Creating a Standard Project to Use on Every Shoot

As we all know, Aperture creates an empty library every time we start a new one. There’s no such thing as a “Project Preset”. This is a problem for many of use that like to create elaborate Projects that contain Smart Folders, Albums, Slideshows, Books and other useful things.

This is especially useful for people like me that routinely have audio attachments, video files, and stills on any given shoot. I also like to have five Smart Folders for every star rating.

Here’s a look at my “Standard Project” I import into every new Aperture library.

So, how do I duplicate a project that doesn’t yet exist? I have a “Standard Project” saved to a folder on my desktop called “Aperture Resources” that contains all the good stuff I like. Every time I start a new Aperture library I simply drag that “Standard Project” into my Aperture Library and rename it. Then, throughout the life of that library, I simply Control Click —> Duplicate Project. 

This is the best way I know to have consistent Projects through out my libraries, but I’m not afraid to change and customize them as the need arises.

Comments

[Alf Nielsen]

I gotta try this as I find it very tedious to create especially the smart folders every time :)

[peter shi]

hello,
for this part: have a “Standard Project” saved to a folder on my desktop called “Aperture Resources” ...

do you mean export project as library?

thanks.

[Glen Lam]

Thanks for this tip! And I am going to use those Smart Folders you set up too!

[Thomas Boyd]

Peter: Yes, I should have been more clear on that. The idea is to build your best "Standard Project" and then export it (empty) as a Library. Then you import it as a Project.

Glen: To the get the stars just copy past them from the default five star fixed Smart Folder in the Library Albums.

[Brian Byllesby]

Another way to create a template project structure is to select an existing project in your library and choose Duplicate Project Structure from the File menu. This copies just the structure and doesn't duplicate any images in the new project.

[Thomas Boyd]

That is correct, but when you start a new library, there is no project to duplicate.

[JOSEPH LOEFFLER]

Thomas - This is a GREAT idea for standardization of the library structure and management. As always I find you and Joseph the guys I keep going back to as my mentors as I swim in the "Photog Milieu". I always look forward to your posts. But, I am stumped on this whole Aperture Library issue. Presently, I have a Library per year about 10 to 18K photos and 120 events per library. But I sense you guys have 100"s of libraries - (i.e. per event, client, location shoot, etc) with smaller number of events and pics per library. Correct assumption ? ? ? ?

[Joseph Linaschke]

Joseph,

It really depends on the project. I won't speak for Thomas but for me it's all about what I'm doing and where. Ultimately, everything goes into one massive Library, however when I travel, or have a location shoot where I need to ingest immediately, I will create new libraries for the trip then merge those with my main library back home.

I really only have one "final" library. OK two, but one is for a particularly large 40k image shoot that I just chose to leave out of the rest of the mix.

-Joseph

[David Gibson]

This is a very useful tip. Whether you use the new catalog approach or the duplicate project structure command it works extremely well. I also added a couple of other smart folders.
One of 1* and less as these are the photos I eventually delete when I am finished with the project (the photos will be archived via timemachine - until it fills up - if I really want to go back and use them later)
Also Slideshow which only shows 3* that are not raw. I tend to shoot in raw (apart from sport shots) and post process via aperture then photoshop and either end up with as a PSD or a jpeg. Might not work for everyone, but it works for me.
Great post , thanks once again.

[Kenneth Lim]

I love this tip, especially helpful with the Emojicons Aperture 3.3 tip.

I've modified it a little bit - I keep a APERTURE RESOURCES library file on the desktop, and then whenever I import to start a new library, I copy and paste that library file (it defaults to filename APERTURE RESOURCES 2) and then I import into that. This avoids the problem of having to "re-point" the smart albums to your current project, as it defaults to pointing to the standard project.