iTunes sync with iPhoto showing multiple events

This started after I updated iPhoto to the latest version. Every time I try to sync my iPad 2 and go to the photos tab i have this issue (check image)

I only have 16 events but iTunes is showing at least 30+ because they are showing up twice and the event in iTunes don't even show the same number of pictures in each. I've tried deleting the file under

finder-pictures-iphoto-right click-show package contents-ipod photo cache and nothing works...

I found this on apple's site but no solution.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/15092468

No one has seen this before?

Hmm that is a little strange, have you got more than one library in iPhoto? Or an old one that has not been deleted properly?
Hold down the "alt" key when opening iPhoto to see if there is more than one library registering.

Cheers
- Simon

Simon,

I only have one library and when opening the app help the alt key down and only one library was registered. I'm stumped on this...looks like others have the same issue after updating.

Based on the thread in the apple forums, looks like it's showing a folder based not only on name, but on each date something was imported into a particular folder.

I may experiment if I get time this weekend to see if I can duplicate it and fix it or if apple is going to have to fix it.

thanks Bob...I hope you can figure it out bc Apple will take their time.

Turns out it's pretty easy to duplicate.




Note: I still have iPhoto '08, so whatever version you have may be slightly different than mine. (I use Aperture instead of iPhoto.) This also goes to show it is more than likely the same across multiple versions of iPhoto.

The problem has nothing to do with iOS or iTunes. It is the way you're importing pics into iPhoto. You need to understand how iPhoto handles events. It categorizes them based not only by name, but by the date the pics were shot. So, you can have multiple "Events" with the same name, but iPhoto recognizes them as separate events when they are imported at separate times.

Just open up iPhoto and click on the top Events button in the sidebar and you'll see you have multiple events with the same name - like so:






The issue, when you import new pics using the "Event Name" at the bottom...



This does not import pics into an existing event with the same name. It creates a new event with that name.





There are a couple of ways to solve the immediate issue. In iPhoto, with Events highlighted in the sidebar, select all the events with the same name, then right click on one of them and select "Merge Events".



You can also drag and drop one event onto another to merge them.

That should take care of the immediate issue. I'm not really sure how or if there is a way to import pics into an existing event. If there is, I didn't figure it out in the few minutes I played with it. However, I do not use events. I use Projects and Albums and I import pics into Albums and move Albums into Projects. With Albums, you can create a new Album prior to importing and then drag and drop all the pics you want into it to import them.

To continue using Events, can only suggest after importing some pics that you want in an existing event - click the Events link in the sidebar and make sure you merge the new one into the existing.

Bob,

That's the thing, when I click events they only show up once not like in your example. iTunes is still showing multiple events for same thing. It's weird.

Am assuming you're running iLife '11?

Quit iPhoto.

Next couple of things I'd try would be Repair Permissions - don't think this one will do it, but I've seen it fix some pretty strange things.

After that, I'd try dumping the iPhoto plist files. They'll be in your home folder / Library / Preferences... You'll have 2 or 3 of them... com.apple.iPhoto... Quit iPhoto, move those files to the desktop. Open it back up and just browse a little. Then give it a shot.

Ok. I give that a shot...you're right the permissions thing was a no-go

bobtomay said:

Am assuming you're running iLife '11?

Quit iPhoto.

Next couple of things I'd try would be Repair Permissions - don't think this one will do it, but I've seen it fix some pretty strange things.

After that, I'd try dumping the iPhoto plist files. They'll be in your home folder / Library / Preferences... You'll have 2 or 3 of them... com.apple.iPhoto... Quit iPhoto, move those files to the desktop. Open it back up and just browse a little. Then give it a shot.

Click to expand...

UPDATE 2: Well it works until you re-sync or re-start the Macbook...looks like Apple is going to have to fix this one.

UPDATE: Re-tried your steps and rebooted the computer and now there are only the events in iTunes under "photos tab"...I'm going to sync and see what happens.


Yes... iLife 11...I pulled the 2 plist files to the desktop and re-opened iPhoto...iPhoto tried to start a new library so I closed iPhoto and opened using the alt+left click on iPhoto to boot from my default library with all the pictures...I closed iPhoto and opened iTunes with the iPad 2 connected and the problem still exists...do you happen to have any other ideas Bob?

thanks

From the way you're describing it, def sounds like a bug introduced. It could be in iPhoto or it could be in the way iTunes reads the iPhoto plist file.

