IMovies software problem

[LordBaltimore]

I had 401 videos on IMovies. Now I cannot find them. I have selected the "Show all" files button; it doesn't show anything. The videos do exist on IPhotos (From where they originally came). I tried to import the files from IPhoto, but when I get to the location where they exist...it is greyed out.
Path is /user/LordBaltimore/Photos/IPhotos/Original/2008...it is only active to Photos....I tried to close IMovie and open IPhoto hoping to force a new index linkage between the two applications but they do not transfer over like they did originally. I went to the apple store and they are stumped. Even my Time Machine failed me.......I tried to reload the entire application from when I knew it was working correctly, no good. Any suggestions???

Thanks

 

[JediMeister]

The iPhoto Videos section in the iMovie Event library is dynamically updated. You should not need to manually import them in. Before I offer some possible fixes, what version of Mac OS do you have and also what version of iMovie? I assume you have iMovie '08 or '09?

The link between iPhoto and iMovie is maintained by the com.apple.iApps.plist in ~/Library/Preferences. If you remove that file, that should force iMovie to search the iPhoto Library for compatible video files again.

Another thought...if you upgraded to 10.6 Snow Leopard, do you have QuickTime 7 installed on your computer which is needed for compatibility with some older legacy codecs?

 

[LordBaltimore]

Thank you JediMeister

Dear Jedi: I cannot wait to get home and try your solutions.

FYI....Just for kicks, I went into my guest account which has zero pics and zero video because everytime I close the guest account it deletes EVERYTHING....which I like and want....but get this....I opened the guest account....downloaded a video from my camera to IPhoto. I then opened IMovies and everything worked exactly as it should. Of course it did not have access to any of my 7,000 photos or videos....but I know it works. I went back to my regular user account and fired up IMovied and it is still broken. So, I cannot wait to try out your solution.....I will keep you posted.

Thank you very much

The iPhoto Videos section in the iMovie Event library is dynamically updated. You should not need to manually import them in. Before I offer some possible fixes, what version of Mac OS do you have and also what version of iMovie? I assume you have iMovie '08 or '09?

The link between iPhoto and iMovie is maintained by the com.apple.iApps.plist in ~/Library/Preferences. If you remove that file, that should force iMovie to search the iPhoto Library for compatible video files again.

Another thought...if you upgraded to 10.6 Snow Leopard, do you have QuickTime 7 installed on your computer which is needed for compatibility with some older legacy codecs?

 

[LordBaltimore]

Latest Update for JediMeister

Okay, I deleted the file as you told me. It was the exact file name and location as you had mentioned. However it made no differance. Furthermore, after I deleted it, it dynamically created another cloned file (different date, and time = NOW). But it did not restore my videos.

IPhoto and IMovie are 2009
MAC OS X version 10.5.8

Any other ideas.

Thanks for your help

Dear Jedi: I cannot wait to get home and try your solutions.

FYI....Just for kicks, I went into my guest account which has zero pics and zero video because everytime I close the guest account it deletes EVERYTHING....which I like and want....but get this....I opened the guest account....downloaded a video from my camera to IPhoto. I then opened IMovies and everything worked exactly as it should. Of course it did not have access to any of my 7,000 photos or videos....but I know it works. I went back to my regular user account and fired up IMovied and it is still broken. So, I cannot wait to try out your solution.....I will keep you posted.

Thank you very much

 

[JediMeister]

I would suspect that if the issue is not present in another user, albeit the guest one, and you have found it to not be a plist issue, the only factor I see which could cause this is the iPhoto library itself.

As a test, create a new temporary iPhoto library, which can be done by holding down option while launching iPhoto and then choosing to "Create New". Save the new library in ~/Pictures which should be the default location. Import some videos from your camera. Then launch iMovie, see if the videos appear in the iPhoto Videos portion of the Event Library.

If it does, you may need to attempt an automatic rebuild of your original iPhoto library. So you'll have to start by launching iPhoto with the option key held down again, and reselect your original library. To then initiate an automatic rebuild, exit iPhoto, and then while holding option+ launch iPhoto again. You'll be presented with several options. Pick the choices relating to the thumbnails (1 and 2) as well as the one for the library's permissions (#4). I doubt restoring the database from backup will address the issue if you've had it for some time. After maybe 20 minutes, depending on the number of images/videos, it will finish and you can check if iMovie was able to "find" those videos once again. If not, unfortunately you may need to pursue the route of a manual rebuild, which is further discussed in this article in the additional information section. Note that the manual rebuild is particularly invasive, and if undertaken, will clear your print projects from iPhoto, any albums you have created, as well as the Faces/Places database information you may have painstakingly inputted manually.

