Difference between revisions of "Media Management"

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{{Languages|Media Management}}
 
{{Languages|Media Management}}
 
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{{man warn|1=Work In Progress|2=Please don't edit. This page is not planned be linked to a public page until 10 Nov 2020.}}
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This page is intended to be a discussion of improving the management of a collection of supporting documents related to a genealogy Tree. Since Gramps has limited built-in facilities related to managing external files, the techniques will focus on workarounds and using external tools in concert with Gramps.
== Media references are not the Media Files ==
 
  
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A good discussion will need contributions from many perspectives. Please jump in and widen its currently narrow perspective. But multiple simultaneous WikiContributors can step on each other's edits in MediaWiki pages. To avoid this, edit individual sections instead of the entire page.  To add new content, start by [https://wikibooks.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User_Guide/Sections_and_Headings adding a Section Heading] (subtitle) at the bottom of the section above and save the Edit. Then click the '''''[edit]''''' hotlink beside your newly created section's subtitle.
  
Gramps does not manage Media files.  It is more similar to a [https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata metadata] manager. That means that Media object actions of: moving to another Gallery tab, duplicating, deleting, or merging; will do nothing to the actual Media file. They simply rearrange the pointers to those files.
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{{stub}}
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[[File:Gramps-media.png|left]]A [[Gramps_Glossary#media|Media]] Object describes an external file that holds media data, such as a scanned page, audio recording or a video recording. Media files can also be in document formats, such as a text file (<code>[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/TXT .txt]</code>), portable document file (<code>[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF .pdf]</code>), word processing document (<code>[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/DOC .doc]</code>), a web page (<code>[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML .html]</code>, <code>[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/MHTML .mthml]</code>), as well as any number of other file formats.  
  
There are exceptions. The backup and restoring of backups includes the option to make file copies of Media objects up to 1 megabyte in size. And some Media related addons recognize paths with internet URLs and have the option to automatically download and archive copies to local storage. Gramps also manages thumbnails and downloaded map tiles.
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The “content” of the Media Object element is not the object itself but merely information about the object. The external file that contains the object is named by the xlink:href attribute.
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== Media Objects in Gramps are not the actual Media Files ==
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Gramps does not manage {{icon|medi}} Media files.  Instead, it is more similar to a [https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata metadata] manager. That means that Media object actions of: moving to another Gallery tab, duplicating, deleting, or merging; will do nothing to the actual Media file. They simply rearrange the pointers to those files.
  
[[File:Broken_Media_Path.png|thumb|right|283px|The Media Object Editor with an invalid file path.]]However, the majority of the tasks managing of Media Objects have to be performed outside of Gramps. You can just toss objects into a directory and link to them.  But it will create a disorganized mess that will become a maintenance nightmare. If the files have to be reorganized, Gramps won't be aware of those changes until you reset the paths. In the meantime the links will have a 'broken' indicator.
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There are exceptions. The creation and restoring of backup archives includes the option to include file copies of Media objects up to 1 megabyte in size. And some Media related addons recognize paths with internet URLs and have the option to automatically download and shelve copies somewhere on local storage devices. Gramps also manages thumbnails and downloaded map tiles in the [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_User_Directory|User Directory]].
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[[File:Broken_Media_Path.png|thumb|right|283px|The Media Object Editor with an invalid file path.]]However, the majority of the tasks managing of Media Objects must be performed outside of Gramps. You can just toss objects into a directory and link to them.  But this will contrive a disorganized mess that will quickly become a maintenance nightmare. If the files have to be reorganized, Gramps will lose track of those files until you correct the paths. In the meantime the links will have a 'broken' indicator.
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{{-}}
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== Select an Organizational System ==
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There are groups of genealogist who share organizational system ideas for genealogical resources.  And many feel most comfortable extending the metaphor for those systems for their digital resources too. So if their home library is organized with color-coding, labeling patterns and file boxes; they try to replicate the system with their digital resources too.
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Before computerization, the metadata system used by libraries consisted of 3 duplicate index card catalog sets... sorted by: Title, Author & Subject. Maintaining an effective index required carefully sequencing the reference materials on the shelves sorted by a 4th addressing system. (Such as the Dewey Decimal system.)
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=== Manual Approach ===
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* [[Organise_your_records]]
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** [[Organise_your_files|Examples of how Gramps Users have organized digital files]]
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** [[Portable_Filenames|Portable filenames]]
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** [[Meaningful_filenames|Meaningful filenames]]
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=== Document Management Systems ===
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https://medium.com/@MarktrHimanshu/top-10-free-and-open-source-document-management-system-ddd4265adf5e
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== Relative Media filepaths ==
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Unlike most Preferences items, the Base path for relative media paths is stored in the Tree data.  For the '''Extensible Markup Language ''' [http://wikipedia.org/wiki/XML XML] archival <code>[[Gramps_XML|.gramps]]</code> format, there is a <code><mediapath></code> element in the Header chunk. This means that a different media path may be set for each separate Tree.
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Here is the XML pseudo code sample:
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  <header>
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    <created date="2020-11-01" version="GrampsAIO64-5.1.3-2"/>
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    <researcher>
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    </researcher>
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    <mediapath>C:\Users\<user_name>\Pictures</mediapath>
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  </header>
  
