Many users ask me how to manage multiple iPhoto Libraries. Usually, I tell them to download a script called iPhoto Librarian, which allows you to select which iPhoto library the application will use. Well, I just found out there's a way simpler (and built-in) solution. All you have to do is hold down the option key while launching iPhoto. A dialogue box will appear with the following options: Quit, Create Library... or Choose Library... The three options are self-explanatory. Compared to using iPhoto Librarian, which is a great app, btw, Option-launching iPhoto gives you a more automated way of managing multiple libraries.
Since iPhoto's performance has improved so much, I now need to find a way to merge my separate iPhoto libraries back into one main library. Any recommendations?
This might help. Although it was created for iPhoto4, I'm sure it's still applicable. Reuniting/merging multiple iPhoto libraries let us know how it goes. EDIT: Forget the above. Here's a much simpler solution: iPhoto Library Manager 3.1.2
hey thanks for this elbertc how many libraries can i make using this prog? what is thier difference with iphoto buddy?
Theoretically, you can have a limitless number of iPhoto libraries using the option+launch method. What's nice about this method is that it requires no installation of scripts or additional applications.
i have another question... lets say i already have a very big library and i want to divide it into different libraries so access time will be a lot faster and back up will be much easier. how do i do this? thanks
Just to be sure you don't make a mess of things and lose your library entirely, I suggest you archive your existing iPhoto Library folder (ctrl click and select Archive). Then duplicate or copy the whole directory (ctrl click again). It's best to have a method for separation so that you can use that as reference for renaming those folders. For example, if by year: iPhoto 05, iPhoto 06, or by classification: iPhoto travel, iPhoto holidays, etc. Then option launch iPhoto selecting the specific library you wish to edit, and delete all images you wish to exclude from that library (i.e. all non-2006 images from your 06 library, all non-2005 images from your 06 library, etc). That's how I would do it. I know it's a bit tedious, so if anyone has a better method, please let me know. BTW, if there's one thing you need to back up from your computer, it's your digital photos. Of all the types of files, pictures are the only ones that can never be recreated. email, documents, even movies (as long as you have the masters) can be recreated, but pictures, never. Back 'em up now, I say. HTH
yeah, i don't think there's a quicker way of doing it inside iPhoto. you may want to check on the 3rd party app iPhoto Library Manager as previously mentioned by elbert.
thanks elbertc... will try and do that... so are you saying that i do a back up first? then option click and create a new library? how do i get the pictures to my new libraries pala? from the back ups? i placed the new library in pictures too and i saw that there is a folder named like the library i just made. thanks thanks theus for the tip. i would rather keep away from additional software installation for now even if freeware, i tend to install a lot specially freewares and i think most of them i really dont need, i just have them because they are free
Hope it's ok to ask for assistance here, can't seem to create a new thread on this forum: been maintaining a 50gb free space on my mbp's 750gb for a while now, been too busy to do a real cleanup. Anyways, needed immediate space today, so I backed up my iPhoto library (all 277gb of it), then deleted all my iPhoto events. I figured that after running Disk Utility's Erase Free Space, i'd have a whopping 300+ gb of space.... no siree! the whole process gave me only 70gb total free space iPhoto gurus, a little help please? TIA
