Import images to anki automatically to front and back of the cards

anki

I have some images named like this in a folder:

Image_00036.jpg
Image_00037.jpg
Image_00038.jpg
Image_00039.jpg

I want to create some cards. Each card will have the even numbered images for its front and the odd numbered images for its back. How can I do that automatically without having to manually drag and drop each image ?

Best Answer

Step 1. Prepare metadata

I suppose that you already know:

  1. How to create new deck (not neccessary, but makes sense)
  2. How to define new note type
  3. How to define cards for note type
  4. Import from delimited text file

If not - check documentation, it's not complex.

You need to create a note type with at least 3 fields: Id, FrontImage, BackImage

Step 2.Generate delimited text file

I suppose that your image files are numbered from 0 to N with preceding zeroes. E.g if N=100,then image names are: image00000.jpg - image00100.jpg.

The goal: create delimited text file with content like:

Card_00000;<img src="Image_00000.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00001.jpg"/>
Card_00001;<img src="Image_00002.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00003.jpg"/>
Card_00002;<img src="Image_00004.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00005.jpg"/>
Card_00003;<img src="Image_00006.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00007.jpg"/>
Card_00004;<img src="Image_00008.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00009.jpg"/>
Card_00005;<img src="Image_00010.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00011.jpg"/>
Card_00006;<img src="Image_00012.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00013.jpg"/>
Card_00007;<img src="Image_00014.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00015.jpg"/>
Card_00008;<img src="Image_00016.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00017.jpg"/>
Card_00009;<img src="Image_00018.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00019.jpg"/>
Card_00010;<img src="Image_00020.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00021.jpg"/>
Card_00011;<img src="Image_00022.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_00023.jpg"/>

Recipe 1. Use script language

In python generation can be:

print("\n".join(['Card_%05d;<img src="Image_%05d.jpg"/>;<img src="Image_%05d.jpg"/>' % (image_number,image_number*2, image_number*2 +1 )
for image_number in range(0, int(100/2))]))

Recipe 2. Use spreadsheet

If you're more comfortable with office tools you can use spreadsheet.

You need to create: autoincrementing field and 2 calculated fields.

Example: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W1DQ2ZSm4XuYNeKlkybbTeXh7RGqkk8H-7CgCaBVeI4/pubhtml

Formula for front: 

= Concatenate("<src img=""Image", Text(A2*2-1,"00000"),".jpg"" />")

Step 3. Save in file, import, copy images to media folder, enjoy

Exactly so.

Good luck!

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