will the pictures within it get corrupted, or will I still be able to extract a copy of those photos and reimport them to iPhoto and just the album and flag information?

May 26, 2012 8:50 AM in response to a brody

I find the directions for a managed library sound like it will make copies when I import. Is that what it actually does?


Yes.


Does that mean I can safely delete the original from outside the Pictures folder when I do the import?


Yes.


If the package status of the Pictures folder gets corrupted, will the pictures within it get corrupted,


No. You can recover the files easily.


Though, of course, the protection against any corruption is a good back up, as you well know.



I'm having photos from one event falling into other events.


Events are organisation for those who can't really be bothered. They are automatic - based entirely on Date and Time the camera records the photos as taken. You can move photos between Events, you can Merge Events, you can Rename them and sort them in various ways except one: You cannot manually sort in an Event as Events are all automated. If you want to manually sort in an Event then you've outgrown Events as an organising tool. Now it's time to look at albums (Where you can manually sort) which are much more flexible than Events as an organising tool.



and just want a one to one way of looking at both my keyword and my albums so I can look and see where photos were taken, and when. Nothing more.


What's a "one-to-one" way?



Regards



TD

May 26, 2012 10:37 AM in response to a brody

Sounds like a job for Places, or a keyword and then a Smart Album


But why limit yourself to one keyword, or only one way of searching? Do you only ever search by location? How about favourites?


I use Events simply as big buckets of Photos: Spring 08, July - Nov 06 are typical Events in my Library. I use keywords and Smart Albums extensively. I title the pics broadly.



I keyword on a

Who

What

Where basis (The When is in the photos's Exif metadata). I also rate the pics on a 1 - 5 star basis.



Using this system I can find pretty much find any pic in my 40k library in a couple of seconds.



So, for example, I have a batch of pics titled 'Seattle 08' and a typical keywording might include: John, Anne, Landscape, mountain, trees, snow. With a rating included it's so very easy to find the best pics we took at Mount Rainier.



File -> New Smart Album

set it to 'All"

title contains Seattle

keyword is mountain

keyword is snow

rating is 5 stars



Or, want a chronological album of John from birth to today?



New Smart Album

Keyword is John

Set the View options to Sort By Date Ascending



Want only the best pics?

add Rating is greater than 4 stars



The best thing about this system is that it's dynamic. If I add 50 more pics of John to the Library tomorrow, as I keyword and rate them they are added to the Smart Album.



In the end, organisation is about finding the pics. The point is to make locating that pic or batch of pics findable fast. This system works for me.

May 26, 2012 11:34 AM in response to a brody

With respect, are you sure iPhoto is the app for you? From your description it has too many features that you're not content to ignore if you're not using them. You seem to want an app that woks in a single and very specific way.


Events aren't a complication, they're an opportunity. Don't want the opportunity? Use Photos view. And as for 'exra careful', well millions of people manage to do this with no effort at all.


I really do think you're over thinking it. A lot.



Regards



TD

iPhoto 8.1.2, 557 events, wanting to simplify

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