Aperture 3 Is Here – This Is It

Okay I just saw a tweet from a MacWorld article that Aperture 3 is here. This is it. I was right this morning. I felt it in my bones. Sorry for the quick rumor to validation cycle.

Update here is the Apple Aperture 3 Page

Update – i have been reading the new features this is what I expected it is awesome, library sync, there are a couple of headline features that I knew would be there from iPhoto but there is real meat here – not just fluff plus 64bit

Update: The org stuff is amazing more than I expected. IPTC core support – lots of metadata goodness that I really wanted and more. Write to master IPTC metadata – yes yes yes – this is an LR killer and a photomechanic killer. XMP import.

Aperture 3 is killer.

Update: The adjustments updates seem fantastic – local adjustments that look useful, tablet support, real curves, presets, really amazing stuff – this is a Lightroom killer.

Update: Video support – take that Lightroom. I didn’t think it would be there but it is.

Awesome new print tools, awesome new book tools, fantastic interface improvements to an already superlative product. I wonder what the LR yo-yo’s will say to this – They didn’t get it before – now what.

Update: I know some of you will be thrilled – larger fonts in the UI – I am not thrilled about that but everything else makes up for it – this is truly a killer upgrade.

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You’re currently reading “Aperture 3 Is Here – This Is It,” an entry on RB Design

Published:: 02.09.10 / 8am

Category:: Apple Aperture, Site News

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Jason D 02.09.10 / 9am

OK so I’m rocking back and forth and trying to figure out an excuse to go home and get my MBP and bring it to work to update it.

RB,

The floor is all yours……

They’ve really, really done a nice job here.

There’s a lot of improvement in the import section as well as the adjustments. The addition of video features is expected and delivered on.

I could really care less about faces and places, but they’ve really worked to address all the issues and add some great new features.

Benjy 02.09.10 / 9am

@Jason Ha, I just IMd my boss this: “Woo, new version of Aperture came out! Can I go home early and play with it? ;-p”

RB 02.09.10 / 9am

Don’t be in too much of a hurry Apple store still down I will give you a heads up as soon as you can get it.

RB 02.09.10 / 10am

Store is up – I ordered my copy and also am waiting for the download.

Jeremy 02.09.10 / 10am

Wow….just wow…
At first glance, I didn’t see all the new stuff in Ap3…but after reading deeper the Aperture 3 page on Apple.com…just wow.
Amazing work. Amazing new toys. Well, not toys, tools. Features, improvements, lots of the little details, shortcomings…had been adressed by this new version.
The teams should have been hard at work.
Just…Wow..
An dApple just had a switching button for LRers by allowing xmp import…

Just…wow.

Benjy 02.09.10 / 10am

Hopefully we don’t have a repeat of the Aperture 2 download delay snafu.

Well,

I have not got my email yet – well see if my official copy comes in the mail or I get the email for the download first.

João Pinheiro 02.09.10 / 10am

I’m waiting for my email as well. I can’t wait to give Aperture 3 a try

rob 02.09.10 / 10am

Very cool. Can’t wait to see your first run impressions.

rob,

You will – I will probably wait a few days to really know what I am talking about and give them some time to sink in with real work. I know that is not a good idea on the internet but… My very first impression is that some of the stuff Is as revolutionary as Aperture 1.0 – this is definitely not the lackluster upgrade that Aperture 2 was. I am not a big GPS/image fan but this stuff is so cool I cannot even begin to describe why yet – the words escape me.

This really is a Lightroom killer – everything Aperture was – a couple of things LR had done right – and a whole bunch of stuff that Adobe never even thought of. That along with the UI and free flowing work-flow that we all love with MAJOR improvements that I wasn’t even thinking about.

Jason D 02.09.10 / 10am

The upgrade is good for 2 computers is it not?

Jason,

Probably the same way that the license is good for two computers – only one at a time connected on the same subnet.

Manu 02.09.10 / 11am

I was planning to reformat one of my computers. I bought AP2 and want to upgrade, what is it gonna do if it doesn’t find AP2 with an AP3 upgrade? Will it refuse to install or ask for an extra 100$? Or will I have to reinstall AP2 and then AP3. Sorry for the dumb question, but I never bought an Apple upgrade before (except 10.6, which asks no question and has no serial).

