Working on the same project on two or more devices

There are currently a few ways I can think of to work on the same project on multiple devices, but it is a bit embarrassing to discuss them, because they are clearly hacks, so please keep in mind that officially, Tropy does not support collaborative features yet (but we’re looking to improve that).

What is already possible is moving a project from one device to another. If you understand that process, you’ll see that there are few options to simultaneously work on the project from both devices. But first off, to move a project (for example, because you’re upgrading to a new computer), you would:

  1. Copy the project file and the photos to the new device.
  2. If the absolute path of the photos is the same on the new device as it was on the old device, that’s it: if you open the project, Tropy should be able to find all the photos and generate all the thumbnails (visible in the project view).
  3. If the paths are different, you’d have to tell Tropy where to find the files (see here).

Now, depending on your use case there are different options:

If you can set up your photos in a way to make them accessible on both devices using the same absolute path (e.g., using sym-links or by actually using the same paths) then you should be able to just use the same project file on both devices. However, I’d be careful not work on the project on both devices at the same time (because there no syncronization features yet, the two instances of Tropy are likely conflict with each other).

If you can not set up your photos in such a way (or if you don’t want to copy all the photos to both devices) you could still set up one device to work only on the metadata; you could also copy the thumbnails from one device to the other, which would make it possible to view the entire project on the second device (but you would not see the photos in the image viewer when switching to the item view). Tropy stores thumbnails in your ‘use data’ folder, e.g., ~/.config/tropy/cache on Linux.

1 Like

Thank you for your answer! Just one thing: does option 3 work between macOS and windows?

You mean to copy the thumbnail cache from one device on macOS to Windows (or vice versa) and to then use the project (located in a shared folder) on one device without photos and on the other with photos? Yes, I think that should work (but please make routine backup copies of your project!).

All you need to do is copy the cache folder from one device to the other. You can use ‘Help -> Show log files’ on both devices to open the corresponding log folder; the cache folder should be ../cache relative to that folder. In it, you’ll see folders for each project (using the internal project id). You can either copy all of them or just the folder of the project you want to share.

Ok, good to know. However, what I meant was moving the project, files and paths, as you mentionned in 3.

Well, you can certainly move the project and the files; and you can update the paths in your project (ideally by changing the paths directly in the database as explained in the posting I linked to above; in the UI you’d currently have to consolidate each photo individually).

Ok, I was only asking because the instructions in the post you are referring to (Moving Photos After Import: Photos do not open in Item View) are for “macOS or Linux (assuming sqlite3 is installed)”

You need to have sqlite to make the changes (but you can make them on macOS, where it is pre-installed). On Windows, I think you’d have to install sqlite first.

hi ! just a simple and basic question : how do I copy Tropy’s project ? because at this point, I have an empty frame on my new computer. I understood the photos might have to be reimported. thanks CB

You can move the project itself by moving the project file. To find where it’s saved “Once you are in Tropy, if you need to find out where your project is saved, right-click on its name in the sidebar and select Show project file.

Be sure to read the manual section about moving photos

Hi.
I move TPY file from one computer to an other to be able to work on my second computer. I understood that I have to refresh links by reassociating each new file directories. I did it for one object by consolidate and I accepted for all files as describe in the manual section about moving photos. I saw the batch working ( abt 300 pictures).
Result : all pictures are still with an !
But the new directory for this object in Troppy is correct. I don’t know what to do !
Thank’s for your help

You say all pictures still have the warning sign, but does that include the one photo you consolidated manually, or does that one work? In any case, when this happens it typically means that there is still an issue with the paths or there is an issue with file permissions (the latter happens frequently on macOS Catalina if you downloaded your photos from the Internet).