 
== See also==
 
== See also==
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* [[Organise_your_records]]
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** [[Organise_your_files|Examples of how Gramps Users have organized digital files]]
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** [[Portable_Filenames|Portable filenames]]
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** [[Meaningful_filenames|Meaningful filenames]]
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* [[Addon:AvatarGenerator|Addon: Avatar Generator]]
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* Discourse Forum: [https://gramps.discourse.group/t/import-sources-in-bulk/860/4 bulk import of Sources and Media]
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* Discourse Forum: [https://gramps.discourse.group/t/working-with-media-files/872 Working with Media Files]
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* Discourse Forum: [https://gramps.discourse.group/t/default-media-path-storage/79 Default Media Path Storage]
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* Discourse Forum: [https://gramps.discourse.group/t/wrong-thumbnails-after-changing-image/156/2 Wrong Thumbnails After Changing Image]
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* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Tools#Media_Manager|Media Manager]]
 
* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Categories#Media_Category|Media Category]]
 
* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Categories#Media_Category|Media Category]]
 
* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Entering_and_editing_data:_brief#Adding_photos_and_other_media_objects|Adding photos and other media objects]]
 
* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Entering_and_editing_data:_brief#Adding_photos_and_other_media_objects|Adding photos and other media objects]]
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* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Settings#General_Gramps_settings|{{man label|Base path for relative media paths:}}]] where you can fill in a base path for the media objects. Selecting the {{man button|Directory}} button gives you a {{man label|Select media directory}} editor where you can fill in the required path.
 
* [[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Settings#General_Gramps_settings|{{man label|Base path for relative media paths:}}]] where you can fill in a base path for the media objects. Selecting the {{man button|Directory}} button gives you a {{man label|Select media directory}} editor where you can fill in the required path.
  
 
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* [[Addon:DownloadMedia|Addon:Download Media]]
 
* The builtin {{man label|[[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Tools#Media_Manager|Media Manager]]}} which is group of four separate tools that allows you to do the following:
 
* The builtin {{man label|[[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Tools#Media_Manager|Media Manager]]}} which is group of four separate tools that allows you to do the following:
 
** {{man label|[[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Tools#Replace_substrings_in_the_path|Replace substrings in the path]]}}
 
** {{man label|[[Gramps_{{man version}}_Wiki_Manual_-_Tools#Replace_substrings_in_the_path|Replace substrings in the path]]}}
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* The Third-party Addon {{man label|[[Media Verify Tool]]}} is used verify a one-to-one relationship between media objects and files in the media directory. The main purpose of the tool is to locate files that have been moved and fix the paths.  
 
