Aperture Library

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Aperture Library

Hi everyone,

I recently copied all my aperture library files (the libraries and actual image files) to a bigger external hd but aperture can't seem to see them. Is there anything I did not do right.?

- Basically I organise my Aperture Libraries in chronological order ie Aperture 2011, 2012 and 2013 and there are all located in an old hd (HD_1)

- I copied all the files from HD_1 to a new hd (WD_2) using Finder

- After all the files were copied, when I opened the Aperture, it asked me which library I wanted to use.

I selected "Other Library" and then point to the "Aperture 2011" Aperture Library file (also tried the Aperture 2011 folder) in WD and "Select"

When the library opens, there is nothing there.

Very grateful if anyone could tell me where I did wrong!

Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro, iOS 7.0.4, Aperture

Posted on Feb 2, 2014 12:53 AM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Feb 2, 2014 2:07 AM in response to sopravoce

What is your Aperture version and MacOS X version? The newest Aperture 3.4.5 and 3.5.1 cannot open Aperture libraries on external drives, if they are not formatted correctly (MacOS Extended - Journaled) to be used with Aperture. Earlier versions would open the library without checking and risk corrupting the library.

So check the filesystem on your new drive. By default a new drive usually will be formatted for windows. If the format is wrong, move the libraries to a different drive for backup and reformat the drive as described here:

See this document: Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture

If the format is correct, a library may be showing apparently empty, if filters are set. Then check the search fields, if they are set to "Showing All".

You may also have hidden the sections of the library. Hower the mouse beside the headings "Albums" etc, to reveal hidden "Show" buttons.

Léonie

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Answer 2

sopravoce Author

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Feb 2, 2014 3:19 AM in response to léonie

Dear Leonie,

Thank you so much for giving me the guidance.

My Aperture is 3.5.1 and OS X 10.9.1.

My external HD arrangement is My Cloud (network HD) + My book HD. So basically I connect my modem to My Cloud via eternet as a network hard disk and then extend the My Cloud by adding an additional 3TB My Book (which is the "WD_2" referred to in my question).

I copy all the Aperture files from an old HD_1 directly to WD_2 before connecting the WD_2 to My Book (I call it WD_1).

I checked the search field and it does indicate "All Items" and the "Recent" items are also showing.

I read somewhere that one could try to "Locate the Referenced Files" but the pull down menu does not allow me to select that...

Is there anything else I can try?

Very grateful for your help and thanks again in advance.

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Answer 3

sopravoce Author

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Feb 2, 2014 3:21 AM in response to sopravoce

I forgot to mention that I did format the WD_2 to "Mac Extended - Journaled"

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

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Feb 2, 2014 4:04 AM in response to sopravoce

Have a look at this article

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3252?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

and note the last paragraph:

Also, it is strongly recommended that the Aperture library be stored on a locally mounted hard drive. Storing the Aperture library on a network share can also lead to poor performance, data corruption, or data loss.

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Answer 5

sopravoce Author

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Feb 2, 2014 4:15 AM in response to Yer_Man

Dear Terence,

Thank you for pointing out that article. I did format the WD_2 to the right format and actually has been using the Aperture Library on external files (on my HD_1) for the last three years without problem. It is only when I try to move them to the new WD_2 with My Cloud that the problem occurred.

I am now starting a new aperture libary 2014 on the new WD_2 and importing some files which seems to be working fine. Will try to "import" some of the old files just copied to WD_2 in the new library 2014 and see if it works.

If it does, the problem seems to be linking the library to the image files.

Any suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Feb 2, 2014 4:41 AM in response to sopravoce

I did format the WD_2 to the right format and actually has been using the Aperture Library on external files (on my HD_1) for the last three years without problem.

That takes care of the formatting of the drive.

It is only when I try to move them to the new WD_2 with My Cloud that the problem occurred.

