[thayalan6868]

I'm having a hard time understanding the folder structure in the Mac OS. Maybe this is strictly related to the application, but I'll give it a shot. I'm downloading images from sites onto my computer. I am using iPhoto to maintain and organize them as that seems to be the application installed on my MBP to handle pictures.

The problem is that everytime I 'import' a picture into iPhoto, it creates a folder for EACH picture. That's just ridiculous. At this rate, if I wanted to go through my hard drive and look for a particular photo I'd have to open hundreds of folders or 'rolls' -- as this program is calling it. In addition, this program is storing my picures in the Original folder and a Data folder. They are identical. Why is this information being stored twice on my hard drive?

Is there an option I need to select or preferences I need to tailor that would alleviate this situation. I like to keep things fairly organized....

[philm]

You need to adopt something of a different mind-set when using iPhoto. Just like you use the Finder to sort your normal files, you should just leave to iPhoto to sort out your images. Don't go rooting around your hard drive to find that picture of Aunt Bessie, just find it via iPhoto - look in the Library or the folder of 'Family photos' or whatever. You can easily move pics into and out of the iPhoto interface to e-mail or whatever, so why would you need to do it any other way.

Anyway, that's the idea with iPhoto. I think you either go with this mind-set or use another program. There is no middle ground!

[thayalan6868]

Originally Posted by philm

You need to adopt something of a different mind-set when using iPhoto. Just like you use the Finder to sort your normal files, you should just leave to iPhoto to sort out your images. Don't go rooting around your hard drive to find that picture of Aunt Bessie, just find it via iPhoto - look in the Library or the folder of 'Family photos' or whatever. You can easily move pics into and out of the iPhoto interface to e-mail or whatever, so why would you need to do it any other way.

Anyway, that's the idea with iPhoto. I think you either go with this mind-set or use another program. There is no middle ground!

I hear you. If that's the case, that's fine. Coming from a Windows XP user, its just a little different. I was able to go into My Pictures folder and organize them there. I suppose on the Mac, you don't do that through the hard drive. You use the applications and programs to organize and maintain your pictures. I guess what I was ultimately trying to do was create folders, not albums and that confused me in iPhoto.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by VanillaEps

Coming from a Windows XP user, its just a little different. I was able to go into My Pictures folder and organize them there. I suppose on the Mac, you don't do that through the hard drive.

You can organize your images in the Picture folders yourself on the Mac too of course. And that is what I do for pictures I got from the web, e-mail or scanned. iPhoto is intended for pictures that you yourself took with your digital camera and it works well there. But it's not so well suited for pictures you get from other sources.

I assume you know already that in Finder you can go to the menu View->Options and turn on "Show icon preview" as well as increase the icon size which makes finding images in Finder easier.

[thayalan6868]

Originally Posted by TETENAL

You can organize your images in the Picture folders yourself on the Mac too of course. And that is what I do for pictures I got from the web, e-mail or scanned. iPhoto is intended for pictures that you yourself took with your digital camera and it works well there. But it's not so well suited for pictures you get from other sources.

I assume you know already that in Finder you can go to the menu View->Options and turn on "Show icon preview" as well as increase the icon size which makes finding images in Finder easier.

No, I didn't know that! I'm going to have to do that. I'll create a Pictures folder and use that. I also read that there's an option in iPhoto 6 to 'maintain file structure.' Where is that option in iPhoto? I'd like to continue to use iPhoto because its a really neat program. Even better if I can maintain my file structure.

[iREZ]

why create a pictures folder? you already have one in your user folder...just organize em within the folder already provided.

[thayalan6868]

Originally Posted by iREZ

why create a pictures folder? you already have one in your user folder...just organize em within the folder already provided.

I meant I would create subfolders under the Pictures folder to organize my pictures. Then I would find the option under iPhoto to maintain current folder structure and that should fix my 'problem.' Its not a problem per se, but it bothers me.

[lavar78]

You can move pictures into different rolls directly in iPhoto. That would move them on the drive as well.

iPhoto keeps a copy of your original file so you can undo any changes made to it.