what is change in this fork?

First I want to let you know that the code written here is made using Chat GPT 3.5 (free model).

Caution

It was tested by me and worked well as I expected, but please if you use it take a backup before using it!!!

Different operating instructions, read carefully:

I had Google Takeout with a lot of HEIC and MOV/MP4 files, originally this script doesn't support HEIC so I made it support HEIC by converting it to jpeg and continuing.

Please note, if you use export from Google Takeout like me, you must use google-photos-migrate In order not to cause problems with the EXIF data in your photos, then after you do this came back to here.

I made this script more convenient to operate:

How its work?

The script operates in several distinct steps:

1. Scanning and Conversion of HEIC Files:

   • It begins by scanning the specified directory for files with the HEIC extension.
   • Each HEIC file found is converted to JPEG format while ensuring preservation of EXIF data.
   • If successful, the script logs the conversion and copies EXIF data from the original HEIC to the newly created JPEG file.

2. Matching JPEG Files with Video Files:

   • For each converted JPEG file, the script attempts to find a matching video file (MOV or MP4) within the same directory.
   • If a matching video file is found, the script proceeds to merge the JPEG and video files together.

3. Merging Files:

   • The script merges the JPEG and video files, creating a single file that combines both image and motion.
   • It calculates the offset between the sizes of the original photo and the merged file, essential for later XMP metadata addition.

4. Adding XMP Metadata:

   • XMP metadata is added to the merged file, crucial for recognizing it as a Google Motion Photo.
   • Existing metadata in the file is read and potentially affected XMP keys are logged as a warning.

5. Processing Directory:

   • The script iterates through all files in the specified directory, processing HEIC files first and then JPEG files.
   • For each file, it checks for a matching video file and performs the conversion process if found.
   • Optionally, non-matching files can be moved to the output directory.

6. User Interaction:

   • The user is prompted to provide input and output directories.
   • Additionally, the user can choose whether to move non-matching images to the output directory.

7. Error Handling and Logging:

   • The script logs various messages throughout its execution, including errors encountered during file processing.
   • Problematic files are recorded and logged for the user's reference.

By following these steps, the script efficiently converts Apple Live Photos into Google Motion Photos, ensuring a seamless user experience while handling various file formats and preserving essential metadata.

MotionPhotoMuxer

Note I've switched back to Android for the time being. I do have access to an iPhone for testing, but likely won't be focusing on developing this much further.

Convert Apple Live Photos into Google Motion Photos commonly found on Android phones.

Installation

As of right now, this script only has one dependency, py3exiv2. Unfortunately this requires building a C++ library to install, so you need to install a C++ toolchain.

Using Ubuntu as an example:

sudo apt-get install build-essential python-all-dev libexiv2-dev libboost-python-dev python3 python3-pip python3-venv
python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt

• Install Termux from the F-Droid App store
• Install the following packages within Termux in order to satisfy the dependencies for pyexiv2:

'pkg install python3'
'pkg install git'
'pkg install build-essential'
'pkg install exiv2'
'pkg install boost-headers'
git clone https://github.com/mihir-io/MotionPhotoMuxer.git
python3 -m pip install -r MotionPhotoMuxer/requirements.txt

This should leave you with a working copy of MotionPhotoMuxer directly on your Pixel/other Android phone. You may want to make sure Termux has the "Storage" permission granted from within the system settings, if you plan on writing the output files to the /sdcard/ partition.

Usage

Just run the MotionPhotoMuxer.py file and follow the instraction

Credit

This wouldn't have been possible without the excellent writeup on the process of working with Motion Photos here.