philby7

Q: Importing multiple iPhoto libraries into a "single" Photos lbrary

Importing multiple iPhoto libraries into (1) only Photos library?.  I would like to combine all my "iPhoto" libraries into the new "Photos" library.

iPhoto '11, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on May 8, 2016 1:46 AM

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Q: Importing multiple iPhoto libraries into a "single" Photos lbrary

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  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie May 8, 2016 6:06 AM in response to philby7
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    May 8, 2016 6:06 AM in response to philby7

    Photos can open each of your iPhoto Libraries in turn, but it cannot merge libraries.

     

    If you have access to Aperture, merge your iPhoto Libraries using Aperture, before you convert them to Photos Libraries.

     

    If you are using iCloud Photo Library and sign up for enough cloud storage to hold all your photos, you can merge the libraries in iCloud. If you designate each library in our as your iCloud Photo Library, all photos will upload to iCloud and sync back to your current library, so the last library you use as the iCloud Photo Library will be holding all photos and albums. But it will require a paid iCloud subscription, if your libraries are large.

     

     

    Otherwise you will have to export the photos from the separate libraries and import them into the merged library.

    You can simplify this by investing in PowerPhotos. It lets you browse multiple Photos Libraries in a convenient way with having to open Photos and move photos between libraries.  You can merge libraries and keep the albums and metadata tags.

     

      Fat Cat Software – PowerPhotos

     

    The manual is here:  https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/Help/table%20of%20contents.html

  • by notcloudy,Solvedanswer

    notcloudy notcloudy May 8, 2016 6:30 AM in response to philby7
    Level 4 (1,190 points)
    Desktops
    May 8, 2016 6:30 AM in response to philby7

    philby7 wrote:

     

    Importing multiple iPhoto libraries into (1) only Photos library?.  I would like to combine all my "iPhoto" libraries into the new "Photos" library.

    You may want to review Photos on-line help before creating only one library - as your Photos system library is the one that synchronizes through the Icloud to  all devices - you may want to reconsider lumping all your eggs in one  basket.

     

    photo getting started

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204655

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204410

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204264

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204414

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204476

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie May 8, 2016 6:44 AM in response to notcloudy
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    May 8, 2016 6:44 AM in response to notcloudy

    On the other hand, Photos cannot search across libraries or create projects or albums across libraries, so having the library split into smaller entities makes it difficult to work with photos.

     

    If a smaller iCloud Photo Library is desired, I would simple create a small, second library with selected photos to be synced to the devices.

  • by notcloudy,Helpful

    notcloudy notcloudy May 8, 2016 2:15 PM in response to léonie
    Level 4 (1,190 points)
    Desktops
    May 8, 2016 2:15 PM in response to léonie

    léonie wrote:

     

    On the other hand, Photos cannot search across libraries or create projects or albums across libraries, so having the library split into smaller entities makes it difficult to work with photos.

     

    If a smaller iCloud Photo Library is desired, I would simple create a small, second library with selected photos to be synced to the devices.

    Supposedly you should be able to search them through Spotlight.

     

    Besides keeping most of your pictures private -- it simply an IT fact that the bigger the database the more likely it will have a problem.   As apple gave both IPHOTO and PHOTOS the ability to have more than one library - it implies they recognize that fact.

     

    I doubt that Apple or any beta tester really tested loading the maximum number of pictures you can load into a Photos library so the greater the number of pictures the more likely you are in virgin territory when it comes to performance.

  • by philby7,Helpful

    philby7 philby7 May 8, 2016 2:15 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    May 8, 2016 2:15 PM in response to léonie

    Brilliant thanks léonie.  I have over 200,000 photos ( most of which are likely copies ).  Seems Apple are leaving the merging libraries task to others.  A certified Apple expert imported my photos from another Mac, so we deleted them from the older Mac to free up space, only to find that the MacPro had thumbnails only.  I do as you have suggested.  Cheers

  • by philby7,

    philby7 philby7 May 8, 2016 2:20 PM in response to notcloudy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    May 8, 2016 2:20 PM in response to notcloudy

    Thanks, appreciate the effort. Had not considered the size of the iCloud library.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie May 8, 2016 3:41 PM in response to notcloudy
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    May 8, 2016 3:41 PM in response to notcloudy

    As apple gave both IPHOTO and PHOTOS the ability to have more than one library - it implies they recognize that fact.

