iPhoto to Aperture Migration Help

[jmg999]

Strange, I use my old iPhoto library with Aperture since they are the same format. I can open the library with either app. The default app for an iPhoto is iPhoto but Aperture should be able to open it. Was iPhoto running when you tried to open the library with Aperture?

I'm not sure. I'll try this method again w/ iPhoto closed. I'll report back.

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I think that I see what the problem is. When I go into Aperture (w/ iPhoto closed), and I look in the File menu, the only "Open" option I have is "Open Library in iPhoto." That's why it opened in iPhoto, apparently. I don't see any option to just "Open" a library.

 

[glenthompson]

I'm not sure. I'll try this method again w/ iPhoto closed. I'll report back.

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I think that I see what the problem is. When I go into Aperture (w/ iPhoto closed), and I look in the File menu, the only "Open" option I have is "Open Library in iPhoto." That's why it opened in iPhoto, apparently. I don't see any option to just "Open" a library.

My mistake. I was writing this from my iPad and guessing at the menu name. It should be: File->Switch to Library->Other/New, then it should show all the libraries it knows about. If it's not there use the Other Library button to browse.

 

[jmg999]

My mistake. I was writing this from my iPad and guessing at the menu name. It should be: File->Switch to Library->Other/New, then it should show all the libraries it knows about. If it's not there use the Other Library button to browse.

Thank you for the further instructions, but I'll be honest, these applications are incredibly frustrating. I really fail to see how their usability and functionality benefits the end-user. I did as you suggested, and yet, Aperture didn't display all the iPhoto libraries on the HDD, so I navigated there. When I selected one of the iPhoto libraries, it simply opened it in a new Aperture library, so all these photos are separate from the main Aperture library. I don't see the point in that. It would be one thing if they gave you an option (add to an existing library vs. create a new library), but it doesn't do that. It just assumes that you want to open a new library, and now, I seem to be in the same position I was in before, the only difference being that I'm in Aperture, while before, I was in iPhoto.

How can I import iPhoto libraries into one folder w/in the main Aperture library? Or, is this not possible?

 

[Bruno09]

How can I import iPhoto libraries into one folder w/in the main Aperture library? Or, is this not possible?

In Aperture : File / Import / Library

 

[jmg999]

In Aperture : File / Import / Library

Thank you. Will this give me the option of which directory in Aperture in which to import it, or will it simply open this library, and put it wherever it feels like? That's my major concern.

 

[Bruno09]

AFAIK (just checked by importing a small test iPhoto Library within my Aperture Library), it will import each "Event" as a "Project" in Aperture.

I suggest this : create a new "iPhoto Library Test", import some pics in it, then import this Library in Aperture to see and understand how it works.

 

[jmg999]

AFAIK (just checked by importing a small test iPhoto Library within my Aperture Library), it will import each "Event" as a "Project" in Aperture.

I suggest this : create a new "iPhoto Library Test", import some pics in it, then import this Library in Aperture to see and understand how it works.

Thank you for double-checking this!

The only reason I'm afraid to try this on my own is b/c, I don't understand the behavior of these apps, and they seem rather complicated to maneuver in. When you tested this, did you create different sub-directories in the iPhoto test library? I need to be able to keep the same same directory structure that exists in iPhoto, and transfer that to Aperture. But, w/out knowing how it works, I can't take the change that it's just going to either A) places these photos wherever it feels like in Aperture, or B) destroy the existing directory structure by putting all the photos in a single directory w/in Aperture.

 

[Bruno09]

Importing an iPhoto Library in Aperture will not modify this iPhoto Library.

Each event of the iPhoto Library will be imported as a "Project" in Aperture.

This will not modify the existing directory structure of Aperture, this will just add new events (edit : "projects", sorry).

If you have some "Albums" in the iPhoto Library, they will be imported in Aperture and appear as "Albums", with the same name they had in the iPhoto Library.

Again, I suggest you do some testing with a small iPhoto test Library.

 

[jmg999]

Importing an iPhoto Library in Aperture will not modify this iPhoto Library.

Each event of the iPhoto Library will be imported as a "Project" in Aperture.

This will not modify the existing directory structure of Aperture, this will just add new events.

If you have some "Albums" in the iPhoto Library, they will be imported in Aperture and appear as "Albums", with the same name they had in the iPhoto Library.

Again, I suggest you do some testing with a small iPhoto test Library.

Thank you for clarifying. I wish that I could test, but it's not my system, and I am wary of the behavior of these apps, so I'm just going to do this all manually, which is going to take an immense amount of time and effort. I just can't believe that Apple makes these endeavors so complicated that it requires so much effort to ultimately not be able to do what the end-user wants it to do. It's just baffling.

 

[glenthompson]

Thank you for the further instructions, but I'll be honest, these applications are incredibly frustrating. I really fail to see how their usability and functionality benefits the end-user. I did as you suggested, and yet, Aperture didn't display all the iPhoto libraries on the HDD, so I navigated there. When I selected one of the iPhoto libraries, it simply opened it in a new Aperture library, so all these photos are separate from the main Aperture library. I don't see the point in that. It would be one thing if they gave you an option (add to an existing library vs. create a new library), but it doesn't do that. It just assumes that you want to open a new library, and now, I seem to be in the same position I was in before, the only difference being that I'm in Aperture, while before, I was in iPhoto.

How can I import iPhoto libraries into one folder w/in the main Aperture library? Or, is this not possible?

Aperture and iPhoto are good photo managers when used properly and one understands how to organize their photos. The large number of iPhoto libraries indicate that the user didn't really understand how to use iPhoto and went down a road of frustration. It will take a fair amount of work to put thing right. Once you have a well organized library it's trivial to get to the photos you need. As example, my wife uses Aperture too and I needed a copy of all her photos from 2013. I just went into her Aperture, created a smart album with pix dated 2013, then exported that album as a new Aperture library which I copied to my Mac. Done in a minute to two.

Yes the File->Import will do that but I'm not sure about the option for controlling where it will go, whether into a folder you specify or just as added events.

 

[jmg999]

Aperture and iPhoto are good photo managers when used properly and one understands how to organize their photos. The large number of iPhoto libraries indicate that the user didn't really understand how to use iPhoto and went down a road of frustration. It will take a fair amount of work to put thing right. Once you have a well organized library it's trivial to get to the photos you need. As example, my wife uses Aperture too and I needed a copy of all her photos from 2013. I just went into her Aperture, created a smart album with pix dated 2013, then exported that album as a new Aperture library which I copied to my Mac. Done in a minute to two.

Yes the File->Import will do that but I'm not sure about the option for controlling where it will go, whether into a folder you specify or just as added events.

The problem w/ this is, even if it was a single iPhoto library that I was dealing w/, none of this does what I want/need it to do. Apple simply doesn't give the end-user enough control over the process to make it work. So, regardless of the fact that there are 55 iPhoto libraries, it doesn't really make a difference, b/c this procedure doesn't work the way I want it to w/ any of them.

Btw, I've seen this mentioned multiple times in this thread, and the reason he has so many libraries is for his work. He has thousands upon thousands of photos in each library, and it's easier for them to manage in their own, individual libraries rather than in one, giant library.