Your PhotoStructure library contains 📚 your image database, ⚙️ library settings, 🖼️ preview images, and 🎞️ transcoded videos (if enabled). These files are created when PhotoStructure imports your photos and videos, and enable PhotoStructure’s fast and fun user interface.

Why? Several smartphones default to storing photos as .heic, rather than .jpeg. These .heic files are compressed with the High Efficiency Image File Format. Unfortunately, due to patent and licensing issues, it’s up to you to manually install one of these software packages on your own computer if you’re not on macOS.

When PhotoStructure is importing files, it automatically excludes all hidden files, as well as operating system and application support directories. Additionally, across all platforms, the following rules are also applied:

By installing PhotoStructure for Node or PhotoStructure for Docker you’ll get access to a number of tools that can help answer a number of questions about your PhotoStructure library. Some level of proficiency with the terminal is required to use these tools.

If your photos and videos are disorganized, PhotoStructure can bring some order to your chaos. If you’d like all your photos and videos to be organized into one, tidy place, choose “Yes” on PhotoStructure’s settings page:

PhotoStructure’s settings page is simple and only offers a handful of configuration options. There are many configurable settings within PhotoStructure, though, including: how “nice” PhotoStructure is with your system’s CPU: should it auto-pause imports if CPU exceeds 75% (which is the default), or is it running on a server, and can use 100% of the CPU?

If you’re on a desktop or laptop, knowing a couple keyboard shortcuts will help you get around your library faster. Hover over any button to see a description, and if there is a keyboard shortcut, it will be in the tooltip as well.

So, you’ve got PhotoStructure installed, and it looks like it’s importing every photo and video you’ve got. What should you know now? Tip #1: Initial PhotoStructure imports Importing thousands of photos and videos is a workout for your computer.

If you have videos, you need to install VLC or FFmpeg. -- PhotoStructure requires additional software to be installed to support videos in your library. Why? PhotoStructure uses open source video processing software to extract preview images and transcode the videos in your library so they can be streamed to browsers on your mobile and computer.

PhotoStructure has a several ways to view your photos at different magnification levels. PhotoStructure’s new loupe slider (added in v0.8.0). Zoom Select a zoom level directly by clicking the loupe slider in the header.

You’ll want to install PhotoStructure for Desktops on a computer that you can leave powered on for a while, at least during the initial import. Ideally, you’ll install PhotoStructure on a computer that you can leave on all the time, so you can have access to your library whenever you want from wherever you are.

🎥 Do you have videos? Please follow these steps. It’ll only take a minute. 📖 See also: Where should I install PhotoStructure? How much free disk space do I need?

Your library’s disk space is proportional to the number of photos and videos you have in your library, and whether or not you choose to have PhotoStructure organize your photos and videos by copying them into your library.

When you close the main PhotoStructure window, PhotoStructure continues to run in the background, which may include synchronizing your library’s photos and videos. Shut down PhotoStructure by clicking the ☰ navigation menu in the upper-left corner of your PhotoStructure window, and selecting “Shutdown.