mac advice
 

Hi there,

Im a long(DOS-Vista Beta) time window user and just got a the new mac mini today and wondered if anyone can answer a question for me. it has to do with network storage. here goes..

in iphoto, is it possible to view photos from a networked windows machine? so i don’t have to have them physically on the mac mini?

also, is it possible to change the location of "my pictures" in finder to a networked folder on a windows machine. I can see my networked folder and drives just fine. just wanna integrate it more into finder via my pictures and my documents. I could do this with my documents on windows just by right clicking and going to properties and just changing the target folder.

I think aperture will be able to do networked photos but its not ready for universal binary so ill have to wait on that.

Thanks everybody.

I can't answer these questions unfortunately, but we do have an Apple Genius that occassionally lurks around here. He may be able to answer your questions.


*Mod Note: Sorry, removed the link. Said Apple Genius prefers not to be identified publicly

Thanks Kevy

As long as it's an fairly open share on the Windows side a samba (SMB) server link. You could also make a fairly easy NFS mount.

Under Finder select "GO" and "Connect to server"

To make it permanant drop it in your user startup items in the form of a basic applescript and that should do the trick.

And Don't listen to those so called genius's they have most certainly been drinking behind that bar!

I apologized to the Genius privately, but do so publicly as well.

I didn't mean to expose Ally like that :D

Here is the best way to do it:

1) Make sure that the folder that contains your pictures as well as the folder above it are shared on your Windows Machine (you may want to create a subfolder for security)

2) Close iPhoto

3) Open your shared picture library on your Windows computer in the Network pane of the Finder

4) Move the contents of Pictures/iPhoto Library into this folder

5) Delete the folder Pictures/iPhoto Library

6) In the network pane of the Finder, locate the folder that contains the shared pictures (as well as the iPhoto library files you copied there), CTRL-click (or right click) it, and select "Make Alias". This will create a folder called "[something] alias".

7) Move this alias folder into your Pictures folder on your Mac.

8) Rename the alias folder to iPhoto Library

9) Open iPhoto and import your pictures off of the network share

Note that this isn't a perfect solution, as it creates copies of all of your pictures on your windows machine. But nothing will be stored on your Mac Mini!

Hope that helps!
Sean

hey thanks guys. well im dealing with about 80gigs of raw photos so doubling that would leave only about 10 gigs left and im sure i will fill that soon. i guess i need to think of a new configuration.

so for me to at least make a permanent network share folder on the mac, i need to write a script? cause it seems to always loose the connection when i reboot the mac, even tho the windows machine is still left on. guess i need to dig for examples on the net about scripting. I dont have a clue about apple script.

well thanks again guys

well i think i figured out a decent way for iPhoto. what you do is delete the default iphoto library under pictures/iphotolibrary. then reopen iphoto and it will ask you to pick a new location or create a new one. so i create a new on the windows machine. then i imported my entire photolibrary and to prevent from duplication be sure to go into iphotos setting under advanced and uncheck " Copy files to iPhoto Library folder when adding to library". Voila. works well. although i just download Adobe Lightroom Beta2 and that works even better. so fast. and it references all the pictures as a option or can copy them. Nice.

No i just need to figure out to change the documents location when i click on documents in Finder.

Thanks again guys.

Wow, that's a lot of porn!

I just stumbled on to one other (possible) option which should already be a part of your new Mini: Front Row.

I don't know a whole lot about it, but saw it mentioned in this article.

I always love when someone describes technology as "neat".