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Deleting Images
When I last wrote about projects, albums, and folders, a few people asked about deleting images. In this post, we'll try to clear up deleting. Throughout this post, keep two things in mind. Number one, pay close attention to what you have actively selected--when you hit delete (more often command-delete), what you have selected is what Aperture will remove. Secondly, remember that images live with projects.
Here's my library layout for this demo. I have a project called Test, and I've copied an image with a second version into it. I have an album within Test called Test Album, and I've put the image into the album. I made a global album called Global and put this image and a few others from other projects into Global.
If I want to delete the extra version of the image, from anywhere (Test, Test Album, or Global), I need to open the image's stack, select the version to delete, and choose File > Delete Version. If this version has an associated master file, for example if I edited it in Dodge & Burn, Aperture will prompt me and tell me that this version's master image will be moved to the trash (if you're using Managed and not Referenced images). Note that the other versions in the stack stay behind, and only the version I deleted goes away.
If I want to delete this image from an album, I need to close the stack, click the collapsed stack to make sure it's selected, and choose Images > Remove from Album. Removing the image from an album, be it global or within a project, will not delete the image.
If I delete Test Album by selecting it in the Inspector and choosing File > Delete Album, the image is still within the Test project.
To completely delete an image from Aperture, select it from anywhere, and either 1) collapse the stack, select the image, and choose File > Delete Version (the shortcut is command-delete) or 2) click on any version and choose File > Delete Master Image and All Versions (which doesn't have a shortcut). In both cases, Aperture will prompt you to confirm deleting the image, telling you that if your masters are managed, they will be moved to the trash. If the image is used in different albums, Aperture will also alert you and let you know it will disappear from those locations.
If I delete the Test project by selecting it in the inspector and choosing File > Delete Project, Aperture will prompt me similarly to how it did deleting one image. Then, the images will be removed from Aperture completely. The image is also removed from the Global album.
If you have a folder of projects, select the folder, and choose File > Delete Folder, the folder and all projects (and their images) within the folder will be deleted.
Sometimes you might want to create a "Best of" album so that you can always do an impromptu slideshow. What I would recommend is making a new "Best of" project instead of an album and copying your images to this project (hold down the option key while dragging the image's stack). That way, if you delete the projects the images came from, the images will still exist within the Best project so that you can give your slideshow.
Please post ask questions about anything that's still confusing! However, I will be out of the country and away from email for the next couple weeks; it will be a while before I can personally reply to your questions.
Any thoughts on how to handle the vault in this instance? In the same directory as I keep my vault, there is a 'deleted images' directory. Is there a best practice on how to handle this as well?
A complete other issue. How come you insist using the grey background for your site. It looks pretty but is horrible to read. I like your work given us your knowledge about the software. It would be even better if it was against white.
Best regards, Mikael from Stockholm, Sweden
@John:
I believe the "deleted images" are files that are no longer in your vault because you deleted them from your Aperture Library. Aperture just moves it from the vault to the "deleted images" directory.
When I see this I quickly check the images to make sure they are ones I don't want; then I just delete the folder.
If I don't want them in Aperture, I really don't want them.
Hope that helps
@John:
I believe the "deleted images" are files that are no longer in your vault because you deleted them from your Aperture Library. Aperture just moves it from the vault to the "deleted images" directory.
When I see this I quickly check the images to make sure they are ones I don't want; then I just delete the folder.
If I don't want them in Aperture, I really don't want them.
Hope that helps
What about advice in deleting a project that consists of referenced files? I have pre-aperture archives that are periodically imported into an aperture project. I keep the files referenced bc they live on an external hd. But when I'm done with the project and choose 'delete project', it wants to erase all the referenced images as well from the external drive.
Any insight into this would be much appreciated.
My problem is that Aperture doesn't seem to distinguish between stacks created from new versions of a single master, and stacks created by stacking separate images together.
Here's the scenario: I stack 8 separate images (a stop-action series) in an album. I create another album (in the same project) for images I want to print. I drag Image 7 from the first album into the To-Print Album--but all 8 in the stack come with it. And now here's an associated problem: I can't delete any one of those images, in either album, without deleting the whole stack along with their masters (unless I unstack them--which will wreck my organization in the first album).
Is there any way I can (1) end up with all 8 images stacked in the first album, but only Image 7 in the To-Print Album? (2) Delete only one image out of the stack in the To-Print Album--i.e. delete it from there but from no other album or stack?
In my opinion it would be a nifty optin if one could also activate a "really delete" option or even a "really delete if older that XXX days" whereas XXX should be changeable.
I generally delete about 1/3 of my imported images to save disc space. For several months I used Delete Master Image and All Versions thinking this removed them (thousands) from the hard drive and saved disc space. Recently, I noted and checked the box Move Referenced Files to Trash. Now when I empty the trash I know I am freeing up disc space because the available GB increases when I empty the trash. My questions: Are all those other file where Move References Filed to Trash was not checked, still in Aperture 2 and on the hard disc? If so, since they are now gone from my view how do I find them to move them to trash? Many thanks for your help.