I upgraded to A3 from iPhoto several years ago. I didn’t do anything with the old iPhoto library at the time. Am I safe to delete the old iPhoto library now? I presume there are no links to the A3 library? The introduction of the new unified iPhoto/A3 library doesn’t affect this does it?
Robin: since aperture and iPhoto share the same library , I would go slow on deleting the iPhoto library. Perhaps one of our wizards will add their insight. It does not seem safe to me. There is only one library.
I didn’t realise they were one library I thought they were the same structure but distinct libraries. In finder I can see two entries one for iPhoto and one for A3. From memory (not in front of iMac) they are also different sizes.
Robin: Well the word Apple uses is unified library. You can use either application to open the library. Perhaps you are right. Hoping a wizard chimes in on this.Let’s just make sure what unified means.
It depends on what you did when you started using Aperture. It sounds by the fact you have two distinct libraries that you started a new library with Aperture and left the iPhoto library intact. But did you import all your iPhoto images into the new Aperture library?
If you didn’t, then you likely have unique images in the iPhoto library not in the Aperture library. You definitely want to ensure there are no images in iPhoto that aren’t also in Aperture before doing anything with the iPhoto library.
Thomas
I definitely have two distinct libraries - the iPhoto is 39GB and last updated Oct 2014 and the A3 library is 159GB and last updated today.
Unfortunately I can’t remember what I did when starting out with A3 but as unified libraries didn’t exist back then I guess the only option would be to import into A3.
Ultimately I know that I have all my images as I generally only take photos on holidays or short trips away and they are all in A3.
Since the advent of unified libraries what will happen if I launch iPhoto? Will it open the 39gb library or the 159gb A3 library?
I don’t recall ever doing anything with unified libraries and again can’t recall what the options were when they first appeared. Did you have to elect to go the unified route?
Maybe it’s time for a vault backup and launch iPhoto or even delete the iPhoto library? Brave move or stupid move?
I have found an Apple reference to unified libraries that states you must manually “switch” to another library i.e. in A3 choose to open an iPhoto library or visa versa at which point they become unified libraries.
To my memory I have never opened an iPhoto library in A3 or visa versa so I think they are completely independent of each other. On that basis I can delete the iPhoto library without any issue to the A3 library.
Thanks for your comments and help.
All deleted in iPhoto and A3 is still intact. Thanks.