So let’s first check that the paths are correct. To do this, just pick any of the photos with the warning sign and confirm that the path is correct. One way to do this is to select the photo and locate the file info in the metadata panel: if you however the cursor over the file name the full path shows up as a hint and if you click on the name, the file should open in your file manager: if this does not work it’s most likely that the path is not correct. If the path is correct, but the image still does not show up, it’s most likely an issue with file permissions – one way to find out is to open the tropy.log file to see if there are any permission denied errors. If that’s the case, we need to fix the file permissions (this will be different depending on what operating system you use).

  • -The path is correct ( file are seen on the file manager when you click on the tropy file in the metadata panel). I can open in an image viewer like windows photo editor.

  • In the tropy log file, some error messages below.

What can I understand ?

{“level”:40,“time”:1605561477599,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“ms”:557,“list”:false,“query”:“AMM”,“tags”:false,“trash”:null,“msg”:“SLOW: *search query “AMM” took 557ms”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561478165,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“TypeError: Failed to fetch”,“msg”:“esper: failed loading file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AMM/JPEG-Am%C3%A9lior%C3%A9s/AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue13_r.jpg”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561481555,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“msg”:“SLOW: photo.consolidate#32”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561481585,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“TypeError: Failed to fetch”,“msg”:“esper: failed loading file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AMM/JPEG-Am%C3%A9lior%C3%A9s/AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue13_r.jpg?c=1605561481499”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561482695,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, stat ‘E:\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AMM\JPEG-Améliorés\AMM-DD1-f°1_11-IMGP0559.JPG’”,“msg”:“failed to open photo E:\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AMM\JPEG-Améliorés\AMM-DD1-f°1_11-IMGP0559.JPG”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561486373,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“TypeError: Failed to fetch”,“msg”:“esper: failed loading file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AMM/JPEG-Am%C3%A9lior%C3%A9s/AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue32_r.jpg”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561489344,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“msg”:“SLOW: photo.consolidate#52”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605561489347,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“TypeError: Failed to fetch”,“msg”:“esper: failed loading file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AMM/JPEG-Am%C3%A9lior%C3%A9s/AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue32_r.jpg?c=1605561489333”}

Windows 10 user

There are two distinct types wrong paths in the log file. The first is:

  • file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AMM/JPEG-Am%C3%A9lior%C3%A9s/AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue13_r.jpg

This one clearly looks like an invalid path. It seems to point to an IP address but is using the local file protocol. If this server is reachable on your local network (e.g., a network storage) then this should work if this file is available via HTTP. The question is, how did you end up with this path: did you import the file via drag and drop or by using the file selector?

In any case, to fix this, we need to figure out what the correct path for these kinds of photos is. Can you tell me if this particular file is on one of your local drives? Or if you want to access it over the network, what the correct address is?

The other missing path in the log file is:

  • E:\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AMM\JPEG-Améliorés\AMM-DD1-f°1_11-IMGP0559.JPG

Now this looks like a normal path in the file system. But the file does not seem to exist (there is a ‘no entity’ error when Tropy tries to open it) – can you double check? If the file exists, I suspect there is some encoding issue, perhaps caused by the ° in the name. If the file does not exist at this exact location then manually consolidating it should at least fix all the missing files which are similarly misplaced.

  • for the adress :///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AMM/JPEG-Am%C3%A9lior%C3%A9s/AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue13_r.jpg`
    The real file address accessible from the windows image viewer in the file browser is :
    \192.168.1.47\backup\Cherisey\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AMM\JPEG-Améliorés\AMM-AA25_5-33_Vue13_r.jpg

I don’t know how did I end up with this path but I know I did’nt import the file via drag and drop or by using the file selector? I imported files from the directory with the windows file browser.
I have to say that I have trouble (slowing down, blockages ) when I acces to my NAS from the windows file browser. Sometime the name of the NAS is not displayed on the network and when it is displayed, not reachable (windows message : file doesn’t exist). The only way was to reach the Nas is the IP adress. But even if I use the IP address are slowing down, blockages occur. Nas Diag is OK.

