Merge libraries

If you work with several computers, or work on projects with other people, you may find it necessary to transfer projects and albums from one Aperture system to another. Transferring folders, projects, and albums is a simple export and import process. The items you export are consolidated into a library file. When you import the library into the second Aperture system, you can add files, delete files, modify metadata, and make adjustments. When you’re ready to return the contents of the modified library to the original computer, Aperture merges the two libraries together.

Transfer folders, projects, and albums from one computer to another

  1. In the Library inspector, select the items you want to transfer, and choose File > Export > Items as New Library.

    Note: Items in the Export menu change depending on what is selected. If you have a single item, such as an album, selected in the Library inspector, choose File > Export > Album as New Library.

  2. Enter a name and choose a location for the exported library.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • If your project contains referenced images and you want the original files to be available to the new Aperture system: Select the “Consolidate originals into exported library” checkbox to copy the original image files into the new library file.

    • If you want to copy the previews into the new library so that you don’t have to rebuild them on the new Aperture system: Select the “Include Previews in exported library” checkbox.

    • If you want Aperture to alert you when it finishes building the new library: Select the “Show alert when finished” checkbox.

  4. Click Export Library.

    Aperture consolidates the selected items into a library, and the library file is exported to the location you chose.

  5. Connect or network the two computers together, and copy the exported library file to the second computer.

    For more information, see the documentation that came with the computers.

  6. Open Aperture on the second computer, and choose File > Switch to Library > [library filename].

You can now work with the exported library from the first computer on the second computer.

Merge the modified library from the second computer into the library of the first computer

When you’re ready to merge the modified library on the second computer into the library on the first computer, import it into the open library on the first computer.

  1. Follow the steps in the previous task to transfer the modified library on the second computer to the first computer.

  2. On the first computer, choose File > Import > Library/Project, locate the modified library file from the second computer, and click Import.

    A dialog appears, giving you the option to merge the imported library with the current library or add the contents of the imported library to the current library.

  3. Click Merge.

    A dialog appears, asking you to choose which library to use to resolve potential conflicts caused by the differences between the libraries.

  4. To import the changes in the modified library, choose the library from the second computer.

Aperture imports the modified library from the second computer, merging the changes made to the projects and albums on the second computer into the same projects and albums on the first computer. Any files that were deleted on the second computer, or for some other reason no longer exist in the library file of the second computer, are moved to the Aperture Trash in the library of the first computer.

Add the contents of the library from the second computer without overwriting the contents of the library on the first computer

If you don’t want to overwrite the original projects and albums you exported from the first computer with the projects and albums you modified on the second computer, you can add the modified projects and albums to the library on the first computer as unique items.

  1. Transfer the modified library from the second computer to the first computer.

  2. On the first computer, choose File > Import > Library/Project, locate the modified library file from the second computer, and click Import.

    A dialog appears, asking you to choose which library to use to resolve potential conflicts caused by the differences between the libraries.

  3. Click Add.

Aperture imports the contents of the modified library from the second computer into the library of the first computer. Instead of overwriting the files that changed, Aperture adds the changed files as additional items. If imported items have the same names as existing items in the Library inspector, the names of the imported items are appended with “(1).”