using iPhoto to organize your digigoods. help!

[its_me]

Questions for you iPhoto users.

I have imported and begun organizing and tagging all of my digiscrap goods in a separate library from my pix. Now I have a bunch more stuff I have just downloaded to the folder on my external hd where I store all my 'goods'. What do I need to do to import only the new stuff to my iPhoto library? And does iPhoto have the 'watch folder' option like the PSE Organizer does?

Also, another question along the same lines. AFTER I imported my 'goods' to iPhoto, I went back to my external hd to the folder where I keep the goods and decided to organize that up a bit better. What does that do within iPhoto then? Is the link lost and I need to reset it as I would have to in PSE Organizer or does it just 'know'?

Any help in this area would be appreciated! Thx!

[ljameso1]

I'm not aware of a watched folder option. I believe you'll have to use the import feature of iphoto: file>import navigate to the folder and just select the new stuff or select all and when the pop up asks do you want to replace duplicates say no and apply to all duplicates. iphoto actually stores the images(makes a copy) so moving around the original file won't screw up iPhoto.

[CarolLHB]

Hi Michele-,
If I am understanding you correctly, you don't have to do anything to the stuff. As I download digigoods (love that word btw) I drag them right onto the iPhoto icon in the dock and they are imported into the library. I have specific albums set up for scrapping-finished pages, in progress, and supplies. From the library I just drag the stuff where I want it. I also batch change them by comment- as I get the stuff, I add the designers name and the place where I purchased it. That makes it easy to credit the artist-I would NEVER remember where it all came from. don't know about the 'watch folder'-i've never used elements' organizer-only iPhoto. I am not sure how to answer q2, but Wendy will when she happens by, I am sure-or Tom.:)

[its_me]

I really have to make things complicated, don't i? lol!

Linda, I think I understand what you're saying. I'm going to try it with a smaller sub folder and see what happens when there are duplicates.

Here's another question along those same lines tho. Is it the REAL image in iPhoto (or a duplicate of the image)? Meaning, is it taking up lots of space on my hard drive? I don't want that!!!!! :eek: If so, I need to come up with another option. I want all that on my external drive.

Carol, OK. It's sounds like I'm kinda' doing what you are but just in a diff format I guess. My EXACT problem is the part of identifying the goods. I guess that's everyone's task tho too. I get caught up in downloading and going and going that I have to back track to identify where it came from. Now I'm in the habit of take a pic of the page I got the goods from and save it on my desktop until I file the digigoods away properly. Ugh! Makes me want to stop downloading....NOT! LOL!

thx ladies. I hope I won't have to buy and learn another system. I'm going slow right now in order to learn the quirks of what I'm doing in case I need to change my ways....that space on hd thing would be an issue. Hope to get that question answered. ggrrr.......

[ljameso1]

I keep my iPhoto library on my external drive because it was taking up too much memory on the desktop drive. The directions are in iPhoto help-just search for moving the library. The library does contain a full copy of the pic-not just a thumbnail, so unless you delete it from the file you imported from will have 2 copies in the memory. A word to the wise: periodically burn pics to a cd/dvd so if the HD dies can reimport from the cd. Would need to retag but it was a whole lot better than losing everything like poor Kimiboo. iPhoto can be set to show whatever number of months of recent imports you want to make it easy to select for burning.

[its_me]

GAWD! No wonder my spankin' new pute is starting to move slow already! :eek: I had no idea it was actually importing the file. YIKES! OK. I need to slow down on the filing until I get that new wireless tera hd......:D (not asking for much, am i??? lol!).

Carol, I tried downloading things the way you described above and WOW! That's nice. Seems to be a very smooth process. As I had no idea I was making a copy of goods on this pute as I added it to iPhoto, I was making sure all was sorted on my exthd too. Again, once I get that exthd then I won't need to do all that extra sorting and all. I just need to make sure that I've imported everything. Once that is done, I'm golden with the process you use! Thank you for the info!

[CarolLHB]

Michele-I am assuming that you are using Leopard, yes? If so are you using Time Machine for backing up?

