new to Mac - question about iPhoto & iTunes

[chuckd83]

My setup is one PC, one 2012 Mac Mini, and a 2TB NAS (RAID 1). In the end, I would like all music, photo, video content to be housed on the NAS (for reliability) and both computers access the content via their respective programs. A photo/music/video file added to the NAS by either machine should show up on both computers.

This was fairly easy for my PC, but I'm lost in the OS X world. What settings do I need to change in iPhoto/iTunes to accomplish this?

 

[GGJstudios]

What settings do I need to change in iPhoto/iTunes to accomplish this?

This post and those that follow may be useful.

 

[chuckd83]

This post and those that follow may be useful.

Thanks, very helpful. One further question, though. If I plug in an SD card from my camera, iPhoto immediately opens and wants to import the photos to its library. Instead of it importing select photos to the iPhoto library, I would rather it copy select photos to the NAS, then import to iPhoto. How is this done?

I ask because you said "As for iPhoto, you would just import your photos from any location into the app."

Basically, I don't want iPhoto to import anything other than one location - the NAS.

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks, very helpful. One further question, though. If I plug in an SD card from my camera, iPhoto immediately opens and wants to import the photos to its library. Instead of it importing select photos to the iPhoto library, I would rather it copy select photos to the NAS, then import to iPhoto. How is this done?

I ask because you said "As for iPhoto, you would just import your photos from any location into the app."

Basically, I don't want iPhoto to import anything other than one location - the NAS.

If you don't want iPhoto to launch when connecting a camera, go to iPhoto > Preferences > General > Connecting camera opens: No application

 

[chuckd83]

If you don't want iPhoto to launch when connecting a camera, go to iPhoto > Preferences > General > Connecting camera opens: No application

I would like *something to launch (similar to Windows) that prompts the user (my wife) to import photos. She selects the photos she wants and they are immediately copied to the NAS. She opens iPhoto and these photos are immediately imported to her iPhoto library from the NAS.

*or does this have to be manually done via Finder?

 

[GGJstudios]

I would like *something to launch (similar to Windows) that prompts the user (my wife) to import photos. She selects the photos she wants and they are immediately copied to the NAS. She opens iPhoto and these photos are immediately imported to her iPhoto library from the NAS.

*or does this have to be manually done via Finder?

You may be able to use an AppleScript to accomplish that.

 

[chuckd83]

You may be able to use an AppleScript to accomplish that.

Thanks. Does iTunes do the same thing iPhoto does when it imports photos (i.e. create a duplicate copy within a library database)? Or is there always only one copy of the song file?

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks. Does iTunes do the same thing iPhoto does when it imports photos (i.e. create a duplicate copy within a library database)? Or is there always only one copy of the song file?

In iTunes > Preferences > Advanced if you uncheck these boxes:

iTunes will add the music to the iTunes library but leave the media files where you put them. If you check those boxes, iTunes will make a copy of the media files and store them in the iTunes Media folder, as specified in that preference pane. iTunes, unlike iPhoto, does not store all music within a single database file.

 

[chuckd83]

In iTunes > Preferences > Advanced if you uncheck these boxes:

iTunes will add the music to the iTunes library but leave the media files where you put them. If you check those boxes, iTunes will make a copy of the media files and store them in the iTunes Media folder, as specified in that preference pane. iTunes, unlike iPhoto, does not store all music within a single database file.

Ok, thanks. You've been a big help. Why in the world does Apple insist on making multiple copies of the same file? In my mind it leads to confusion down the road as far as organization and comparability (which file is the most up to date?).

 

[GGJstudios]

Ok, thanks. You've been a big help. Why in the world does Apple insist on making multiple copies of the same file? In my mind it leads to confusion down the road as far as organization and comparability (which file is the most up to date?).

When you let iTunes create a copy of an imported file, you should delete the original, to free up space.