[Usual Suspects]

here's my problem:
i got one large folder (6.2 GB) with 3200 jpeg files that i would like to backup on cd's...
that doesn't sound very problematic, right?

now, i figured out how to make a couple of disk images with disk utility. but when i select all files and drag them to an image, the image gets full and displays an error message...
i don't want to drag file after file, as you could imagine.

the first solution i thought about was to stuff all files into an archive and then split the archive in multiple smaller ones. but this seems a time consuming workflow (stuffit takes a lot of time making an archive that big). plus, i prefer not to have my pictures inside an archive, which could cause problems later on.

if anybody knows a simple way of dividing the large folder between multiple disk images, i would be very thankful!

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

I don't know why you don't just split them into groups of 500 and burn em.

[ginoledesma]

How did you intend to burn the archive onto multiple CDs? Unless these are DVDs you're talking about?

[Turnpike]

yeah... dragging files into other folders has worked well for me

[Usual Suspects]

How did you intend to burn the archive onto multiple CDs? Unless these are DVDs you're talking about?

it takes about ten cd's but that gets the job done ;-)

I don't know why you don't just split them into groups of 500 and burn em.

yeah... dragging files into other folders has worked well for me

right, that's how i would like to do it!
but can i easily make folders of 620 mb without moving a bunch of files, get info, removing some, get info, adding a little, get info, ... ?

it would be a lot easier if i could move some files to a disk image, and then the finder adds those files until the image gets full...

it's also not easy to explain :-)

[ginoledesma]

I'm not sure if I got what you wanted, so correct me if I'm wrong:

- You have one folder containing a LOT of files (no folder structure inside it)
- You want to burn them into batches of CDs (no order necessary)
- You want the simplicity of being able to automate the process

Sounds like Tiger's Automator is right up your alley. Seriously, though, I can think of a solution that does using the Terminal (shell or Perl scripting) or AppleScript. Not aware if there's any shareware that does that already.

I could probably write a Java app or a Cocoa app to do that. Just have to iron out the stuff you specified.

[Usual Suspects]

to clear things up a bit:

- one parentfolder with a lot of pictures in it (no folder structure inside it)
- the pictures are named YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_P.EXT (P is a code for the photographer or the camera) and arranged by name
<insert nifty little program>
- i would like to split up the parentfolder in multiple childfolders of 620 MB (named Parentfolder_CC with CC a counter varying from 01 to ...)
- it would be great if the pictures could still be in alphabetical order inside the multiple folders
<nifty little program did a splendid job>
- burn the folders on cd with finder...

anyhow, maybe there's a simple way of doing something like that in finder?
i got plenty of those folders to backup, so an applescript for this workflow would be terrific :-)

[ginoledesma]

How is the splitting going to be done? What rules will be used? Alphabetical/lexicographic order? Also, is 620MB the hard limit? Say certain files add up to 622MB or so, would you rather it be less or more?

I think AppleScript will do the job. I've already prepared a Java program that sort of does it. Am just now trying to freshen up my AppleScript.

[Usual Suspects]

ginoledesma, thanks for helping ;-)

splitting should be done in an alphabetical order...
the hard limit of the filesize should be 620 MB i think (it looks like that's the hard limit for a cd in mac os x)

voila, i hope you can help me, and i thank you for your time and effort!

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by Usual Suspects:

it would be a lot easier if i could move some files to a disk image, and then the finder adds those files until the image gets full...

it's also not easy to explain :-)

If you have toast then dragging the files into the window tells you instantly how much room is being eaten up on the CD.

[SSharon]

also if you have toast your limit should not be 620mb for a cd. I never let finder touch my blank cd's because it formats them and wastes a lot a space. I say use 700mb cd's and toast to burn everything. In fact most cd's will let you burn a megabyte or two over the 700mb limit.

[Usual Suspects]

i don't have toast; but i will look into it
on the other hand, if ginoledesma could write a little script, i wouldn't need toast :-)

[Xeo]

Maybe this is too easy, but have you tried clicking on the first photo, hitting Option-Command-I to bring up the inspector, and Shift-select a file down the list (so that it selects all the ones in between) and continue moving further down until you have the right number of MB? Then just move all those into a folder called cd 1, repeat the process with the large group, and continue to to so until there are no photos left in original folder. This method would not take very long at all.

For example. You have 3200 images. You click on image 1 and Option-Command-I to bring up the inspector on it. You scroll to image 100 and shift click that. Now images 1-100 are selected. If you aren't even half way to the goal of 620 MB, then maybe scroll down to image 300 and shift click on that. Now 1-300 are selected. You should be able to judge about how far to go by the time you're getting close. And if you go too far, just shift click on an image further up in the list and the selection will shrink.

Sure, this is a manual way to approach it, but really for 6 GB divided into roughly 10 CDs, this would not take long to accomplish at all.

[Westfoto]

Originally posted by Xeo:
Maybe this is too easy, but have you tried clicking on the first photo, hitting Option-Command-I to bring up the inspector, and Shift-select a file down the list (so that it selects all the ones in between) and continue moving further down until you have the right number of MB? Then just move all those into a folder called cd 1, repeat the process with the large group, and continue to to so until there are no photos left in original folder. This method would not take very long at all.

