Aperture truly not working .. and soon DOA

[CmdrLaForge]

While others have mentioned it, I want to emphasize that so far, at this time Aperture 3.6 does not work on any virtualization platform because of the absence of 3D acceleration support for macOS guest VMs. Aperture will launch, but images will not be displayed, which sort of defeats the purpose.

Oh - wow. If that's the case that's really bad. Because I still use Aperture and plan to continue doing so for a while and just stay on Mojave which is a very fine operating system.

The only issue with my approach is what happens if my Mac breaks (rMBP from 2013) I would need to buy a new one that of course comes with the latest OS. My backup approach was to run Aperture than in a VM. If that doesn't work I need another solution....

 

[Fishrrman]

LaForge wrote:
"The only issue with my approach is what happens if my Mac breaks (rMBP from 2013) I would need to buy a new one that of course comes with the latest OS. My backup approach was to run Aperture than in a VM. If that doesn't work I need another solution...."

The solution is to buy a new Mac NOW which still runs Mojave, and keep using Mojave into the future, regardless of future OS updates.

If you don't care for the selection of MacBook Pro's out there now (I dislike the keyboards), you might consider a 2018 Mini - quite powerful little Macs. Or perhaps a 2019 iMac.

This way, you can still "retro-boot" to Mojave so that older 32 bit software will continue to run indefinitely.

If you want "the latest and greatest" OS now and then, put a copy onto an external SSD, and boot it that way.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

LaForge wrote:
"The only issue with my approach is what happens if my Mac breaks (rMBP from 2013) I would need to buy a new one that of course comes with the latest OS. My backup approach was to run Aperture than in a VM. If that doesn't work I need another solution...."

The solution is to buy a new Mac NOW which still runs Mojave, and keep using Mojave into the future, regardless of future OS updates.

If you don't care for the selection of MacBook Pro's out there now (I dislike the keyboards), you might consider a 2018 Mini - quite powerful little Macs. Or perhaps a 2019 iMac.

This way, you can still "retro-boot" to Mojave so that older 32 bit software will continue to run indefinitely.

If you want "the latest and greatest" OS now and then, put a copy onto an external SSD, and boot it that way.

Thanks a lot for the idea. I really thought about it but right now I have no budget for a new computer. In particular when my current rMBP works like a charm. When I bought it in 2013 I got it with 16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD in particular to get a very long life out of it. In 2018 I had to get the battery replaced because it got swollen.....The official Apple repair shop did put in the same model as before. Unfortunately they screwed up the repair and my speakers now hum...I found that out to late because I don't use them very often. So I keep my fingers crossed that the current machine is usable until 2023 and until then I just stay with Mojave...

I still have some hope for a Photo Pro app from Apple. I cannot understand how they can have FCP and Logic but no Pro Photo app in particular with all this focus on pictures in their iPhones...

 

[harriska2]

I use Photos but only with the reference option. I save all my pictures in folders by date then curate the photo I like with a reference pointer in Photos. Import sucks in photos so I suck in all my pictures using the mac app, Image Capture.

 

[Ledgem]

I still have some hope for a Photo Pro app from Apple. I cannot understand how they can have FCP and Logic but no Pro Photo app in particular with all this focus on pictures in their iPhones...

I don't know if this explains it, but Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro weren't originally developed by Apple. Aperture was 100% Apple. I'd guess that professional video and audio production are also more lucrative markets than professional photography. Putting the two together, it's quite possible that Apple felt compelled to continue supporting the high-paying clients that they inherited when they bought Final Cut Pro and Logic. They had the data on who was using Aperture and they probably saw that the majority of their users weren't going for it. Perhaps the iPhone users who went for Aperture were frustrated by its complexity compared with iPhoto. Photos is really lacking compared with Aperture but for your average iPhone shooter it's just about perfect, I'd think.

If you're reaching the point where you're basing a computer purchasing decision and desiring to stay on an older operating system for the ability to continue running outdated software I think you need to take a really hard look at why you're attached to the software. There are multiple alternatives to Aperture at this point, and while none of them have every single feature that Aperture does, they are all superior to Aperture in the core functions of these programs. Aperture does not support RAW files from "newer" cameras (cameras released about 3-4 years ago at this point), which is a further limitation. What's next - buying more outdated cameras to ensure that you can still shoot with something supported by Aperture, or foregoing RAW and shooting only in JPEG so that one can continue running Aperture, too? Just how much should you cripple yourself to stick with Aperture?

I was hopeful, too, but Aperture isn't coming back. Apple have indicated that Photos is their way forward, and while they've added a number of features to it, what they've chosen to add and expand on has made it clear that their vision puts it a lot closer to iPhoto than to Aperture. Switching to something new is painful and scary, particularly when it involves paying a decent amount of money. This is one of those times when I'd say it's worth it to just do it and get it over with. I'd probably still be on Aperture today if it were still being developed, but for better or for worse it didn't support my camera upgrade and forced me to get off it a little over a year ago. I have no regrets about going with Capture One (perpetual license - don't care to subscribe). Going back and re-processing some of my old photos from Aperture reveals just how far image editing has come in the years since Aperture was discontinued.

 

[andyrawlins]

Well after the failure of vm based solutions, I had another trawl about and have found an almost perfect replacement in the unlikely form of Nikon's ViewNXi. It doesn't have its own database (good), displays location on maps and has a very similiar UI to Aperture. Its also very fast, and its free to all. I'm a Canon user so it won't work with my RAW files but Canaon's own DPE is fine for that. I suspect that it won't suit some people but its close to perfect for me.

