Apr 17, '03 09:40:00AM • Contributed by: Anonymous
- To easily switch between iPhoto libraries.
- To password protect your libraries.
- Open the Disk Copy utility
- Open the folder that contains your iPhoto library
- Drag your iPhoto library folder onto the Disk Copy window to create a disk image from the folder.
- In the Image Folder dialogue box that pops up, navigate to whatever directory you would like your disk image to be temporarily stored in (we will move the disk image later). Make sure to keep the library name that is default for the disk image you are saving: "iPhoto Library" (which will make "iPhoto Library.dmg")
- Set Image Format to read/write and Encryption AES-128.
- The next dialogue box will ask for a password. Enter a password here and make sure to de-select the option to store password in your keychain (otherwise anyone happening by your computer could access the disk image, and then what would be the point?)
- You can now close the Disk Copy utility.
- Navigate to a place where you would like to store your iPhoto libraries (I use my home directory and then "Pictures").
- Create a folder for this library with an appropriate name.
- Drag (move) the disk image you just created into the folder.
- Delete your original iPhoto Library folder (the one that you dragged into the Disk Copy window).
- Mount your new disk image by double clicking it and entering your password.
- Open iPhoto. Because you deleted the original library, it will tell you that your iPhoto Library was not found. Choose "Find Library" and navigate to the mounted disk image (found under your computer in the same place that your physical and network disks are mounted).
Read the rest of the hint for information on how to use this trick to keep multiple libraries...
Using the same method, you can keep multiple libraries. For example, to create a new library, open iPhoto without the mounted image and select "Create Library" when the Not Found error pops up. Then you can create another Library just like you would normally. Follow the steps above to create another disk image.
IMPORTANT NOTE:When working with multiple libraries, it is important that all the disk images be named the same. That way, iPhoto will automatically detect whatever library you have mounted without having to point to the library each time. That is why I recommend putting each disk image in its own appropriately named folder.
Each time you create a new library and go through the steps listed above to encrypt it, you will have to point iPhoto to the mounted disk again. The reason for this is that when you create a new library, iPhoto will use that directory as default. When you delete the default directory in the steps listed above, iPhoto won't find it, and you will have to point to the disk image again. Once you have created all necessary libraries, however, you shouldn't have to point to the disk image any more. iPhoto will simply use whatever library is mounted at the time. Remember to unmount a library before you mount another.
[robg adds: I haven't tested this, but it seems to make sense given what iPhoto does when it can't find a Library.]