Just tried this and I did not know about it Thanks.
Cool, Works very well.

West

[Usual Suspects]

Originally posted by Xeo:
Maybe this is too easy, but have you tried clicking on the first photo, hitting Option-Command-I to bring up the inspector, and Shift-select a file down the list (so that it selects all the ones in between) and continue moving further down until you have the right number of MB? Then just move all those into a folder called cd 1, repeat the process with the large group, and continue to to so until there are no photos left in original folder. This method would not take very long at all.

For example. You have 3200 images. You click on image 1 and Option-Command-I to bring up the inspector on it. You scroll to image 100 and shift click that. Now images 1-100 are selected. If you aren't even half way to the goal of 620 MB, then maybe scroll down to image 300 and shift click on that. Now 1-300 are selected. You should be able to judge about how far to go by the time you're getting close. And if you go too far, just shift click on an image further up in the list and the selection will shrink.

Sure, this is a manual way to approach it, but really for 6 GB divided into roughly 10 CDs, this would not take long to accomplish at all.

thanks, Xeo
this is exactly the little trick i was searching for!

[ginoledesma]

Looks like you won't be needing the scripts, then.

Just in case you need to do more batching, here's the script I worked on (my first time writing AppleScript for Mac OS X):

File Batcher: Creates a series of folders named "Batch 1", "Batch 2", ... with each folder containing roughly 620MB of files. It only moves files (documents) into the folder, and not other folders.

Code:
property batch_name : "Batch "
property file_size_limit : 620 * 1024 * 1024 -- 620MB => 620 x 1024 * 1024 bytes
property batch_count : 1

on open of finderObjects
	set theItems to finderObjects
	repeat with theItem in theItems
		tell application "Finder"
			set itemKind to kind of theItem
			if itemKind is in {"folder", "disk"} then
				set parentFolder to theItem
				set theFiles to get files of theItem
				set totalFileSize to -1
				set theFolder to batch_name & batch_count
				repeat with theFile in theFiles
					set fileSize to get size of theFile
					if totalFileSize > file_size_limit or totalFileSize < 0 then
						set newFolderName to batch_name & batch_count
						make new folder in folder theItem with properties {name:newFolderName}
						set theFolder to folder newFolderName of parentFolder
						set batch_count to batch_count + 1
						set totalFileSize to 0
					end if
					move theFile to theFolder
					set totalFileSize to totalFileSize + fileSize
				end repeat
			end if
		end tell
	end repeat
end open

And here's the script that undoes what was previously done:
File Unbatcher: Puts all the files one-folder deep into the parent folder.

Code:
on open of finderObjects
	set theItems to finderObjects
	repeat with theItem in theItems
		tell application "Finder"
			set itemKind to kind of theItem
			if itemKind is in {"folder", "disk"} then
				set parentFolder to theItem
				set theFolders to get folders of theItem
				repeat with theFolder in theFolders
					move files of theFolder to parentFolder
				end repeat
			end if
		end tell
	end repeat
end open

Save these scripts as applications using Script Editor and then drag the folder containing the files you want batched.

AppleScript is fun. I should've paid more attention to it sooner.

[Usual Suspects]

Originally posted by ginoledesma:
Looks like you won't be needing the scripts, then.

hey, why would i do it manually, when the machine could do it for me...
your help is really appreciated. thank you very much ginoledesma!

[ccrider]

Here's an app I use frequently. It's an OS9 app but works just fine in classic mode.
It will separate a folder into subfolders based on the size you determine and gives a few options on how you may want to split the folders/subfolders. It also will regroup the folders after you partition them, if you need to restore the exact file structure.

Very simple and elegant, only $19:


Folder Partitioner

[cla]

Code:
property batch_name : "Batch "
property file_size_limit : 620 * 1024 * 1024 -- 620MB => 620 x 1024 * 1024 bytes
property batch_count : 1

"Usual Suspects", simply change the first line

Code:
property batch_name : "Batch "

into

Code:
property batch_name : "pr0n "

and burn away! Your 3200 jpeg's should be automatically distributed into folders having the right size and name.





(sry, really tried to resist ... =D
)

[mrchin]

If you have a .Mac aocount, you could always just use Backup. It'll burn your session across multiple CD/DVDs. It won't be accessible as individual files on each CD but for backup, that you can restore back, it's easy.

Retrieving files is just a matter of hitting rrestore. Then, after Backup reads the master disc, it'll show you the entire contents of your backup, so you could pick and choose what you need to retrieve.

[Boondoggle]

Originally posted by mrchin:
If you have a .Mac aocount, you could always just use Backup. It'll burn your session across multiple CD/DVDs. It won't be accessible as individual files on each CD but for backup, that you can restore back, it's easy.

Retrieving files is just a matter of hitting rrestore. Then, after Backup reads the master disc, it'll show you the entire contents of your backup, so you could pick and choose what you need to retrieve.

that is how I do it.

works well.

[Strix]

Stuffit Deluxe allows you to archive and split the file over multiple discs. Just need to spend $79.99 for the privilage