David Strait
Level 2 (218 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Exclude Specific “Face” from smart album?

Is it possible to create a smart album that includes all photos of several people (using “faces”), but excludes any photos that may include a specific other person that may appear in some of these photos. For example, I would like a smart album that includes all photos of my bother, sister and parents (using “faces”), but excludes any photos that include my brother’s 1st wife.


David

Aperture 3

Posted on Apr 14, 2016 1:21 PM

by léonie,Solvedanswer
léonie léonie
Level 10 (109,052 points)
iCloud
A:

I tried to create an album with the people I want to include (Album A) and another album with the people I want to exclude (Album B). I would then (ideally) create a third album that says include all photos in album “A,” except the photos that also appear in album “B.” However, there appears to be no way to create a filter like this.

You can use the "Positive" album A in a rule, if the album is a standard album, but not a smart album.

 

So, create a smart album "Positive A" with "Face is any of brother, sister, parents" and create a standard album from the photos you found. Select all photos in this standard album and use "File > New Album".  Name it "Positive".  You will have to update this standard album occasionally, as you add more photos.

 

Then create the smart album with the rules "All"

     "Album name is 'Positive'" and "Face is not former sister in Law"

 

The  "Album name is ....." can be added by using the button "Add Rule > Aperture Metadata".

 

Screen Shot 2016-04-15 at 08.29.51MESZ.png

Posted on Apr 14, 2016 11:35 PM

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David Strait

Q: Exclude Specific “Face” from smart album?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by StephenM,

    StephenM StephenM Apr 14, 2016 4:04 PM in response to David Strait
    Level 1 (123 points)
    Photography
    Apr 14, 2016 4:04 PM in response to David Strait

    I think you'll just have to build up rules in the Smart Album creation process.

     

    There is a rule for Faces in the Smart Album creation. You'll have to use the "Add Rule" button found in the upper right-hand corner of the  Create Smart Album Dialog Box. You'll have to add a Faces rule per individual. With Faces, there is an "is" and "is not" option. The order may play a factor in the execution of the rules so try placing the old sis in law first or last. Hopefully, one of those will work.

     

     

    Good Luck

     

    PS. You might want to try with a single inclusion and exclusion first. If that works, keep adding more inclusions to you rule set.

  • by David Strait,

    David Strait David Strait Apr 14, 2016 5:01 PM in response to StephenM
    Level 2 (218 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 14, 2016 5:01 PM in response to StephenM

    I tried that… I can add each person (face) and easily display all the members I want to include. This requires that the setting at the top of the setting window is set to “ANY of the following match,” so all member are included. If I want to define the person I want to exclude to the list (i.e. “is not”), then I get ALL photos that do not include that person (i.e. nearly all photos in my library). The rule order doesn’t matter.

     

    The alternative is to switch the setting at the top of the setting window to “ALL of the following match,” in which case there are no photos selected, because it would require that all the people be in the photo (except the person for exclusion).

     

    I tried to create an album with the people I want to include (Album A) and another album with the people I want to exclude (Album B). I would then (ideally) create a third album that says include all photos in album “A,” except the photos that also appear in album “B.” However, there appears to be no way to create a filter like this.

     

    This is the first time I have been stumped while using Aperture’s powerful filtering tools. It seems there should be some way to accomplish this! Even iTunes allows "nested" rules that allow you to specify ANY criteria can match, then another nest that specifies ALL must match. It seems odd that iTunes has this ability and Aperture does not!

     

    Thanks,

    David

  • by Rob Gendreau,

    Rob Gendreau Rob Gendreau Apr 14, 2016 5:34 PM in response to David Strait
    Level 2 (151 points)
    Apr 14, 2016 5:34 PM in response to David Strait

    I don't think there is any way to do this in Aperture.

     

    I dunno whether Aperture can write faces metadata to files in a format Spotlight reads, but I think it can. So write it there, then use Spotlight and boolean terms to find what you want, and then somehow keyword or do something with them so you don't have to go through this again.

  • by StephenM,Helpful

    StephenM StephenM Apr 15, 2016 11:13 AM in response to David Strait
    Level 1 (123 points)
    Photography
    Apr 15, 2016 11:13 AM in response to David Strait

    Try this:

     

    Tag her images.

    Set up Smart Album rules excluding the tag but including the faces.

     

     

    Perhaps disconnecting the facial exclusion and inclusion will get you the results you want.

     

    Worth a try.

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Apr 14, 2016 11:35 PM in response to David Strait
    Level 10 (109,052 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 14, 2016 11:35 PM in response to David Strait

    I tried to create an album with the people I want to include (Album A) and another album with the people I want to exclude (Album B). I would then (ideally) create a third album that says include all photos in album “A,” except the photos that also appear in album “B.” However, there appears to be no way to create a filter like this.

    You can use the "Positive" album A in a rule, if the album is a standard album, but not a smart album.

     

    So, create a smart album "Positive A" with "Face is any of brother, sister, parents" and create a standard album from the photos you found. Select all photos in this standard album and use "File > New Album".  Name it "Positive".  You will have to update this standard album occasionally, as you add more photos.

     

    Then create the smart album with the rules "All"

         "Album name is 'Positive'" and "Face is not former sister in Law"

     

    The  "Album name is ....." can be added by using the button "Add Rule > Aperture Metadata".

     

    Screen Shot 2016-04-15 at 08.29.51MESZ.png

  • by David Strait,

    David Strait David Strait Apr 15, 2016 11:12 AM in response to léonie
    Level 2 (218 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 15, 2016 11:12 AM in response to léonie

    Great solution!

     

    Slightly less than ideal, but it confirms that this cannot be done just by using Smart albums alone as I hoped. I just need to periodically update new photos manually as you indicated.

     

    Thanks again Leonie! I was sure you would come up with the best solution possible.

     

    David

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Apr 15, 2016 11:39 AM in response to David Strait
    Level 10 (109,052 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 15, 2016 11:39 AM in response to David Strait

      You're welcome, David!

     

    I wish, Apple had included the same flexibility for smart albums as iTunes has for smart playlists. It is so easy to create nested constraints in iTunes and combine "any" and "all" for one album.  A real pity, that this was never possible in the smart albums in Apple's photo applications.