Export grid to Excel with images

[matt_stewart1]

Looking for a way to export grid data WITH attachments.

Perfect world solution would be to download as excel and keep attachments. This would be the most preferred solution if there was a script or extension/app/block allowing to export a view to google sheets or to excel, so that it is still a spreadsheet data but with attachments loaded into the corresponding cells.

I did manage to use a google sheets formula to convert url’s into images with ‘=image()’ … that being said once I tried downloading to excel it again does not show the images. So maybe as a backup solution is anyone aware of a formula in excel that can be quickly applied to convert a batch of urls into images in adjacent cells?

[Bill_French]

ScottWorld:

Oh, well dammit!

Indeed. It’s why I painstakingly called out this requirement in my response.

Bill.French:

Include in the extraction process a re-instantiation of the attachment documents in a different repository that will sustain access for your external solution;

This demonstrates why it’s really important to carefully write out the requirements before writing the implementation approach. :winking_face: You want to ensure there are no surprises on Nov 1st.

[ScottWorld]

Airtable has made this more difficult for everyone! But they didn’t want to be in the CDN business.

[Bill_French]

ScottWorld:

they didn’t want to be in the CDN business.

Oversimplification. They didn’t want to charge you more for being forced to be in a business that is not core to their skills.

[Vivid-Squid]

Bill.French:

And on November 1st 2022, all those URLs will not work any longer.

Yeah, I had this in the back of my mind as I was responding. Ultimately I am glad we have continued discussion on the topic.

[matt_stewart1]

wow…

1. what is happening on Nov 1?
2. so that means I have a hassle of needing to upload images to both AT and to an external source, then additionally paste url to external source images in another field, then export to excel, then copy data from cdv to a template that is prebuilt with the conversion of url to image? That sounds… wonderful :frowning:

Assuming I wanted to spend an extra 15 mins on each and every attachment every day, is there a way for AT to load external URL as image within the cell? This way I can at least reduce process slightly buy not needing to upload the image to AT?

[ScottWorld]

You’re acting frustrated because Airtable doesn’t let you work more efficiently… with Microsoft Excel? A competing product that Airtable has nothing to do with? I agree that Airtable could make it easier if they wanted to, but (a) they don’t want to, and (b) the vast majority of people who move from Excel to Airtable don’t use Excel anymore. Excel is also not designed to be an image management app. Considering the changes coming on November 1st to Airtable, it is unlikely that this will ever get easier. People have given you a variety of great ideas above, including myself.

[Hannah_Wiginton]

Hey Matt,

We have a Google Sheets Table Sync automation in our On2Air Actions app for Airtable that can do exactly what you’re needing.

This specific tutorial below doesn’t showcase the Image part, but gives you an idea of what it does.You’ll just need to add the type="image" in your Sheets template for the image column.

You can try it out with the free trial or we can get you set up and going with a demo

On2Air | Airtable Apps for Your Business Operations – 17 Oct 21

Sync Airtable and Google Sheets using On2Air |On2Air

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to sync tables from your Airtable base to a Google Sheets table using the On2Air function integration.

[ScottWorld]

Hannah_Wiginton:

This specific tutorial below doesn’t showcase the Image part, but gives you an idea of what it does.You’ll just need to add the type="image" in your Sheets template for the image column.

@Hannah_Wiginton Where does On2Air Actions store the images?

[matt_stewart1]

I get it Scott, except for the fact that very few organizations work independently and for majority of the world excel is still the king of spreadsheet shares. We have a lot of partners that require excel shares and templates completed, with regular updates. I can not share an AT view as that would not meet their company guidelines. So while I understand its not AirTables problem and there are albeit lengthy workarounds, I feel like downloading to a usable excel format other than CSV would be in AT’s best interest.

They offer some form of connection to google sheets, but images again don’t get sent.
The offer some form of excel, but no images.

Meanwhile Google sheets offers full xlsx download and import, etc.

So I don’t think its a crazy ask to have some reasonably easy form of exporting data to share outside of AirTable users.

[ScottWorld]

@matt_stewart1

I hear you. It’s unfortunate that Airtable has made this way more difficult than it needs to be. In fact, this used to be extremely easy in Airtable until they decided to shut down images from the outside world.

I do not agree with their decision, but then again, I don’t agree with much of what they do. :joy: :grinning_face_with_sweat:

I come from the world of developing professional enterprise database systems, so all of Airtable’s curious product choices are extremely frustrating to me.