Total Mac Newbie Needs Help With Media Files

[jeffnebraska]

Before last week, the last Mac I bought was a Mac Classic with a 40MB hard drive. Now I have the top-rung Macbook Pro 15", with Core i7 and 8GB of RAM. It's good to be back.

I uploaded my PC music, photos and videos to my Mac and need to clarify something about iPhoto, iMovie and iTunes regarding the storage and use of these files.

1) Am I right that when iPhoto imported all my pics into its library it made a duplicate of all of them? If so, can I just erase the original copies I brought over from my PCs? Also, is it right that in order to get third party apps (like my photo printer app) to access the photos in the iPhoto library, I need to copy them to the desktop or some other more accessible spot?

2) Does the same happen with videos? If I load a video into iMovie, am I creating two copies on my hard disk? That would be a major waste of my 500GBs, which won't last forever if I have two copies of every video.

3) I assume this is not happening with iTunes and I only have one copy of each music file on my Mac, right?

It's a brave new world, but my wife and I are already loving the MUCH slicker feel of the Mac. I want to get up the learning curve quickly.

 

[Hellhammer]

1) Am I right that when iPhoto imported all my pics into its library it made a duplicate of all of them? If so, can I just erase the original copies I brought over from my PCs? Also, is it right that in order to get third party apps (like my photo printer app) to access the photos in the iPhoto library, I need to copy them to the desktop or some other more accessible spot?

Yes, but you can disable duplicating from iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced

2) Does the same happen with videos? If I load a video into iMovie, and I creating two copies on my hard disk? That would be a major waste of my 500GBs, which won't last forever if I have two copies of every video.

I think yes, but when you export it, you can delete it from iMovie to save space

3) I assume this is not happening with iTunes and I only have one copy of each music file on my Mac, right?

As default, it is happening but you can disable it from iTunes -> Preferences -> Advanced

 

[forcefieldkid]

Just to add a couple more points...

2. iMovie doesn't work the way iPhoto does, you don't need to and shouldn't add all of your videos into it. It is an editing program a lot more than an organizer like iTunes and iPhoto. Keep your videos in Movies or another folder and only add them to iMovie when you need/want to edit them. Quicktime is the Apple video player, and you should/can/may want to (!) be using that for general video watching.

3. iTunes adds the songs you import into its 'library' creating a copy of the MP3's in this file, after theyve imported you can take out the CD or delete the MP3's from the desktop or wherever else you imported from.

Welcome back, enjoy it man

 

[jeffnebraska]

Thanks. That helps.

I think I will just delete the extra copies of my music and photos and let iTunes and iPhoto store them. Is there any reason that's not preferable?

Makes sense re iMovie, so nothing to worry about there.

 

[Hellhammer]

Thanks. That helps.

I think I will just delete the extra copies of my music and photos and let iTunes and iPhoto store them. Is there any reason that's not preferable?

Makes sense re iMovie, so nothing to worry about there.

Well, I would disable iPhoto duplicating as it's easier to use them in other apps if you don't have to open iPhoto to do that. I have disabled mine for that reason as I use Photoshop sometimes and it's easier to keep them organized in good ol' folders IMO

As for iTunes, I will let it duplicate and I then delete the original file

 

[jeffnebraska]

Well, I would disable iPhoto duplicating as it's easier to use them in other apps if you don't have to open iPhoto to do that. I have disabled mine for that reason as I use Photoshop sometimes and it's easier to keep them organized in good ol' folders IMO

As for iTunes, I will let it duplicate and I then delete the original file

If you disable the iPhoto duplicating, will iPhoto still manage your importing from a camera? If it does, where does the folder with the new pictures land?

I'd like to have a normal folder structure, but also want iPhoto to do my importing and to get all new pics from my camera into the iPhoto library when I import.

 

[Hellhammer]

If you disable the iPhoto duplicating, will iPhoto still manage your importing from a camera? If it does, where does the folder with the new pictures land?

I'd like to have a normal folder structure, but also want iPhoto to do my importing and to get all new pics from my camera into the iPhoto library when I import.

I import my pics with the ImageTransferrer (is it that?). Then drag them to iPhoto so all my photos are nicely in folders

 

[MWPULSE]

If you disable the iPhoto duplicating, will iPhoto still manage your importing from a camera? If it does, where does the folder with the new pictures land?

I'd like to have a normal folder structure, but also want iPhoto to do my importing and to get all new pics from my camera into the iPhoto library when I import.

I currently use the way of doing things as you are trying to do.. When you duplicate something (i.e copy it, into the iphoto library) it stores it in a library folder/file whereever you tell the library to save to (by default ~pictures) Should be a iphoto library app/icon. right click>show resources> navigate to the folder where your pic is.

Forewarning, the folder hierachy is a rather dense one! haha.. its simple enough to find stuff, just gotta know where it is.. alternatively you can use the click option on any item in iphoto and show original file, it will bring it up in finder

iTunes is very similar lol
Hope that helps
PTP