    That is not necessarily because of performance problems.

     

    You will want to have more than one Photos Library, if you want to separate photos for different tasks.

    i have one library with the photos I am using for my job and a different library with private photos.

    Another reason to split the library would be, if it simply does no longer fit on the drive and you want to avoid to turn it into a referenced library.

    Apple does not document the maximum size of a photos library. But iPhoto and Aperture could both work well with libraries up to 1000000 photos, and and since Photos can open iPhoto Libraries and Aperture Libraries, the limit is at least 1000000 photos.

     

    You will notice the size of the library mainly when making backup copies of the library, when you need to repair it, or during the initial migration. But when working with a huge Photos Library  and searching it, the indexing of the library is so good, that the size does not really matter. Splitting the library into smaller entities and having continually to switch between libraries when you need photos from several libraries will slow you down more.

     

    It is not compulsory to use iCloud Photo Library.  I am using it, because I like to have my Photos Library in sync between all my Macs, but if you you are using just one Mac, there is not much advantage in uploading the photos to to iCloud.

  • by notcloudy,

    notcloudy notcloudy May 9, 2016 5:51 AM in response to léonie
    Level 4 (1,190 points)
    Desktops
    May 9, 2016 5:51 AM in response to léonie

    léonie wrote:

     

    Apple does not document the maximum size of a photos library. But iPhoto and Aperture could both work well with libraries up to 1000000 photos, and and since Photos can open iPhoto Libraries and Aperture Libraries, the limit is at least 1000000 photos.

     

     

     

    As an it person - the number represents a unique ID - assigned to a picture as it is imported the utility - - There may be as sub field that is available for change count -- as some users may choose to delete pictures that did not come out the way they wanted it to - a large unique key field should prevent a id being used twice -- and if it is 7 numbers than the maximum before a message or crash would be 9,999,999.

  • by notcloudy,

    notcloudy notcloudy May 9, 2016 5:56 AM in response to philby7
    Level 4 (1,190 points)
    Desktops
    May 9, 2016 5:56 AM in response to philby7

    philby7 wrote:

     

    Thanks, appreciate the effort. Had not considered the size of the iCloud library.

    Your welcome -- Broadband listed speeds are for downloads - the uploads are equal to a salmon swimming upstream.

     

    Also with Icloud as with any cloud based saving - your privacy on the server is dictated by the laws of the country it resides in. 

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie May 9, 2016 6:33 AM in response to notcloudy
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    May 9, 2016 6:33 AM in response to notcloudy

    I tested with Aperture -  it gave an error message if I imported more than 1000000 photos. i did not have the time yet to test this in Photos or iPhoto.

  • by philby7,

    philby7 philby7 May 9, 2016 11:58 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    May 9, 2016 11:58 PM in response to léonie

    All good thanks so much.  "Power Photos" is brilliant and did the trick.  I'd tried heaps of other App but Power Photos was the answer thanks.  I had heaps of copies of different Libraries etc etc.  Separating the work and personal Libraries is certainly the way forward.

     

    I have been able to merge all the "iPhoto Libraries" and at the same time remove duplicates ( all 96,000 ).

     

    I had not used a forum before and had this task on the list for a year.

     

    Thanks for the quick answers etc etc

  • by philby7,

    philby7 philby7 May 10, 2016 12:02 AM in response to notcloudy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    May 10, 2016 12:02 AM in response to notcloudy

    Thanks "not cloudy" and " léonie" my nightmare is solved

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie May 10, 2016 5:26 AM in response to philby7
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    May 10, 2016 5:26 AM in response to philby7

    Great you could get the libraries organized.