I use Aperture 3.5.1 with a managed library, on a MacBookPro with a 500GB SSD.
It is almost full and I thought it should be simple to move most of my library onto an external drive so I ordered a 1TB WD my passport disc… but now can’t find out how to do what I’d like to do -
which is move the older images while retaining their structure - i.e. in projects within folders. I would like to keep the current year’s folder with it’s projects on the managed library, and also the albums, which contain links to images from different folder/projects, but move the rest of the folders and their projects to the external drive and use these as referenced images.
I’d be grateful for any direction on how to do this.
Hi,
For me, you have 2 possibilities:
I advise you to have a look here for example. It will start to give you ideas on the approach.
Regards,
J.
Joe thanks but I do want to keep my current year’s images on my laptop. So need to move the old ones only.
I gather that I should “relocate originals” but does this retain the structure in the library on the laptop and just move the image files? Or do I need to move it in some way to keep the structure?
Hi Jenny, the easiest thing to do is search for all images older than 1 year, select all images and relocate originals. When relocating you can change the settings for folder creation which is where the originals will reside, so for example you can store them on your external disk in a folder called Aperture/Year/Month/Project Name.
Doing this will only relocate the original RAW, Jpeg, PSD, TIFF etc. Your projects, folders and albums will remain completely in tact. Your preview images will also stay “managed” inside the Aperture library so you can see them even when your external is disconnected. You will not be able to edit or export any of the referenced images when they are offline, but you can apply metadata and organise them into folders, albums and prepare books, cards and slideshows.
-C
www.pixbeatphoto.com
Thanks, this is starting to make sense. A few more questions though…
So if I select all the images that I want moved, then Relocate Originals with Subfolder Format = Project Name will it then create a subdirectory for each project using the library project name that it comes from? Or will I need to do this project by project? Presume that to get the structure Aperture/Year/Month/Project Name I would have to do it project by project?
And does it matter how they are stored on the external disc if the library that references them knows where they are?
Should the Name Format = Version Name or Original File Name? I haven’t seen the original file name used anywhere.
What will happen to projects in nested library folders - will they be flattened?
Under the File menu I sometimes get Relocate Originals and other times Relocate Originals for Project. Is there a difference?
“will it then create a subdirectory for each project using the library project name that it comes from? Or will I need to do this project by project?”
Aperture will automate this, so you can do all images at the same time. I recently did this on half of my library and they were all put neatly into the appropriate folders.
“And does it matter how they are stored on the external disc if the library that references them knows where they are?”
Aperture maps them to the external folders. You can relocate them from within Aperture, but do not move them using Finder or Bridge or you will have to locate them from Aperture later.
“Should the Name Format = Version Name or Original File Name? I haven’t seen the original file name used anywhere.”
This is personal taste really. I always rename my originals upon import to something other than IMG_****. If you do this then by all means use the Original filename. If you don’t rename, and you rename your versions from the Info pane, then you might want to use Version name. Up to you.
“What will happen to projects in nested library folders - will they be flattened?”
Your projects will not be affected within Aperture. Referenced project folders will be placed into the root referenced folder, regardless of whether they are in other folders inside Aperture.
“Under the File menu I sometimes get Relocate Originals and other times Relocate Originals for Project. Is there a difference?”
If you have a project selected (not an image within a project) then Relocate Originals for Project appears. Select an image and this changes.
Good luck, and if you want to learn even more then check out the video tutorials, or there is a great book which I recently reviewed called Mastering Apple Aperture
Cheers! - C
www.pixbeatphoto.com
Thanks Chris