Aperture library not shown in other apps

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Level 1

8 points

Aperture library not shown in other apps

I've been having this problem for almost a year since I bought Aperture. I used iPhoto before with several libraries (with iPhoto Library Manager) and now use them all with Aperture.

For some reason, I can't see my Aperture library in any other application, especially FCPX, in its Media Browser, but the same is true for any other app that should be able to. I AM able to view the same iPhoto library (as both apps now use the same library), but it's not 100% the same (or maybe it requeires some time to update - not sure), but I would like to make changes in Aperture and then be able to see those in other apps such as FCPX and I can't. It's always empty.

In FCPX I get a message saying:

To view your Aperture Library with the iLife Media Browser, enable the Share Previews with iLife and iWork option in the Preferences window of Aperture.

When searching for a solution on the net, I did see such an option in Aperture screenshots as described above, but such option is no longer available in the latest version of Aperture (3.5) so I can no longer make this change.

So what am I missing? What should I do to enable viewing my Aperture library in FCPX or other apps?

If it makes any difference, I have 1 library in my Pictures folder which is still called "iPhoto Library" and which I use in Aperture, 1 library having the .aplibrary suffix and shows its Kind in Get Info as an Aperture Library. On an external drive I have several more libraries some of which also have no suffix and Kind being an iPhoto Library and some have the .photolibrary suffix and Kind being just Photo Library. I recall that a while back all of these libraries on the external drive had the .aplibrary suffix and were Aperture libraries - maybe this changed when I rebuilt the libraries when trying to resolve this issue with no luck.

In any case, none of the libraries above show up anywhere.

Using:

Aperture 3.5.1

FCPX 10.1.1

Mavericks 10.9.3

Thanks!

Rafi

Aperture 3, OS X Mavericks (10.9.3)

Posted on May 31, 2014 3:10 PM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

194,653 points

May 31, 2014 3:43 PM in response to rafisaar

In any case, none of the libraries above show up anywhere.

Using:

Aperture 3.5.1

FCPX 10.1.1

Mavericks 10.9.3

I am using exactly the same software, and Final Cut is showing the Aperture Library and iPhoto Library without a problem. Have you the creation of Previews enabled?

Check, if your preference settings ensure the creation of previews. If not, try, if creating previews manually (Photos > Update Preview) will make your Aperture library show in the Media Browser.

My settings are like this:

In FCPX I get a message saying:

To view your Aperture Library with the iLife Media Browser, enable the Share Previews with iLife and iWork option in the Preferences window of Aperture.

The Final Cut error message is no longer applicable. The handling of previews changed in the latest Aperture version. Now previews will always be shared automatically with the Media Browser (if they exist), and only non-native applications require to share XML.

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Answer 2

rafisaar Author

Level 1

8 points

May 31, 2014 11:54 PM in response to léonie

léonie, thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I've already tried these before. I have previews generation turned on in the Preferences and I also tried to create the previews manually, but it didn't change anything.

I still only see the photos under iPhoto and nothing under Aperture in all Media Browsers.

Thanks,

Rafi

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,653 points

Jun 1, 2014 12:12 AM in response to rafisaar

I AM able to view the same iPhoto library (as both apps now use the same library), but it's not 100% the same (or maybe it requeires some time to update - not sure), but I would like to make changes in Aperture and then be able to see those in other apps such as FCPX and I can't. It's always empty.

So you are having only one library, and it started as an iPhoto Library?

If you are using the same library with both application, the Media Browser will only show it once, in the category that was used to create the library.

If you want it to show as an Aperture library in the Media Browser, you need to convert it to an Aperture library. Bt it will take a long time and require a lot of additional free disk space, if you have a large library.

Select all library items at once in Aperture's library inspector and export the library as a new library from Aperture with "File > Export > ... as new Library". The resulting library should now be an Aperture library and show in the Media browser as Aperture library, but no longer as iPhoto Library, after you switch to this Library in Aperture. You could test this first by exporting just one project as a new library. Export it, and open it in Aperture, then quit Aperture. Do you see this new library in Final Cut Pro X?

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Answer 4

rafisaar Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 1, 2014 12:39 AM in response to léonie

léonie, thanks, this makes sense. If there's no other way I will test it with one of the libraries.

But before I do so, since the libraries can be used by both applications, aren't they identical? Meaning, couldn't I just rename the library by adding .aplibrary to make it an Aperture lbrary? Or there are actually differences inside?

Thanks,

Rafi

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Answer 5

rafisaar Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 1, 2014 12:51 AM in response to rafisaar

OK, finally something works!

I have a bunch of original Aperture Libraries I once created so I tried seeing those in FCPX, but it was still empty. I opened Aperture and made one of them the current active library and at that point I finally saw it in FCPX for the first time.

Is it always so that I can only see the current active library in the Media Browser? With iPhoto which by itself only supports a single library I can understand this is the behavior, but since Aperture supports multipel libraries, can't I see multiple libraries in the Media Browser in other apps?

Thanks!

Rafi

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

194,653 points

Jun 1, 2014 1:42 AM in response to rafisaar

I opened Aperture and made one of them the current active library and at that point I finally saw it in FCPX for the first time.

Yes, the Media Browser will always show the currently active library - that is the same in iPhoto and Aperture.

iPhoto also lets you switch between libraries, just like Aperture.

In iPhoto 9.5.1 you can either double click the iPhoto library you want to open, or hold down the "Options" key while launching iPhoto, or use the "File" menu > Switch to Library ...".

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

194,653 points

Jun 1, 2014 1:55 AM in response to rafisaar

But before I do so, since the libraries can be used by both applications, aren't they identical?

They are nearly identical - having the same structure.

Indeed, if you change the extension to ".aplibrary", the Finder will show it as an Aperture library, but the internal database files will still make it an iPhoto library, for example the "Info.plist" file inside the package will show this:

I don't know, what you would need to patch inside the iPhoto library, to make it truely an Aperture library, so it would be safer to let Aperture do it.

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Answer 8

rafisaar Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 1, 2014 1:51 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for all the help! I'll start by converting those libraries I need for my video projects.

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Answer 9

rafisaar Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 2, 2014 1:57 AM in response to rafisaar

léonie, thanks again.

I exported all the Projects of 1 16 GB library and got a new 15 GB Aperture library which I can now see in FCPX.

All the Projects, folders that include Projects and Slideshows inside Projects were exported as I originally selected all the Projects before the Export.

What is missing are Albums in the separate ALBUMS section and Slideshows in the separate SLIDESHOWS section. All these slideshows are probably separate from the Projects because they were all created using iPhoto and I get a message that editing them in Aperture will make them un-editable in iPhoto.

All that's fine, but the bottom line is that the new library still doesn't include those albums and slideshows.

Is there another way to export the library that will include everything or should I somehow export these separately or it can't be done?

Thanks!

Rafi

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Answer 10

léonie

Level 10

194,653 points

Jun 2, 2014 2:06 AM in response to rafisaar

Rafi,

slideshows and smart albums are the two problematic categories when using a unifed library, see:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5260 , the last section: "Notes on working with unified libraries in Aperture and iPhoto "

I recreated all smart albums and slideshows in Aperture, when I moved iPhoto libraries to Aperture and deleted the original iPhoto versions of the smart albums and slideshows.

Léonie

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