[ph0ust]

hi all. i am going to start testing aperture 2 and lightroom 2. i've used lightroom 1.x a lot and a bit of aperture, so perhaps this is a questions that is late in the game. i am wondering if either or both of these programs duplicate the files they work on. here is my workflow:

1) import pictures from camera to /pictures/holding area/
2) open workflow tool and quickly review and delete bad pics
3) batch rename
4) save to permanent dir in my pictures folder (normally one named for whatever the shoot was)
5) edit

my aperture library is big, so i am assuming it is importing all pictures into that db and keeping them there as part of its dam. does that mean it is safe to assume that my original files are simply originals that aren't touched and that aperture only works on the imported versions in its db?

i don't see anything like that for lightroom. it seems they use sidecar files instead, so i assume it does not do any duplication, right?

thanks for the clarification.

[TETENAL]

Both applications allow you to choose whether you want to copy the photos into their own library or just reference them from their current location.

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/li...ort/popup.html
http://www.apple.com/aperture/tutori...t-importbasics

Either way – and again on both programs – the original is never touched regardless of whether it is referenced or whether it sits in the program's own library.

[ph0ust]

right on! thanks for clarifying that for me.

on that note, can aperture read lightroom edits from the side car files? or is an edit in one app invisible to the other app?