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Christian Schulzendorff edited this page Jan 4, 2019 · 18 revisions

Fow is a command line tool for an image file processing workflow. It gives support for image loading from camera card, renaming image files, location tagging from track files, organizing images in projects up to export the final images to defined destinations. Fow offers single commands to replace stupid drag'n drop steps, but fow doesn't offer commands for workflow steps you can better do with existing tools (for instance developing images with darktable).

Requirements

Fow is written in Python 3.5 for Linux based systems. There is a deb file you can direct install on your Ubuntu bases system or you can compile the source for any other Linux derivate. Fow mandatory needs following installed components on your computer:

  • Python
  • exiv2
  • exiftool
  • rsync

What fow is - and what it's not

Fow is structured in a single folder system, placed every where you want. There can be multiple fows on your system. Fow supports a workflow based processing by having a command for those workflow steps, no better tools exists ;-) Fow is stateless, and doesn't store any step status. There is no undo mechanism, but every modifying command has a 'test' option. A blank new fow directory structure will look like this:

  • myFowDir
    • .fow
    • 00_Inbox
      • jpg
      • raw
      • video
    • 01_Import
      • jpg
      • raw
      • video
    • 02_Progress

The directory 02_Progress holds your projects, images will be sorted in. As an example, the directory could look like this:

  • 02_Progress
    • family
      • summerHoliday2017
    • calendar
      • forGrandma
      • forMe
    • weekly
      • week01
      • week02

A project directory has a fixed structure and constists of five sub directories:

  • week01
    • final
    • jpg
    • raw
    • video
    • work

Workflow

A good way to understand fow is to understand the workflow process. Look at this overview:

Fow Workklow

There is a deep dive into the workflow on my Blog (German).

Commands

All commands at a glance: fow commands:

  • backup - save the fow to an external directory
  • config - show and change settings of the fow. A setting is a key value pair.
  • exif - Set or show EXIF values for final images of the actual task
  • export - Copy final images to external destinations for the actual task
  • gps - add gps locations from gpx files
  • help - This help. Use "help " for a specific command help
  • init - Creates new fow in the actual directory
  • load - Loads images from external destinations into 00_Inbox.
  • rename - Move and rename files from 00_Inbox to 01_Import.
  • show - reporting for processing steps
  • task - manage a fow's task

Now, let's take a look at the help pages of every single commands.

INIT

NAME
    init - Creates new fow in the actual directory

SYNOPSIS
    init [<options>] creates fow, if it doesn't exists.

OPTIONS
    -f, --force
            Delete existing fow directories before creating new one

CONFIG

NAME
    config - show and change settings of the fow. A setting is a key value pair.

SYNOPSIS
    config [<options>] [<key> [<value>]] config: List all items. Same as 'config --list' config <key> None: Set value to 'None'

DESCRIPTION
    The command shows or changes settings of the fow. A setting is a key value pair.

OPTIONS
    -l [<key>], --list [<key>]
            lists all settings or setting for a specific key

    -s <key>=<value>, --set <key>=<value>
            Set or create this item.

    -d <key>, --delete <key>
            Delete this item.

LOAD

NAME
    load - Loads images from external destinations into 00_Inbox.

SYNOPSIS
    load   [<options>] <destination|path>

    load destination
            Copy  all  images from the logical destination 'load.<destination>'. The destination must exists. It can be set with the config command.  Existing files
            in 00_Inbox will not be overwritten, but can be forced with option -f. The destination must be set with the config command and  must  be  prefixed  with
            'load.'. But the destination key may not have leading 'load.' when using this with load. For instance:

        fow config --set load.f=/media/f

        fow load f

OPTIONS
    Options:

    --force, -f
            Overwrite existing files in the destination.

    --test, -t
            Dry  run. Just test the load and report the result. In column one, list for image, if it will be overwritten (o), or (+) for a new image in the destina‐
            tion. Nothing will be changed.

    --path <path>, -p <path>
            Load to the give path instead of using a logical destination

    --move -m
            Moves the images instead of copy them.

    --verbose, -v
            Prints more information.

RENAME

NAME
    rename - Move and rename files from 00_Inbox to 01_Import.

SYNOPSIS
    rename [options] Moves an renames every file.

