MG 1.1 Move 30k images from one category into user albums

[Triops]

I did still not migrate from vB + PP, @Chris D, but am shortly before doing it finally. In the meantime I did lots of test imports.

One remaining problem is, that users in PP could upload images into their "Private Albums". These albums were just one main album per user, which contained all images, which were not uploaded into a sub album or a category. So, in my case I have around 30k images within the "Private Albums" from hundreds to thousands of users.

After importing to XFMG all these images are in one single category. Not albums, sub albums or sub categories. So far so good.

What I would like to do now, is to run some queries in phpmyadmin, to move all these images from the single category into one album per user, which probably has to be created before/while moving.

So, after PP -> XFMG migration it is for example:

User A

• Album a with x images
• Album b with y images
• Album c with z images

• q images in migrated Category "Private Albums"
• u images in Category 1
• v images in Category 2
• w images in Category 3

After the queries it should be like that:

User A

• Album a with x images
• Album b with y images
• Album c with z images
• Album d with q images (from Category "Private Albums")

• zero images in Category "Private Albums" (Category will be deleted)
• u images in Category 1
• v images in Category 2
• w images in Category 3

And the same for all thousands of users. Album d can automatically get the name of the user or just be named "Private Album" for each and every user.

One important thing: the ID of the migrated images must stay identical, to somehow be able to redirect with redirect scripts, which I have for all Albums and Categories from PP.

Can this be achieved? How please? Please do not say "not possible", 'cause my users simply won't accept, that their main private album is suddenly part of a collective category.

As I did not finally migrate I could do something before/while importing or the importer could be modified. I am willing to fund the modification.

Any hint is appreciated.

 

[Chris D]

I'm not going to say it's not possible, but this type of operation isn't something we would usually cover under the remit of support and if it's something you'd want to fund yourself, you would have to post in the custom service and development requests forum.

I'm somewhat confused though by your usage of the term "Private Albums". It is my understanding that this category is a category, and not private, and viewable by everyone. Hence it is expected that they would be imported into a category. Unless I've misunderstood something here.

Does this category or album or its pictures indicate in the database that it is supposed to be private? If there is such a thing as a category containing images that only the author of those images can see, and we can detect that, I think we should probably add that in the next release.

 

[Triops]

Thank you @Chris D for your ultra fast response.

The term "Private Albums" is something, which was introduced by the German translation of PP or by myself (I don't remember), maybe 12-15 years ago.
Anyway, the images within are NOT private, they are visible for everybody. In the original language it was "Member Galleries", which contains images without albums/sub categories and albums. The later can have nested sub albums, but that is a different topic, which I've finally accepted.

In PP this "folder" "Member Galleries" is both, a category - but, at the same time - it's the only category which allows users to create personal albums in it. The difference is obvious because of the possible username search within this category. Here is one very small "original" PP (not my gallery, just found it) which shows it perfectly:

http://www.orcaboats.ca/photopost/index.php

The "Member Galleries" with username search is http://www.orcaboats.ca/photopost/showmembers.php?cat=500 (this category is always id 500)
The Personal Albums within the galleries are listed here: http://www.orcaboats.ca/photopost/misc.php?action=showalbums

The problem lies withing the "Member Galleries". It does "contain" (expept Nr. 2, see below), for my understanding, on a per user basis:

1. All images which were uploaded without specifing a category or a personal album
2. All images, which were uploaded into a category (but those images are shown in the "Members Galleries" category too)
3. All personal albums

I would like to move all from 1.

 

[Chris D]

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

I do think the importer is doing the best job it can, then. It basically seems as though the images are in category 500, but PhotoPost is able to group them by user which I understand is quite a distinction from how that's handled in XF, so I can understand the problem.

Would you be willing to share your Photopost database with me? Specifically probably just interested in the photos and categories tables if possible. Don't need the files.

I'll have a look to see if there's anything we can do to make an improvement here.

Start a Conversation with me if you can share the database with me.

 

[DragonFlames]

sPyroM,

I used VB and PP and moved across to XF/XFMG some time back. Like you I worried about the loss of a member list that showed an area for each member with all their photos in it.

I've since come to feel it doesn't matter too much. The reason being that if any member goes to your XFMG area and clicks on the Your Media link they see all their images in the system, which is much the same thing.

Likewise, if one member wants to see all another members images all they need to do is to use the search media option and its field for a user name. Enter the name and it will show you all their photos, so again very similar.

You could point out these two things to your members perhaps, which is what I did.

The best presentation of each members media seems to be from their Profile Page and its Media option. My members seem never to find that there though - they of course look for it in the media section under a members gallery option.

I'm hoping the new v2 XFMG will add lots of new options and perhaps for instance a member list in the gallery area where you can click on the member name to see their photos that way. XF has a top media uploader list but strangely doesn't seem to link it to their photos. That would just be a presentation thing the same way it was in PP... the images remain in their normal spots.

I'm also keen for some other things from the past, like an option to display normal thumbnails rather than the cut off ones with fixed dimensions we have now.

Also the ability to change ownership of any media so we can upload for others or change whatever is needed for admin purposes.

Also a simple way to backup all photos as images with their real file names for safety/storage purposes, and so on. I have my fingers crossed for v2 on all this sort of thing. My worst problem at present is that with PP every photo we had was shown in Google. Since the move none of our photos are listed, other than the few actually in XF pages. Every message in XF is listed but Google ignores our images for some reason.

I hope the thoughts on our experiences help.

Steve