Network access is the problem. Apple simply does not guarantee that accessing the library over a network will work. See the paragraph from the article Terence Devlin pointed to. Syncing can break the connection between originals and edited versions, just like you are experiencing. I would never put my aperture library and all my important photos into a network volume and risk to damage the library, until Apple officially adds network support to aperture.

I copy all the Aperture files from an old HD_1 directly to WD_2 before connecting the WD_2 to My Book (I call it WD_1).

In your current case this is breaking the connection - you are changing the pathname to your originals. Aperture expects the originals to be on your old HD_1 and is looking for them there. Afterwards they have been moved to a different volume with a different pathname.

Try to use the command "Locate referenced files" as described on this manual page:

Aperture 3 User Manual: Working with Referenced Images

Read the paragraph: Reconnecting Missing or Offline Referenced Images

I have no idea, if it will work in MyCloud, because I have no way to test it. And frankly, it would be safer, to do the reconnecting, with the WD_2 not connected to MyCloud an keeping it that way. With locally connected drives this works very well.

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Answer 7

sopravoce Author

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Feb 2, 2014 4:51 AM in response to léonie

Dear Leonie,

Many thanks for coming back to me. Yes, I think the problem is breaking the link and how to connect it back. Since the above posts, I have tried the following:

- Created new library 2014 on WD_2 (no problem)

- imported new files into library 2014 on WD_2 (no problem)

- created 'new' project and imported files in WD_2 which I transferred from HD_1 (again, no problem and the old files are all in WD_2 in all the right folders)

The old library won't let me use the "Locate References Files" for some reason.

Will keep trying to re-establish the link and if not joy, may try the re-import. Maybe it is a good time for me to clean up my photo collection!

Thanks for all the help anyway.

Again, any other suggestion always welcome!

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Answer 8

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Feb 2, 2014 5:06 AM in response to sopravoce

The old library won't let me use the "Locate References Files" for some reason.

What exactly happens when you try?

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Answer 9

sopravoce Author

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Feb 2, 2014 5:10 AM in response to léonie

I don't know what is the exact word for it but the item "Locate Referenced Files" in the pull down menu was in gray so that I can't click on it (ie I can only click on the bold, black items but it is not one of them).

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Answer 10

léonie

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195,113 points

Feb 2, 2014 11:40 AM in response to sopravoce

Do you have an image selected? Locate referenced files is only available, after you select images to be reconnected.

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Answer 11

sopravoce Author

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Feb 8, 2014 3:40 AM in response to léonie

Hi Leonie,

Sorry for the hiatus. Hit a busy spell at work and couldn't come back till now.

Still haven't solved the problem but decided that network is probably not a good idea and now connect WD_2 directly to MacPro via USB.

Re your above suggestion, I can't use the "Located Referenced Files" command because there is simply no image for me to select.

Not only that, when I try to switch to the older library i.e. 2011, 2012 or 2013 (being at the latest Library 2014), Aperture keeps asking me to "relaunch" the library and when I did that, it just take me back to Library 2014?!

Really frustrated now. Does apple support have a sort of email support I wonder?

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Answer 12

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Feb 8, 2014 3:54 AM in response to sopravoce

Not only that, when I try to switch to the older library i.e. 2011, 2012 or 2013 (being at the latest Library 2014), Aperture keeps asking me to "relaunch" the library and when I did that, it just take me back to Library 2014?!

If your older libraries have not yet been upgraded to Aperture 3.5.1 format, you cannot open them with switch to library. Select them in the Finder and click them to open them directly.

Re your above suggestion, I can't use the "Located Referenced Files" command because there is simply no image for me to select.

Don't you see any image thumbnails at all in the library? What is the size of the library? It is large enough to hold any image fiels at all?

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Answer 13

sopravoce Author

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Feb 8, 2014 3:57 AM in response to léonie

Hi Leonie,

How's going? Thanks for coming back for me.

When I click on the aperture library (say 2011), Aperture asks me if I want to 'import' the library. Should I say yes (the alternative being 'cancel')?

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