RB 02.09.10 / 11am

All you are going to need is your V2 serial number and the upgrade serial number.

You mean I put it in on my order? (not done already)
If so, it’s clean and simple.

Manu,

When you install an upgrade version it will ask you for the old serial number and the new serial number, You do not need to have the old one installed,

Ok, thanks for the info, I’ll order it in about 5 seconds!

Manu

Benjy 02.09.10 / 11am

Is it just me or is there no longer an option for a digital only copy?

I have my copy of the trial. Right now there is now download only option only retail package – mine is ordered.

Ps. My very first tip will be dealing with that situation if you want to get started right away – there are a few options and I will outline them.

Benjy 02.09.10 / 12pm

I assume by “Right now there is now download only option only retail package” you mean “NO download only…”

And yes, I also have the trial; it was more the “I really, actually, *really* don’t want any packaging; I don’t need it” issue.

RB 02.09.10 / 12pm

As I said – it appears this is the only way to get it – in a box.

Manu 02.09.10 / 12pm

I’m using the trial right now. I have to say, I am impressed. They did more than what I expected, which means a lot given the expectations for AP3.

I mean, chromatic aberration tool, curves, new formats support, 64 bits, video and audio support, REALLY improved printing tool and about 150 other great stuff, all this for a $99 upgrade. Adobe’s gonna feel it. Too bad, they’ve been “lazy” (quoting a well-known CEO).

Eric 02.09.10 / 12pm

Long wait over.

Matthew B 02.09.10 / 12pm

I just noticed you can download the trial, and “authorize” the trial by purchasing a serial number. Essentially the trial IS the download-only option. Unfortunately I already bought the boxed copy… Oh well, I’m ingesting my old library into the trial via file->import library…

Rob – KILLER FEATURE ALERT!!!

I just noticed that you can apply a brush based mask to most of the adjustment bricks – i.e. Curves, edges sharpen, enhance vignette, the color brick, Highlights & shadows… Using the new brushes tool – Just click on the top right gear of the brick and choose “brush adjustment in”, or “brush adjustment out”.

This is AMAZING and so well implemented. Comparing it to the age old process of layer masking in photoshop makes that process look like a joke.

It is so easy to paint on a quick curves adjusment, use detect edges to get the element in the foreground, than invert the mask and apply a curve to the background… Then go back and feather the edge a little bit.

On top of that it is FAST on my 2.8 8 core with an 8800GT. Haven’t tried the MBP yet…

It’s like Christmas! No more 600MB PSDS in my library just to add some layer masks and selective skin softening!!!

Forgot to mention… Since you can add brush based masks for an adjustment brick, you can now stack those Adjustment bricks as well.

I.e. you can have multiple highlights/shadows bricks with masks for each one, and each brick focused on a target area.

RB 02.09.10 / 1pm

Matthew,

Good catch – I noticed the same thing about 30mins ago and bought that to. Now I have two upgrades.

I am running across things that I never expected as well – just amazing and FAST – holy crap, this is an LR killer for sure. I am more excited then when,…. well can’t say that here in a family setting. But Damn excited.

Matthew B 02.09.10 / 1pm

Has anyone tested out the library merge/project merge workflow yet?

I’m curious how a workflow would be culling or doing book layout in quick preview mode on a laptop while someone else is doing adjustments on a tower…

robogobo 02.09.10 / 1pm

sRAW, Video support, better printing, nondestructive editing- all my dreams are coming true. Just show me built-in ftp support and I’ll fall over.

