pyPhotoAlbum/examples/README.md

pyPhotoAlbum Examples

This directory contains working examples demonstrating various features of pyPhotoAlbum.

Available Examples

basic_usage.py

Demonstrates the fundamentals of creating a photo album project:

• Creating a project
• Adding pages with images
• Working with text boxes
• Saving and loading projects
• Asset management

Run:

python basic_usage.py

template_example.py

Shows how to work with the template system:

• Creating custom templates
• Applying templates to pages
• Using built-in templates
• Template scaling modes

Run:

python template_example.py

generate_screenshots.py

Script to generate documentation screenshots programmatically:

• Creates example projects
• Captures screenshots for documentation
• Demonstrates various layouts

Run:

python generate_screenshots.py

This creates screenshots in examples/screenshots/ directory.

Requirements

Make sure you have pyPhotoAlbum installed:

# From the project root
pip install -e .

Sample Images

The examples use placeholder images. To use your own:

1. Create an images/ directory in the examples folder
2. Add your sample images
3. Update the image paths in the example scripts

Output

Examples will create:

• examples/output/ - Generated project files (.ppz)
• examples/screenshots/ - Documentation screenshots
• examples/pdfs/ - Exported PDFs

These directories are created automatically when you run the examples.

Notes

• The examples use realistic page sizes (A4, square formats)
• DPI settings match typical print requirements (300 DPI)
• All examples include error handling and cleanup
• Examples demonstrate both programmatic and template-based workflows

Regenerating Documentation Screenshots

To update screenshots for the documentation:

1. Run python generate_screenshots.py
2. Review generated images in screenshots/
3. Copy needed screenshots to documentation

The script generates:

• UI screenshots
• Layout examples
• Template demonstrations
• Feature showcases