Aperture previews/Can't see Aperture library in other apps.

That problem may be caused by several things - what have you already tried? And where is your Aperture library located? On your internal system drive or on an external drive? Or a network volume?

Your Aperture preferences file may be unreadable, the previews may not have been properly generated, the Aperture library may need repairing or rebuilding.

Try these fixes:

• Switch to a different Aperture library and back to your current library, and log off and on again, to force aperture to rewrite the preferences file. Is the lbrary now visible in the Media Browser?
• If not, remove your Aperture preferences file, as described here in this link: Aperture 3: Troubleshooting Basics,see the paragraph: Delete the user preferences. and again log off and on.
• The next fix, If necessary: Use the Aperture library Frst Aid Tools, as described in the same document. Start with repairing permissions, then all repairing the database. After that, turn off the Preview sharing, recreate all previews (taht may take a while), and then turn sharing on again.
  To regenerate the Previews: Select the photos in the Browser, and then select the "Photos" menu. Hold down the alt/opt key⌥, until "Update Previews" turns into "Generate Previews".

Regards

Léonie

What is entered in the "Email using" field under the "Export" tab in Aperture preferences? Is it "Mail" or something else?

Joe

When I created the new one I did name it Aperture Library. But it is blank. And now I'm not sure how to get rid of this blank library.

If the Aperture Library is truely empty, you can select tit in the Pictures folder and drag it to the trash.

Buy my Aperture library is linked to my iPhoto library. Is this the problem? The library I'm using is in fact called "iPhoto Library".

So your Aperture library is in fact a previous iPhoto library. And is the filename extension still .photolibrary? Then the Media Browser will consider it to be an iPhoto Library, and you will see the photos, albums, events in the iPhoto section of the Media Browser and not in the Aperture section, even if you opened the library last with Aperture.

• You could simply keep using the same photo library with both iPhoto and Aperture in turn and get accustomed to be looking for your photos in the iPhoto section of the Media Browser.
• Or if you want to use iPhoto and Aperture with separate photo libraries, import your current library into a new Aperture library. Open your now empty Aperture Library in Aperture by double-clicking it. Then use the command "File > Import > Library" in Aperture and select your iPhoto library. This will import all events, albums, etc. into your empty Aperture Library and craete a copy of the iPhoto library, but now it will have the kind "Aperture Library" and the Media Browser should show it in the Aperture section and not the iPhoto section. Only make sure, that you unhide all photos in iPhoto, before you do that. Aperture cannot unhide photos that have been hidden in iPhoto.

Regards

Léonie

So your Aperture library is in fact a previous iPhoto library.

Correct. When I purchased Aperture, I imported from my iPhoto library. And I guess they are shared.

I am still not quite sure about the state of your iPhoto/Aperture library. Depending on when you bought Aperture, you may have imported the iPhoto Library into a new Aperture Library; then you now have an Aperture library, or you may have simply opened the iPhot Library in Aperture, keeping it an iPhoto Library. The Finder can show you what it is.

Select your library in the Finder and use the Finder command "Get Info ⌘I". The Info panel will show you the type of the library.

Disclose the "General" brick in the panel. The "Kind" will either show "iPhoto Library" or "Aperture Library".

Then disclose the "Name & Extension" brick and look, if your library has a filename extension - aplibrary or photolibrary. Uncheck "Hide Extension" to see it.

If your library still is "Kind iPhoto Library", then you never imported your Library, you only used it in Aperture.

Or if you want to use iPhoto and Aperture with separate photo libraries, import your current library into a new Aperture library. Open your now empty Aperture Library in Aperture by double-clicking it. Then use the command "File > Import > Library" in Aperture and select your iPhoto library. This will import all events, albums, etc. into your empty Aperture Library and craete a copy of the iPhoto library, but now it will have the kind "Aperture Library" and the Media Browser should show it in the Aperture section and not the iPhoto section. Only make sure, that you unhide all photos in iPhoto, before you do that. Aperture cannot unhide photos that have been hidden in iPhoto.

My question here is if I go into my new Aperture Library, and import from iPhoto again (and I guess make them not shared?) Will it then *copy* my iPhoto library, which is 240GB. Then I would have 2 240GB folders??

I appreciate the help so far. Right now I'm doing the generate preview thing again, which is taking awhile. But I'm guessing that since my iPhoto and Aperture libraries are linked and shared now this won't matter much. I will still only see iPhoto listed in the Media Browser..

Let's talk about that part of your question when we know for sure, if you already imported your iPhoto library or simply opened it in Aperture. If your library is an Aperture library with an imported iPhoto library inside there may be additional complications.

Ok. I do not have the ability to uncheck the Hide Extension box, it is greyed out.

Then your iPhoto Library has no filename extension.

This is the library I have been using. So I guess you are right in that I never imported my library. I have only been "using" my iPhoto library the whole time.

But that is really good to know. You never imported the library into an Aperture library, and now we can be sure, that you do not have any links of referenced images between two libraries.

Right now you are having an iPhoto Library and using it in Aperture as well. Importing it into an Aperture library would turn it into an aperture library, that you could open in iPhoto as well. What ever you want.

My question here is if I go into my new Aperture Library, and import from iPhoto again (and I guess make them not shared?) Will it then *copy* my iPhoto library, which is 240GB. Then I would have 2 240GB folders??

Yes, but then you could backup the old iPhoto library and delete it. And then only see your images in the Aperture section of the Media browser.

But really at the end of the day it is all the same images no matter what the library is called. ?

Aperture and iPhoto are using the same format for their libraries. They are the same.

Right now it will make no difference, while your Aperture version and iPhoto version do match.

I am not sure, however, what will happen, when there ever will be an Aperture 4. That will probably not be able to open an iPhoto '11 library, unless you buy the new version of iPhoto as well to upgrade the iPoto library. So at one point you will have to make the switch final, unless you want to keep upgrading both apllications in parallel.

You are welcome!

I am going to mark this question as solved. But please don't unsubscribe from the thread?

And I'll stay tuned in.

Good luck!

sdmcgowan,

I am travelling right now, and only occasionally have a godd internet connection, so I probably will not be able to respond in a while.

I have cleared room on my hard drive. I have a Time Capsule, so everything has been backed up into Time Machine before I start anything. Just to be safe!

That is good.

In Aperture I will switch to the Aperture Library (which at the present moment is blank, I am using my iPhoto library in it). Then I will go to File > import > Library and choose the iPhoto library under the Pictures tab. And let it import. After this is done (how long will it take at 240 or so GB?)

If you have not repaired your iPhoto Library for some time, it would be safer to repair the library before importing, see: Repairing and Rebuilding Your Aperture Library: Aperture 3 User Manual

How much disk space did you clear? Twice the size of your iPhoto Library would be good.

After this is done (how long will it take at 240 or so GB?)

That is hard to estimate. be prepared for more than an hour wait.

I will then do another backup. ? And play around a bit to make sure the Aperture library is fine and useable in both Aperture and iPhoto.

O.K.

• Make sure you can edit and export images from every event/project you have.
• Compare the numvers of the images in the "Photos" view.
• Compare the sizes of the libraries after the import.

And then I am ready to delete the iPhoto library. But *exactly* how do I do this? Go to Finder > Pictures and right click/delete on the iPhoto Library folder? Or do I need to do this within iPhoto itself?

To delete the iPhoto Library drag it to the Trash and empty the Trash.

As the second backup I'd recommend to keep an exact copy of your iPhoto library on your backup drive. This way, you do not need to restore the library from your TM backup, if there should be any problem.

Good luck!

Léonie