#Mac iphoto library manager full
#Mac iphoto library manager series
#Mac iphoto library manager windows

My switch from Referenced to Managed Library resulted in both alias and jpg files inside the Library package. IPhoto Library Manager also performs a neat little trick I discovered quite by accident - it finds aliased images and moves the original into a new library. This little program allows you to switch between libraries, copy, merge, and split libraries and retain your keywording and organization. Now I had about four different iPhoto Library files that needed to be merged Denise Olson to the rescue with a recomendation for iPhoto Library Manager. I went back into preferences and checked “Copy items to the iPhoto Library.” I got busy and used iPhoto more and more.

#Mac iphoto library manager series

Since I was new to iPhoto and still not sure how much I would like the editing, keywording tools, etc, I thought this was a good solution.ĭenise Barrett Olson, at the Moultrie Creek Gazette, wrote a great series of iPhoto posts that encouraged my keywording and photo organization. The more I worked with iPhoto the more I liked it, until I thought, “Hey, why don’t I just use it like it is supposed to be used?” Import the pictures directly to iPhoto and not worry. The image would be visible, editable, save-able, but not reside inside the Library package.

To change the default Managed Library to a Referenced Library, I opened the iPhoto Preferences Advanced window and unchecked the importing option “Copy items to the iPhoto Library.” Images would now be indexed (or referenced) not imported. In addition, I could easily access any images I wanted to work with in Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop Elements. This would make a lean iPhoto Library file containing only aliased images. iPhoto would reference images, not import them to the program. I could maintain my old Windows-sensibility folder heirarchy and keep all photos on an external drive. I thought the Referenced Library idea sounded like it would work better for my needs. The iPhoto Referenced Library only indexes photos, leaving them in their original location. Mostly, this seems to happen when users opt for a Referenced Library rather than a Managed Library.Ī Referenced Library does have some advantages, particularly for users who want to work with photos with more than one photo editor, for example Adobe Lightroom, iPhoto, and Adobe Photoshop Elements. However, you can get yourself in the same pickle and end up with broken links in iPhoto too. The iPhoto package concept tries to avoid just this problem with the default Managed Library. On Windows, I experienced just that kind of havoc with various programs, all because I gave in to some vague housekeeping urge and moved images outside of the software.

I wrote about this in a previous post, iPhoto Hides Photos in Plain View. This is called a Managed Library, and aims to discourage the user from moving images around and causing a problem for iPhoto to find the broken link. Out-of-the-box, iPhoto will import photos directly from camera or card into the iPhoto program and place them in one mysterious file called a package. In contrast, Mac’s iPhoto attempts to make all this easy for the user.

#Mac iphoto library manager windows

Windows photo programs access images in whatever folders you have placed them and pretty much leave them there until you tell the program to move them, or move them yourself (if you ever do).

#Mac iphoto library manager full

When I first moved to the Mac platform, I was reluctant to allow Mac applications full control of my files in the “Package” arrangement. Lately I have been cleaning up my iPhoto test files and moving toward building two or three nice, clean iPhoto Library files.