Apple script to export images from "Photos" application

Question

I have albums and nested albums and folders in Photos application. I want my applescript to export images maintaining the Album or Folder structure that I have the in the application.

I tried scripts available online :

tell application "Finder"

    set location_1 to (choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder to export into") as text

end tell



tell application "Photos"

    set x to name of every folder

    choose from list x with prompt "Choose a project to export"

    set theP to item 1 of result

    tell application "Finder" to make new folder at alias location_1 with properties {name:theP}

    tell folder theP

        set initflist to every folder

        set initalist to every album

        if initflist is equal to {} then


            log "process albums"
            processAlbums(initalist, location_1 & theP) of me

        else

            if initalist is not equal to {} then

                log "process albums"
                processAlbums(initalist, location_1 & theP) of me

            end if

            log "process sub folders "
            processSfolders(initflist, (location_1 & theP)) of me

        end if

    end tell

end tell



on processAlbums(alist, apath)

    tell application "Photos"

        repeat with a in alist

            tell a

                set theimages to get media items of album a
                set thename to name of a

                tell application "Finder"

                    if not (exists folder thename in alias apath) then

                        make new folder at alias apath with properties {name:thename}

                    end if

                    set destination to apath & ":" & thename & ":"

                end tell

                with timeout of 6000 seconds

                    tell a

                        set settings to "JPEG - Original Size"

                        export theimages to alias destination

                    end tell

                end timeout

            end tell

        end repeat

    end tell

end processAlbums



on processSfolders(flist, fpath)

    tell application "Photos"

        repeat with a in flist

            try

                set thename to name of a

                tell application "Finder"

                    if not (exists folder thename in alias fpath) then

                        make new folder at alias fpath with properties {name:thename}

                    end if

                end tell

                tell a

                    set sAlist to every album

                    set sflist to every folder

                    if sflist is equal to {} then

                        processAlbums(sAlist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me

                    else

                        if sAlist is not equal to {} then

                            processAlbums(sAlist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me

                        end if

                        processSfolders(sflist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me

                    end if

                end tell

            on error errMsg
                log "error"
            end try

        end repeat


    end tell

end processSfolders

The issue is that it gets names of only child albums and not top level albums. I have to maintain the entire structure of album or folder.

I do not know AppleScript and I tried tweaking this one but no luck so far. can I get a direction please?

Answer 1

You can get the name of the folders, and the albums contained in the folder, which will enable you to create the top level and child directories. Albums can only contain media items, not albums. Top level albums are classified as folders or containers. In the Applescript dictionary for Photos, it gives the definitions for these items.

tell application "Finder"
set location_1 to (choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder to export into") as text
end tell

tell application "Photos"
    activate
    set fds to folders

    repeat with fd in fds
        set fdName to name of fd
        set abNames to every album of fd
        if parent of fd is missing value then
            my createFolders(fdName, abNames, location_1, fd)
        end if
    end repeat
end tell

on createFolders(fName, aAlbums, fPath, fd)

    tell application "Finder"
        if not (exists folder fName in alias fPath) then
            make new folder with properties {name:fName} at fPath
        end if

        repeat with a in aAlbums
            set aName to name of a
            set aPath to ((fPath as alias) as text) & fName
            if not (exists folder aName in alias aPath) then
                make new folder with properties {name:aName} at aPath
            end if
            set exPath to ((aPath as alias) as text) & aName

            my exportImages(a, exPath)

        end repeat
    end tell

    tell application "Photos"
        set rcFolders to every folder of fd
        repeat with rcFd in rcFolders
            set rcAlbums to every album of rcFd
            set rcName to name of rcFd
            set rcPath to ((fPath as alias) as text) & fName
            my createFolders(rcName, rcAlbums, rcPath, rcFd)
        end repeat
    end tell
end createFolders

on exportImages(photoAlbum, destination)
    tell application "Photos"
        set theimages to get media items of photoAlbum
        with timeout of 6000 seconds
            tell photoAlbum
                set settings to "JPEG - Original Size"
                export theimages to alias destination
            end tell
        end timeout
    end tell
end exportImages

EDIT - Error Handling

To handle errors, locate the command that is causing the error and wrap it in a try block. Solution could be to quit the application, so that the process will end, and maybe add a short delay and then continue with the script.

try
    export theimages to alias destination
on error
    -- statements to execute in case of error
    error "The exporting of images failed to complete"
    quit
end try

From the developer reference - When a command fails to complete in the allotted time (whether the default of two minutes, or a time set by a with timeout statement), AppleScript stops running the script and returns the error "event timed out". AppleScript does not cancel the operation—it merely stops execution of the script. If you want the script to continue, you can wrap the statements in a try statement. However, whether your script can send a command to cancel an offending lengthy operation after a timeout is dependent on the application that is performing the command. Further info regarding try statements.