[digiKam-users] Help with this use case, please.

[Chris Poldervaart]

Thanks for the assist.

I tried to use digiKam to migrate just the photos and videos from my other
storage device (figuring I'll go through the documents and other random
stuff separately).  I assumed that using the import tool (Add Folders)
would migrate only those relevant files.... but when I did that it copied
everything.  I let it run overnight and killed it this morning, because it
was moving all of the random crap rather than just photos and videos.

I like how the Add Folders option keeps the folder structure, which is what
I'd want, but I need to figure out if there is a way to only add the
photos/videos from those folders. If I choose import from memory card, I
can see it seems to only show media files, but when I download them it
doesn't honor the folder structure and dumps them all in one folder.

This is fantastical fun. :-)

On Wed, Mar 24, 2021 at 6:37 AM Sveinn í Felli <sv1 at fellsnet.is> wrote:

> Þann 23.3.2021 10:53, skrifaði Chris Poldervaart:
> > Today, I am going to set up a NAS with the intention of collecting all of
> > my photos from various sources and getting them centralized.
> ----
> > Step One: Find everything.
> >
> > I'd like to be able to plug in an external drive, have digiKam find all
> of
> > the photos from the drive, copy those folders/photos to the NAS. Rinse,
> > repeat. I'm hoping this can be somewhat automated so that I can spend my
> > time on Step Two.
>
> Guess there are two different methods possible:
> Setup the NAS on the network, make a folder on it a main collection in
> Digikam, and shovel in your images [1].
> Or to make things faster; temporarily connect your NAS to your computer
> as an USB3-drive, let this be a temporary main collection [2], and
> shovel in your images.
>
> [1]: Also here are two different methods; First is to plugin the various
> external drives as USB-media, choose to import from each drive into your
> folder structure on the NAS. This imports only supported images, and (I
> think) ignores any folder structure on the media you import from.
> Second method is to temporarily connect the external drives as a
> collection, and in digiKam left-hand Album-panel you move corresponding
> folders into your main collection/directory structure. For some reason
> this *moves* the folders/files, copying is not on offer in my setup.
> This imports all files in those folders, not just images, so it's
> perhaps quicker just using a file-manager.
>
> [2]: People on this mailing-list have been seen re-assigning
> mount-points of collections via some sqlite-editing, just to keep the
> databases for thumbnails, fingerprints, etc. and same some time
> (considerable for large collections). Easiest is of course to redefine
> your main collection, once you have unplugged the NAS and put it back on
> the network (and then go outdoors and play for a while).
>
> > Step Two: Organize what I found.
> >
> > Once I have everything co-located, I'd like to be able to go in and
> > organize, cull, and long-term manage those images.  (this will likely be
> > the time consuming, manual review process).
>
> This is what digiKam is the right tool for ;-)
>
> Just a couple of hints; the main directory structure is important;
> depending on your workflow you may prefer it to be based on dates, or
> cameras, or subjects or whatnot. Don't forget that in digiKam there are
> tags and categories and ratings and stuff that transgress directory
> structure, and can serve as virtual folders/collections for whatever you
> want.
> Plan for the future...
>
> > I've
> > been using it to make my selections from camera memory cards after a
> > shooting session.  I haven't really started using it for photo
> management.
>
> IMHO, photo management should be a lifestyle ;-) It can be a tedious
> work, especially when the "I'll do it later" attitude has been prevalent
> for some time.
> There can be such joy in finding relevant images with the minimum of
> effort, just because they were tagged, categorized and organized...
>
> Just thoughts,
> Sveinn í Felli
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.kde.org/pipermail/digikam-users/attachments/20210324/b2f9565d/attachment.htm>