Confusion over file/folder formats

I'm trying to set something up so my boss can upload loads of pictures from his macbook to our company website.

I've installed an ftp client and have got that working fine, only problem is finding the stuff to upload.

He has all the photos in a iphoto album ready to go. However, as far as I can see the albums in iphoto aren't actual file folders as we think of them in windows. It all seems to be shortcuts.

If I open up one of these photos in photoshop it's called something else and is in a folder called 19 Nov 2005.

Bearing in mind that he has already renamed all these photos it seems a pain to have to save them as something into a folder on the desktop (that the ftp program can find).

So by treating an iphoto album as a windows folder has he gone about it the wrong way?

Someone suggested he should work on them in events not albums?

He's got tons of stuff like this, has he gone into it with his windows blinkers on?

Could do with some advice on how to sort out current problem, also what to do with the rest of the pictures to prevent this cropping up again.

Right click/command click on the iPhoto Library icon and select "Show Package Contents"

His images are in a folder entitled Data.noindex separated by year and then by date.

I'm not sure why Apple decided to switch to this format, but you can easily access them by doing as I said above. Hope I helped.

DarkestRitual said:

I'm not sure why Apple decided to switch to this format

Click to expand...

To keep people from doing exactly what you're suggesting and messing up the Library structure.

If you have photos in iPhoto, you can export them from within the program. If this is too much trouble, then don't use iPhoto to manage your photos.

Yea, to keep people who have no idea what they're doing from messing up the file structure, and trying to impose iphoto and the features that it offers (export to fb, flickr, or whatever) the only places that you can export to. Good but evil business practice to get their affiliates more hits.

Anyway, I answered the question.

Don't go messing about in the Library structure

Just select the photos, click FILE>EXPORT and choose the settings you need, then export them to another folder. Easy.

DarkestRitual said:

...trying to impose iphoto and the features that it offers (export to fb, flickr, or whatever) the only places that you can export to. Good but evil business practice to get their affiliates more hits.

Click to expand...

Any company can create an iPhoto plugin. There's one for Google/Picasa, and another for Kodak Gallery, and lots of other plugins. Apple just builds in the most popular ones. I'm sure Apple would prefer you to pay for MobileMe, but it's smart enough to realize that most people don't use MobileMe.

The point is, if you don't want to use iPhoto, you don't have to. If you do choose to use iPhoto, it's not smart to go hacking into its Library. Why use a program if you're going to fight against it constantly?

technologist said:

To keep people from doing exactly what you're suggesting and messing up the Library structure.

If you have photos in iPhoto, you can export them from within the program. If this is too much trouble, then don't use iPhoto to manage your photos.

Click to expand...

Hi, I have exported them fine. Problem is that my boss (with his windows head on) has renamed them all within iphoto but my understanding is that that just gives them a title, it doesn't change the filename - so it could be "Dave next to the waterfall" etc.

The issue is that I can now export to a folder fine (ready for FTP) but then all the pictures are named Picture 0408 etc. Has he got to go through the folder again and re-rename them?

twoquidtunes said:

Hi, I have exported them fine. Problem is that my boss (with his windows head on) has renamed them all within iphoto but my understanding is that that just gives them a title, it doesn't change the filename - so it could be "Dave next to the waterfall" etc.

The issue is that I can now export to a folder fine (ready for FTP) but then all the pictures are named Picture 0408 etc. Has he got to go through the folder again and re-rename them?

Click to expand...

Sorry, me being stupid, just spotted the "save as title" bit.

Thanks.

twoquidtunes said:

Hi, I have exported them fine. Problem is that my boss (with his windows head on) has renamed them all within iphoto but my understanding is that that just gives them a title, it doesn't change the filename - so it could be "Dave next to the waterfall" etc.

The issue is that I can now export to a folder fine (ready for FTP) but then all the pictures are named Picture 0408 etc. Has he got to go through the folder again and re-rename them?

Click to expand...

You should probably just export another folderfull with whatever names you want. When you're exporting, you can specify whether you'd like the exported files named with their iPhoto tiles, the original filenames, or all in sequence by number.

You can also assign a title to a group of photos in iPhoto by selecting them and choosing Photos > Batch Change.