Q: batch title change in photo version 1

Batch changing is not yet supported in Photos for Mac.

You could try to do it using AppleScript and Automator.

I posted a few scripts on the Photos User Tips page:

See:  Photos for Mac

Batch Changes in Photos for Mac:  Change the titles to a Given String

Photos for Mac: Batch Change the Date and Time to a Fixed Date

Photos for Mac: Batch Change the Descriptions

Hi leonie,

When I run the script to batch change titles, I get an error message that says "The action 'Run AppleScript' encountered and error."  I've also tried running it from Automator and it looks like the problem happens in the "set the name to input" command.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jay

It is hard to tell from afar, Jay.

Does the title you want to set contain any non-standard characters?

Batch changing is not yet supported in Photos for Mac.

Your answer implies that it eventually will be supported.  Do you know something we don't ?

HI Leone,

I've tried several, but always something simple like "Volleyball."  I've created the script several times on two computers including pasting it in from your post and typing it in directly with the same results.  I must be missing something.

Thanks,

Jay

Your answer implies that it eventually will be supported.  Do you know something we don't ?

Just wishful thinking, Ziatron. Apple does listen occasionally, when enough feedback has been sent, that basic functionality is missing or broken. For example, the first update to Photos iOS brought the Camera Roll back to the iPhone and iPad. Or for GarageBand 10 the mp3 export has been introduced again. GarageBand 10 has been improved considerably since the first release a year ago and quite a few missing features added. By now it is usable. I am hoping for the same for Photos.

You're welcome, Diana.

I am keeping my main libraries in iPhoto and Aperture for the time being. For me the biggest obstacle to transferring my main libraries is the  buggy handling of time zones. And since my photos have been taken all around the world I cannot yet risk to move the older libraries.

Photos does not recognise 08:00:00 GMT as the same time as 10:00:00 GMT+02.  It sorts them incorrectly.

Jay Deitch wrote:

 

HI Leone,

 

I've tried several, but always something simple like "Volleyball."  I've created the script several times on two computers including pasting it in from your post and typing it in directly with the same results.  I must be missing something.

 

Thanks,

Jay

It may be a timing problem, as R-CR reported in another post,  or a problem with the "get selection".

Does the script work, with a small selection and only photos from one Moment selected?

Can you enter titles at all for for photos, if you try to add them manually?

Have a look at the script that NicFletcher posted: It shows how to make the scripts more robust by adding error checks:

A sample AppleScript and some technical observations on Photos

Hi Leone,

I added a few "display dialog" commands for error checks (see below).  I'm not sure the syntax is correct for all of them, but it stops to ask for text (as it has before) and then displays "getting images" with an OK button.  When I click the OK button, it errors out before it gets to 'display dialog  "Got " & ImageSel...' so either "set imageSel" or ""get selection" appear to be the problem (or the error is the next "display dialog" command).  ImageSel must not be empty because it doesn't display the "Please select some images." message.   See the error message at the bottom of the attached screen shot ("Can't make (<<class IPmi>>...").

Regarding your other questions:

- I've tried it with 1 to 6 photos selected, all in the same Moment and have tried photos from different Moments.

- I can enter titles manually by typing them in below the image in the Moment.  I can also copy and paste the title from one photo to the next.

Thanks again for all your help.

Jay

Try to add a "return" statement for debugging.  Right after the line

set imageSel to (get selection)

     insert

return imageSel

That will stop the workflow and return the list of selected items.

The list view should be something like {media item id "6X2EdD5rRtG9JcqgDQNlng" of application "Photos", media item id "ageZwX7KRC6MBw+IMtCrhA" of application "Photos", media item id "Mu2W+MkVQMqpmV6VWhhfXw" of application "Photos"}

Click the "result" button to see the returned items.  Is it the list of images you selected?

Also check the input the script receives by "return input"

Hi Leone,

Here is what happened:

First, a step-by-step description of running it:

It apparently completed the workflow without error, but it didn't change the titles.

Here is the script and the log when I run it using the “Step” button at the top of Automator (Photos is open and the photos are selected before running it).  Again, it looks like it ran without error.  It didn’t stop at “return imageSel” or display media item ids, etc.  After entering in the text for the titles it just completed the workflow but didn't change the titles.  Just plain weird!

Thanks again,

Jay

More...

The "return" command does return the image information and then appears to stop the workflow (so no error message or title changes):

If I remove the "return" command, or just make it a comment, I get the error message:

So it looks like it is getting the selected images, and it is getting the input from the text box, but runs into trouble when it tries to "set the name to input"

-Jay

Can you change the title of the photos in question manually?  Are your photos jpegs? I tested only with Jpeg files.

Or perhaps your Photos library has a corruption. 

You can test that by quitting Photos, holding down the alt/options key while launching Photos and selecting to create a new, empty Photos library for testing. Then add a few test images to the library and test there.