Move photos when importing into Managed Library?

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Level 1

31 points

Move photos when importing into Managed Library?

I just switched to a Managed Library workflow and wanted to know if it was possible to have the photos moved into the Library as with Referenced. I was surprised to learn that this is not the case, it only copying them. If I can't then I guess the work around would be to revert back to importing as Referenced, selecting the move option, but then to Consolodate the photos into the Library.

It seems like the long winded method, surely I can have the photos moved into the Library under a managed system, but I cannot see any option to do so. If there isn't one then why is it like this?

MacBook (13-inch Late 2007), Mac OS X (10.7.3), 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Posted on Nov 15, 2012 2:23 PM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Nov 15, 2012 2:38 PM in response to Hamper

How did you switch to a "managed" workflow? If you want to turn referenced images into managed images, the usual way is to use the command "Consolidate Originals". Then you will be prompted, if you want to move the originals or to copy them.

Or are you asking, if you can directly move images into the Aperture library when importing? That is indeed not done. Aperture wants to give you a chance to backup the originals, when you are importing them and to check, if the import was o.k., before you delete them.

Importing and checking if the import is o.k., then delting, would be quicker than importing referenced and consolidating.

Regards

Léonie

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Answer 2

Hamper Author

Level 1

31 points

Nov 15, 2012 8:23 PM in response to léonie

When I say I switched I meant that I used to keep all photos in the Pictures folder, then I decided to clean that up by placing everything inside the Library, via Consolidation. I reffer to direct import into the Library as Managed because that what it is basically, but I don't understand why someone would check if everything imported okay, it just should and who will check all those photos one by one?

I did't forsee this and was hoping to be able to just import and forget but again another process blights my efficientcy. I think I might move photos and then Consolodate them, which I wish would be the case in he first place, computers are supposed to make things easier.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Nov 15, 2012 11:48 PM in response to Hamper

I reffer to direct import into the Library as Managed because that what it is basically,

o.k., now I see what you meant. I was confused by your " to have the photos moved into the Library as with Referenced.", for referenced does not move into the library.

but I don't understand why someone would check if everything imported okay, it just should and who will check all those photos one by one?

It is essential to keep a backup of the images you import. The transfer may fail for several reasons. Most of the times you import and you are done, but on rare occasions things will not go smoothly:

When importing from a disk, some images may not be imported because of permission problems or inconsistencies of the file system, for example when importing from from MS-DOS (FAT) volumes or volumes with "lowercase" enabled.
Some images may be corrupted due to occasional reading errors, if your drive is failing.
When importing from a card or card reader, or directly from the camera, you may have reading errors.
You may have accidentally triggered an import setting, that excludes some images from importing.

Really, the worst thing you can do, would be to erase all image files directly after import from their original source directory, without checking. I learned the hard way to be very careful when importing, and I never let Aperture erase the card after transferring the image files.

I needed the backup of the originals maybe 10 times in ten years, but was very glad I had it in this cases.

Regards

Léonie

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Answer 4

Hamper Author

Level 1

31 points

Nov 16, 2012 4:58 AM in response to léonie

In all honesty I think i'll leave it up to the computer to get right, it's not my job I suppose, not my livelyhood as it were. I always have Aperture deleted the imagery from the camera afterward, but I also import a lot of other imagery that I get from the internet, I don't strictly use Aperture in the way it was intended and believe me I know how difficult Aperture can be on a wide range of issues, but new ones keep popping up all the time.

So I guess then I'll have to do it the hard way, just when I thought I could get a more efficient work flow!

Thanks for your help, I'll suggest the rest.

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Answer 5

Nov 16, 2012 6:25 AM in response to Hamper

Hamper,

If the images are important to you, you should take some time to perfect a process that works for you. Never let Aperture do all the work without keeping tabs on it. You may not be doing it for a living, but the first time you lose a precious image - Baby's first steps, the time you proposed to your significant other, your parent's retirement, whatever is special to you - is NOT the time to perfect an import and backup strategy.

