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Import Folders of Image Files into Library as Albums

Last modified: Jun 4, 2022 1:27 PM
77 82303 Last modified Jun 4, 2022 1:27 PM

This Applescript was created by user code!z and published at Github: ImportPhotoFolders where you can download an already compiled and saved Applescript file. With his permission I'm publishing the script here.

When run it will import selected folders of image files into your Photos library and create albums in the sidebar for each folder with the same name as the folder.

Open Script Editor and paste the following into its window:

on run


set folderList to (choose folder with multiple selections allowed)


tell application "Photos"


activate


delay 2


end tell


repeat with baseFolder in folderList


importEachSubFolder(baseFolder, null)


end repeat


end run


on importEachSubFolder(aFolder, parentFolder)


tell application "Finder"


set albumName to (name of aFolder as text)


set subFolders to every folder of aFolder


end tell


if (count of subFolders) > 0 then


set fotoFolder to createFotoFolder(aFolder, albumName, parentFolder)


repeat with eachFolder in subFolders


importEachSubFolder(eachFolder, fotoFolder)


end repeat


else


set fotoFolder to parentFolder


end if


importFotos(aFolder, albumName, fotoFolder)


end importEachSubFolder


on importFotos(aFolder, albumName, parentFolder)


set imageList to getImageList(aFolder)


if imageList is {} then return


set fotoAlbum to createFotoAlbum(albumName, parentFolder)


tell application "Photos"


with timeout of 600 seconds


import imageList into fotoAlbum skip check duplicates no


end timeout


end tell


end importFotos


on createFotoFolder(aFolder, folderName, parentFolder)


tell application "Photos"


if parentFolder is null then


make new folder named folderName


else


make new folder named folderName at parentFolder


end if


end tell


end createFotoFolder


on createFotoAlbum(albumName, parentFolder)


tell application "Photos"


if parentFolder is null then


make new album named albumName


else


make new album named albumName at parentFolder


end if


end tell


end createFotoAlbum


on getImageList(aFolder)


set extensionsList to {"jpg", "png", "tiff", "JPG", "jpeg", "gif", "JPEG", "PNG", "TIFF", "GIF", "MOV", "mov", "MP4", "mp4", "MPG", "mpg", "BMP", "bmp", "TIF", "tif", "AVI", "avi", "PSD", "psd", "ai", "AI", "orf", "ORF", "nef", "NEF", "crw", "CRW", "cr2", "CR2", "dng", "DNG", "PEF", HEIC"}


tell application "Finder" to set theFiles to every file of aFolder whose name extension is in extensionsList


set imageList to {}


repeat with i from 1 to number of items in theFiles


set thisItem to item i of theFiles as alias


set the end of imageList to thisItem


end repeat


imageList

end getImageList


This code will produce the following:

For this folder configuration on the hard drive: You'll get the following configuration in Photos:

For this folder configuration on the hard drive: You'll get this configuration in Photos:

Again, thanks to code!z for his contribution of this script.

You can download a compiled version of the script as an application from this tutorial site: P01 - Applescripts from Photos’ User Tips Compiled as Applications. Both versions will be downloaded by the same link.

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