* The Third-party Addon {{man label|[[Media Verify Tool]]}} is used verify a one-to-one relationship between media objects and files in the media directory. The main purpose of the tool is to locate files that have been moved and fix the paths.  
 
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* [[Photo_Tagging_Gramplet|Photo Tagging Gramplet]]
  
  

Revision as of 17:20, 8 April 2021

This page is intended to be a discussion of improving the management of a collection of supporting documents related to a genealogy Tree. Since Gramps has limited built-in facilities related to managing external files, the techniques will focus on workarounds and using external tools in concert with Gramps.

A good discussion will need contributions from many perspectives. Please jump in and widen its currently narrow perspective. But multiple simultaneous WikiContributors can step on each other's edits in MediaWiki pages. To avoid this, edit individual sections instead of the entire page. To add new content, start by adding a Section Heading (subtitle) at the bottom of the section above and save the Edit. Then click the [edit] hotlink beside your newly created section's subtitle.

Gramps-notes.png

This article's content is incomplete or a placeholder stub.
Please update or expand this section.


Gramps-media.png

A Media Object describes an external file that holds media data, such as a scanned page, audio recording or a video recording. Media files can also be in document formats, such as a text file (.txt), portable document file (.pdf), word processing document (.doc), a web page (.html, .mthml), as well as any number of other file formats.

The “content” of the Media Object element is not the object itself but merely information about the object. The external file that contains the object is named by the xlink:href attribute.

Media Objects in Gramps are not the actual Media Files

Gramps does not manage Media Media files. Instead, it is more similar to a metadata manager. That means that Media object actions of: moving to another Gallery tab, duplicating, deleting, or merging; will do nothing to the actual Media file. They simply rearrange the pointers to those files.

There are exceptions. The creation and restoring of backup archives includes the option to include file copies of Media objects up to 1 megabyte in size. And some Media related addons recognize paths with internet URLs and have the option to automatically download and shelve copies somewhere on local storage devices. Gramps also manages thumbnails and downloaded map tiles in the User Directory.

The Media Object Editor with an invalid file path.

However, the majority of the tasks managing of Media Objects must be performed outside of Gramps. You can just toss objects into a directory and link to them. But this will contrive a disorganized mess that will quickly become a maintenance nightmare. If the files have to be reorganized, Gramps will lose track of those files until you correct the paths. In the meantime the links will have a 'broken' indicator.


Select an Organizational System

There are groups of genealogist who share organizational system ideas for genealogical resources. And many feel most comfortable extending the metaphor for those systems for their digital resources too. So if their home library is organized with color-coding, labeling patterns and file boxes; they try to replicate the system with their digital resources too.

Before computerization, the metadata system used by libraries consisted of 3 duplicate index card catalog sets... sorted by: Title, Author & Subject. Maintaining an effective index required carefully sequencing the reference materials on the shelves sorted by a 4th addressing system. (Such as the Dewey Decimal system.)

Manual Approach

Document Management Systems

https://medium.com/@MarktrHimanshu/top-10-free-and-open-source-document-management-system-ddd4265adf5e

Relative Media filepaths

Unlike most Preferences items, the Base path for relative media paths is stored in the Tree data. For the Extensible Markup Language XML archival .gramps format, there is a <mediapath> element in the Header chunk. This means that a different media path may be set for each separate Tree.

Here is the XML pseudo code sample:

 <header>
   <created date="2020-11-01" version="GrampsAIO64-5.1.3-2"/>
   <researcher>
   </researcher>
   <mediapath>C:\Users\<user_name>\Pictures</mediapath>
 </header>

See also

  • The Third-party Addon Merge Media that searches your database for media file entries that are pointing to the same actual file and when found, they can be merged together.
  • The Third-party Addon Media Verify Tool is used verify a one-to-one relationship between media objects and files in the media directory. The main purpose of the tool is to locate files that have been moved and fix the paths.
  • Photo Tagging Gramplet