    DESCRIPTION
            Images  (JPGs,  RAWs  and  videos) will be renamed by their exif information to %Y%m%d-%H%M%S-:basename: where basename is the old name. If there are no
            exif timestamp available, the file will just moved and not renamed. The files may not exists in the destination dirs. To overwrite  existing  files  use
            the --force option.

OPTIONS
    --force, -f Overwrite existing files without warning.

    --test, -t Dry-run. Does nothin, just print output.

    --verbose,-v Print out more information.

SHOW

NAME
    show - reporting for processing steps

DESCRIPTION
    Processing steps are stored in the subfolder 00_INBOX, 01_IMPORT and 02_PROCESS.With show, a summary or report can be printed.

SYNOPSIS
    show [in|inbox|import] [options]
            Report  images  in  corresponding  directory  for  inbox (00_INBOX), import (01_IMPORT) or both together ('in').  Without an option, every image will be
            listed with it's name in the second column. The fist columns shows character based information for the image: j: File in  jpg-folder  r:  File  in  raw-
            folder v: File in video-folder t: Image a Text g: Image has geo locations If there is a text, it will be shown after the image name (third column).  For
            the --short, just a single line summary will be show.

    show tasks [options]
            Reports of all existing tasks in 02_PROCESS.  Without an option, every image will be listed with it's name in the second column. The fist columns  shows
            character  based  information for the image: f: File in final-folder j: File in jpg-folder r: File in raw-folder v: File in video-folder t: Image a Text
            g: Image has geo locations If there is a text, it will be shown after the image name (third column).  For the --short, just a single line  summary  will
            be show.

OPTIONS
    --short, -s
            Just a summary instead of reporting every image.

TASK

NAME
    task - manage a fow's task

SYNAPSIS
    task --activate|-a name

    task --create|-c name

    task --fill-final|-f [--test|-t]

    task -- next|-n

    task --previous|-p

    task --raw-import|-r [--test|-t]

    task [--short|-s|--long|-l]

DESCRIPTON
    Reporting and editing a task and their objects.

    A task is the working unit, saved in a subdirectory of 02_PROCESS.  A task can be set active, so all task manipulating commands are done on this task. The com‐
    plete task name has always the structure <folder>/<name>.  A task has a defined subfolder structure, that should not be changed, but additional subfolders  can
    be added. Subfolders for a photo task: /jpg - original jpg files /raw - original raw files /final - task output, jpg files, that can be exported /work  - work‐
    ing directory, for instance for gimp files The name of the taskroot can be changed without side effect.

SYNOPSIS
    Usage reporting: task [--short|-s|--long|-l]

    task: Reports a list with all final images of the actual task.

    task --long, task -l: Reports a list with all images of the actual task.
            Columns:

    task --short, task -s: Reports a brief status summary of the actual task.

    j (or -) - Image in jpg folder

    r (or -) - Image in raw folder

    f (or -) - Image in final folder

    t (or -) - Final image has title. If no final image exists, title of jpg.

    g (or -) - Final image has geo location. If no final image exists, geo location of jpg.

    space

    Image name without suffix

    space

    Title, if exists

OPTIONS
    --create <name>, -c <name>
            Creates a new task in the same folder of the actual task in 02_PROCESS/<folder_actual_task>. The task name may not exists.

    --create <folder/task>, -c <folder/task>
            Creates a new task in the particular subfolder of 02_PROCESS. A task has to  be  structured  in  a  one-level  folder  path.  For  instance  "weeklyPic‐
            ture/<task>".

    -a <task>, --activate <task>
            Set this task as the active one.

    -n, --next
            Set the next task to the active one (All tasks can be listed with 'show tasks').

    -p, --previous
            Set the previous task to the active one (all tasks can be listed with 'show tasks').

    -r, --raw-import
            Move  corresponding raw files for all images in jpg of the actual task, taken from 01_Import. Source and destination subfolder is /raw. Existing raws in
            the destination folder are untouched. Action is independent of the final folder.

    -f, -fill-final
            Copy all images from jpg to final, if the image is not already there. This can be used to complete the image set in final, for not touched  images.  The
            comparison  for  the  image  name  is  case  sensitive,  but  not for the suffix. For instance final/IMG1.jpg and jpg/img1.jpg are different images, but
            final/IMG1.jpg and jpg/IMG1.JPG are handled as one image.

