Sync aperture libraries on different devices?

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Level 1

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Sync aperture libraries on different devices?

I´m actually using iPhoto. As I bought a MacBook pro beside my iMac the last week I´m now going to change to Aperture as I want to edit my photos on both devices. I thought of using my TimeCapsule as NAS and save my pictures at least of the new MacBook on the TC. I´ve read that it is possible to sync the libraries on different devices. But now the problem: The photos of my iMac are all saved on the local hard drive and not on the TC. The photos of the MacBook should be saved on the TC. The library of the MB is nearly empty, the iMac library containes all of my 10.000 pix. Is there a possibility to sync this libraries and to tell Aperture to save the photos of the MB on the TC or do I have to edit my complete library ones again? (faces, ...)

Posted on Mar 8, 2014 1:01 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

léonie

Level 10

194,755 points

Mar 8, 2014 1:19 AM in response to MacMuck

Aperture does not sync libraries across devices.

I´ve read that it is possible to sync the libraries on different devices.

Where have you read this? Aperture is a single user application and the library needs to be on a locally mounted volume, just like an iPhoto library, see:

Use locally mounted Mac OS X Extended volumes for your Aperture library

A NAS is very problematic for Aperture/iPhoto libraries, because of the file system. If you store your originals on a drive with the wrong formatting, you are risking data loss. Additionally, the added time needed for network access will slow Aperture down when editing and browsing.

The safest and easiest solution would be to get yourself a small portable drive and store your library on that drive, then plug it into the mac you are currently working with.

If you want to share originals between two libraries on differnet devices you will have a hard time to keep this consistent. As soon as you delete an image in one of the libraries, the seconds library will show the corresponding version with missing original badges, because you cannot sync the changes to the libraries.

-- Léonie

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Answer 2

MacMuck Author

Level 1

1 points

Mar 8, 2014 1:33 AM in response to léonie

Dear Léonie,

thank you for your reply. I´ve my informations from the apple site http://www.apple.com/aperture/iphoto-to-aperture/ . Are the informations of syncing wrong or have I missunderstood them?

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,755 points

Mar 8, 2014 1:43 AM in response to MacMuck

Perhaps you misunderstood - are you referring to this paragraph?

Merge, sync, and split multiple libraries.

Your iPhoto library is your Aperture photo library, automatically. With the new unified library, there’s one place for all your photos. And if you’ve accumulated multiple iPhoto libraries over the years — or you have libraries on different Mac computers — you can now use Aperture to merge them together and still open them in iPhoto. While iPhoto is designed to work with one library at a time, Aperture lets you set up as many libraries as you want and switch between them instantly. And you can export a project with all the related photos or an iPhoto Event as a new library.

The term "sync" in the title is very misleading. It suggest you can can keep two libraries in sync, but that is simply not possible without managaing the changes manually. You can export partial libraries and merge them into other libraries.

What you can do, when you want to work with a part of your library on a portable computer, while the main library is on your Desktop computer:

Select a current "working set" of projects, albums, etc. in your main Aperture library and export these library items as a new Aperture library to your portable mac.
Work with this subset of your library on your portable mac.
When you are done, import this changed library back into your main linrary, using the option "Merge". The older versions will be replaced by your edited versions.

See: Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries

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