Move from Eagle

SOOTY can directly read Eagle’s library without exporting first

Folders, tags, ratings, notes, source URLs, and smart folders will all be brought over. The Eagle library itself will not be changed by a single byte, and both can be used simultaneously until the move is complete

Migration steps

1. Open SOOTY and choose “Import from Eagle” from the File menu. This entry is also available in the library dropdown menu and on the empty library page
2. Select the Eagle library, which is a folder ending with .library. You can find its location in Eagle’s “Library” menu
3. Wait for assets to appear: assets are copied and displayed in the window as they go, so you don’t need to wait for everything to finish. On an Apple M1 Max, a library with 100,000 assets can be browsed after 35 seconds
4. After the import is complete, you’ll be told the results. Files that weren’t found and smart folders with some conditions removed will be listed

What can be brought over

In Eagle	In SOOTY
Folders and hierarchy	Preserved as-is. If a folder with the same name and same parent already exists in SOOTY, they are merged
Tags, ratings, notes, source URLs	Preserved as-is
Date added	Used as the import time in SOOTY
Assets in Trash	Still in Trash
Smart folders	Converted to SOOTY smart folders, see below
Thumbnails	SOOTY generates its own. For formats like PSD and AI that can’t be generated, Eagle’s thumbnails are used
Tag groups	Cannot be imported for now

How original files are handled

• Original files are copied into SOOTY’s library, and the Eagle library remains unchanged
• When the SOOTY library and Eagle library are on the same APFS disk (the Mac’s system disk is APFS), copying takes almost no extra space
• Files with identical content are stored only once
• Assets that were renamed in Eagle but still have the old filename on disk can also be found. Those that truly cannot be found will be listed in the import results with the reason

You can import repeatedly

• Importing again only adds new assets; already imported ones won’t be duplicated
• For already imported assets, only empty fields are filled in. Tags and folders are merged, and content you’ve filled in SOOTY won’t be overwritten
• So you can continue using Eagle during the move, and do a final import to bring in new assets

How smart folders are converted

Eagle smart folder conditions are converted to SOOTY filter conditions and search syntax. After import, you can see and modify them in the interface

• Conditions that can be converted: name, URL, note, folder name, tag, folder, format, color, date, dimensions, file size, duration, shape, rating
• Conditions that SOOTY doesn’t have yet are removed: comments, BPM, font activation, grayscale, online video
• If all conditions of a smart folder cannot be converted, the entire folder is skipped, along with its child smart folders

Scripts that call Eagle’s API

SOOTY’s local API is compatible with Eagle’s addFromURL, addFromURLs, addFromPath, addFromPaths, folder/list, and application/info

Scripts that previously called Eagle’s API can continue to work by changing the address to SOOTY’s http://127.0.0.1:41590 (if the port is occupied, it increments) and appending ?token= to the address. Copy the token from SOOTY’s “Settings → Connection”

FAQ

Will the import modify Eagle’s library?

No, SOOTY only reads the Eagle library and does not write anything

Can I delete the Eagle library after moving?

Yes, the original files have been copied into SOOTY’s library. Before deleting, confirm in SOOTY that all assets are present

How long does the import take?

On an Apple M1 Max, an Eagle library with 100,000 assets can be browsed after 35 seconds. Thumbnails are then generated in the background. Importing again only processes newly added assets