I'm running out of space quickly on a MacBook Pro with a 256GB SSD, and Aperture is the primary culprit. The library is approx. 75GB, and I really need to get that down to something more manageable (with only 10GB of space left). I currently have a single library, spread into various projects, and would like to keep .jpgs of everything, but maybe move off the RAWs onto another drive. Is there a simple way to do this for all of the projects, or am I destined to spend hours managing my library?

I'm running out of space quickly on a MacBook Pro with a 256GB SSD, and Aperture is the primary culprit. The library is approx. 75GB, and I really need to get that down to something more manageable (with only 10GB of space left). I currently have a single library, spread into various projects, and would like to keep .jpgs of everything, but maybe move off the RAWs onto another drive. Is there a simple way to do this for all of the projects, or am I destined to spend hours managing my library?

Move it to an external.

Edit: To quick to answer.

So you have your raw files then you have your Aperture Library?

You can move just the raw files over to an external. That is the way I had to do it. I use a 1TB 2.5" external from WD which has my raw files on it. So when I want to work on my images I connect the external.

I am trying to remember but there is a menu option in Aperture to relocate the Masters or rest the link to the Masters. Don't have my MBP here can only give you answer tonight.

I would assume that Aperture has the same sort of filters that can be applied to the library that Lightroom does. In Lightroom, I simply enable the Library filters, and then select "Text"->Filename->Ends With-> and type in CR2, as my RAW photos are all Canon. Voila - I see nothing but the RAW images.

Then you need to move them. See:

Can I move photos between libraries on different volumes in Aperture? - MacRumors Forums (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1098047)

Also see: Aperture 3 User Manual (http://documentation.apple.com/en/aperture/usermanual/index.html#chapter=5%26section=16%26tasks=true) for info on referenced images.

Google is your friend...;)

Here is a question. How did you import your images? Do you have the library reference your raw files or did you import the raw files into your Library?

Or you can do what I am going to do with my MBP (depending on what comes out this summer). First install an SSD 256GB like yours. Then remove the optical drive and install a 750GB to 1TB (depending on the speed I want) hard drive in the bay.

After a year keeping pictures in my aperture library, i export them in JPG and remove from library. I'm not the type of person to go back years ago to touch up pictures again.

So, my library is fairly small, and store the jpg elsewhere.

This discussion applies to iPhoto as well as Aperture.

The best solution starts when we import the images from the camera. Use ImageCapture and import the images to their own folder. Then set preferences so that the image is not copied into iPhoto or Aperture. This way the originals can be kept on an external drive, and only the images you modify will be stored in the apps library. Presumably those will be kept in jpg form as there is no point in maintaining multiple RAW images.

Moving from a set-up where all images are located in the /User/UsersName/Pictures...folder will be somewhat more difficult but hopefully not the complete nightmare that was the case with early versions of iPhoto and I believe even with Aperture 1