Is there a way to automatically sync iPhoto library across 2 Macs?

[sonicrobby]

I'm OCD and have my iphoto library set up perfectly, events, faces, locations of 9000 photos all set in my rMBP. I was considering getting a shared iMac for the family. I was going to move a COPY of my iPhoto library file to the new iMac. The thing I want to know, is there an app/setup/way to where if I add 200 new photos on my rMBP,and edit them, is there a way for them to get onto the "events" of the iMac without using photo stream?

Ex. lets say I have 30 events, and 300 new pictures that I scanned from photo albums on my rMBP. And now I distribute those 300 photos into the existing 30 events. Is there a way that the 30 events on the iMac be updated with the 300 new pictures without physically saving them all onto a USB or using airdrop or photostream or something like that?

 

[jdelgado]

I'm OCD and have my iphoto library set up perfectly, events, faces, locations of 9000 photos all set in my rMBP. I was considering getting a shared iMac for the family. I was going to move a COPY of my iPhoto library file to the new iMac. The thing I want to know, is there an app/setup/way to where if I add 200 new photos on my rMBP,and edit them, is there a way for them to get onto the "events" of the iMac without using photo stream?

Ex. lets say I have 30 events, and 300 new pictures that I scanned from photo albums on my rMBP. And now I distribute those 300 photos into the existing 30 events. Is there a way that the 30 events on the iMac be updated with the 300 new pictures without physically saving them all onto a USB or using airdrop or photostream or something like that?

I think Chronosync can do this. Although I have not tried this, their website has some info on how to sync several "tricky" things.

 

[flynz4]

You can use Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) to create a clone of your iPhoto library on network shares... which should be able to be set up on your iMac.

You highlighted that this will be a COPY... which is good. You would want this to be a one way sync... so that all of the editing would be performed on your MBP... but the family could see the pictures on the iMac. Any organization on the iMac would be lost next time CCC was run.

You might run into trouble if iPhoto was open on the iMac at the time of sync. If you were to run the sync automatically at an odd time for your family to be using the iMac... then the risk of a collision is much lower. Even it it was to happen... it should heal the next time CCC runs.

Personally... I wish that Apple would implement the iPhoto/Aperture equivalent of "iTunes Home Sharing"... so that I could enable others in my family to view the pictures in my photo library.

/Jim

 

[sonicrobby]

I think Chronosync can do this. Although I have not tried this, their website has some info on how to sync several "tricky" things.

Thanks, I will look into this!

 

[flynz4]

I think Chronosync can do this. Although I have not tried this, their website has some info on how to sync several "tricky" things.

If you choose Chronosync... in their terminology, you would want to use "backup" instead of "sync". The important thing is to make sure that the data transfers in only one direction. You do not want to risk damaging the library you worked so hard to organize.

/Jim

 

[sonicrobby]

If you choose Chronosync... in their terminology, you would want to use "backup" instead of "sync". The important thing is to make sure that the data transfers in only one direction. You do not want to risk damaging the library you worked so hard to organize.

/Jim

So their "sync" would take photos from the iMac and put it on my rMBP also? a "backup" would prevent this?

 

[Consultant]

So their "sync" would take photos from the iMac and put it on my rMBP also? a "backup" would prevent this?

If you want to do that you should definitely backup regularly. When multiple people are involved accidental deletions / changes can happen.

 

[flynz4]

So their "sync" would take photos from the iMac and put it on my rMBP also? a "backup" would prevent this?

What I am suggesting is to NOT allow their changes to propagate back to your computer. In fact... they would not be making any changes at all... because any changes that they made would be over-written when your next sync occurs.

I do NOT suggest ever letting two different computers make modifications to a database that is not meant to be shared. This includes iTunes, iPhoto, Aperture, iMovie, etc. You will hear examples of people here who do that... but it often eventually leads to a database corruption. I recommend that you do not risk it.

By doing a one way sync (i.e.: a clone or a backup)... they will get a copy of your database every night (or whenever you choose to have it sync). You do all the editing and organization on your MBP... they can see your work on the iMac. They can also copy pictures out of your library if they want to use it for a specific purpose... but any edits they do within their iPhoto library would be gone every night.

If you want to do that you should definitely backup regularly. When multiple people are involved accidental deletions / changes can happen.

Excellent advice irrespective of what you do.

/Jim

 

[sonicrobby]

Alright guys, thanks so much. You both helped me out a lot.

 

[rgcxyzee]

I have my iPhoto library file stored on Dropbox so can access it from my Mac Pro or MBP, although only one at a time.

 

[mkvalsvik]

SyncPhotos got the job done for me

I use SyncPhotos for my MBP and Mac mini.

Works great.

 

[sonicrobby]

I use SyncPhotos for my MBP and Mac mini.

Works great.

This one seems really promising. But reading on, does it not copy the metadata between computers? such as location, faces, titles, etc.?

 

[uglybeauty]

If you choose Chronosync... in their terminology, you would want to use "backup" instead of "sync". The important thing is to make sure that the data transfers in only one direction. You do not want to risk damaging the library you worked so hard to organize.

/Jim

Chronosync is my choice too. it can resolve package contents (in sync options) wich is very useful because the iPhoto library is not a common "folder", so it backups only the recent changes in the package contents.
and it's quite fast too

 

[flynz4]

Chronosync is my choice too. it can resolve package contents (in sync options) wich is very useful because the iPhoto library is not a common "folder", so it backups only the recent changes in the package contents.
and it's quite fast too

It is a package... which is essentially just a folder that is made to appear as a monolithic file. However, it is really just a folder in nearly every important way. Every cloning program that I am aware of will correctly do incremental backups to packages.

/Jim