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Fix external references to iPhoto images after data move
Authored by: Frederico on Jul 27, '09 03:58:17PM

As I use iPhoto only casually, I need to ask what might seem an ignorant question:

How does one even decide whether or not to maintain an external library, and, as a follow-up, how does one tell (besides testing the hint by moving ones data) if one already is using external links and not knowing it.

The reason I ask is one out of near-panic; I recently threw tons of old folders of images into iPhoto, and then deleted the original (and only) folders. I see these images in iPhoto; my library grew substantially in size after doing this, but I'm now worried I've somehow done away with my original source quality over hundreds and hundreds of high quality TIFF images taken over several years.

I would explore for the answer myself, but I am not ear the machine in question.

TIA

F



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Fix external references to iPhoto images after data move
Authored by: Frederico on Jul 27, '09 04:28:06PM

Whew. I believe I (in part) answered my own question: I found the iPhoto Preferences -Advanced -> 'Copy items to the iPhoto Library' [when Importing or Drag'n'drop]

Now, the odds of my accidentally having switched that (apparently default) toggle to 'off' over the last several versions is small, so I suspect that, as my library grew in size near-equal to that of the folders I added to it, I have original-quality/kind copies within iPhoto, and I need not worry that I lost something along the way.

A confirmation of the above would be appreciated.

Also, now that I see that, in principle, adding library references to, without copying files into the main library itself is akin to iTunes ability to simply reference files not kept in the iTunes Music Folder; and it is just a question of user preference as to why one might want to keep ones own folder hierarchy or organization strategy intact; or why one may need/desire to distribute storage load over multiple volumes/disks, and yet maintain a single library application to manage, edit and publish said items.

That said, any commentary as to why *you* like to store items outside of iPhoto, rather than within, are most welcome. Now that I discover that the option was there to begin with, I likely would have chosen it and left my original flat-file sorting intact, just in case I ever decide iPhoto is not for me.

Cheers

Frederico



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