Blog, posts for Category 'photo'

So, Apple really DOES listen to its pro users, and has just released Aperture 2.1, a mere 6 weeks after 2.0 and two weeks after 2.0.1.
Let's see what the 48MB update does for you:
[UPDATE: I noticed something: on my MacBook Pro, Aperture 2.1 now launches in like a couple dock bounces, it's almost instantaneous!]
[UPDATE 2: in depth analysis of the image-editing plug-in architecture by Rob Galbraith. I'm a bit disappointed plug-ins actually work like regular external applications, meaning that they are a destructive process rather than a non-destructive one, like Aperture adjustments]

Aperture 2.1 updates various features of the application and addresses issues related to performance and overall stability. The updates include the following:
Dodge & Burn plug-in
A sample plug-in is preinstalled, taking advantage of the Edit API introduced in Aperture 2.0. The plug-in adds brush-based tools for Dodge (Lighten), Burn (Darken), Contrast, Saturation, Sharpen, and Blur.

If you remember, I attracted your attention a few weeks ago on the fact that Aperture 2 supported image processing plugins, but that none shipped with the software and that there were no available details on the APIs. Well, now we have a sample plugin and Apple is working its virtual ass off to bring the news to third parties.

Customizing the default adjustment set
You can now specify which adjustments appear by default in the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD. 
Updated Crop tool
A simplified user interface makes it easier to preserve an image’s original aspect ratio, match the aspect ratio of your display, or use one of the standard preset aspect ratios.
Sorting in All Projects view
A shortcut menu allows you to sort projects in All Projects view in ascending or descending date order. 
Show on Map
A shortcut menu allows you to choose the Show on Map command by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) an image that contains GPS data.
Access to the toolbar on a second display
When using multiple displays in Full Screen view, the Full Screen view toolbar is now accessible on a second display.

Ahhhhhhh! That was one of my major gripes about the new GUI: when you had two displays and used the primary one to show thumbnails and the secondary one to show fullscreen images, the toolbar was gone, which means you couldn't access some of the tools via their icons, you had to invoke the Adjustment inspector and add, say, a "Crop" adjustment. Well, now the toolbar is back on the secondary display. Cool!

Snapshots book theme
This additional theme includes new “photo border” frames in which to place images.
Flipping images
You can now flip images horizontally or vertically within Aperture.

I actually never thought of that, but it seems like a serious oversight not to include this in Aperture in the first place.

Vignette
The range of gamma and exposure settings available has been expanded.

Saving books as JPEG or TIFF images
Automator actions have been added to the Save as PDF pop-up menu in the Print Book window to automatically generate JPEG or TIFF images from book pages.

Update EXIF From Master
This command allows Aperture to reread EXIF information from master images after they have been imported.

Extended AppleScript support
The “Reveal” verb in the AppleScript dictionary has been extended to include containers such as projects and albums.

The update includes fixes that impact a number of areas, including:
? Image import
? Image migration
? Erasing memory cards after import
? Quick Preview
? Batch Change
? Auto-stacking
? All Projects view
? Tooltips
? Smart Albums
? Tethering
? Adjustments inspector
? Viewer
? Loupe
? White Balance
? Definition
? Lift & Stamp 
? Handling of externally edited images
? Reconnecting referenced files
? Keyboard customization
? Deleting images
? Metadata presets
? Book themes
? Borderless printing
? Webpage/web journal export
? Exporting versions
? Export plug-in support
? AppleScript support

For further information about this update, see Late-Breaking News About Aperture 2, available at http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Aperture_2.0_lbn_z.pdf.Aperture 2.1 is recommended for all Aperture 2 users.

According to this tech note from Apple's KB,

Time Machine may back up the entire Aperture Library on each run:
This can happen if the Aperture library is included in Time Machine backups and a backup occurs while Aperture is running. In this situtation, Time Machine excludes the Aperture library from a backup while the application is running, but backs up the entire library once Aperture quits, rather than just the changes since the previous backup.

Avoid performing backups or restores while Aperture is running.

Wow, thanks Apple, that's waaaaay better than before when it was advised to

set Time Machine to exclude the Aperture Library from automatic backups

C'mon on Apple, you control the hardware, the OS and the software, and you can't bloody make them work together? Or is everybody at Cupertino too afraid to explain the whole cluster-fuck to teh Steve?

Aperture 2.0: the Ars Technica review:

Aperture 2 isn't doing anything groundbreaking over the previous version, but the better overall speed and Quick Preview combined with background processing alone will be worth the cost of the upgrade for many users. If you're just checking out Aperture since running like the wind from version 1.0, rest assured that Aperture 2.0 is a completely different animal and produces very good results most of the time. Its new interface is easier to navigate and is more customizable, so it will accommodate different users' workflows.

So, according to this tech note on Apple's knowledgebase, you can now safely use Time Machine to back up your Aperture Library (before the OSX 10.5.2 update, it was recommended to exclude the Library from the Time Machine backups for fear of giant asteroids destroying your house or something.

I just upgraded my laptop to Leopard (better late than never), so I let Time Machine do its thing and everything went well. Then I noticed something funny: the backups were constatnly deffered, and actually almost never happened. Hmmm. Then I noticed that I had Aperture open in a separate Space and had completely forgotten about it. I quit Aperture and, voilà, next time the backup went fine. I relaunched Aperture, asked for a backup and nothing happened, well, actually, something did happen, but it is weird. The console log was showing this:

27/02/08 13:16:41 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[4062] No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.04 GB requested (including padding), 12.78 GB available

So TM was supposed to backup 1.04GB, but the Time Machine menulet was showing that only 133.7MB were to be backed up. It seems that the Aperture Library is not backed up if Aperture is running.

Conclusion: if you want Time Machine to work correctly, it's better to quit Aperture before doing a backup. Jeez, can't Apple fix their own software? I thought the whole thing was about tight integration blah blah blah...

Steve Weller, developer of utilities for (and writer of a book on) Aperture, over at Bagelturf, compiled a nifty list of direct links to the great Aperture 2 tutorials offered by Apple on their website. So, instead of using their shiny and good looking, but sometimes a bit erratic, Ajax player, you can batch download them all with something like Flashgot for Firefox or Speed Download, and enjoy them when you want, like on your iPhone.Thanks, Steve!

Bagelturf - Aperture 2.0: All The Video Links In One Place