On 25/11/2023 11:04, Bruce Horrocks wrote:
> On 24/11/2023 19:21, DManzaluni wrote:
>> I tried asking this on an apple discussion group and the responses
>> were a bit desultory. No one really knew.
>>
>> When I attempt to open an old iPhoto library in Photos, I am told to
>> open Photos (with a new library) and IMPORT all the photos from the
>> old library because the formats are incompatible; so I cant simply
>> open them
For some time, it was possible to open an iPhoto library into
Photos.app, and it would convert the whole library for you.
I would suspect that at some point, Photos would no longer be able to do
this.
Did you try to open the iPhoto Library with Photos? (use a copy, not the
original though).
>> But when I try to do so, Photos WILL let me import the pictures but
>> WON'T let me add them to my (now) new library?? Photos also doesn't
>> seem to be opening the pictures within the iPhoto events. It seems
>> to be looking at them as one event of 16,000 pictures and importing
>> them as such!
No, if you import the image files into Photos, or any other app, you
will probably need to start again with your folder/album organisation.
> The lack of a merge capability was one of the criticisms at the time and
> it sounds like nothing has been done since.
Merge? that's a different thing altogether. You seem to be mixed up with
different processes and terminologies.
You could always MIGRATE an existing iPhoto library into Photos, and it
would convert the whole library into Photo format, and that would retain
your albums structure, and edits, keywords and titles etc.
You could also IMPORT images, but that would start afresh with a new
library, and you would have to re-organise all your folders and albums
again, and also reapply all your edits and metadata.
However, Photos did/does include an option to retain a folder structure.
It wasn't very reliable though. Might work depending on the size of your
library.
Merging is where you would join two libraries (of the same forma - i.e.
both Photos or both iPhoto) together, to make a single larger library.
This can be achieved using third party software, such as Power Photos by
Fat Cat software.
>> It isnt seriously asking me to import/split up the library manually
>> event by event, is it? There are hundreds of events!
It was made easier by some scripts written by Old Toad and Leonie on the
Apple forums, but I think the Old Toad web page has disappeared nbow.
This is an old discussion about it:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8931
> Not done it myself but this forum answer from "kieran485" suggests it is
> (or at least was!) possible.
> <
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6983256>
>
>> Or am I supposed to install Mojave into a VM, open the old iPhoto
>> library and have it saved/updated automatically in some new format
>> which Photos will be able to open in Ventura?? Or update the VM to
>> Ventura to get the library to update the library format?
>
> I don't believe iPhoto was ever upgraded to include a "Save in Photos
> format" type option, if that is what you are wanting.
No it didn't, Photos was able to migrate the old library over though. Of
course this may now be too late, it has been some years since iPhoto was
ceased, and Photos replaced it. That may no longer work of course.
This discussion may be more useful:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254429537
Or, just try holding down the Option key when launching Photos, and
select the iPhoto library to open. Apparently that should migrate it.
--
Andy H