Without iPhoto '11 here, puts me at a standstill. You could do some experimenting - find out which of the plist files is causing it by removing only 1 at a time. Does it show properly in iTunes through 2 syncs if you do not open iPhoto in between (which should be what recreates the pref file). Does the sync show properly only when there is no pref file, or will it work one time with a new pref file and not the second time... Opening and not opening iPhoto in between... Creating copies of the pref file from when it works to when it doesn't and comparing the 2 of them.

e.g. A bunch of work. Sorta depends on how geeky you want to be and how much it bothers you or just live with it until apple fixes it. I'd def report the bug to them.

Have you got any iPhoto plugins? Another thing to look at.

thanks man, I have no plug-ins...how do I report it to Apple officially? They had to do a clean install last night of the OS but the computer when crazy.

Well my Air went nuts last night and Apple had to do a clean OS install...good thing is when I re-installed iLife 11...iPhoto was on 9.1 so I'm not updating to 9.1.2

multiply events on ipod touch

Hey Gary86
I am suddenly having problems also. I use a iMac and now the photos on my ipod have multiple events for what used to be under one event. for example in iphoto i have an event named cars another named guitars etc. all the events on the mac are fine and still grouped under the same event names but now on the ipod I have like 5 events all named cars, some have 1 picture in them some more. the same goes for all the other events I have too.
wondering if you found out any more info on this problem

thanks

Any news is good news...

Ok, so i ran across this problem myself. Back tracking i know how i got here. Maybe trace your steps and let me know. But i had a problem trying to sync the folder couldn't be found. So i thought the photo cache was corrupt. So i deleted trying to start a new and and that's when i got this problem. In iPhoto the events are fine as they should be. Me i have 60 events, but in iTunes i have now like a 130. Imported to the ipad, and i have 130. Which if i look at the events they look like events that I physically merged with a separate event. So say New Years 2011. I had 4 events and merged them all to one. Now it looks like in iTunes i have 4 New Years 2011 events. Strange. Now after the longest phone call in my life i talked and transferred to every department within apple besides sales and marketing. And they are now aware of the problem and i will have some results hopefully soon. So keep this in mind, i do not believe there is a quick fix for this. And given the results there might not be one until either the new itunes comes out or iPhoto. Once i get a response I will pass it along. If you have and remedies please let me know and i will relay it up the change. Also if you can remember what you did to get that result let me know.

Yeah, I too was on that phone call and went to every department at Apple so I do hope the realize there is a problem they need to take care of. Anyway, the only thing I can tell you to try is the following steps that did fix everything on my ipod touch. I copied a picture to my desk top, than added it to an event on my mac, synced it to my ipod and checked to find I still had multiple events now because it was a test picture and I didn't want it, I then deleted it from the event on my mac, synced again and now all the events are fixed on my ipod. Now there is a good chance that this fix just happened randomly because something similar happened before only I wasn't trying to fix it as much as just adding pictures and stuff. So I guess I would say just try adding and deleting a picture a couple of times to see if that works. I have not synced my ipod since it has been corrected but I sort of have this feeling that if I do everything will be messes up again

So I experienced the same issue, and as I recall it, it happened soon after (in iPhoto) switched the view to 'Sort Photos, by Date'. I somehow have fixed it, and this is how I believe I did, so i hope this helps. All or some steps may actually be needed...

View\Sort Photos\Reset Manual Sort
'Sync'
In iTunes, Devices\iPhone\Photos - Sync Photos\Selected Albums..'no events'
'sync'
View\Sort Photos\By Date
'sync'
In iTunes, Devices\iPhone\Photos - Sync Photos\Selected Albums..'all events' or
In iTunes, Devices\iPhone\Photos - Sync Photos\All Album....
'sync'

Voila....My 'Events' on my iphone are now sorted correctly and all is well.

Sorry if this doesn't fix your problem, but it did mine.

^^^^You do not need to do all that ^^^^

The bug under discussion was related to iTunes showing multiple events instead of the single events found in iPhoto when attempting to sync your iDevice.

It was fixed with the 9.1.3 iPhoto update - released May 11.