Importing a lot of images

[Pepozzo]

Hello!

I've a csv file with more than 3000 items and every item has its own image hosted on another webserver.

If i use the prestashop importer i get error 500 (after about 1 minute), so i'm looking for a solution.

Anyone has an importer script that i can run on my local server to import images once?

Thank you!

[goosedesign]

If you have access to the server you can set the timeout to be higher, and I think sometimes you can override it with a php.ini file in your root folder, but I had this problem with a host that gave no access at all and found a solution in this module: http://addons.prestashop.com/en/administration-tools/676-regenerate-thumbnails.html

[Pepozzo]

Thank you for the reply.

I can not access to the server. In fact to import descriptions I use a simple local script that gets item description from my supplier website, than I simply update my remote database.

But i've seen that with the images import there are some database records to fill, not only one, and then yes, obviously, I have also to create thumbnails and images with a proper name in the right folder. So I think a self-made script it would be the best solution (I will be able to manage items where there is already an image or display "no image available" image when I can't to retrieve the product image), but I think it's also quite difficult.

Obviously, if anyone has the same problem, we can work on a script to do this.

[goosedesign]

Can't you just import the whole catalogue as a CSV using PS inbuilt import tools?

[Pepozzo]

No, i can't because the image URL is referred to a remote host and not to the local server. So the upload is very slow for 3000+ items and i receive a timeout error.

[goosedesign]

Ok I see. It would potentially time out even if you had the images locally I think - mine did. That add on certainly helps with regenerating thumbs as it just picks up where you left off instead of giving you an error 500, but I couldn't actually be sure that it would work with initial import.

[ScubaLessonsInc]

I had this same issue. I had over 10,000 products NIGHTMARE.. but I fixed it by just importing 500 products at a time.. I just split the file into 500 products each and spent a day importing.. was not so bad.. just did it between other projects. Very but the problem is the image compiler changes each image it grabs from the URL to the various sizes and it eats up CPU.

I tried it locally too with another site and I had to still do them 500 at a time.. same issue.. CPU used by the compilier.. pisses off your hosts.. so just do 500 products at a time and it will work like a charm.