[its_me]

Michele-I am assuming that you are using Leopard, yes? If so are you using Time Machine for backing up?

uh....uh.....dunno.....lol! how do i find out? i just got the machine so i'm real new to this.



Update to organizing - I LOVE TO JUST MOVE DIGIGOODS DIRECT FROM THE DL FILE TO THE IPHOTO BUTTON AND BATCH TAG RIGHT THERE. SO EASY!!! THEN I DUMP THAT IN MY FILE FOLDERS FOR TOU OR INSTRUCTIONS, ETC WHICH IPHOTO CAN'T HANDLE. LOVE THIS METHOD!

I am completely caught up and organized on my digigoods organization! IT FEELS AWESOME AND PUTS MY MIND AT EASE! whahoo!!!! Thx for the tip!

Moving the libraries now to an exthd is my next priority before going any further with importing.

[ljameso1]

The new ones come with Leopard. But, if you ever need to know what you're running, just click on the apple in the upper left of the screen and select about this mac. It will tell you what version it is. Of course that'll be in numbers- 10.5 is Leopard.

[CarolLHB]

Right-Time Machine automatically backs up your system folders hourly, daily weekly and monthly so that you can literally go back in time to get stuff that might be lost. Wicked cool-

Check this out:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306681

I am happy you're happy!:D

[its_me]

I haven't done the time machine yet. Guess I should.

We just went to look at wireless hd and struck out. dh is going a bit later to try another store. learning all this stuff is fun but bums me out that i just spent the 200+ on that other exthd for my pc. i know i could use it on this one.....but it's not wireless....and now i'm spoiled. lol!

[CarolLHB]

Michele-why can't you use it on the Mac?

[mrstucci]

Hi- I am using Leopard on my MBP (2 months old) and before I got this computer, I was using iPhoto to store all my digigoods (love that word too!) but it didn't work for me. And I couldn't put abrs' on there either. I was running into all sorts of problems with iPhoto- right now I can't remember exactly what but it didn't work for me. I am using iPhoto '08. What I have right now are a folder for alphas, a folder for ribbons, etc. And when I am creating a page in PSE4, I open up the Finder to my Digital Stuff folder (on my hard drive) and from there browse through the different sub folders. I like that I can use the Coverflow view. I tried using Bridge in PSE4 but that kept crashing (even with my new computer) so I gave up on that. Anyway, once I find a paper or whatever that I like, I just go up to the menu and go to Open With----> and I choose Photoshop Elements. Not perfect but it's ok. I have a second monitor where I put the folder with my digi stuff so then I can have my page open on my MBP. Great setup! I am in love with my Mac...... Judy

[mrstucci]

Oh, I meant to chime in about Time Machine. It is a god-send. I have used it only a couple of times for something minor but it was way cool! I have an external 320G hard drive for that. Plus once a week I do a full backup (with Apple's Backup) to a different hard drive. I am thinking of using a service like Mozy for backing up off site too. And I did burn some digi stuff that I just didn't really like to a CD. It's there if I need it but not taking up precious hard drive space. And with a laptop, hard drive space is precious! Judy

[its_me]

Michele-why can't you use it on the Mac?

Yes and we will be for a bit since it won't be easy to get the wireless here. Apparently we are going to have to get it in just like we did this pute. BUT, the goal is for me to use this laptop mac and rid myself of my pc. I am slowly migrating everything I need to this mac, including the organization of the pix via iPhoto. I would very much like to keep this one mobile as much as possible. I use it in the kitchen ALL the time (:D). If I start hard-wiring it with stuff, then I defeat its intended purpose.....well, this is how I sold that to dh anyway! lol!

Right now I'm accessing the exthd via the wireless network I have set up on my pc upstairs when I'm working in PSE. It's an awesome set-up now cuz I have my mac sitting on the desk to the left of me showing all my digigoods (glad y'all like that word! tee hee), while I'm running PSE on my pc. I'm actually able to get further in my projects now that I'm not running multiple programs on my pc.