  • for the adresss E:\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AMM\JPEG-Améliorés\AMM-DD1-f°1_11-IMGP0559.JPG
    The real file address accessible from the windows image viewer in the file browser is :
    \192.168.1.47\backup\Cherisey\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AMM\JPEG-Améliorés\AMM-DD1-f°1_11-IMGP0559.JPG.

How do (or did) you access the files on the computer where you first imported the files? I’m assuming they were available on drive E: on that computer – but was that a local/external drive or was it already on your NAS? If there is any way you might try mapping your network drive to a drive letter – this would make sure that the files are accessible via the file system at a stable path. Ideally you would set this up using the same drive letters on both your computers, this way the same project file should work on both computers without consolidation.

I appology. You are right. I made some shortcut on file manager to acces directly to some files directories on NAS. I deleted them and it seems than acces to Nas is OK.
Do you think now that best way will be copy again TPY file from my first computer to the other and execute again the tpy procedure for reassociating each new file directories ?
Thank’s again for your help

If you haven’t made any changes (other than consolidating) to the project on the new computer yet, then it might be easier to just start over with the original copy. Otherwise, you will just have to consolidate the photos you already consolidated manually again (those that have the IP in the path now), plus one of the other photos that still has the original path to the E: drive – if you consolidate one of those, the auto-consolidation should then be able to resolve the other photos by itself.

I copied the file and refreshed links but it doesn’t still work. Below log files tropy.log (9.9 KB) .

There are still paths to with the IP and other paths starting with file:///NAS-C1-E4-DC/backup/Cher... – these are not valid file protocol paths. You should try to either assign them a drive letter because Tropy can only access your files via the file system or HTTP, not the Samba protocol.

Unfortunately I failed to correct the errors.
Indeed, my documentary base consists of a tree structure at 3 levels:
Dir Manuscrits
Dir Source 1
Dir Images
File A
File B

Dir Source 2
Dir Images
File F
File G

In the Object View, I consolidated 2 files ( giving me the hability to chose the directory). Then to be sure to consolidate, in the browser view I has also consolidate the item, then all the file were scanned.
Nothing changed, All the items related to the directory changed are not reachable. In the log file all the files in error are for wrong acces.

Even if I could change that acces, it’s a to heavy work to find files and modifiy their adress due to file structure.
A first improvement could be a routine search file an replace from the top of tree structure or a way to simply modifiyng directory adresses in a setup file.
For NAS a second improvement could be availability of what you call Samba protocol. All the applications, I use with files on NAS, have acces to files.

I Understood you have a shareable version of tropy in project. I m sure, these problems will be adressed to . I will wait :).
Thank’s again.

Part of log file :
Failed to fetch",“msg”:“esper: failed loading file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AD54/JPEG-TT/IMGP0262_AD54_B522_175-1.jpg”} .
{“level”:40,“time”:1605719605139,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, stat ‘E:\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AD54\JPEG-TT\IMGP0262_AD54_B522_175-1.jpg’”,“msg”:“failed to open photo E:\1- Manuscrits\Norroy-AD54\JPEG-TT\IMGP0262_AD54_B522_175-1.jpg”}
{“level”:30,“time”:1605719609958,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“msg”:“db query took 104ms”,“query”:“UPDATE photos SET checksum = $new_checksum, color = $new_color, mimetype = $new_mimetype, orientation = $new_orientation, page = $new_page, path = $new_path, protocol = $new_protocol, size = $new_size WHERE id = $id”,“ms”:104}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605719610058,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“msg”:“SLOW: photo.consolidate#33”}
{“level”:40,“time”:1605719610073,“type”:“renderer”,“name”:“project”,“stack”:“TypeError: Failed to fetch”,“msg”:“esper: failed loading file:///192.168.1.47/backup/Cherisey/1-%20Manuscrits/Norroy-AD54/JPEG-TT/IMGP0262_AD54_B522_175-1.jpg?c=1605719610038”}