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General discussion

iPhoto Folders

Jan 20, 2007 4:24AM PST

I was just looking at my pictures folder, trying to find a specific photo. However, when I clicked on the "Pictures" button in the Finder the folders where very odd. They where divided into Data, Originals and Modified, and each folder seemed to contain multiple copies of the same photos on different rolls andin different subfolders. I'm wondering what is okay to delete and what is not, I hate using all the extra space for the same photos. Is there any method to the madness which seems to be the photo organizing system?

Discussion is locked

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Strange
Jan 20, 2007 5:00AM PST

I'm trying to see where you where clicking to produce this effect and then it dawned on me. You are clicking on the iPhoto library which is full of all sorts of strange things. xml files, data files, cache file, ipspot files, just to mention a few. DELETE NOTHING.
Even though none of this stuff makes a deal of sense to you, iPhoto knows exactly how to deal with it.

Although you can eventually find your picture amongst all those strange places, you still need to know what album it is in.
The easiest way to find a particular picture would be to launch iPhoto and find it in there. If you were looking for it so that you could make a copy to send in an email, you have a couple of choices.
1. Find the picture in iPhoto, click on the email button at the bottom of the window and compose your email. Send.
2. Find the picture in iPhoto, drag it onto the desktop where a copy will be made. Launch you mail program, compose, attach the JPG from the desktop. Send.

Is that any good for you?

P

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Kind Of
Jan 20, 2007 5:37AM PST

I understand that the non-picture files in there are supposed to be left alone. I'm wondering about the Data, Modified and Original folders. They each seem to contain a copy of my most or all of my pictures and sometimes there are multiple copies of a single picture within one of those files, stored on different Rolls. The folders are pretty big too, so I was wondering which one contains the actual copies of my pictures that iPhoto uses, and which are just dead weight. If I were to select all my pictures in iPhoto, then copy them into some new folder, than delete the contents of the Modified, Data and Originals folders, then paste the pictures back in, would that work? I'm just trying to figure out how to get rid of the multiple copies of each picture without messing everything up.

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I see where you are going,
Jan 20, 2007 6:28AM PST

but I would not mess with the library too much,.
You could try copying the Modified folder out to the Desktop, and launching iPhoto.

See if anything changed


P

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(NT) I'll Give It A Try, Thanks
Jan 20, 2007 6:45AM PST
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Reorganizing multiple iphoto librarys
Feb 22, 2007 3:29AM PST

I would like to reorganize my iphoto librarys. Right now I have 4 and realize I have duplicate photos in more than one libray. I am not interested in the modified iphoto versions. I only want to organize my original photos. I edit and keep all my modified copies in photoshop format then put them in the librarys. I will sometimes quickly edit in iphoto just for a quick email photo but really have not no use for the iphoto modified versions. I want to set up my librarys seperately for
original camera photos ,
modified photoshop files,
created photo or whatever

Right now I have them all together by years but somehow I've saved the same photo file in multiple librarys. Lack of organization is most likely the cause.

I also would like to then move them to an external hard drive after organization but need to know how to do this and the precautions I need to be aware. I very much aware of the NO TOUCHY RULE with removing anything from the iphoto file. Been there and done that and don't want to go there again.

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iPhoto
Feb 22, 2007 8:51AM PST

You can use multiple iPhoto libraries and can get to choose them by launching iPhoto with the option key held down. iPhoto will then ask for the library you want or give you the choice of making a new one.
iPhoto Library Manager is a piece of software that will cover this task for you, easily.

To move a library from one drive to another, copy the entire iPhoto library folder to your destination of choice. Note, that is copy and not move.
Launch iPhoto with the option key down. Tell it where the new location is. It will open it and amend its preferences. Once you are happy that all is well, you can delete the original iPhoto library folder.

any help?

P