How videos add to the camera roll

[beans]

@cvp I tried the code. I can add the video to specified album. However, the code creates the album every time when adding another video to the album with same name (many 'my_album' are created); can not add the video to existing album. Any information or alternative way ?

[cvp]

@beans sorry for that, I have only tested once. I'll try in the afternoon Brussels time

[cvp]

@beans that should be ok, I hope

# add a local video file to IOS photos album
from objc_util import *
import threading

PHPhotoLibrary = ObjCClass('PHPhotoLibrary')
PHAssetChangeRequest = ObjCClass('PHAssetChangeRequest')
PHAssetCollectionChangeRequest = ObjCClass('PHAssetCollectionChangeRequest')
PHAssetCollection = ObjCClass('PHAssetCollection')
PHFetchOptions = ObjCClass('PHFetchOptions').alloc()

def add_video():
    lib = PHPhotoLibrary.sharedPhotoLibrary()
    url = nsurl('MesTests/mov_bbb.mp4')         # path to local video file
    
    PHAssetCollectionType = 1			# album
    PHAssetCollectionSubtype = 2 	# albumregular
    album = 'my_album'
    NSPredicate = ObjCClass('NSPredicate').predicateWithFormat_argumentArray_("title = %@", [album])
    PHFetchOptions.setPredicate_(NSPredicate)
    # get number of albums with this name
    fetchresult = PHAssetCollection.fetchAssetCollectionsWithType_subtype_options_(PHAssetCollectionType, PHAssetCollectionSubtype, PHFetchOptions)
    n_albums = fetchresult.count()

    def change_block():
        req = PHAssetChangeRequest.creationRequestForAssetFromVideoAtFileURL_(url)
        placeholderForCreatedAsset = req.placeholderForCreatedAsset()
        
        if n_albums == 0:
            print('create album',album)
            albumChangeRequest = PHAssetCollectionChangeRequest.creationRequestForAssetCollectionWithTitle_(album)
        else:
            print('existing album',album)
            albumChangeRequest = PHAssetCollectionChangeRequest.changeRequestForAssetCollection_(fetchresult.firstObject())
        print('add video')
        albumChangeRequest.addAssets_([placeholderForCreatedAsset])


    def perform_changes():
        lib.performChangesAndWait_error_(change_block, None)
        
    t = threading.Thread(target=perform_changes)
    t.start()
    t.join()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    add_video() 

[beans]

@cvp Thank you very much. The code works as expected. Very helpful. Additionally I found another issue through testing the code: the file should be accessible as internal file, the file is only stored in iCloud Drive (not imported to the device as accessible) can not be added. I assume this is reasonable but if any way to start importing from iCloud Drive to the device by the code it will be further helpful. Any ideas ? Sorry for repeated asking.

[cvp]

@beans said:

the file is only stored in iCloud Drive

In which folder? Try to open it as "external folder" in Pythonista files browser

[cvp]

@beans Once you have defined your iCloud Drive folder as external folder in Pythonista, you can get a file with

    url = nsurl('/private/var/mobile/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/MyFolder/mov_bbb.mp4')

[beans]

@cvp I opened that iCloud folder from EXTERNAL FILES. The folder is shown in EXTERNAL FILES. The files existed in the folder are accessible as '/private/var...', however, the files newly added to that folder are not shown in the folder of EXTERNAL FILES and are not accessible as '/private/var...' The newly added files can be shown using os.listdir('/private/var...'). The file names are shown as '.filename.icloud' (they are not shown in the folder of EXTERNAL FILES). I assume the files are not imported to the device or not synced with EXTERNAL FILES and would like to know if any way to import the files by the code.

[cvp]

@beans it is a known problem: a file not yet locally downloaded is not accessible 😢
If you first download it in the Files app, you should be able to access it.
I think there are some topics in this forum about this problem.
Sorry for you

[beans]

@cvp Thank you for the information. Anyway, the code is very useful.

[henryaukc]

yeah. it works