Why is ThumbJPGSegment.data so huge?

Question

Level 1

0 points

Why is ThumbJPGSegment.data so huge?

Hi, there a few questions I have, as I get used to iPhoto and my wife's new iMac that I bought her. She wants the pictures on my PC on her Mac. I experimented with using the import function, and also tried drag and drop with one folder into the Source pane of iPhoto. So I found out that you can create an album with the same title as a folder I dragged in, with it automatically named for you. I also found out that multiple folder dragging doesn't create multiple albums, just one "untitled folder", and then I scoured this Apple Discussions and just became a member. So the multiple albums is still an issue that may be resolved in future iPhoto versions, I suppose.

I deleted my experimental files the proper way, from within iPhoto, by moving rolls or pics in the library to the trash (not from albums, I know the difference)

My QUESTION: What are all the files and folders in my iPhoto Library folder? Namely, why are the 3 segment.data files bigger than my Originals folder? (Thumb64Segment.data is 2.36GB vs 241.7MB Originals folder)

When I was experimenting with dragging and dropping the same folder into iPhoto, I would move the pictures from the Source/Library/Roll to the trash and they were supposedly permanently deleted, according to iPhoto, HOWEVER, when I snooped into the Originals folder, I found it had kept copies of a folder that I had copied and deleted 6 times, each with a _# after the folder name. I believe that iPhoto warned me of duplicates, which most of the time I answered to keep the duplicates.

My QUESTION 2: Why are there duplicates of a folder I deleted in my Originals folder? How do I get rid of them? Just delete them from within Finder, or will iPhoto bug out?

My QUESTION 3: Since the pictures on my PC are in named folders, how do I upkeep this reliable folder naming system within my Mac (I meant my wife's Mac)? Do I just name the rolls in the Source folder, and that will rename the folder in my Originals folder? I am interested in possibly using the Mac as my primary photo computer and exporting easily to my PC by copying the Originals folder back to my PC

Thanks,
-Pat

iMac5,1 19" 2007 Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on May 13, 2007 9:17 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

166,020 points

May 14, 2007 12:17 AM in response to apeandpat

Pat

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

What are all the files and folders in my iPhoto Library folder? Namely, why are the 3 segment.data files bigger than my Originals folder? (Thumb64Segment.data is 2.36GB vs 241.7MB Originals

A Note about the iPhoto Library Folder:

In this folder there are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three folders

ℹ Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.

(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.

This allows the Photos -> Revert to Original command - very useful if you don't like the changes you've made.

(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.

The other files break down as follows: the library6.iphoto is the main database file. the xml file is the one that other apps read when they integrate with iPhoto, and the thumbs files are the thumbnail caches. I'll bet that 2 gig file isn't really, but it's likely a glitch in the Finder. See does it still report that size after a restart.

I would move the pictures from the Source/Library/Roll to the trash and they were supposedly permanently deleted, according to iPhoto,

Then empty the trash. (iPhoto Menu -> Empty Trash) This will also remove the files from the HD. I think this answers your Q 2

My QUESTION 3: Since the pictures on my PC are in named folders, how do I upkeep this reliable folder naming system within my Mac (I meant my wife's Mac)? Do I just name the rolls in the Source folder, and that will rename the folder in my Originals folder?

Drag a folder of images to the Source Pane and it will create a ROLL with the same name in the Originals Folder. Rolls in the iPhoto Window (View -> Flm Rolls) correspond exactly with the Roll Folders in the Originals Folder in the iPhoto Library Folder. You can move photos between Rolls, you can rename rolls, edit them, create them, as long as you do it via the iPhoto Window. Check out the Info Pane (wee 'i', lower left) the name and date fields are editable. Edit a Roll Name using the Info Pane, the Roll Folder in iPhoto Library Folder/Originals will also have the new name.

But bear in mind: iPhoto is different from what you're used to. With your system of named folders, you've been using a FILE organiser. Which is well and good, until you want the same picture in two places: then you need two copies of the FILE. iPhoto is a PHOTO organiser, and the organisation is without reference to the FILES. Organise the PICTURES in the iPhoto window into album, slideshows, keyword them whatever, and a single pic can be in 50 or 500 albums, with no duplication of the FILE. Albums etc are virtual entities. They don't have corresponding folders in the iPhoto Library Folder, only Rolls relate directly to the iPhoto Library Folder.

Finally, if you want to copy files back to your PC, don't copy the Originals. If you have made any changes t the pics - fixed red eye, cropped, whatever, these changes will not show up on the original pic. The best thing to do si to select the pics in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export to a folder on the desktop. That way you'll get the latest version of the pics.

Regards

TD

Reply

Answer 2

apeandpat Author

Level 1

0 points

May 16, 2007 7:06 PM in response to Yer_Man

TD,
thank you for the detailed explanation. You have answered question 1 and 3 very thoroughly, I didn't know a few things there. You're right, I rebooted and that took care of the large ThumbJPGSegment.data files, shrinking it way down to 137 MB. And I didn't think of exporting, forgetting that there may be some important mods I might have done to the pics.

So, the problem I still have is 5 folders in my Originals/2005 folder, named Christmas_2, Christmas_3, etc. have some pics in them, but have no corresponding roll name, and I deleted them using the Move to Trash function in iPhoto, and I had emptied the iPhoto trash as well. I want them gone, and I'm thinking of just deleting them via Finder, since iPhoto doesn't refer to them in any way (I clicked on Library to check, I even renamed the Christmas roll and confirmed its corresponding folder renamed, but the copies Christmas_# did not rename). I suppose I'll make a backup of the Library6.iphoto file and try it, what do you think TD?
Thanks,
-Pat

Reply

Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

216,094 points

May 16, 2007 8:19 PM in response to apeandpat

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Reply