 

[maflynn]

I cannot understand how they can have FCP and Logic but no Pro Photo app in particular with all this focus on pictures in their iPhones...

I have no idea, Apple was one of the first to introduce an application that had non-destructive edits, and a full DAM capable application. Sadly for one reason or another they let it whither on the vine and ignore it for too many years. Any advantage they held, quickly disappeared as Adobe continued to push the envelope with LR

 

[adrianlondon]

Well after the failure of vm based solutions, I had another trawl about and have found an almost perfect replacement in the unlikely form of Nikon's ViewNXi.

Which, as far as I can tell, doesn't install on Catalina.

 

[andyrawlins]

Which, as far as I can tell, doesn't install on Catalina.

Really? That's annoying as its reported as a 64bit app. I imagine Nikon will update it if not.

 

[adrianlondon]

Really? That's annoying as its reported as a 64bit app. I imagine Nikon will update it if not.

I tried again today and it worked! Maybe a temporary issue with their server, as the first file downloaded is just a downloader/installer for the main package, and yesterday it just hung. Today it worked.

Most functions cause it to crash, though. Plus it doesn't seem to want to use the IPTC title field for anything much (which is what I use). Ah well.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Sometimes the problem is the application installer is 32bit, even though the actual program is 64bit. I believe this is the problem with LR6. You may even be able run it on Catalina, but you'd have to install it in Mojave first and then upgrade to Catalina. That can eventually become more trouble than it's worth.

 

[nicholasg]

Here are instructions on how to run Aperture on Catalina.

Aperture For Catalina

gentlemencoders.com

Not for the faint of heart ;-)

 

[MacNut]

I have no idea, Apple was one of the first to introduce an application that had non-destructive edits, and a full DAM capable application. Sadly for one reason or another they let it whither on the vine and ignore it for too many years. Any advantage they held, quickly disappeared as Adobe continued to push the envelope with LR

I wonder if the majority of developers left for Adobe leaving nobody to work on the software.

 

[MCAsan]

I wonder if the majority of developers left for Adobe leaving nobody to work on the software.

How could you tell?

 

[robgendreau]

I wonder if the majority of developers left for Adobe leaving nobody to work on the software.

I have no idea where most went, but the Gentlemen Coder of https://gentlemencoders.com is Nik Bhatt, who was a wheel in Apple's imaging apps. And the source of the instructions above on installing Aperture in Catalina. I don't know why anyone would bother to do that, and would suggest instead they look at the RAWPower extension and application by Mr Bhatt et al. Very Aperture-ish, but current.

 

[Clix Pix]

I second Rob's recommendation for Raw Power! It's a terrific app and kept up to date.

 

[rraynor1980]

Check out the Retroactive app. It lets you run Aperture, iPhoto, or iTunes on macOS Catalina.
https://github.com/cormiertyshawn895/Retroactive

Retroactive app:

Aperture, iPhoto, iTunes 12, and iTunes 10 on macOS Catalina:

 

[guzhogi]

I'm not a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but Photos + Pixelmator Pro works decently for me.

 

[andyrawlins]

Photos has the ability to show you any GPS photos on a map. It’s under albums, then People and Places.

Yes thanks it can. I guess that's not really all I want. I want to browse a map and display a selected photo on a second screen so I can still see the map. Or browse through a folder of photos, seeing each on the map. Photos doesn't have second display option and because it insists on arranging photos how it wants rather than how I want its no good to me. Plus it doesn't have the rudimentary ability to watch a folder and add additions to it. Mind you Aperture can't do that either.

 

[mtbdudex]

Why limit yourself to Mojave and miss out on newer features, as well as security features? Buy Parallels or VMWare Fusion, create a macOS 10.14 virtual machine, install Aperture in there (and any other 32-bit software you use), and you're done. Upgrade your primary operating system when you're ready, and keep using your 32-bit programs in the virtual machine. Virtualbox represents a free alternative to Parallels and VMWare, but its performance may not be as good.

The virtual machine will add some overhead and provide a small to moderate performance hit, depending on what you're doing and what your underlying hardware consists of. For Aperture, though, performance should be just fine. You'll also lose a bit of time, as you're essentially opening an application to open an application (which can feel silly), but it'll get the job done.

This is a great option for someone who wants a bit more time and already owns virtualization software, or who has limited needs and wouldn't be impacted by a performance penalty (as you might experience with VirtualBox). If you're looking into buying virtualization software just for Aperture, though... don't waste your money. Just bite the bullet and get Capture One or an equivalent. Capture One Pro didn't fully replace all of Aperture's features for me, and I need to still use Photos for things like searching for photos by geotag or facial recognition. As far as editing goes, though, Capture One is very far ahead of Aperture at this point. Particularly if you're a RAW shooter, do yourself a favor and unlock more of your camera's potential by going with a modern program.

Well, I have parallels, so this is the easiest solution ...
will do this, keep my aperture libraries as is, move onto new photo software, and if need some legacy run parallels .

Truly best method IMO.

Will migrate next weekend, then update, my late 2015 27” iMac has 3TB hybrid drive and i7 processor, still a few years usage left.

 

[Ledgem]

Well, I have parallels, so this is the easiest solution ...
will do this, keep my aperture libraries as is, move onto new photo software, and if need some legacy run parallels .

Just a note, someone remarked that there's a lack of graphics acceleration support for Mac virtual machines on most (all?) virtualization platforms at present. As a result, Aperture will run but is a bit buggy - a post above suggested that thumbnails wouldn't display. If true, it's not quite as foolproof as I had thought it might be. I haven't tested it for myself.