(How) can I integrate Aperture in a environment with PCs?

[Neutronensturm]

Hi,

I am considering to buy an iMac and I have more than 10000 images (most of them JPG, some RAW with xmp sidecar files) which are organized in a hierarchical folder structure where the folders are simply named according to their date YYYY/MM.
I spent at least two full man months tagging the pictures with IPTC/XMP tags (using Zoner Photo Studio). The reason I didn't choose Lightroom on the PC is that we synchronize our folder structure on different PCs so that everybody has the edited images. This works because IPTC/XMP is independent from the software and can still be searched even by native Windows7. With Lightroom I would only have had access to the unedited pictures on the other PCs.
I just had a look at an iMac with Aperture and I liked the UI. I think it could speed up my work. But: Can I somehow still provide destructively edited images to the PC network? The PCs don't need to access the meta data added in Aperture. They just need to have access to native JPEG images. And: Can Aperture import my IPTC/XMP meta data?

thanks in advance for your answers,

Fabian

 

[FourCandles]

Can't answer for Aperture, but you might want to check out the new Publish Services / Hard Disk feature in Lightroom 3 in combination with a smart folder. It may not have been available whe you last looked at LR.

 

[BlissStreet]

But: Can I somehow still provide destructively edited images to the PC network? The PCs don't need to access the meta data added in Aperture. They just need to have access to native JPEG images.

Just to clarify, the images on the PC network need to be the originals? the final edits? or both? Will multiple people be accessing the originals?

If it's just the final edits, then you can simply export the selects to a folder on the network that is shared. Easy peasy.

If the originals need to be shared and the final edits, then you can simply tell AP3 to reference the files instead of importing them.

If multiple people will be editing the originals, then it gets tricky and I have never had to deal with that before.

And: Can Aperture import my IPTC/XMP meta data?

Yes

 

[Neutronensturm]

Hi,

as the other computers are a bit too weak to process my 15MP RAWs anyway it would be ok to limit the processing to the Mac (side question: do you think Aperture runs quick enough on an iMac with 3.06GHz to process 15MP RAWs smoothely?) and share result JPGs. In this case the JPGs should contain some meta data (keywords entered in Aperture) to make them searchable on the Windows machines though (is this possible?). So you would suggest to create a SMB share for the other machines to sync with?

Fabian

 

[iPhone1]

If you want serious performance with photography, I would recommend a Mac Pro over the iMac. If a Mac Pro is overkill for your needs, at least get the quad-core iMac and max out the RAM.

 

[Neutronensturm]

If you want serious performance with photography, I would recommend a Mac Pro over the iMac. If a Mac Pro is overkill for your needs, at least get the quad-core iMac and max out the RAM.

Phew. I can't afford a quad-core Mac. If this is neccessary I have to buy a PC. There I get a Core i7 for the price of a Core-i5 Mac. Not an easy decision. I really liked what I was shown in the Mac store. In terms of office tasks and the nice integration of calendar, mail, iWorks etc. But I use my computer mainly for photo processing.