Exclude dotfiles from project video and pose file discovery

src/jabs/project/project_paths.py

@@ -107,10 +107,18 @@ def create_directories(self, validate: bool = True) -> None:
                 the jabs directory. Defaults to True.
         """
         if validate and not self._jabs_dir.exists():
+            # Skip dotfiles (e.g. macOS AppleDouble "._*" sidecars created on
+            # exFAT/NTFS external drives), which are not real videos or valid
+            # pose HDF5 files and must not make a directory look like a project.
             has_video = any(
-                file for ext in ("*.mp4", "*.avi") for file in self._video_dir.glob(ext)
+                file
+                for ext in ("*.mp4", "*.avi")
+                for file in self._video_dir.glob(ext)
+                if not file.name.startswith(".")
+            )
+            has_pose = any(
+                p for p in self._pose_dir.glob("*_pose_est_v*.h5") if not p.name.startswith(".")
             )
-            has_pose = any(self._pose_dir.glob("*_pose_est_v*.h5"))
             if not has_video or not has_pose:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f"{self._base_path} does not appear to be a valid JABS project. "

src/jabs/project/video_manager.py

@@ -151,8 +151,20 @@ def check_video_name(self, video_filename: str):
 
     @staticmethod
     def get_videos(dir_path: Path):
-        """Get list of video filenames (without path) in a directory"""
-        return [f.name for f in dir_path.glob("*") if f.suffix in [".avi", ".mp4"]]
+        """Get list of video filenames (without path) in a directory.
+
+        Dotfiles are skipped. In particular this excludes macOS AppleDouble
+        sidecar files (``._<name>``) that the OS creates when writing to
+        non-APFS/HFS+ volumes (e.g. exFAT/NTFS external drives). Those are not
+        real videos, and ``pathlib.Path.glob`` matches them (unlike the shell);
+        their companion ``._..._pose_est_v*.h5`` sidecars are not valid HDF5 and
+        would otherwise break the project video scan.
+        """
+        return [
+            f.name
+            for f in dir_path.glob("*")
+            if f.suffix in [".avi", ".mp4"] and not f.name.startswith(".")
+        ]
 
     def get_video_identity_count(self, video_name: str) -> int:
         """Get the number of identity count for a specific video.

tests/project/test_project_paths.py

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+"""Tests for jabs.project.project_paths.ProjectPaths."""
+
+import shutil
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from jabs.project.project_paths import ProjectPaths
+
+
+def test_create_directories_ignores_dotfile_videos_and_poses(tmp_path):
+    """AppleDouble '._*' sidecars must not make a directory look like a JABS project.
+
+    macOS creates a ``._<name>`` sidecar for every file on non-APFS/HFS+ volumes
+    (e.g. exFAT external drives). Those match ``pathlib`` globs but are not real
+    videos or valid pose HDF5 files, so a directory containing only sidecars is
+    not a valid project.
+    """
+    (tmp_path / "._vid.mp4").touch()
+    (tmp_path / "._vid_pose_est_v8.h5").touch()
+
+    paths = ProjectPaths(base_path=tmp_path)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="does not appear to be a valid JABS project"):
+        paths.create_directories(validate=True)
+
+
+def test_create_directories_validates_real_project(tmp_path):
+    """A directory with a real video and pose file passes validation even alongside sidecars."""
+    (tmp_path / "vid.mp4").touch()
+    data_dir = Path(__file__).parent.parent / "data"
+    shutil.copy(data_dir / "sample_pose_est_v6.h5", tmp_path / "vid_pose_est_v6.h5")
+    # AppleDouble sidecars sitting next to the real files must not interfere.
+    (tmp_path / "._vid.mp4").touch()
+    (tmp_path / "._vid_pose_est_v6.h5").touch()
+
+    paths = ProjectPaths(base_path=tmp_path)
+    paths.create_directories(validate=True)  # should not raise
+
+    assert paths.jabs_dir.is_dir()

tests/project/test_video_manager.py

@@ -77,6 +77,22 @@ def test_get_videos(video_manager, project_paths):
     assert len(videos) == 2
 
 
+def test_get_videos_excludes_dotfiles(tmp_path):
+    """get_videos ignores dotfiles, including macOS AppleDouble ('._*') sidecars."""
+    (tmp_path / "real1.mp4").touch()
+    (tmp_path / "real2.avi").touch()
+    # macOS AppleDouble sidecars written when copying to exFAT/NTFS volumes
+    (tmp_path / "._real1.mp4").touch()
+    (tmp_path / "._real2.avi").touch()
+    # other hidden files that should never be treated as videos
+    (tmp_path / ".DS_Store").touch()
+    (tmp_path / ".hidden.mp4").touch()
+
+    videos = VideoManager.get_videos(tmp_path)
+
+    assert sorted(videos) == ["real1.mp4", "real2.avi"]
+
+
 def test_check_video_name(video_manager):
     """Test checking if a video name is valid."""
     video_manager.check_video_name("video1.avi")  # Should not raise an exception