Apple script to export images from "Photos" application - applescript

Question

I have albums and nested albums and folders in Photos application. I want my applescript to export images maintaining the Album or Folder structure that I have the in the application.
I tried scripts available online :
tell application "Finder"
set location_1 to (choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder to export into") as text
end tell
tell application "Photos"
set x to name of every folder
choose from list x with prompt "Choose a project to export"
set theP to item 1 of result
tell application "Finder" to make new folder at alias location_1 with properties {name:theP}
tell folder theP
set initflist to every folder
set initalist to every album
if initflist is equal to {} then
log "process albums"
processAlbums(initalist, location_1 & theP) of me
else
if initalist is not equal to {} then
log "process albums"
processAlbums(initalist, location_1 & theP) of me
end if
log "process sub folders "
processSfolders(initflist, (location_1 & theP)) of me
end if
end tell
end tell
on processAlbums(alist, apath)
tell application "Photos"
repeat with a in alist
tell a
set theimages to get media items of album a
set thename to name of a
tell application "Finder"
if not (exists folder thename in alias apath) then
make new folder at alias apath with properties {name:thename}
end if
set destination to apath & ":" & thename & ":"
end tell
with timeout of 6000 seconds
tell a
set settings to "JPEG - Original Size"
export theimages to alias destination
end tell
end timeout
end tell
end repeat
end tell
end processAlbums
on processSfolders(flist, fpath)
tell application "Photos"
repeat with a in flist
try
set thename to name of a
tell application "Finder"
if not (exists folder thename in alias fpath) then
make new folder at alias fpath with properties {name:thename}
end if
end tell
tell a
set sAlist to every album
set sflist to every folder
if sflist is equal to {} then
processAlbums(sAlist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me
else
if sAlist is not equal to {} then
processAlbums(sAlist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me
end if
processSfolders(sflist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me
end if
end tell
on error errMsg
log "error"
end try
end repeat
end tell
end processSfolders
The issue is that it gets names of only child albums and not top level albums. I have to maintain the entire structure of album or folder.
I do not know AppleScript and I tried tweaking this one but no luck so far. can I get a direction please?

Answer 1

You can get the name of the folders, and the albums contained in the folder, which will enable you to create the top level and child directories. Albums can only contain media items, not albums. Top level albums are classified as folders or containers. In the Applescript dictionary for Photos, it gives the definitions for these items.
tell application "Finder"
set location_1 to (choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder to export into") as text
end tell
tell application "Photos"
activate
set fds to folders
repeat with fd in fds
set fdName to name of fd
set abNames to every album of fd
if parent of fd is missing value then
my createFolders(fdName, abNames, location_1, fd)
end if
end repeat
end tell
on createFolders(fName, aAlbums, fPath, fd)
tell application "Finder"
if not (exists folder fName in alias fPath) then
make new folder with properties {name:fName} at fPath
end if
repeat with a in aAlbums
set aName to name of a
set aPath to ((fPath as alias) as text) & fName
if not (exists folder aName in alias aPath) then
make new folder with properties {name:aName} at aPath
end if
set exPath to ((aPath as alias) as text) & aName
my exportImages(a, exPath)
end repeat
end tell
tell application "Photos"
set rcFolders to every folder of fd
repeat with rcFd in rcFolders
set rcAlbums to every album of rcFd
set rcName to name of rcFd
set rcPath to ((fPath as alias) as text) & fName
my createFolders(rcName, rcAlbums, rcPath, rcFd)
end repeat
end tell
end createFolders
on exportImages(photoAlbum, destination)
tell application "Photos"
set theimages to get media items of photoAlbum
with timeout of 6000 seconds
tell photoAlbum
set settings to "JPEG - Original Size"
export theimages to alias destination
end tell
end timeout
end tell
end exportImages
EDIT - Error Handling
To handle errors, locate the command that is causing the error and wrap it in a try block. Solution could be to quit the application, so that the process will end, and maybe add a short delay and then continue with the script.
try
export theimages to alias destination
on error
-- statements to execute in case of error
error "The exporting of images failed to complete"
quit
end try
From the developer reference - When a command fails to complete in the allotted time (whether the default of two minutes, or a time set by a with timeout statement), AppleScript stops running the script and returns the error "event timed out". AppleScript does not cancel the operation—it merely stops execution of the script. If you want the script to continue, you can wrap the statements in a try statement. However, whether your script can send a command to cancel an offending lengthy operation after a timeout is dependent on the application that is performing the command. Further info regarding try statements.