Aperture: Offline-images & previews

[Evangelion]

First things first: I got my new MBP and Aperture just few days ago and I haven't had much time to play with Aperture. And the fact that the manual is just in PDF-format has made it a bit difficult to learn the ins and outs of Aperture. That said, I have a question regarding offline-images and previews:

In Aperture you can have hi-quality previews of images that are not actually available at that moment. They might be on DVD's, external hard-drives and so forth. Now, to my knowledge that work only with referenced images, and not with images that are in the Aperture Library itself, right? Now, what if I let Aperture handle the library-management for me, and I wanted to burn some of my images to DVD for archiving? How would that work? I looked around and I actually couldn't find a way to directly archive images inside Aperture. I can back them up to a Vault, but no DVD-archiving for example. Do I have do to that in Finder? And when I have done that, what would be the easiest way to turn those formerly Aperture-managed images in to referenced images that would reside on a DVD (for example) while still having their previews available?

The reason I want to know this is that I'm worried for my hard-drive space. I do have external hard-drives available (they have my vaults at the moment), but I would like to have my images with me, without having to carry external hard-drives with me all the time. If I started to run out of space, I could always archive some images to DVD's, while retaining their previews.

So, how do I do that?

 

[Digital Skunk]

First things first: I got my new MBP and Aperture just few days ago and I haven't had much time to play with Aperture. And the fact that the manual is just in PDF-format has made it a bit difficult to learn the ins and outs of Aperture. That said, I have a question regarding offline-images and previews:

In Aperture you can have hi-quality previews of images that are not actually available at that moment. They might be on DVD's, external hard-drives and so forth. Now, to my knowledge that work only with referenced images, and not with images that are in the Aperture Library itself, right? Now, what if I let Aperture handle the library-management for me, and I wanted to burn some of my images to DVD for archiving? How would that work? I looked around and I actually couldn't find a way to directly archive images inside Aperture. I can back them up to a Vault, but no DVD-archiving for example. Do I have do to that in Finder? And when I have done that, what would be the easiest way to turn those formerly Aperture-managed images in to referenced images that would reside on a DVD (for example) while still having their previews available?

The reason I want to know this is that I'm worried for my hard-drive space. I do have external hard-drives available (they have my vaults at the moment), but I would like to have my images with me, without having to carry external hard-drives with me all the time. If I started to run out of space, I could always archive some images to DVD's, while retaining their previews.

So, how do I do that?

Alright... I can answer the questions that I understand.

Aperture always generates previews... for referenced or managed images. When you reference an image you can view it and organize it in your library but you can't edit it... that works for both LR and Aperture, you have to have the masters linked to the actual library. If you have managed files and want to archive them to DVD you should select all the images you want to archive then go to File --> Consolidate Masters then check move files, then move the files to a burn folder. Make sure of course that the files fit on the type of media you are using. Once you do this your previews will still be available but remember that you can't edit any files or export them or their version or anything. All you can do is view them, organize them in the library, and make webpages and books and light tables with them, etc.... just nothing that would involve needing the masters.

Here is some more info on Aperture (linkie) http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/aperture/

 

[Evangelion]

Alright... I can answer the questions that I understand.

Thanks, I really appreciate it

Aperture always generates previews... for referenced or managed images. When you reference an image you can view it and organize it in your library but you can't edit it.

I think you can. I have imported my iPhoto-library to Aperture, and I'm just referencing to the files instead of letting Aperture manage them, and I can edit them. Of course, if those pictures were offline, then I couldn't edit them.

If you have managed files and want to archive them to DVD you should select all the images you want to archive then go to File --> Consolidate Masters then check move files, then move the files to a burn folder.

So Aperture does not have a built-in archiving? How would I then tell Aperture that the pictures that I moved to the burn-folder are no longer there, but they are in a DVD-disk instead? Or is Aperture smart enough to somehow notice that the DVD I just mounted contain masters of the previews in Aperture?

Make sure of course that the files fit on the type of media you are using. Once you do this your previews will still be available but remember that you can't edit any files or export them or their version or anything. All you can do is view them, organize them in the library, and make webpages and books and light tables with them, etc.... just nothing that would involve needing the masters.

Yes I know. My primary plan would be that I could still have the pictures with me (so I could show them to others, make websites etc.). But if I wanted to make actual edits to them, I could whip out the archive-DVD, and edit the masters. Since it doesn't actually touch the images, it shouldn't matter that the masters are in a read-only media, right?

 

[Digital Skunk]

Sorry about the half finished info... I was kinda rushing on that post. You are right. When you reference an image you can edit it unless it is offline.

When you export the images to the burn folder then burn the disk folder they will go offline and you won't be able to find them. You may have to stick the disc back in the drive and reconnect them back to Aperture.

I hope they do fix this issue in Aperture 2.0

 

[Evangelion]

When you export the images to the burn folder then burn the disk folder they will go offline and you won't be able to find them. You may have to stick the disc back in the drive and reconnect them back to Aperture.

Yes but... What I worry is that you have the masters in the burn-folder, and Aperture has previews of those images. I then burn those images to DVD, and delete them from the burn-folder. Aperture loses the masters, but keep the previews. If I then mount the DVD with the masters, does Aperture know that those masters belong to the previews it already has? Or will it create a whole new set of previews for those masters that are on the DVD, and I would then have to manually delete the previews that point to the burn-folder?