David Mantripp 02.09.10 / 1pm

Well, I’m really happy for everyone else, but an Intel Mac doesn’t figure in my financial plans for the forseeable future … I’m not surprised. I am surprised it doesn’t require SL though.

robogobo – have you tried the UberUpload export plugin?
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/aperture/uberuploadforaperture.html

Matthew B 02.09.10 / 2pm

There is one feature I miss…

Scrolling in the viewer to skip ahead quickly in the project. Is it just me, or is there a hidden toggle I missed somewhere?

robogobo 02.09.10 / 2pm

Matthew B, I trialed it, but every time I went to buy it, I cheapoed out and just did the export/Transmit deal. Somehow $25 was always too much to save a few clicks. Nevertheless, .zipping, ftp and disc-burning should be built-in to Aperture. These export plugins are overpriced and elementary compared to plugins that actually do something. And let me be the first to complian that Aperture 3 has Flickr and Facebook support but not ftp (not even via the Finder, sheesh).

RB 02.09.10 / 2pm

Not too sure about the “wonderful” new RAW+JPG functionality – I liked the way Aperture 2 worked before – a case where the product was dumbed down for dummies.

I can still do the same thing I used to do it is just more steps now. I hate dummies.

Eric 02.09.10 / 2pm

Just called my local Apple store in Arlington, VA and they told me that they will not have Aperture 3 available until tomorrow. After 2 years, what is another 24-hour period, right? Noooooo.

I think you missed it somewhere in the discourse here but you can download the trial and then buy the serial number only and go right now.

robogobo – I see your point and agree that for a working professional FTP integration built in would be nice. Especially for journalists.

On the otherhand, I love the flexibility of the apple ecosystem – its pretty easy to setup an automator action on a watch folder, to automatically upload the images via transmit/cyberduck when they are added to the folder, and then just Export your images to that folder in aperture.

The other day I had a client email me a list of about 80 image version names they wanted for a book. I was able to write a quick applescript in 2 minutes that looped through the list and tagged all those images with a keyword for me to easily put into a new album

RB –

Did you notice the Raw+JPG brick you can manually add in the import dialog -

@Matthew,

Require your clients to buy Aperture – it’s cheap and then use Project merge

@ matthew – yes I just liked the way it worked better before.

LOL, yes I will put that in the deliverables portion of the contract from here on out.

I guess I’ve never used raw+JPG in aperture 2, so I don’t know what I’m missing. I always set my camera to shoot raw only, and just toggled the brick to ignore JPGs on import.

@Matthew B, thanks for the reminder- I started setting up the Automator action and hotfolder a few weeks ago and never implemented it. I need to get into that more, Automator in general.

@RB, yeah, the first thing I thought is “why would I EVER import a jpeg and RAW?”

@RB how do you buy the Serial only? I don’t see that.

robogobo – When you launch the trial a dialog should popup with “authorize, Buy, or continue”. Clicking buy takes you here:

http://store.apple.com/us/serialsoftware?product=APERTURE_SERIAL-100360

@robogobo it is under the Aperture menu somewhere I do not remember whether it was in the about or the authorize.

robogobo 02.09.10 / 3pm

Thanks guys, doing it.

Manu 02.09.10 / 3pm

Is it just me or AP is more reactive? (at least on a 64bits system).

Pedro 02.09.10 / 3pm

I’m happy!

RB 02.09.10 / 3pm

I my system it flies and I cannot wait until the 3 background jobs are done so I can see how it does without them competing for cycles/locks.

Matthew B 02.09.10 / 4pm

Sadly, out of the box, Faces, GPS, and automatic preview generation still ruin the 1st impression when it comes to speed.

David LaSpina 02.09.10 / 7pm

@Matthew

iLife 09 was the same.. took me several hours to scan thru my library for Faces. So I guess it’s about the same for Aperture 3. Too bad they didn’t improve the speed of the Faces technology.

I was only using iLife 09 for Faces (pointing iLife to my Aperture dir and telling it not to move photos it imports) so I’m happy they added it to Aperture 3. …less than happy I have to wait thru the initial recognition process again, however…

Matthew B 02.10.10 / 5pm

@David – Me too. I’m just tired of answering so many Lightroom users questions who “fire up aperture and find it to be soooo sloowwwwwwww” that they quit and never look back.

I’ve found “automatic preview generation” to be the cause of this 99% of the time

I’m really surprised Apple hasn’t been more up front about “the performance cost” of those default settings…

RB Design

Aperture 3 Is Here – This Is It

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