MediaBin Importer / Exporter App

Owned by Frank Chan (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jan 09, 2023
7 min read

The MediaBin Importer/Exporter app is a Windows tool that allows the user to import media from a Windows folders and also export media from a MediaBin to a Windows folders in a wholesale manner. In fact, you can also extend it the do the import all media from a Windows folder structure, creating sub-media bins as needed based on the name of the Windows sub-folders. Likewise, you can also export media from a MediaBin branch to a Windows folders and sub-folders.

Connecting to Chameleon Flow

When the application is first launched, the Preference dialog will first be shown prompting for the Flow URL, the User Id and Password information. If the Flow instance has API Keys enabled, an API Key will also be needed for the application to function properly.

Flow URL

Enter the URL of the Flow instance that you intend to use.

Flow User Id and Password

Enter valid Flow User Id and Password. If these credentials are valid, you will be able to successfully launch the app.

Based on the Flow credentials entered, all Content Groups and Media Bins that can be accessed by the User Id will be shown in the application controls.

Test Connection

It is advisable to use the ‘Test Connection’ button once the Flow URL, User Id and Password have been entered for the initial launch of the application. You can ignore it on subsequent application launches once it has been proven that the connection is successful using the given Flow URL and credentials.

API Key

If the Flow instance has API Keys enabled, you will also need to supply an API Key for the application to function. To get the API Key, please talk to the administrator of the Flow instance. The API Key must be specifically assigned for ‘MediaService’.

Import Media

Use the controls in the Import Media tab to import media from folders into a Media Bin.

Options for Importing Media

In the bottom panel, there are a number of options that affect how the import operation can occur.

  • Import to Sub Bin:

    • If checked, all media files in the Top Level Source Folder will be imported into a Sub Bin that has the same name as the source folder. If the Media Sub Bin doesn’t exist, it will be created. If you look at the picture above, the selected Bin is ‘BL Demos Main’ and the top level source folder is ‘D:\MediaImportExport\Demo’. In this case, the 2 files in the ‘Demo’ folder will be imported into the ‘Demo’ sub bin of ‘BL Demos Main’.

    • If unchecked, all media files in the Top Level Source Folder will be imported into the selected Media Bin as indicated by the selection in the ‘To Bin’ drop-down list.

  • Import Files In:

    • Selected Folder Only: If this option is selected, when checking a source folder, only the media files in that folder will be selected for import.

    • Selected Folder and all Sub-Folders: if this option is selected, when checking a source folder, all sub-folders belonging to the source folder will also be checked meaning that all the media files in the sub-folders will be imported into the respectively named sub-bins in the same hierarchical order.

  • Media Exists in DB:

    • Overwrite: If the same named media as the imported file exists in the Bin, the media is overwritten.

    • Skip: If the same named media as the imported file exists, import of the file is skipped.

    • Duplicate: If the same named media as the imported file exists, the file is imported as another media item but with the same name.

Import Media from Folder(s) into Bin(s)

  1. Select the Content Group that you want to work with.

  2. Select a Bin in the ‘To Bin’ drop-down list.

  3. Alternatively, you can create a new Media Bin by pressing the ‘New’ button beside the ‘To Bin’ drop-down list.

    1. Type in the name of the new Media Bin. If the Bin selected in the ‘To Bin’ drop-down list is the root (i.e., the Content Group) name, the new Bin will be created as a first level media bin in the Content Group. Likewise, if an actual Media Bin has been selected in the ‘To Bin’ drop-down list, the new Media Bin will be a sub-bin of the selected Media Bin. Note that the new Media Bin name must be unique for the level at which it will be created for.

    2. If the ‘Broadcast Name same as Bin Name’ checkbox is checked, whatever is entered in the ‘Bin Name’ textbox will be automatically entered in the ‘Broadcast Name’ textbox.

    3. Click on the ‘OK’ button to create the new Media Bin.

  4. Select the media source folders to import media from by checking the individual folders in the left-side panel (with the ‘Top Level Source Folder’ label).

    1. You can check as many sub-folders as you wish but only a single top level folder can be checked.

    2. If you check a folder that is not a descendant folder of the current top level folder, you will be asked to whether you wish to switch to the newly checked folder as the top level source folder.

    3. You can skip descendent folders if you so desired so long as the top level source folder remains unchanged.

  5. Click on the ‘Import Media’ button to start the import process.

  6. Once complete, a dialog will appear indicating how many media files were imported, skipped or failed to be imported. If there are failures, please check the log file as to the reason for the failures.

Export Media

Use the controls in the Export Media tab to export all media from bins into the selected folder. If sub-bins are selected, media in the sub-bins will also be exported to similarly named sub-folders of the selected folder. The reason that the sub-folders may not be named exactly the same as the sub-bins is because Windows has restricted characters that cannot be used. These characters will be replaced with a '_'.

Due to the Windows restriction regarding characters that can be used with folder and filenames, it is best to use Media Bins names that do not have these restricted characters.

Options for Exporting Media

In the bottom panel, there are a number of options that affect the export operations.

  • Export to Sub-Folder:

    • If checked, media from the Top Level Source Bin will be exported to a sub-folder of the folder selected in the ‘To Folder’ drop-down list. The name of the sub-folder will be the same as the top level source bin. For example, using the picture above, the media from ‘BL Mgt 3-3’ will be exported to the folder ‘D:\MediaImportExport\Demo\BL Mgt 3-3’. If this folder doesn’t exist, it will be created prior to exporting the media.

    • If unchecked, media from the Top Level Source Bin will be exported to the folder shown in the ‘To Folder’ drop-down list.

  • Export Files In:

    • Export Selected Bin Only: If this option is selected, when checking a source bin, only the media in the checked bin will be exported.

    • Export Selected Bin and all Sub-Bins: If this option is selected, when checking a source bin, all sub-bins belonging to the source bin will also be checked meaning that all the media in the sub-bins will also be exported to their respectively named sub-folders in the same hierarchical order.

  • File Exists in Folder:

    • Overwrite: If a same named file exists in the export folder, the file is overwritten.

    • Skip: If a same named file exists in the export folder, the media is not exported.

    • Duplicate: If a same named file exists in the export folder, the media is exported to a file with the same base name but appended with ‘(Copy n)' where n = 1, 2, 3, …

Export Media from Bin(s) to Folder(s)

  1. Select the Content Group that you want to work with.

  2. Select a folder in the ‘To Folder’ drop-down list.

  3. Alternatively, you can create a new sub-folder by clicking on the ‘New’ button beside the ‘To Folder’ drop-down list.

    1. Type in the name of the new sub-folder to create.

    2. Click on the ‘OK’ button.

  4. Select the media source bins to export media from by checking the individual bins in the left-side panel (with the ‘Top Level Source Bin’ label).

    1. You can check as many sub-bins as you wish but only a single top level bin can be checked.

    2. If you check a bin that is not a descendant bin of the current top level bin, you will be asked to whether you wish to switch to the newly checked bin as the top level source bin.

    3. You can skip descendent bins if you so desired so long as the top level source bin remains unchanged.

  5. Click on the ‘Export Media’ button to start the export process.

  6. Once complete, a dialog will appear indicating how many media items were exported, skipped or failed to be exported. If there are failures, please check the log file as to the reason for the failures.