Aperture 3.6- crop tool is not working

Same exact problem. Aperture was running fine on my old MacBook Pro 17" (2011). got a new MacBook Pro (13" 2015 Retina) this week (April 2015). Cropping is an ever-loving nightmare! And this was from a freshly-downloaded copy of Aperture from the App Store and with images straight from an SD card -- not imported libraries. Some images will crop fine, but most take up to ten tries or so before it'll finally stick. I'll select the crop, but "apply" does nothing. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It's beyond frustrating! I know Aperture is retiring out, but my oh my I hope they fix this or there's some kind of workaround.

Have you tried to reinstall Aperture? In some cases the update from Aperture 3.5.1 to 3.6 did not install correctly, and reinstalling by moving Aperture to the Trash (don't empty the Trash) and downloading it again from the Purchases page of the AppStore fixed some bugs.

This didn't work. Of note and qualification/clarification: Because my old MacBook died, I bought a new 13" MacBook Pro (with the fancy mousepad, retina, and all that jazz) and downloaded Aperture *this week* from the App Store (under purchases). I then loaded images fresh from an SD card instead of immediately reinstalling my backed up libraries. This fresh download is Version 3.6, so there was no need to update; there are no updates beyond 3.6. Just for kicks, I deleted Aperture and re-downloaded, re-installed. Same results. Cropping doesn't stick most of the time. I have to sit there and crop, crop, crop up to a dozen times or so in some cases before it'll finally actually apply the crop. In the words the WhedonVerse: Grrr, Argh!

. Cropping doesn't stick most of the time. I have to sit there and crop, crop, crop up to a dozen times or so in some cases before it'll finally actually apply the crop. In the words the WhedonVerse: Grrr, Argh!

You are getting mixed results? Sometimes the crops are sticking, sometimes not?

The crop toll is working well for me with Aperture 3.6 on Yosemite 10.10.2. perhaps you installed some additional software that is interfering? Have you tested in a different User account, where you have not changed any settings at all?

Do all your images have the same file format? Where is your Aperture library located? In your Pictures folder, as is the default or on an external drive?

One thing to note - it may look like the cropping had not been applied, if you do not close the Crop tool or the Straighten tool, after you finished. Or open the image again, with the Crop tool still selected. If "Crop" or "Straighten" is still open, when you come back to the image, it will be displayed in the original state, with the cropping rectangle overlayed. This is due to the lossless workflow in Aperture. It will always keep the unmodified original image, and if you straighten or crop, you can modify the original crop. But the crop you applied is still applied to the image version, and you just have to switch to a different tool to see this.

Léonie, thanks for the feedback here are responses to your questions:

You are getting mixed results? Sometimes the crops are sticking, sometimes not?

Yes. Most of the time, the crop does not stick. Every now and then --rarely-- it works on the first pass. Usually takes about ten attempts on the same image. Sometimes it takes upwards to twenty attempts. This is not conducive to efficient editing (and I shoot a lot of photos).

The crop toll is working well for me with Aperture 3.6 on Yosemite 10.10.2. perhaps you installed some additional software that is interfering? Have you tested in a different User account, where you have not changed any settings at all?

I had installed my Pixelmatr app, but I deleted it when the problem manifested. Same problem. I've since also deleted and reinstalled Aperture. Same problem. Logged off, logged in. Same problem. Rebooted. Same problem. No other apps or plug-ins have been installed or connected to Aperture. I *just* got this MacBook Pro 13" Retina this week. It's brand-spanking-new and I haven't added anything to it. No plug-ins or anything. And yes, the version is current. I've checked software update several times. I'll try creating another user account today to see if that somehow works differently, but I can't imagine how or why it would, and if it does it's not really a solution. I really don't want to have to login to a different account to use Aperture! lol. I haven't added hardly anything that didn't already come with the system.

Do all your images have the same file format? Where is your Aperture library located? In your Pictures folder, as is the default or on an external drive?

Mostly RAW -- just like I've used for years and years (I've been using Aperture for a long, long time). Of note, the cropping problem manifested immediately before I even began to import my old libraries. With a fresh, empty library, I imported RAW from an SD card to see how Aperture worked and immediately found the problem. So, it's not something I imported from the old library. The problem continues to persist *after* importing the old libraries as well. There are some iPhone shots in the mix now, but that's been the case for years -- and I've never had this problem until I cracked open and turned on this brand new computer out of the box. As for the default library, it's the default library: "Aperture Library" under the Pictures tab. I don't work on external drives (though I do backup and eventually move projects to an external when I'm done with core processing).

One thing to note - it may look like the cropping had not been applied, if you do not close the Crop tool or the Straighten tool, after you finished. Or open the image again, with the Crop tool still selected. If "Crop" or "Straighten" is still open, when you come back to the image, it will be displayed in the original state, with the cropping rectangle overlayed. This is due to the lossless workflow in Aperture. It will always keep the unmodified original image, and if you straighten or crop, you can modify the original crop. But the crop you applied is still applied to the image version, and you just have to switch to a different tool to see this.