 

[LordBaltimore]

Update (Scared to go on)

JediMeister: I performed the test to create a new temporary library. I put some pics and vids out on IPhoto. Launched IMovies, the question to download new thumbnails was there. I got all excited. However, the only thing it brought over was the brand new "Test" material. So, I went back to IPhoto and pointed back to the location before the test and everything was there. I relaunched IMovies, but it had nothing in it...the same problem prevailed. THe good news is that I can start out fresh with IPhoto new and IMovies will work from now on and in my main user account instead of my test user account that I created to do the same thing. This is progress. However. The next step scares me...the step where I rebuild with options
1,2,4 being selected. Will or can this cause me to lose all of my pics,vids and slideshows that I created? I do have everything backed up on Time Machine. But I will be dog goned if I can find them on time machine. At least they do not show up and list individually. They seem to be listed as 1 big file and I cannot even see my slideshow, individual pic or individual vids...they are in one big folder with 28 gigs.

Anyway, I have faith in you, but I need an education before I go on. I can list my real - e-Mail address so you can send me yours and I will send back my phone number for you to call me (Collect if necessary). I obviously live in Baltimore. I am relatively new to MAC, I was always a Windows PC user. I comprehend that structure much better. So, I have questions about
1) Time Machine Backups
2) The next big step to rebuild and its' consequences.

Thank you for getting me this far. I do feel better. But scared to continue with the next step.

Let me know how you feel about the call.

Thanks

LB

.

I would suspect that if the issue is not present in another user, albeit the guest one, and you have found it to not be a plist issue, the only factor I see which could cause this is the iPhoto library itself.

As a test, create a new temporary iPhoto library, which can be done by holding down option while launching iPhoto and then choosing to "Create New". Save the new library in ~/Pictures which should be the default location. Import some videos from your camera. Then launch iMovie, see if the videos appear in the iPhoto Videos portion of the Event Library.

If it does, you may need to attempt an automatic rebuild of your original iPhoto library. So you'll have to start by launching iPhoto with the option key held down again, and reselect your original library. To then initiate an automatic rebuild, exit iPhoto, and then while holding option+ launch iPhoto again. You'll be presented with several options. Pick the choices relating to the thumbnails (1 and 2) as well as the one for the library's permissions (#4). I doubt restoring the database from backup will address the issue if you've had it for some time. After maybe 20 minutes, depending on the number of images/videos, it will finish and you can check if iMovie was able to "find" those videos once again. If not, unfortunately you may need to pursue the route of a manual rebuild, which is further discussed in this article in the additional information section. Note that the manual rebuild is particularly invasive, and if undertaken, will clear your print projects from iPhoto, any albums you have created, as well as the Faces/Places database information you may have painstakingly inputted manually.

 

[JediMeister]

An automatic rebuild is generally non-destructive, unless your iPhoto Library is totally hosed, it (the rebuild) won't leave you in a worse state than you are right now. The manual rebuild process is a bit of a different beast. If you don't perform it as directed by the article you have the potential of data loss.

With regards to the backup of the iPhoto Library via Time Machine, you are correct in identifying that the library is treated as a individual package not as a folder which has the different components like albums, slideshows, etc. Generally when trying to recover iPhoto information in Time Machine, you will be restoring individual images, not the overall structure like your print projects and albums. The good news is that if something bad happens in the course of the manual rebuild, you can restore the iPhoto Library package and overwrite the rebuilt one, again bringing you back to your current state, but not fixing the problem.

I don't make a habit of troubleshooting through forums, it's a bit ineffective, but I won't be able to help you more actively over the phone. If you are a new Mac user you may be covered under the complimentary support period that comes with your computer or the AppleCare Protection Plan which means you can call 800-275-2273 and get assistance from Apple's Application Support department.

 

[LordBaltimore]

Rebuild Process

You say that the rebuild "generally" is non destructive....that word puts me off. Can you describe what the rebuild process does? Will it be doubling the amount of space all of my data (Pics + Vids) currently take up on the hard drive? Or, is it just rebuilding an index of all my stuff so that IMovie will be able to link to IPhoto? I am a bit confused with your terminology about restoring from Time Machine...in that you agree with me that it backs up a total package, not individual components, yet you go on to mention that I would be restoring individual images. I do not see, so therefore I cannot restore individual videos or pictures. I am sure I am misunderstanding what you are telling me. I need to understand how to restore stuff from time machine before I risk a recreate and loss of data....and not have a backup. How can I be sure that my stuff is backed up when I cannot go to Time Machine and list individual components?

I am sorry to be such a pain in the butt. I have to understand what I am doing before I do it.

