Aperture Assistant - beta testers needed!

[Ian Wood]

I've developed an automation helper for Aperture which lets you set up complex workflows and tasks by building up a visual flowchart, which can then be saved and re-used, or shared with other users.

You can do a variety of automated exports, such as making subfolder formats based on metadata, for instance export folders based on ratings, or use different export presets.
Other tasks include find-n-replace in metadata, finding duplicate master files, showing all Albums that contain a particular Version etc.

If you're interested in trying it out, Aperture Assistant is curreently in public beta testing and can be found here:

http://aperture-assistant.com

Thanks,

Ian Wood

P.S. I hope to add an XMP importer at some stage.

[Ian Wood]

I've started adding sample AppleScripts that people can use as the basis for their own scripting, separate from Aperture Assistant:

http://aperture-assistant.com/forums/workflows-and-applescripts

Several of these use the new Preview fingerprinting techniques, and the new ability to create your own Library structure via scripting, one useful example being a droplet app that will create a new Album containing the originating Versions for any Previews you drop on it. This means that you could send lo-res Preview JPEGs to a client, and they simply return the ones they want as high-res files. Drop the returned JPEGs onto the droplet and the Versions are collected together, ready for export.

http://aperture-assistant.com/post/108

Ian Wood

[johnbeardy]

Thanks for posting, Ian. Get that XMP import working - crazy decision not to have it implemented by 2.1.

John

[Ian Wood]

John - I've been reading through the XMP schema picking out the appropriate bits, but what would be handy would be a bunch of sample XMP files. Do you know where I could get some?

Thanks,

Ian

[johnbeardy]

Why not populate all the fields for an image in Aperture, and then use the export masters sidecar option? Can't remember if that would lose the rating, and you'd need something for transferring coloured labels. I can email you a bunch if you need. Or generate a few in Bridge/Photoshop.

John

[Ian Wood]

I started by generating them from Aperture, but for my own sanity I'd like to look at files from as many originating programs as possible, just in case... It would be great if you could email me a few, and that applies to anyone else who's interested.

It's not just coloured labels (probably to a keyword or perhaps a custom tag), but also the tags which are in the IPTC XMP Core schema but not the IPTC IIM schema, so it'll need to include options for where you want the additional fields to be imported to...

Ian

[johnbeardy]

OK, I'll generate some from iView and Adobe apps. May be a day or so as my internet connection is still down and my online time is limited to the pub or the library.

John

[Ian Wood]

No problem, it'll be a week or two before I have time to look at XMP import more closely. Make sure you don't spill any drinks on the laptop!

Ian

[Ian Wood]

A new beta is out, adding text export (including custom tags) and fixing several bugs.

http://aperture-assistant.com/downloads

Ian

[Ian Wood]

Aperture Assistant 1.0 is now available.

Anyone who wants XMP import added is free to send me sample XMP files - the more I get the sooner it'll be added in a new beta...

Ian

[Ian Wood]

1.0.60 is now out with a bunch of new features, speed improvements and bugfixes.

http://aperture-assistant.com/downloads

I've been looking into the XMP importing and should have something ready for testing in a couple of weeks time.

Ian