I use Managed libraries, too, with RAW images, and my preferred import strategy works like this:

Insert CF card into reader. I prefer using a reader, because they are usually faster, don't depete the camera batteries, and I can also use the camera to review and delete bad images (out of focus, blurred, bad exposure, etc.) before they get to the Mac while Aperture is importing the last 1,200 on that 32GB card. (Deleting bad images is an important step when each image is 20% larger than the first hard drive I had in my SE/30!)
In Aperture's Import screen, I select the images (usually all of them), and I select a project to place them in.
I will also have Aperture change the name of the files from "IMG_XXXX.CR2" to "<Project>_YEAR_MO_DAY_COUNT.CR2". So, if I took 75 photos on Christmas Day at Mom's house, the "IMG_XXXX.CR2" files might be put in a project called "Christmas 2012", and the file names would be "Christmas_Moms_2012_12_25_1.CR2" through "Christmas_Moms_2012_12_25_75.CR2"
I also have Aperture create backup files in a separate directory, on a separate hard drive. See The Aperture 3 User Manual, section Automatically Backing Up Your Imported Images. This will then write the images out to the other location from the Aperture Library (I'm still not sure why it doesn't go from the card, but...) with the same name that I gave it in the last step. No more "IMG_XXXX.CR2" files lying about. (One reason for this is the cameras will roll over the number, so every 10,000th image has the same name.)
When it is all done, I eject the CF card, but I select "Keep Images".
I then check the project and the backup location to see that the proper number of files came over, and only then will I erase the images on the CF card, and only by re-formatting the card in the camera. Most photographers recommend that you never erase images anyplace other than in the camera, and by the camera's firmware (e.g. NOT by having Aperture erase them while the camera is connected). Re-formatting is best, and fastest, after you have imported all the images.

Aperture's Import gives you many options. My strategy may not work for everyone, and may not be ideal, but it works for me.

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Answer 6

Hamper Author

Level 1

31 points

Nov 16, 2012 8:05 AM in response to Larry West

Okay, I see where you're coming from, my philosophy is different and I do understand the pitfalls but I like to place my faith in computing systems and after all what are they for if not to make life easier, so, here's my process:

1. Photos:

1a: I import the JPEG photos from my point-&-shoot (P&S) including videos, selecting Aperture to delete on exit. (I used to stop video form being imported by my new P&S will not display itself on my system so Aperture is the only method of viewing the media, then import the video seperately and decide what items go into Aperture of iTunes).

2a. There is not step two.

2. Imagery (from the Internet):

2a. I use a FireFox extension I made called met.a which downloads imagery with certain metadata embedded in it (website Title (IPTC: Headline), URL (IPTC: Subject Code), and highlighted text at the time of download (IPTC: Caption) of which is compatible with JPEG and TIFF.

For file types which cannot accept metadata like PNG, GIF and BMP I have a seperate file created which places the would be data into a text file for manual copying and pasting later one. This has subsequently been superceeded by a PERL script that converts those text files into an XML sidecar file which I used during the import process to pair the metadata with the imagery, thus all images import with meta data, but it's a Terminal process before hand and so those images (and their sidecar files) are seperate from the JPEGs and TIFFs.

2b. Imagery is imported into Aperture via the move operation, any sidecar files are destroyed after manually, the metadata there makes it very much easier to fine an image in the future, no generic stuff for me. (in fact met.a works by pre-fixing a 13 digit random char before every file it downloads to avoid conflicts so a file could look like so: "5243726354637_annabe.png" and so the metadata is well recieved!).

2c. Sidecar files are destoryed and subfolder containing segregated formats, including backup folders in case the Terminal conversion process goes wrong.

2d. I Consolodate imagery into the Library, without checking.

It's a pretty good workflow, I plan to update the extension to cut out the Terminal process, but that's for a future point, the importing of imagery from my P&S will be avoided when I get an iPhone and it updates thanks to the new iCloud features and everything should become much more streamlined.

I use Aperture to organise my life of imagery, it's a varied place but P&S i.e. photos only make up a part of it, I love imagery and would not want to lose any part of them. Metdata is very important to me, just converting from XMP to IPTC (I used to use Windows) was a six month headache! (I used Phil Harvey's EXIFtool) but I got there, subsequently I import other media like sound files, video and even PDFs and so it's great for marrying up all kinds of events that took place, or for planning in the future.

I typically import all into one Project, I know there's the centralised one, but I do it the wrong way and then have smart folders come off of that. I use Vaults to back up the Managed Library and Time Machine for the rest of my machine, of which used to back up the imagery before I Consolodated.

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