Thanks

LB

An automatic rebuild is generally non-destructive, unless your iPhoto Library is totally hosed, it (the rebuild) won't leave you in a worse state than you are right now. The manual rebuild process is a bit of a different beast. If you don't perform it as directed by the article you have the potential of data loss.

With regards to the backup of the iPhoto Library via Time Machine, you are correct in identifying that the library is treated as a individual package not as a folder which has the different components like albums, slideshows, etc. Generally when trying to recover iPhoto information in Time Machine, you will be restoring individual images, not the overall structure like your print projects and albums. The good news is that if something bad happens in the course of the manual rebuild, you can restore the iPhoto Library package and overwrite the rebuilt one, again bringing you back to your current state, but not fixing the problem.

I don't make a habit of troubleshooting through forums, it's a bit ineffective, but I won't be able to help you more actively over the phone. If you are a new Mac user you may be covered under the complimentary support period that comes with your computer or the AppleCare Protection Plan which means you can call 800-275-2273 and get assistance from Apple's Application Support department.

 

[LordBaltimore]

Don't abandon me now Oh JediMeister

I had contacted Apple Customer Support befor I started this blog...they are stumped.......moving on.....I did the option 1,2,4 in IPHOTO....did no harm...did no good to fix the problem though.

Now I would like to know your thoughts on deleting IPhoto + IMovies from the MAC and restore the original applications from the DVD that came with my system at purchase.

Two questions hit me.

1) Can I do a backup of all IPhoto (Photos, Videos, Events, Slideshows) data to a DVD then restore from this DVD after I lay the applications back down. Could this restore be the same as importing from my camera (So to speak)?

2) Everything is backed up now on my Time Machine. I just do not trust myself to understand it. But couldn't I restore all (Pics, Videos) from Time Machine to IPhotos?

Thanks

You say that the rebuild "generally" is non destructive....that word puts me off. Can you describe what the rebuild process does? Will it be doubling the amount of space all of my data (Pics + Vids) currently take up on the hard drive? Or, is it just rebuilding an index of all my stuff so that IMovie will be able to link to IPhoto? I am a bit confused with your terminology about restoring from Time Machine...in that you agree with me that it backs up a total package, not individual components, yet you go on to mention that I would be restoring individual images. I do not see, so therefore I cannot restore individual videos or pictures. I am sure I am misunderstanding what you are telling me. I need to understand how to restore stuff from time machine before I risk a recreate and loss of data....and not have a backup. How can I be sure that my stuff is backed up when I cannot go to Time Machine and list individual components?

I am sorry to be such a pain in the butt. I have to understand what I am doing before I do it.

Thanks

LB

 

[JediMeister]

For starters, I really don't think reinstalling iPhoto and iMovie are gonna fix this issue, so let's not go there...

The only ways to make a backup of the iPhoto Library are to take the package from ~/Pictures and burn it to a CD/DVD, copy it to an external drive, or to let Time Machine back it up. As long as you preserve the whole package your slideshows, etc. are all part of it. The problem is that because the library is data files + your pictures, if you just import it after whatever it is you're considering, you will only get your pictures and events back, but not any of your print projects. Which is basically a manual rebuild except quite a bit messier...Restoring the iPhoto library with Time Machine is a bit chancy since it doesn't sound like you are certain when this issue started, and depending on if you've added any additional information since that date, restoring your iPhoto library to the wrong date could undo whatever changes you've made since then...

The reason I suggested the manual rebuild is because you already established it's not the application (it worked in the other user), it wasn't the media browser plist we removed, and furthermore was not addressed by an automatic rebuild.

Hope this all makes sense, best of luck!

 

[LordBaltimore]

Sounds to me like I bought the farm

But thank you for all of your time and help. It is very much appreciated.

LB

For starters, I really don't think reinstalling iPhoto and iMovie are gonna fix this issue, so let's not go there...

The only ways to make a backup of the iPhoto Library are to take the package from ~/Pictures and burn it to a CD/DVD, copy it to an external drive, or to let Time Machine back it up. As long as you preserve the whole package your slideshows, etc. are all part of it. The problem is that because the library is data files + your pictures, if you just import it after whatever it is you're considering, you will only get your pictures and events back, but not any of your print projects. Which is basically a manual rebuild except quite a bit messier...Restoring the iPhoto library with Time Machine is a bit chancy since it doesn't sound like you are certain when this issue started, and depending on if you've added any additional information since that date, restoring your iPhoto library to the wrong date could undo whatever changes you've made since then...

The reason I suggested the manual rebuild is because you already established it's not the application (it worked in the other user), it wasn't the media browser plist we removed, and furthermore was not addressed by an automatic rebuild.

Hope this all makes sense, best of luck!