Image Import/ImagicMagick/Dropbox/CSV Importer

We are performing bulk importing of items using the CSV importer and unsure how to import images correctly so ImageMagick is utilized.

I assume ImageMagick creates thumbnails on the file? If not, what does it supposed to do?

How to properly import images during a csv based import so ImageMagick is properly utilized? Do i have to use dropbox? Please explain the progressions. Thank you.

Also posted here:

http://omeka.org/forums/topic/image-importimagicmagickdropboxcsv-importer

gnosis_omeka,

The CSV Import plugin should create thumbnails of image files (assuming that the mimetypes and file extensions are allowed by your security settings). You need to have a different column in your csv file for each file you want to import. In each cell of these columns, you enter the url of the file. You then need to check the "File?" checkbox for this column. A single column be mapped to elements, tags, and/or a file.

Also, try to post your question only once in the forum.

Let me know if this works.

I am having trouble understanding your response.

If CSV Import plugin creates thumbnails automatically, then why would I need a different column in my csv pointing to the thumnail file? And how would I know the path and file name of this automatically created thumbnail?

So because CSV Import creates the thumbnail, IageMagick is not engaged?

Also, how should I import he original image? Via ftp? Dropbox, etc?

Thank you.

gnosis_omeka,

I think Will meant that if you have multiple files associated with any one item (a single row in your CSV) then you would need an additional column for the additional files (so, if some of your items contain 2 or more files - not counting thumbs - then you would need 2 or more columns containing the locations of each).

In my experience, ImageMagick has always successfully created the different resizes so you don't need to import them separately.

And, yes, you can use DropBox (or, I think, any other web directory that is accessible) to temporarily hold your files for the import. Either way, you'll need to make sure that the CSV plug-in has permissions to access that location and to write to the archive>>files directory. Otherwise you will get an error.

If you use Dropbox, your file column(s) should list the location like this:

http://youromekasite.org/plugins/Dropbox/files/yourfile.jpg

I just did this yesterday and it worked great, but if I got something wrong here, I'm sure Will or someone else will help you out. Good luck.

So FTP the files to the drop box directory:
http://youromekasite.org/plugins/Dropbox/files/yourfile.jpg

no need to create an extra column for thumbnails (ImageMagick will do this).

The perform CSV upload with pne column pointing to file name and ImageMagick will perform conversion during CSV upload?

I followed a similar metholdology without dropbox so I am unsure of dropbox's purpose. Or with droipbox I do not need to perform the mappings to the file during the csv upload?

Please be more detailed.

Thank you.

So FTP the files to the drop box directory:
http://youromekasite.org/plugins/Dropbox/files/yourfile.jpg

no need to create an extra column for thumbnails (ImageMagick will do this).

The perform CSV upload with pne column pointing to file name and ImageMagick will perform conversion during CSV upload?

I followed a similar metholdology without dropbox so I am unsure of dropbox's purpose. Or with droipbox I do not need to perform the mappings to the file during the csv upload?

Please be more detailed.

Thank you.

The Dropbox and CsvImport are separate plugins.

Dropbox is normally for attaching large files to items, or for creating a new item for each file. Dropbox is useful because it allows you upload files that would otherwise timeout if you tried to add them via http forms.

The CsvImport plugin is useful because it allows you to import a large number of items specified by CSV files. Each row in the CSV file corresponds to one item.

Since the CSV Import plugin allows you to ingest files from any url or file path, you can temporarily store your files in the dropbox folder.

If you wanted to, you could upload your files to any web-accessible place, like a directory in your site, and then make the CSV file so that all the files points to those URLs. For example, you could put http://yourdomain.com/yourfiles/file1.jpg, http://yourdomain.com/yourfiles/file2.jpg, etc. as the values in your CSV file.

I hope this helps.

Thank you, so if I upload images via ftp/ssh and then perform a csv inmport will the csv import start ImageMagick and create thumbnails?

Yes, when CsvImport plugin creates new items that have image files attached, it will automatically use ImageMagick to create thumbnails.

Great, I will test.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stephen

Works! Thank you. Final questions of this thread(I promise):
1>how to deal with values (subjects headings) that use commas (such as :Brooklyn, N.Y."). The CSV importer assumes it is the next field.
2>Is there a bulk way through the admin interface to delete items?
3>Is there a bulk way through the admin interface delete images and thumbnails?
4>Are all thumbnails located here:
/omeka/archive/files
5>finally, i noticed that there is no check routine. During the csv import, a file that an item was pointing to couldn't be located so I assumed the entire import failed. Then I edited my data and fixed the problem and re-imported not knowing that I was creating duplicate records. Is there a way to avoid this?

Have the answer to #1:
http://omeka.org/codex/Plugins/CsvImport

Check to see if any of the text contains commas, and if it does surround that segment with double-quotes.

2. No, there is not currently a bulk way to delete items (I want this too, you should make a specific request on the Feature Requests forum), hover the CsvImport plugin has an undo import ability which will delete all the items from the import.

3. No, there is not a builk way to delete images and thumbnails (I want this too, you should make a specific request on the Feature Requests forum).

4. The original files are located in the files directory. There are separate folders for the fullsize, thumnails, and square thumbnail images created by ImageMagick.

5. At the moment, if you mess up on an import, you have to run the undo on that import. In the future, I want to add a feature to the CsvImport plugin which allows you to re-import a file and it will update previously imported items with the new data. This of course, would require a primary key column in the csv file to uniquely identify each item.

Thank you. In terms of your response for #4. Where are the other files fullsize, thumnails, and square thumbnail images created by ImageMagick located?

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stephen

Stephen,

these are located in the archive folder under your root omeka directory.

-Will

So if I delete items, i should manually delete all files in all sub_directories of archive?

Also, all csv imports will create other files in these archive sub_directories?

Thank you.

In Omeka 1.1 and earlier versions, when you delete items in Omeka, it does not delete their associated files in the archive.

So if you want to delete the files from your archive, you will have to delete them manually from their respective folders.

I think we will change this in future versions of Omeka.

Aso for your second question, yes the csv imports will import your files to the archive directory.

When you delete an item from the admin, or undo an import, all of the files for that item in the archive directory are automatically deleted. So no, you do not have to manually delete them.