Advice needed: Mac tools, apps, & configuration for efficient photo processing

Scott,

In the process of helping me you may have removed a major annoyance of Roger's with A3

 

So ELinder has cast a vote for using Nikon Transfer in conjunction with Aperture 3.

So far no one has chimed in with using anything other than A3

Scott (or anyone else who knows),

Is there anything that Aperture does during it's process of pulling images off the card that it wouldn't allow you to do if you imported them into a library when pulled off the card using another method (Drag & Drop into Finder, Nikon Transfer, etc)? ; I know the renaming of the file cannot be done, but anything else that you would have to forgo if you used another method to get the pics off the card?

 

Oops, I think I may have asked my question backwards....

I was wondering what you CAN do with Aperture that you couldn't do if you ingested another method prior to importing into Aperture

 

I'll try and let Scott answer that one Ray....however A3 seems to act the same if you're importing fresh or importing from a directory on a hard drive...

 

I do that right now - referenced master files across several external HDs.


After thinking about the library files though, I'm really thinking about using Libraries for when I used to use projects. ; Especially for large trips....I think the biggest disadvantage is that you can't search across the libraries. (more than one at a time)

But if I was a pro, I would use a new library for each client/job. ; Makes perfect sense, esp. now that you can switch on the fly.

 

It sounds like Aperture is taking a play out of iTune's playbook. ; The same idea was incorporated in version 8 or iTunes. ; In fact, most sites talking about moving your iTunes library around strongly recommends that you use the iTunes library instead of referenced files outside. ; The reason being that you can tell iTunes where your library lives and easily alter the configuration setting to state that your library is now in a new location (eg external drive). ; Then you'd run a process that moves all the files from their old library location to the new and iTunes does it all for you.

I wonder if Aperture gives you the same ability to define where the library is located in the file structure (HD, external drive or NAS) and then you can have Aperture move the contents around based on the new configuration. ; If so, it isn't a big deal to expand storage

 

Yes, you can tell Aperture where to save a library file, and personally I don't have a huge problem with relocating the master files. ; It's actually not that hard. ; But you have to use A3 to move them, not Finder.

 

It is sounding like A3, unlike iTunes gives you more control on how your files are named which is something I didn't like with iTunes. ; But it is strongly suggested to keep all your music in the library and when adding music that was ripped outside of iTunes (music ripped with iTunes automatically gets put into the library) it's suggested you have iTunes put a copy in the library.

As I'm finding out now that I'm trying to move my iTunes from a dying laptop to my MacBook, it is easier on so many levels if you had all your music in the iTunes library. ; Once you defined where you want your library you just went Library --> Organize Library --> Consolidate Files. ; Then iTunes will take all the files outside your library (referenced files) and bring them into the library. ; Unfortunately, it also renamed them and created it's own directory structure based on Artist, Album, etc. ; If you want to change the library location, to say an external attached drive or a network share, then you'd use the Consolidate Files option after changing the library location. ; At that point, all the files that were in the old library location would be considered referenced files and be moved into the new library. ; Once done, and you are sure everything was copied over you delete the old library location.

So, I'm going to assume with A3, that when you import into A3, the files that were outside of the library (because you pulled them off the card with a different method than A3) will still reside in their original location and a duplicate file is copied into the A3 Library. ; Is that true? ;

So, if I don't want duplicity of files (one in the Nikon Transfer directory and one in the A3 Library location), then I should delete the original files once done?

I loved Smart Folders in iTunes. ; I used it to create an always live view of all podcasts that weren't listened to completely.

So, I think I'm going to love Smart Albums.

I guess with the power of that, keywording becomes even more important. ; As long as you add all the keywords you think you might need, you could easily create smart albums for such things as "Tomorrrowland", "Big Thunder Mountain", "Kai", "Kylee", etc., etc., etc. and they'll automatically pick up all the new pictures that are tagged accordingly.

That seems like it would be so much better than dragging and dropping them into different albums. ; Also, if you end up incorrectly tagging a picture, you simply remove the keyword and it's out of the Smart Album as opposed to having to physically delete a file out of an album.

Smart Albums are definitely something that would greatly improve Flickr...

 

Erich,

So are you saying that the reason you use Nikon Transfer is that it allows you to have a backup copy of all your files removed from your camera because when you import them into A3, those files are preserved in the Nikon Transfer location and a copy is brought into A3?

Also, since it's sounding like A3 operates a lot like iTunes, it would seem logical that life would be easier for you to move stuff around if all your files are in an A3 library as opposed to referenced outside the library

I know with iTunes, once you have successfully created an iTunes library on an external drive you can move it to another machine easily if you tell iTunes to use that external drive location as the new library.

 

If you want it to. ; You can either have the file added to the Aperture library *file*, in a set location (see Scott's tip), or Aperture can reference it where it lies. ; After Aperture imports a memory card it will ask you if you want to delete the card or just eject.

See above? ; Your choice.



Now one thing you can do it have the system add certain tags on import. ; Myself, I add the copyright metadata on import but I know you can have more show up for you to add. ; While the GIU interface for tagging is easy to figure out, just something else to think of....

 

While I have to wait 4-6 weeks for the camera connection kit, yes, it came today. ; Now I just have to remove the vendor's stuff from it.[nb]I won it at my work conference in NOLA, the local rep delivered it.[/nb]

 

I, for one, request a TMIP review of this camera connection kit.

I read somewhere that not only does the kit comes with a SD card adapter but also a USB adapter which makes many wonder if that means we could hook a USB card reader up to it so we can pull off ; pictures from our CF cards