BUT again, as soon as PSE for mac is here, I plan to dump my pc!!!! yeah!!!

As it is, the only reason it's even ON right now is for access to the exthd. It's wasting space and energy......

so a babblish answer to tell you that i'm likin' the mobility of this thing. unplug the power cord and i'm off to kyoto with it still able to work on my 'homework' to beat my deadlines just in the nick of time. lol!

[its_me]

Right-Time Machine automatically backs up your system folders hourly, daily weekly and monthly so that you can literally go back in time to get stuff that might be lost. Wicked cool-

Check this out:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306681

I am happy you're happy!:D

Thank you for the info! I am looking at setting it up now to my exthd connected to my pc. I have a question for you.....

ow that Time Machine is setup, you can forget about it until you need to restore files, folders, or even your entire system! Time Machine will continue making automatic backups for every hour of the last 24 hours, every day of the last month, and every week past that until your backup disk is full. What does that mean? I have a hard time believing what I'm thinking it means......it will create back-ups according to the schedule and use up all my 500GB space (or what's left of it)???? :confused: or maybe that does make sense.....???? :confused:

[its_me]

Oh, I meant to chime in about Time Machine. It is a god-send. I have used it only a couple of times for something minor but it was way cool! I have an external 320G hard drive for that. Plus once a week I do a full backup (with Apple's Backup) to a different hard drive. I am thinking of using a service like Mozy for backing up off site too. And I did burn some digi stuff that I just didn't really like to a CD. It's there if I need it but not taking up precious hard drive space. And with a laptop, hard drive space is precious! Judy

AGREED!

And thx for the input on organizing! I think I have going on with iPhoto what I think you're doing now. Like you, it's not perfect, but it's working quite nicely. I still have to have place to put all the abr files and txt docs which I sometimes like to keep but if pngs are included in the dl, then I label them as brushes so I can easily go back and find them when I want them on the exthd where my digigoods are organized in folders via designer. It seems to be working quite well so far. Will know more once PSE for mac is here! yeah!!!!

[mrstucci]

Time Machine will continue to back up and when the hard drive gets full, it will start deleting the oldest backups (if you check the box to be notified in System Preferences, you will get a message). The rule of thumb is that you have a hard drive (external only) that is totally dedicated to Time Machine backups and that the size of the external hard drive is double the size of your hard drive in your laptop or desktop. Time Machine will not run when you are running on the battery. My external hard drive (capacity: 698.51G) is not very full and that is since the middle of January that I have been using Time Machine (it says 545.19G available). So that is what I know about Time Machine. So far. Judy

[CarolLHB]

Judy-thanks for dropping in here-as a laptop user you're a big help. I'm on an iMac so the hard wire thing is a done deal. I can understand why you want to work totally wirelessly Michele-now I get why you don't want to use the EXHD.

I do have a 500Gb EXHD dedicated to Time Machine-and a few smaller ones for other stuff...I love not having to think about backing up too much.

Judy-being the idiot that i am, it just never occurred to me to make folders for papers, elements, etc-what a great idea-I just have one gigantor folder-off to work:D

Michele- a couple of more weeks-can't wait!!!!!!:D:cool:

[mrstucci]

Please post your reviews of the new PSE if and when you get it. I will be most interested to hear how you like it and what you don't like.
I love Time Machine for that too but like I said I do have another ext hard drive for backing up but I only plug it in on Sunday morning because there are only 2 USB plugs on my MBP and I use them for my Ecostrip and my USB hub. The Ecostrip is a surge protector that I have all my little black power supplies and my battery charger for my laptop plugged into- when I shut down my computer, everything shuts down. I should say that I think my battery charger does not completely shut down since the little green light on it still on when I shut down. Haven't figured out how to get that to turn off too. Trying to cut down on our electric bill. Now if I could only get my son to shut down his laptop at night via the Ecostrip I gave him..... a losing battle I am afraid.... Sorry about the rambling. Enough said. Have a great Sunday! Judy