Thanks, and I do understand this. I've been cropping photos (and occasionally straightening them) for years. I do understand how the crop tool is supposed to work -- and how they are applied. I've tried a number of methods to see if one of them worked. For example, crop image and then click "apply." Same problem. And, crop image and then click "x" closing the crop panel. Same problem. And, crop image and then right arrow to the next one to do a series. Same problem. I haven't been able to find a consistent workaround.

I'm far from being a technophile or a coder, but I am fairly well versed in Aperture from version 1 to now. I honestly can't think of anything else to try.

A note to others: If you're having this problem, are you using a new MacBook Pro Retina? The only thing that's changed from my end is I upgraded from a 2011 MacBook Pro 17" to a 2015 MacBook Pro 13". Other than that, no new plugins, no new software, nada. Looking for a pattern here!!!

I'll try creating another user account today to see if that somehow works differently, but I can't imagine how or why it would, and if it does it's not really a solution. I really don't want to have to login to a different account to use Aperture! lol. I haven't added hardly anything that didn't already come with the system.

You can use the Guest User account - it is always there, preinstalled. This support document explains, how testing in a second user account can help - it will check is settings or corrupted start-up items are interfering, and if trashing preferences files can help.

See this link: Isolating an issue by using another user account

The only thing that's changed from my end is I upgraded from a 2011 MacBook Pro 17" to a 2015 MacBook Pro 13". Other than that, no new plugins, no new software, nada. Looking for a pattern here!!!

That is really an interesting clue - I am mainly using Aperture on my two "2011 MacBook Pro 17"s - one early 2011 and one late 2011. It is working well there. And on two iMacs, where it is also working well.

If after testing in the Guest account you can confirm that the problem is system wide on your brand-new mac, file a bug report, either on the Aperture feedback page Apple - Aperture - Feedback or using the Developer bug reporter, see: Detailed and Effective Bug Reporting | Apple Support Communities

Okay. None of that worked either. Tried guest account and saw that FileVault would limit to Safari-only. So, wondering if FileVault was somehow the issue, I decrypted everything and shut it done. Rebooted. Tried again. Nope. Same problem. Went ahead and created a new account. Reloaded aperture, added images, tried cropping. Same issue. Sigh. I'm out of ideas. If I don't mind trying to crop a single image twenties times, it's no big deal... but, you know, I don't really want to have to crop an image twenty time for it to actually stick.

I'll try leaving feedback at the links you provided. Thanks, Léonie.

So, wondering if FileVault was somehow the issue,

File Vault has been known to be problematic with aperture, if the library is referenced. Where s your Aperture library stored? Is it encrypted by field vault? And are referenced images encrypted by file vault?

That's what I thought for a moment, but like I said I then decrypted everything, uninstalled Aperture, rebooted, reinstalled Aperture (with no FileVault running), loaded some images, and tested again with the same cropping problem. Even tried it in a new user account never running FileVault. No luck.

The entire Aperture database system is on the local hard drive (under the "Pictures" default sub-directory). It is not currently encrypted by FileVault (I've tried with and without FileVault, and created *new* libraries without FileVault -- same problem persists).

After shutting down FileVault, rebooting, and reloading everything (not imported, pre-existing projects/libraries, mind you, but only image files), the problem still persists, so I don't think it's FileVault in this case. 😟

I'm out of ideas. If I don't mind trying to crop a single image twenties times, it's no big deal... but, you know, I don't really want to have to crop an image twenty time for it to actually stick.

Please let us know, if Apple Support has a solution. That might help others as well.

Have you tried to open the Aperture library in iPhoto and cropping in iPhoto? Both applications can share the same library and the edits are compatible. (Aperture 3.3: Using a unified photo library with iPhoto and Aperture)

If both applications are having the same problem, it would indicate a system wide problem.

I will. It's possible the next impending OS X update may fix the problem too -- for reasons I can't begin to understand!

I haven't tried iPhoto because at this point, it's a Dodo. It's dead in the water and nearly gone from our world. I want to keep the forthcoming Photos app separate from Aperture until I see how the new Photos app functions -- and I don't want my Aperture library tethered to iPhoto in any deliberate way when the update comes (which looks like it's going to be today). Besides, cropping in iPhoto and then editing in Aperture would be way to cumbersome.

I suppose everything goes up in the air later today with this update. I'll let you know if anything changes with the update and if/when Apple Support comes up with a solution.

Thanks for you help!

Forever Cropless,

Janson

ISSUE RESOLVED!

The "solution"...? I downloaded and installed today's update (v 10.10.3). And that's pretty much it. I ran the new Photos app, but created a new library. Didn't want to touch or mess with my Aperture library as is -- until I decide whether or not I'll keep using Aperture. When I cracked Aperture back open, the cropping tool started working just fine -- like it has for years and years and years. So, whatever the glitch was, it was weeded out / paved over in 10.10.3. Hoorah.

Now: Why doesn't my Bluetooth work anymore...? lol. But that'll be a new thread elsewhere...

Marvellous!

Now: Why doesn't my Bluetooth work anymore...? lol. But that'll be a new thread elsewhere...

You'll have to make up your mind - crop tool or blue tooth? Apparently you can only have one 😁

I am using yosimite on a I Mac. My crop tool will not work. a box opens up but when you go to the photo to crop the picture nothing happens. What is going on? This is so frustrating.