How does iPhoto organize files?

[mistermoya]

This has really beeen bothering me for quite a while but I keep forgetting to ask it. But how does iPhoto organize files internally in the Pictures folder? I mean, where does it keep the original files and all.

It seems I have all these folders that are empty not to mention they're labeled in no consistent manner. For example, I have one forlder called "2004" inside are about 40 folders. Some are empty, some have thumbnails, some folders have my original pictures, and some have a combination of originals and thumbnails. It's just that it gets so confusing each time I want to look for a picture since the ones they have inside some folders are just aliases to the original which most of the time takes me forever to trace.

Because of this, my workflow is to usually copy the files from my camera unto a desktop folder then just import the pictures from that folder into iPhoto. But of course, there are a lot of times when I complete forget to do this and just import straight to iPhoto. Like I recently imported close to 600 pictures and I want to fix it in Photoshop but it's taking me forever to trace these pictures even using Photoshop's File browser. They seem to have been scattered all over my iPhoto Pictures folder.

I kind of wish it would organize the originals pretty much how iTunes will organize all your songs by artist into your destination folder.

Anyways, back to my original question, how does iPhoto organize pictures in its Library? It works great on iPhoto itself, it's really just tracing the source files that's giving me a headache. Or is mine an isolated case? Hope you guys can help.

[elbert]

Don't bother figuring it out. You'll go crazy.

One piece of advice: iPhoto is not just your image browser, it's your file browser as well.

Instead of dealing with filenames, deal with the thumbnails. It actually is better and much much easier.

Try dragging a thumbnail from iPhoto into the Photoshop icon in the dock. The photo will open in Photoshop as if you did a File > Open. Edit the photo and when you are done, save it. It will save in its original location, then it stays organized in iPhoto. However, i suggest you create a duplicate first (in iPhoto), before manipulating in Photoshop. That way you can keep the original file.

When using iPhoto itself to edit pictures, the application will create a duplicate and store the original file. No matter what you do the photo, you can always revert to original. You can't do the same if you're using Photoshop to edit.

Also, you could assign Photoshop to launch when you double click the thumbnail. It's in iPhoto's preferences.

If you want to copy an image to another folder, or burn into a CD (without the confusing iPhoto filing system), just drag the thumbnail out of iPhoto the same way (i.e. into a folder, into Toast, etc.).

So go ahead and import straight into iPhoto, it's a far simpler workflow.

HTH.

[Edited on 1-27-2005 by elbertc]

[Polar Mac]

As far as i know my photos in iPhoto are organized cuz after importing the pic from the camera (i check the delete originals after importing) and when i get image files from the pc (i drag it to iPhoto and trash the original file).. this thread just made me think lang hehe :lol:

[elbert]

Originally posted by Polar Mac
As far as i know my photos in iPhoto are organized cuz after importing the pic from the camera (i check the delete originals after importing) and when i get image files from the pc (i drag it to iPhoto and trash the original file).. this thread just made me think lang hehe :lol:

Hi Polar, please read mistermoya's post again. He's not asking if your files are organized, rather, how iPhoto organizes files.

[Polar Mac]

alright.... sorry.....

[mistermoya]

Thanks Elbert! I knew about dragging the file to Photoshop but I didn't know about being able to set it the Preferences. It does simplify my workflow.

I guess am not really used to working with iPhoto and Photoshop together. I wonder how iLife '05 changes this relationship altogether. But anyways, that's a discussion for a different thread anyways.

Thanks again

[hubes]

Initially I was confused as well but after digging thru the folders I realized that iPhoto organizes the files chronologically. Pictures | iPhoto Library | (year) ex. 2004 | (month) ex. 06 (meaning June) | (day) ex. 24, after you double click the day folder you'll see thumbnails of your photos & two or three other folders (Data, Thumbs, & Originals)

Although most of the time I just do what elbert does...drag it out of iPhoto.

[jayveef]

hmm say i want to upload a photo to an image bank like photobucket / or even post pictures in philmug ... i cant just drag pictures out of iphoto right? is there an easier way rather than browsing through each of the files in the weird iphoto folder organizing?

[elbert]

Originally posted by jayveef
hmm say i want to upload a photo to an image bank like photobucket / or even post pictures in philmug ... i cant just drag pictures out of iphoto right? is there an easier way rather than browsing through each of the files in the weird iphoto folder organizing?

Of course you can just drag it out of iPhoto. Drag the thumbnail into any dialogue box or folder. That's what I do when loading images into my iDisk.

I can do the same here in PhilMUG, but it would load the high res. To upload lower-res or scaled-down images, make SnapNDrag your best friend.

[PatrickGaerlan]

Originally posted by jayveef
hmm say i want to upload a photo to an image bank like photobucket / or even post pictures in philmug ... i cant just drag pictures out of iphoto right? is there an easier way rather than browsing through each of the files in the weird iphoto folder organizing?

Have you tried iPhoto -> File -> Export? You can do this with mulitple pics too (just highlight them while holding down the Apple/command key, or shift key to highlight a block of pics). I'm not sure if that's what you meant

[Edited on 1-30-2005 by PatrickGaerlan]

[Edited on 1-30-2005 by PatrickGaerlan]