iPhoto Yosemite Double photo libraries

If you uncheck the preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library" you are storing up major future problems - iPhoto does not handle "referenced" libraries well at all and they are strongly NOT recommended - iPhoto and File Management

And you NEVER import an iphoto library into iPhoto - it does not work an creates a massive mess

If iPhoto and Aperture are sharing a single library then what ever you do with either program will affect the other program (obvious since there is one library that both use) - if this is what you have a referenced library is OK since Aperture can manage it even though iPhoto can not - but it still have absolutely no advantages

LN

Then you write that iPhoto and Aperture are sharing a single library

No - notice the word IF

If iPhoto and Aperture are sharing a single library

IF they share a library then they share a library and everything done in one is reflected in both programs since there is on one single library

IF they have separate libraries then there are two libraries and things done in one program are not reflected in the other program

And IF you are using the recommended managed library for photo then you import items and delete the source - if you keep both copies (on in iPhoto and one outside iPhoto) which is not necessary then of course you will have double storage

And no - in iPhoto if you uncheck the copy imported items to the iPhoto library then the original is not copies to the photo library - a link is made and a preview and thumbnail is created (again as you agreed this is not wise) - I have no idea how Aperture handles this - it does have the ability to correct links to originals when they are moved and you can turn off the making of previews - there is an Aperture forum for Aperture questions

LN

You are making this far more complex that it is.

On your Hard Disk you have one copy of the files.

You also have one Photo Library. You can create this with either Aperture or iPhoto, it doesn't matter. Both apps can open and work with the same Library. To have a separate library for jpegs and Raw makes no sense. Both apps can with with both formats.

So merge your iPhoto and Aperture Libraries into one.

This document explains the unified Aperture - iPhoto Library:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5260

And you can use Aperture to merge libraries:

Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries

It is simple if you do not work at making it complex

Be sure you have the latest version of iPhoto and of Aperture - since you do not tell us what OS you have we can not help here - for Yosemite it is iPhoto 9.6 and Aperture 3.6

Create a new library using either program - if you are sure that you have all of you photos outside of the existing library then you can trash it - although I o=wouodl probably not empty the trash until you complete your imports and have at least one good backup

Be sure that imported items are being copied to the library (In iPhoto the preference to copy imported items to the iPhoto library is chekcked)

import your RAW photo into either program and delete the source photos - do NOT import multiple copies of he same photo (like a RAW and a JPEG for example - only the RAW or if there is no RAW then only the JPEG)

Once you have done this you can access all photos using either program - all photos will have the original safely in the library and a preview JPEG and a thumbnail

I have no idea what you have been doing but your descriptions above make no sense at all and your conclusions are incorrect

It is very simple and if you follow the simple steps outlined above you will have no problems

As a side note there is never any reason to mucking around inside of either an iPhoto library or an aperture library - it is not designed for you to use - it is only designed for the SQLite database applications (iPhoto and aperture) to access - stay out of it - you can only mess things up by mucking around inside the library

LN

Hi Larry,

I am using Yosemite 10.10.1 and iPhoto 9.6

I had to do a clean install due to Yosemite conflicts and slowdowns. This messed up Time machine in some way and I fortunately had a 98% back up of my i photo library on a separate disk. I have now imported that library to my desktop and its called i photo library/imac.

The original I photo library ( not called iMac) has now for some reason only 115 photos in it .

I would like to merge both together then trash the iMac version (or could I rename it?) then trash the original i photo library created my the reinstall as it is smaller by far.

I don't want to mess this up as I understand that iPhoto can be a problem if wrongly played about with.

Is it possible to give me a brief guide to do this properly as I am currently fed up with the mess caused by the use of Yosemite to a lot of other 3rd party programs as well and just want to return to normal.

Once this is done I hope that Time machine will take over its proper role in a reliable way and back up the lot.

Incidentally can I use I cloud drive as well here as some sort of insurance in case Time machine falls away again?

Regards

David

If you have Aperture 3.3 or later and iPhoto 9.3 or later you can merge libraries with Aperture.

Otherwise the only way to merge Libraries is with the paid ($30) version of iPhoto Library Manager