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Ever since my iPhotos was transferred to Photos I have many low resolution images. What are their function and how do I delete them?

Ever Since my iPhoto collection was transferred to Photos, I have many low resolution images. For what purpose are they and how do i delete them (en masse)

iMac, iOS 10.3.2

Posted on May 28, 2017 11:09 AM

Reply
9 replies

May 29, 2017 4:56 AM in response to tdanielsuk

You could try this AppleScript to find all photos with a width or height smaller than a given threshold:




(* How to use this script:


This script will split the selection into two albums -

- one album with pictures with the largest dimension smaller or equal than the given pixel size

- one album with pictures with the largest dimension larger than the given pixel size



Open this script in Script Editor. Launch Photos.

Select the Photos you want to distribute between the albums.


When all all photo are selected, press the "Run" button in Script Editor.


Author: léonie

*)


set defaultSizeThreshold to 256 -- change this to the pixel size threshold you want for a photo to be counted as small


set dialogResult to display dialog ¬

"Enter the pixel size threshold for small photos: " buttons {"Cancel", "OK"} ¬


default answer (defaultSizeThreshold as text)

set AspectRatioThreshold to (text returned of dialogResult) as integer



set smallAlbumName to "smallerThan" & AspectRatioThreshold-- the album to collect the small photos


set largeAlbumName to "largerThan" & AspectRatioThreshold-- the album to collect the larger photosphotos


tell application "Photos"


activate


-- Ensure that the albums do exist


try

if not (exists container smallAlbumName) then


makenewalbumnamedsmallAlbumName

end if

set theSmallAlbum to containersmallAlbumName


if not (exists container largeAlbumName) then


makenewalbumnamedlargeAlbumName

end if

set theLargeAlbum to containerlargeAlbumName


if not (exists container "SkippedPhotos") then

make new album named "SkippedPhotos"

end if

set theSkippedAlbum to container "SkippedPhotos"



on error errTexttwonumbererrNumtwo

display dialog "Cannot open albums: " & errNumtwo & return & errTexttwo

end try



-- process the selected photos from the All Photos album

try

set imageSel to (get selection)

on error errTexttwonumbererrNumtwo

display dialog "Cannot get the selection: " & errNumtwo & return & errTexttwo

end try


set smallPhotos to {} -- the list of small photos

set largePhotos to {} -- the list of larger photos

set skippedPhotos to {} -- the list of skipped photos




-- check, if the album or the selected photos do contain images


if imageSel is {} then

error "Please select some images."

else

repeat with im in imageSel

try


tell im--get the pixel size

set h to its height

set w to its width

end tell

on error errText number errNum

display dialog "Error: " & errNum & return & errText & "Trying again"

try

delay 2

tell im

set h to its height

set w to its width

end tell

on error errTexttwonumbererrNumtwo

display dialog "Skipping image due to repeated error: " & errNumtwo & return & errTexttwo

end try


end try

set noDimensions to (w is missing value) or (h is missing value)

if noDimensions then

set skippedPhotos to {im} & skippedPhotos

else

if (wh) then

set largestDimension to h

else

set largestDimension to w


end if

if (largestDimensionAspectRatioThreshold) then

set smallPhotos to {im} & smallPhotos

else

set largePhotos to {im} & largePhotos


end if

end if


end repeat



addsmallPhotostotheSmallAlbum


addlargePhotostotheLargeAlbum


addskippedPhotostotheSkippedAlbum


return "small photos: " & (length of smallPhotos) & ", larger photos : " & (length of largePhotos) & ", skipped: " & (length of skippedPhotos)


end if


end tell

-- As a User Tip: Script: Search for Photos by the Dimensions in Pixel Size

May 28, 2017 3:40 PM in response to tdanielsuk

It sounds like you somehow imported your iPhoto library to Photos (that is hard o do as Photos will not import a library) or sometime in the past have imported an old iPhoto library into iPhoto (which used to be easy to do) - NEVER import a library as it does not work and creates a mess


Do you still have the old iPhoto Library (it is a really good idea to keep the for no less than three months and longer is better) and is it good (no low resolution photos in it)? And how many photos have you added to Photos since migrating from Photos? And is the iPhoto library good (no small photo in it - if there are then they obviously migrate along with everything else and the error occurred in the past prior to the migration to Photos)


If you have the iPhoto library and it is good and have not added too many photos since migrating start over - in all photos select all new photos since the migration and export the unmodified original to a desktop folder the quit Photos and rename the Photos library (maybe change the extension to .old) and drag the iPhoto library to the Dock to migrate it then import the new photos that you exported


LN

May 28, 2017 4:00 PM in response to LarryHN

Thanks. Yes I have a mess. I do have the original iPhoto library on an old mac. I probably have about 500 - 1,000 new images since Apple migrated to Photos. At the fame time as these low res duplicates, I also have the facial recognition feature. It went on steroids with the transfer. I now have facial recognition of everything in my system including, statues, paintings, comic art as well as hundreds of new faces that were not in my initial facial recognition folder. The conversion also created thousands of event folders many with only one or two images.

Sounds as though I have an extensive summer project on my hands. Any further instructions or recommendations you could make would be exceedingly helpful. I have always had such complete faith in Apple products that I've been frustrated I could deal with attempting to resolve it until now.

May 28, 2017 5:31 PM in response to tdanielsuk

Th directions are posted for going back and starting over if that is what you want and if your iPhoto library is good (there is a good chance it is not but only you can tell that)


If you want to delete the low resolution photos it is more time consuming and manual - PhotoSweeper for Photos may be able to hel with finding the low res photos for deletion


LN

Ever since my iPhotos was transferred to Photos I have many low resolution images. What are their function and how do I delete them?

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