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What is PyAlbum?

PyAlbum is a free and platform independent program that creates output files from pictures. Its main purpose is to create web albums (sometimes also called galleries here) from digital camera images. It can parse directory trees of any depth recursively and create linked output with the same tree structure. But you are not forced to generate HTML pages, the output can also be XML or simple, comma separated text. Everything is configurable and optional.

The output is generated by templates (called skins in some of the other programs). If none of the provided templates fits your needs, simply build your own!

The pictures can be generated in up to three different resolutions: thumbnail, low resolution and original size. The number of generated files is configurable within a template configuration file. So you can create frame sets, style sheets and other files you need only once. You can even feed the generated style sheet or HTML pages with your own user defined options, like colors, borders or anything you can imagine. Any number of index or overview pages can be created for different purposes, e.g. linking to low resolution and full picture pages. Any number of picture pages for each picture can be created, too. The only constraint is that there must at least one output file be defined.

Each directory and each picture can have a short title and any number of arbitrary long descriptions. The source for those texts can be flexibly configured. The photos can have several EXIF fields, which can be used to build the mentioned texts, and of course the most used so-called JPEG comment. All of the EXIF values can be used and displayed in the output files.

Why PyAlbum?

I know, there are tons of similar programs out, many of them even for free. So it simply should have been called YAAG. I have tested several of them and even paid money for some of them, but none could fit all my needs.

So I decided to enhance my Python programming knowledge while writing the ultimate album generator which should handle all features and ideas I have ever seen in this arena.

PyAlbum was developed from scratch with several code lines and ideas from PyGallery and with many ideas from JAlbum and its skins. Not to forget BilderGalerie with its panorama feature, which was the main reason to develop my own program.

My intention is not to enter into competition with the authors of those programs. Instead I want to thank them very much for their free software and inspiration!
If you have any remarks or suggestions, please go to the SourceForge project page.

Requirements:

To use this program you need some modules. All of them are free. Because of their size and usability for other purposes they are not bundled with PyAlbum. You will have to download and install them by yourself.

Features:

Download and installation

You can download the latest version from the PyAlbum SourceForge project page, its history can be found there, too.

  1. First, install all required software mentioned above in this order:
    1. Python 2.3.x
    2. EmPy
    3. PIL 1.1.4
  2. Next, unpack the PyAlbumXX.zip anywhere. It will create its own base directory.
  3. Then edit one of the *.cfg files in the program directory and adapt the entries to your needs, especially the inputdir and the outputdir.
    inputdir should point to a directory with some pictures. If you have read the Program options page you know how to add some texts to your pictures.
    outputdir should be a new or empty directory on your computer.
    The templatename must be one of the subdirectories in the templates folder. If you are on Linux case is significant here!
  4. Run the program:
            python PyAlbum.py -c <your edited file>.cfg
    and look at the output.

Sources of picture and album information

The information displayed in the generated album has can come from several different sources. The layout is defined by templates and options. EXIF data and comments are extracted from the pictures. Each picture and each directory has a "title" and a "description", which can be used by templates. How these are collected is defined by the following options:

  1. Title
  2. PicTitleMethod
  3. PicDescriptionMethod
  4. FolderTitleMethod
  5. FolderDescriptionMethod

All of those files following are optional and can be created and edited by you to comment your folders and pictures.
The information is extracted from the following files:

1. Picture files:
May contain EXIF information with several fields and JPEG comments.
2. <dirname>.txt:
A simple text file outside of a directory. Can be used for the description of that directory. Should be simple text, not HTML.
3. <picturename>.txt:
A simple text file inside of a directory. Can be used for the description of that picture. Should be simple text, not HTML. <picturename> is without extension!
4. meta.properties:
This is my favourite! Within this file you can store every information on folders and pictures you want. And it is extensible in the future and it will be extended.
Be sure to use exact case and names for the pictures!
Let me provide an example: 
folderTitle=My First Folder
folderDescription=This is the description for my first folder, which could be a very long line.
# this is a comment line followed by an empty line

title.pic0001.jpg  = title in meta for pic0001.
description.pic0001.jpg=description in meta for pic0001
5. comments.properties:
This file contains one line for each picture. Be sure to use exact case and names for the pictures!
You can use these comments as titles or as descriptions. Let me provide an example: 
carmel.jpg=carmel jpeg comment
lake_moraine.jpg=Nice lake!
6. descript.ion:
Almost the same as 'comments.properties' explained above, but there is white space instead of an equal sign between the picture name and the comment (a blank or tab). The picture name must be surrounded by double quotes if it contains blanks.
7. include files:
These files can only contain information on directories. They are includable into OnceFiles, IndexFiles or PictureFiles. There may exist up to six of these in a single input directory: onceheader.inc, oncefooter.inc, indexheader.inc, indexfooter.inc, pictureheader.inc and picturefooter.inc. These may and should contain HTML code. Where and whether they are included depends on the template files.
They are processed by the templating system, so they may include PyAlbum variables.
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