copy attachments to another post type and change attachment url

Question

On my site I have to custom post types and a function that let's users import photos from post type A to post type B, copying the meta values and it copy's the image to the folder specified for post type B ---

<?php
// File: import-pics.php

require_once $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/wp-load.php';

global $current_user, $imic_options; // Use global
wp_get_current_user(); // Make sure global is set, if not set it.

$yourID = $current_user->ID;
$propertyID = $_POST['propertyID'];
$vidID = $_POST['videoID'];

$path = '/path/to/wp-content/uploads/'.$yourID.'/'.$vidID;

// Get the attachments (IDs) attached to the `property` CPT.
$prop_att_ids = (array) get_post_meta( $propertyID, 'imic_property_sights', false );

// Copy the meta value (attachments) to the `v_editor` CPT.
$vid_pix = get_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', false ); // test
//delete_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix' );
foreach ( $prop_att_ids as $att_id ) {
    add_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', $att_id );
$filename = basename ( get_attached_file( $att_id ));
$url = wp_get_attachment_url( $att_id ) : '';
        copy($url, $path.'/'.$filename.'.png');
//echo $url;
}

$vid_pix2 = get_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', false ); // test
//var_dump( $vid_pix, $vid_pix2, $url ); // test

?>

The issue Im having now is that the attachment url still for the imported images are still the same as post type A even though I copied the image files over to post type B's folder.

**A -** /wp-content/uploads/2018/10
**B -** $path = '/path/to/wp-content/uploads/'.$yourID.'/'.$vidID;

How can I change the attachment url when importing the images using my above function?

Answer 1

If you want the image's URL to be different, you need to first copy the image file to the user-specific folder and then create a new attachment for that copied image — i.e. clone the image's "post" data.

So replace this:

// Get the attachments (IDs) attached to the `property` CPT.
$prop_att_ids = (array) get_post_meta( $propertyID, 'imic_property_sights', false );

// Copy the meta value (attachments) to the `v_editor` CPT.
$vid_pix = get_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', false ); // test
//delete_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix' );
foreach ( $prop_att_ids as $att_id ) {
    ... including the other code here ...
}

$vid_pix2 = get_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', false ); // test
//var_dump( $vid_pix, $vid_pix2, $url ); // test

with this one:

$path2 = $yourID . '/' . $vidID; // relative to wp-content/uploads
$prop_att_ids = (array) get_post_meta( $propertyID, 'imic_property_sights', false );

foreach ( $prop_att_ids as $att_id ) {
    // Check if we have a valid image/attachment.
    if ( $att_id && $file = get_attached_file( $att_id ) ) {
        $filename = basename( $file );
        $file2 = $path . '/' . wp_unique_filename( $path, $filename );

        // Copy the image file to $path.
        if ( @copy( $file, $file2 ) ) {
            // Copy the attachment (post) data.
            $att = get_post( $att_id, ARRAY_A );
            unset( $att['ID'] );
            $att_id2 = wp_insert_attachment( $att, $file2 );

            // Then add the meta data `vid_pix`.
            add_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', $att_id2 );

            // Copy the attachment's meta data. (no thumbnails)
            $data = wp_get_attachment_metadata( $att_id );
            $data['file'] = $path2 . '/' . basename( $file2 );
            $data['sizes'] = [];
            wp_update_attachment_metadata( $att_id2, $data );
        }
    }
}

Note that since we're creating a new attachment post, I used wp_unique_filename() to generate a unique file name for the image file that we're copying to the $path.

---

UPDATE

If you want to generate all thumbnails, replace this part:

// Copy the attachment's meta data. (no thumbnails)
$data = wp_get_attachment_metadata( $att_id );
$data['file'] = $path2 . '/' . basename( $file2 );
$data['sizes'] = [];
wp_update_attachment_metadata( $att_id2, $data );

with this one:

// Create the attachment's meta data. (with thumbnails)
$att2 = get_post( $att_id2 );
wp_maybe_generate_attachment_metadata( $att2 );

---

UPDATE #2

Here's the full code I used:

<?php
// File: import-pics.php

require_once $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/wp-load.php';

global $current_user, $imic_options; // Use global
wp_get_current_user(); // Make sure global is set, if not set it.

$yourID = $current_user->ID;
$propertyID = $_POST['propertyID'];
$vidID = $_POST['videoID'];

$path = WP_CONTENT_DIR . '/uploads/' . $yourID . '/' . $vidID;
$path2 = $yourID . '/' . $vidID; // relative to wp-content/uploads
$prop_att_ids = (array) get_post_meta( $propertyID, 'imic_property_sights', false );

$to_copy = count( $prop_att_ids ); // test
$copied = 0; // test
foreach ( $prop_att_ids as $att_id ) {
    // Check if we have a valid image/attachment.
    if ( $att_id && $file = get_attached_file( $att_id ) ) {
        $filename = basename( $file );
        $file2 = $path . '/' . wp_unique_filename( $path, $filename );

        // Copy the image file to $path.
        if ( @copy( $file, $file2 ) ) {
            // Copy the attachment (post) data.
            $att = get_post( $att_id, ARRAY_A );
            unset( $att['ID'] );
            $att_id2 = wp_insert_attachment( $att, $file2 );

            // Then add the meta data `vid_pix`.
            add_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', $att_id2 );

            // Copy the attachment's meta data. (no thumbnails)
            $data = wp_get_attachment_metadata( $att_id );
            $data['file'] = $path2 . '/' . basename( $file2 );
            $data['sizes'] = [];
            wp_update_attachment_metadata( $att_id2, $data );

            $copied++; // test
        }
    } else {
        $to_copy--; // test
    }
}
echo $copied . ' image(s) out of ' . $to_copy . ' copied.<br>'; // test
var_dump( get_post_meta( $vidID, 'vid_pix', false ) ); // test

?>

PS: I previously misplaced the $to_copy--;, though that's for testing only.