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k3b edited this page Oct 31, 2019 · 4 revisions

Backup To Zip

Backup to zip : copy local fotos to a zipfile on attached usb-stick.

Features

  • the zipfile can be generated on every storage provider that your android device supports: (internal memory, external sd-card, usb-stick, network drive, cloudservices).
  • you can control, which files should be copied to zip
    • example: In Gallery view multi select 5 Photos and then press menu Backup to zip:
      • ==> these 5 photos can be copied to one zip file "photos-xxxx.zip"
    • example: In any Folder-Picker long-press on folder "0709Kreta" and then press menu Backup to zip:
      • ==> all photos in and below folder "0709Kreta" can be copied to one zip file "0709Kreta-xxxx.zip"
    • example: In any Folder-Picker long-press on virtual album "Habours" and then press menu Backup to zip:
      • ==> all photos that belong to "Habours" can be copied to one zip file "Habours-xxxx.zip"
    • example: In Filter-View select some Filtercriteria and then press menu Backup to zip:
      • ==> all photos that match that filter creteria can be copied to one zip file
  • you can do incremental backups: (i.e. all photos modified since the last backup)
    • Note: A Photo Manager remembers Date/Time when the last Backup to zip was done for a backup-configuration. When you enter the same backup-configuration again the "Last Modified" field will be set to the last backup-date-time so that only those photos that where added or modified since that date will go into the next zip
    • Note: Zip file name will contain date-time infos so you can see from filename when the backup was made and at what modify-date-time did it start.
  • inside the zip file the source folder structure will be preseved.
    • Example: if you backup the folder "/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.../Holydays/0709Kreta/" then photo "../Holydays/0709Kreta/StarBeach/07Kreta_417.jpg" will become "StarBeach/07Kreta_417.jpg" inside the generated zipfile "0709Kreta-xxxxxx.zip"

Backup-Configuration

If you navigate to "/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.../0709Kreta/" in the folder picker and longpress and then menu Backup to zip you get the backup-configuration dialog

  • File "0709Kreta" : this will become the zip file base name.
    • Note: When you tab the history button at the end of File you can select previously done backup-configurations (i.e. "photos", "Habours" from the examples above)
  • Folder "content://com.android.externalstorage.documets/tree/A024-0FFC:toPc": With the "..." button the folder "external-usb-stick("A024-0FFC")/toPc" was selected where the generated zipfile will be generated to
  • Generate Zip-Subfolders below "/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.../0709Kreta/": define which folders will be generated within the zip
    • "/storage/emulated/0/.../0709Kreta/StarBeach/07Kreta_417.jpg" will become "StarBeach/07Kreta_417.jpg" inside the generated zipfile "0709Kreta-xxxxxx.zip"
  • When: Last modifyied 20191009T04:13:46 :
    • the previousd backup was taken on 2019-10-09 at 04:13:46
    • all files modified since the will be copied to zip file.
  • Filter : definition which photos will go into the zip file
    • Path /storage/emulated/0/.../0709Kreta/% : since we selected folder "0709Kreta" all photos inside and below this folder will go into the zip
  • (: #0 / 0 b ) : means with current filter and last-modified 0 files with 0 bytes would be backed up.
    • if you remove the last-modified by selecting empty from history-button you get (: #1126 / 71 Mb ) which means 1126 photos with 71 Megabytes

In Backup-Configuration you have these commands:

  • start doing the "Backup to zip".
  • is the "Cancel" which closes the "Backup to zip" witout executing the zip.
  • is the "Delete/Clear Filter" command which sets all fields.
  • Menu "Show in new gallery": Backup preview: shows photos that would go into the new incremental back

Backup Progress

After starting the backup with you get the backup progress view:

  • "content://com.android.externalstorage.documents/tree/A024-0FFC:toPc/0709Kreta.20010901-220500.20191009-040704.zip"
    • this is the zip file that will be generated:
    • 0709Kreta is the choosen basename
    • "A024-0FFC:toPc/" this is zip output folder /toPc/ on usbstick with id A024-0FFC
    • 0709Kreta.20010901-220500.20191009-040704.zip the generated zip file
      • 20010901-220500 backup starts with last modified 2001-09-01 at 22:05:00 (when previous backup took place)
      • 20191009-040704 backup ends with last modified 2019-10 at 04:07:04 (when we started the current backup)
  • 870/1126 00:00:17/00:00:22 Progress indicator:
    • 870/1126 : 870 files of 1126 have already been copied.
    • 00:00:17/00:00:22 : 00 hours, 00 minutes and 17 seconds have been elapsed from estimated 00 hours, 00 minutes and 22 seconds

Limitations

  • For backup to usb-stick you need an android-device that supports "android-usb-host" (aka "OTR-USB") and you need an adapter cable.
  • The backup of 2417 photos (2619 Megabytes) on my android-7.1 mobile-phone to a 32 GB USB-Stick took about 40 minutes.
  • Backup to usbstick also works on my old android-4.1 tablet. Backup to networt or cloud requires at least Android-5.0.
  • You must have enough free memory on storage provider to store the data. (i.e 2417 photos, each 2400*3200 pixel need 2.6 Gigabyte on usb-stick)

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Technical Details:

  • Backup-Configuration-files are stored in the Book-Mark-folder of the Settings dialog.
    • example 0709Kreta.zip.apm.config contain the Backup-Configuration of the "0709Kreta" example above
  • The Backup-Configuration-file xxx.zip.apm.config is a text file in properties-file-format.

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Import/Export photo properties via csv files

The Backup to zip feature of A Photo Manager store the photo properties (aka exif data) of the affected images in a csv that is compatible with ExifTool.

For more details see

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