If you have been patiently waiting for a way to share your Aperture library over a network with multiple users, you’ll want to check out PHPture.
PHPture, created by a software developer from The Netherlands has just been released as a free download and open source project. This new web application allows Aperture users to share their libraries via a web server, offering users an “Aperture-like” user interface complete with stacks, thumbnails, and a complete listing of all of your Aperture projects. By utilizing Aperture’s Previews, PHPture can make all of your image versions available to other computers on your network, or via the web.
I spent about a half hour figuring out how to install PHPture and although there are a few important pieces you will need to be sure you have installed, the installation was pretty simple. Once installed I was able to view my Aperture library in Safari. I could download the Master image file (if it was available) or a version preview image.
The interface is very similar to Aperture in that you can customize the view, hide panels, and get quick access to metadata. There is even a HUD-like view for keywords, which you can use in PHPture to search through your library.
Although PHPture is in its infancy, I can easily see this application becoming a really useful tool. Since setting up a local web server in a home is so easy now with OS X, an application like PHPture makes really good sense. And, if I want to be able to have access to my Aperture library from a remote location, or allow clients to view a project online, PHPture could easily become the tool for the job.
I really hope this application, and others like it begin to take off in the not too distant future. These are just the types of tools Aperture users are really waiting for!
For more information, be sure to check out PHPture at http://phpture.sourceforge.net
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