Separate Photos That Were Combined into the Wrong Tropy Item
By ImgHeal · Updated
A wrongly combined Tropy item can be split, but splitting is not the same as restoring every earlier description. Review its photos and shared metadata first. Use the documented correction method for the situation, then re-establish each object's identity from the source evidence.
Explore this topic: Organize a photo archive
Record what has been combined
List the filenames and stable IDs currently inside the item. Capture its title, date note, source reference, and any uncertain identifications before changing its structure. Identify which photos belong to one physical object and which belong elsewhere. A front-and-back pair should not be separated merely because the item also contains an unrelated portrait. Keep a copy of the project arrangement suitable for recovery, especially if many research notes have accumulated since the mistaken combination.
Distinguish undo from splitting
If the merge was the immediate preceding action, Tropy's documented undo may be appropriate. If substantial later work has occurred, inspect the documented Explode Item operation instead of repeatedly undoing unrelated research. The documentation warns that exploded photos retain the combined item's metadata rather than recovering each pre-merge record automatically. Make a plan for the resulting records before using that operation. Avoid treating a structural split as proof that the original source assignments or captions have been restored correctly.
Rebuild and verify the separate records
Match each resulting record to its source file, object ID, and physical context. Replace inherited metadata only where you have supporting evidence, preserving the previous conflict in a note. Recombine legitimate multi-view objects if your plan requires it. Check note placement and search results so a back inscription does not remain attached to an unrelated front. Ask another researcher to locate two of the corrected objects without your help. Retain the correction log with the project backup so future readers can explain why similarly titled records exist and which structure was accepted.
Check this workflow
- Inventory all contained photos first.
- Use undo only when its consequences are understood.
- Verify inherited descriptions after splitting.
Sources and further reading
- Tropy: Combine photos into itemsDocuments item grouping, retained metadata during merging, and splitting combined items.
Questions about this restoration task
Does Explode Item restore metadata from before the merge?
Tropy's documentation says it does not. Inspect the resulting records and reconstruct their descriptions from retained source notes and other reliable evidence.
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