    --test, -t
            Dry run, just print what would happens. Can be used for --raw-import and -fill-final.

GPS

NAME
    gps - add gps locations from gpx files

SYNOPSIS
    gps [<options>]
            Add gps information to all images in the final directory of the actual task.

    gps <destination> [<options>]
            Add  gps  information to all images in the directory of specified destination.  The destination must exists and points to an fow internal sub directory.
            The destination must be set with the config command and must be prefixed with 'gps.'.  But the destination key may not have leading  'gps.'  when  using
            this with export (for instance: 'gps import_jpg'):

        fow config --set gps.import_jpg=02_IMPORT/jpg

    gps --path|-p <sub directory> [<options>]
            Add gps information to all images in the directory within the fow. For instance 'gps 01_INBOX/jpg'.

DESCRIPTION
    The  gps  information  will  be  searched  in  gpx  files  of  an  particular  folder,  defined  as  config  value  with key 'gps.source'.  Example: 'config -s
    gps.source=/home/chris/gpsTracks'. To support a big gpx folder, the track files will be filtered by the date information in its file  name.  For  instance,  if
    there is an image with create date December, 31th, 2017 (taken from exif), all gpx files with string 2017-12-31 in its file name will be filtered.

OPTIONS
    --test, -t
            Dry run, simulates but does not update any image files.

    --force, -f
            Overwrite existing gps information. If not set, images with existing gps data will be ignored.

    --verbose, -v
            Prints information for every image. Otherwise just a summary is printed.

BACKUP

NAME
    backup - save the fow to an external directory

SYNOPSIS
    backup [<options>] [<path>]

    backup Saves fow to the external path. The past variable must be defined once with 'config -s backup.path=<ABSOLUTE_PATH>'.

OPTIONS
    --path <path>, -p <path>
            determines the destination path, deviating from the default path

    --test, -t
            test run, simulates but does not transfer any files

EXPORT

NAME
    export - Copy final images to external destinations for the actual task

SYNOPSIS
    export [<options>] <destination|path>

    export destination
            Copy  all images in final of the actual task to the logical destination 'export.destination'. The destination must exists. It can be set with the config
            command.  Existing files will be overwritten. The destination must be set with the config command and must be prefixed with 'export.'. But the  destina‐
            tion key may not have leading 'export.' when using this with export. For instance:

        fow config --set export.local=/home/chris/exported_images

    fow export local

OPTIONS
    Options:

    --force, -f
            Overwrite existing files in the destination.

    --test, -t
            Dry  run. Just test the export and report the result. In column one, list for image, if it will be overwritten (o), or (+) for a new image in the desti‐
            nation. Nothing will be changed.

    --path <path>, -p <path>
            Export to the give path instead of using a logical destination

EXIF

NAME
       exif - Set or show EXIF values for final images of the actual task

SYNOPSIS
       exif [--title  <value>] [--description  <value>] [--author] [--force] [--verbose] [<image>|<image nr>|all]

       exif [--verbose] [<image>|<image nr>|all]

       With the first command, EXIF values will be set. It must set at least on tag (title, description or author). With the second command, the EXIF tags can be shown.

       The  command  just  handles image files (jpg) in the final directory of the actual task. By the last parameter, the files will be selected: A particular file name with <image>, the number of
       the file, ordered like 'fow task' with <image nr> or 'all' to select all images. Without this parameter, theq first image is choosen (same as '1').

       For '--author', the config value 'exif.author' must exists. It can be set with the config command. The placeholder '{YYYY}' can be used to set the actual year, e. g. for a copyright.

       Only empty exif values will be set. To overwrite values, [--force] must be used.

OPTIONS
       Options:

       --title, -t <value>
              Set the title with the given text (use '  ' to enclose more-word texts).

       --description, -d <value>
              Set the description with the given text (use '  ' to enclose more-word texts)..TP

       --author, -a
              Set the author with the text from the given config value 'exif.author'.

       --check, -c <value>
              Dry run; just output what would be done.

       --force, -f
              Overwrite existing exif values.

       --verbose, -v
              Print also an info for untouched/unset tags.
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