Scenario: One Master aperture library housed on IMac Desktop computer at home with 50,000 photos on it. Common for me to take a copy of the entire Master library with me on the road via an external hard drive to work on. (call this library “Copy Library”).
Questions:
1. If when I get back to the office I want to merge the Copy Library into the Master Library, will all the photos merge, or will the Copy Library’s photos override those already saved on the Master Library if they have the same name etc?.
2. If an album is deleted on “Copy Library”, will that album also then be deleted from Master Library when they are merged together at a later time or will the new Master Library still house that album? How does that work on the folder, project and photo level?
3. If adjustments are made to a photo on Master Library and those same exact photo(s) have been adjusted by someone else on the Copy Library, when the two libraries are merged together – are both versions of the photo saved or only one, and if that’s the case - which one is overridden?
4. If metadata tags are attached to a photo on the “Copy Library” and different metadata tags are attached to those same photos on the Master Library, when the two libraries are merged which metadata will be saved? A) Only the Master metadata tags B) Both sets of metadata with two copies of the photo or C) Only the newest metadata tags – most likely from the Copy Library
5. Metadata tags and keywords are set up on the Master Library for photos 1, 2 and 3 on the Copy Library metadata tags and keywords are also set up for photos 1, 2 and 3 but they are different then those on the Master Library. What happens when the two library’s are merged together? Are two versions of the photo saved each with its own set of metadata tags and keywords?? Or is it possible for the keywords and metadata to merge together on only ONE version of the photo?
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Metadata Tags and Master Libraries
#1
Salene, (duplicate question in the forum deleted)
Lots of questions. Some of these you’ll need to try it out yourself and see what happens, as I don’t know the answer offhand. Fortunately it’s easy to build a test library and test every one of these scenarios. But here’s the answers I can give you right off:
1. Assuming you’re working from a duplicate Library/Project (as you are), then Aperture will Merge the photos, not duplicate—unless you tell it to. You’ll see that dialog when you first go to merge.
2. I think deleted files are honored (meaning the “delete” is merged as a delete), but you should test this. Ratings definitely are merged, however, so it’s probably safest to just mark a file as a reject, then delete after merging.
3. Again you have a choice. If multiple files have the same category adjusted (i.e. metadata, adjustments) then you will have to choose to either duplicate or merge and overwrite. You will have to choose which Library gets priority when you begin. You do not get to choose on an image-by-image basis.
4 & 5. If I recall from earlier testing, Metadata tags are one of the only components that will actually merge, as opposed to being forced to be overwritten. But again, test this. If I recall correctly, individual fields won’t merge (i.e. if you have a different Copyright or Version name in each Library), but if you have added Copyright to one and changed the Version name on another, they will merge. But again… test it!
I hope that helps. Please do check it yourself on a test library before proceeding and potentially screwing up any work!
-Joseph @ApertureExpert
@PhotoJoseph
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