Files - Access - Aperture

I have several files that PS, OnOneSoftware have placed within Apple's Aperture but I can not access them after they are saved.

Below is a photo capture of where a program call ColorStroke want to place a file after "saving"

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Sorry, I'm not a Mac/Aperture user, but it looks like your file "structure" for saving photos is pretty convoluted. It looks like the file is being saved in the "2012/03/30/201220330-220121/qo3XwrLDSpORUN4​K6..." folder, but your screen shot does not show us what is in that folder, and besides, the whole setup looks quite convoluted.

When you first get your photos into Aperture, "where" are you putting them, in an Aperture "catalog", or in a place in your file system? You do need to get that figured out!!

Rick,

The files are stored inside the Aperture Library itself. In order to access them directly you have to open the Aperture Library in Finder. Navigate to your Pictures folder (or where ever you have the Aperture Library saved.) Rt-clk on the Library and choose "Show Package Contents". What you are seeing in the screen shot you posted is the actual Package Contents. BTW, this is also true of iPhoto Libraries.

Hope this helps,
Michael

Michael, isn't it true that Aperture can be configured to work with images outside of the Library "Package"?

Tony,

Yes. When you import you can choose to store the files in the "Aperture Library" or "In the Current Location".

Michael

mspringfield wrote in post #15396026
Tony,

Yes. When you import you can choose to store the files in the "Aperture Library" or "In the Current Location".

Michael

This is a good illustration of why people should "read up" on these apps before just jumping in with both feet!

Rick, I stumbled around with this when trying to select an editing software. I had raw images and jpegs of those edited raw images stored all over my computer as I tried PS, DPP, Lightroom, and Aperture. Each program has its own default save location. I finally decided on Aperture, but for a while I wanted to store my images where I could find them outside of Aperture and I ended up an unmanageable mess. Images were stored one place and the edits in another and the edits would get lost. Then I decided to just let Aperture store the images in the Aperture library(s). I use Aperture for 99% of my editing and occasionally use PS. My suggestion is to import all your images into Aperture if it is what you are going to use, sort by folder/projects and let Aperture keep up with them. Once they are imported and backed up (and you are sure they are imported and backed up), delete the mess you have created.

Seamus that's fine, but you still need to decide if you are going to have Aperture store the files actually within the database or have it reference the files from the underlying file system. Personally it would worry me having all of my RAW image files sitting "inside" one big Database file. What happens if that file gets corrupted? and your backup too? At least with the RAW files referenced you still have those safe, even if you have lost all of your edits. At least you can re-edit them if you need to.

I still agree that it is best to use something like Aperture or in my case Lightroom (Windows user so don't have that choice to make). Even using referenced files as LR does it makes sense to use all of the great management tools that these programs bring you. I manage all of my image files on the disk using LR. The great sorting tools means that all of the images can go in a very simple file structure. I just use a folder with yyyymmdd naming format under my main Pictures folder. I use key wording, smart collections and all of the other tools most of the time to actually sort my images, and LR handles that perfectly for me.

Another thing that I do is to only produce output files for a specific purpose, once the have been uploaded, or sent for printing or whatever then they are deleted. I only keep the RAW, or if I needed to go out to PS the .PSD file complete with all the layers. This also makes for a much neater filing system.

Alan

Seamus, I did the same thing. I started out by linking and then decided to just store them in the Aperture Library.

Alan, I see your point but I have had more corrupted files outside the Aperture Library than inside. In fact I have never had an Aperture Library so corrupted that I could not recover it. Combine that with Time Machine and the Aperture Vault and the chances of losing files stored in the Aperture Data is probably smaller than any other way of storing files including a NAS. I have even had a NAS crash to the point where it took over a week to recover files.

BigAl007 wrote in post #15399724
What happens if that file gets corrupted? and your backup too? At least with the RAW files referenced you still have those safe, even if you have lost all of your edits. At least you can re-edit them if you need to.

The Aperture library is simply a folder. You just have to right-click on it, then choose "Show Package Contents" and then just navigate down the "Masters" folder by year, then month, which appears to be what's in the OP screen capture. The original files are there.

OP - to do a screen captures, press CMD-Shift-3 at the same time. On your desktop will be a file that starts out "Screen Shot".