make-photo-pages

Make-photo-pages (mpp.py) is a Python software that generates static web albums (HTML) based on Google Picasa's export to XML feature or from a directory of pictures. The software is template-based and free to use, supporting i18n, EXIF, and other features common on software of this type. The creator of this software, Ademar Arvati Filho, made it for personal use. In his own experience, he likes to keep his pictures on his personal website rather than Flickr, and the synchronization of his local repository with the web was difficult. He tried various software for two years, but none of them worked well or scaled enough on his scenario.

Some features supported by this software include static pages, multi-language albums (i18n), image captions, descriptions on albums (arbitrary text/html), EXIF information, import of pictures from a local directory or Google Picasa(TM), open source, and it is simple and fast.

The use of this software is quite simple as it does not require installation. All you need to do is create an .ini file with information regarding the albums and run mpp.py inside the albums root directory. The step-by-step guide includes exporting pictures as an HTML album and XML format, creating an .ini file, and running mpp.py on the albums' root directory. You can edit certain files such as captions.txt and html-description.txt on each album's file if you want.

It is noteworthy that mpp.py merges image captions imported from Google Picasa's XML with the ones written by hand via captions.txt. This software also avoids rescaling pictures if they're already the correct size. It creates a bkp/ directory inside every album by default before overwriting files. Changing the template is easily achievable, as all users need to do is insert text variables into the HTML code.

A minimal yet fully featured .ini example is below:

[global]
albums = dot, curitiba
embedded_label = ""

[dot]
title = "Pictures from dot, my little cat"
title2 = Dot
period = December 2006 - present day
from_dir = /home/ademar/picasa-exports/album-dot

[curitiba]
extra_langs = pt_BR
title = "Pictures from Curitiba - Paraná - Brazil"
title2 = "Curitiba - Paraná - Brazil"
title.pt_BR = "Fotos de Curitiba - Paraná"
title2.pt_BR = "Curitiba - Paraná"
from_dir = /home/ademar/pictures/album-curitiba.