How to import and rename pictures?

[scorpi11]

Hi,

in B5, I imported images from the camera flash by copying them into the catalog and renaming them, so B5 automatically created a directory structure year/month/jobname/, with images renamed to <year>-<month>-<day>_<hour>-<minute>_<camera-name>_<original_filename>.<extension>.

As ASP does not support catalogs with a copy of the images in them, only referenced filenames, I don't know if/how I can to this in ASP. Any help would be appreciated. My intention is to have a quick workflow to copy the images from the flash into the above directory structure and add them to the catalog.

Regards,
Tino

[afx]

It is exactly the same, just that the base location is a point in the file system and not a catalog.

cheers
afx

[tundraquad]

I may be old fashion, but I can read a lot of threads about catalog, importing, libraries...
Personally, I find that one the beauty of B5/ASP is the capability of "File system". Not as many softwares around are capable of managing images the same way you manage any file with your OS file manager. Thanks to Bibble/ASP. You can copy, rename, move, delete file so easily.
And if you want a quick image browser, nothing prevents you from using something like XnView MP, Geeqie or something else like these, in parallel to ASP, so you don't have to wait for the preview of the images in order to check where you put your files.
Everyone has a different workflow. But sure enough, having a safe way to manage your files is what counts the most.

Take care

[ferdinand-paris]

Personally, I find that one the beauty of B5/ASP is the capability of "File system". Not as many softwares around are capable of managing images the same way you manage any file with your OS file manager. Thanks to Bibble/ASP. You can copy, rename, move, delete file so easily.

+1

Plus you can send files in different folders to ASP from an application like IMatch. Plus you can still create and send Bibble4-style work queues.

F_P

[scorpi11]

I may be old fashion, but I can read a lot of threads about catalog, importing, libraries...
Personally, I find that one the beauty of B5/ASP is the capability of "File system"

So you manage all your pictures on the flash card you use in your camera?

If not, you still need a tool to copy the pictures to the computer. And I think it's nice to have the pictures automatically copied into an autogenerated directory structure so I can still find the pictures quickly even when outside of Bibble. For me, Bibble5 was the tool I used for this, as I used Bibble5 anyway for postprocessing. That's the idea behind a workflow solution. In contrast you can use several tools for several tasks and break the workflow.

[benoit]

I use Rapid Photo Downloader exactly for that purpose. Every picture and video is renamed, sorted in subdirectories, and copied in backup in an automated and reliable way. Then I am free to either use filesystem or catalog in ASP.

[tundraquad]

So you manage all your pictures on the flash card you use in your camera?

If not, you still need a tool to copy the pictures to the computer.

1- Not a all. I certainly don't manage anything on the flash card. The 1st thing I do, is to empty the card onto 1 or 2 separate hard drives (depending how I worked in the field). I even don't review or delete images on the CF card from the camera.
2- w/ the OS file manager (Nautilus in my case), I copy the folder containing the images in the CF card into the computer. Now I can ensure that both folders have the same amount of items and identical volume.
That's Plain, simple and reliable.

Once in ASP, after sorting my images, I can batch rename them, do a rough edit, copy a particular image to a specific folder... any of these things can be done right from ASP. That's what I like.
But at any time, I know where my images physically are in my computer!!! I can backup a folder, burn an archival disc... because I know where things are. That's what is the most important to me!
I've seen so many people using libraries, catalogs... who some day have a hard drive showing some signs of fatigue, and eventually they lose everthing. Why? because they are unable to backup anything.

So long.

[afx]

2- w/ the OS file manager (Nautilus in my case), I copy the folder containing the images in the CF card into the computer. Now I can ensure that both folders have the same amount of items and identical volume.
That's Plain, simple and reliable.

Nope.
it is more cumbersome than an AS download queue and gives you the same amount of assurance, only file count and size.

If you truly want to be sure, you would need a downloader that also checksums the files on the CF card, and later on checks that against the checksums of the downloaded file...

But at any time, I know where my images physically are in my computer!!!

The same with an AS download queue.

I've seen so many people using libraries, catalogs... who some day have a hard drive showing some signs of fatigue, and eventually they lose everthing. Why? because they are unable to backup anything.

Automated download and catalog use are not necessarily linked.
Usage of a library does not necessarily imply that the library is the only place meta information or the images are stored.
Make sure you understand the concepts you are talking about.

The use of catalogs and file system storage for images are not mutually exclusive.
And as soon as you want to search by metadata, you need some form of catalog (not necessarily the toy catalogs from AS though).

cheers
afx

[tundraquad]

Hi afx,

You're right. Using checksums would be the most secure way. But I'm not at that point. Just having the files on 2 separate drives makes me sleep better already.
1) So far emptying a CF card was easy & very quick. But do you think that with the tools that you suggest it would be as easy?
2) Could I copy the card content also onto a 2nd HD (as backup) using the same tool?
3) since I never use & fill in the metada, would there really be a benefit of using catalogs?

Thanks in advance.

[afx]

1) So far emptying a CF card was easy & very quick. But do you think that with the tools that you suggest it would be as easy?

Yes,
I just navigate to the mount point in the AS directory browser, and then right click and run the download queue. As this is recursive, navigating to the mount point is enough.

If you then have a fixed destination directory for your image tree and a subdirectory entry like the following
[YEAR]-[MONTH]-[DAY]-[jobname]
Te queue will ask you for a job name and place all files appropriately.
I use
[jobname]-[YEAR]-[MONTH]-[DAY]-[3jobseq][<oext]
In the naming filed for the files.

2) Could I copy the card content also onto a 2nd HD (as backup) using the same tool?

A batch queue can have multiple outputs...
Check in the top right corner...

3) since I never use & fill in the metada, would there really be a benefit of using catalogs?

No.

But I strongly suggest starting to use some basic metadata.
I have >50K images, I would not be able to find all the stuff just by directory and name structure.

cheers
afx

[tundraquad]

If you then have a fixed destination directory for your image tree and a subdirectory entry like the following
[YEAR]-[MONTH]-[DAY]-[jobname]
Te queue will ask you for a job name and place all files appropriately.
I use
[jobname]-[YEAR]-[MONTH]-[DAY]-[3jobseq][<oext]
In the naming filed for the files.

I see. You rename the imgs at the same time that you transfer them.
While personally, I tranfer the imgs then do a first sorting where I delete on average 2/3 of the images. It's only at this point that I do a batch rename. That's probably why I never bothered with another method of transfer.

A batch queue can have multiple outputs...
Check in the top right corner...

That's something I should look at then.

But I strongly suggest starting to use some basic metadata.
I have >50K images, I would not be able to find all the stuff just by directory and name structure.

Since quite often my important work is not on a drive mounted permanently in the system, All my work in organized in a chronological order (yymmdd###). I have a *.csv all the time with me (even on my netbook) with some basic info about the folders (an drives). I also use some contact sheets for selected images that I use the most. This way, even when out of town, on the phone I can tell my wife on which drive and folder an image is.
So, here again, that's probably why I never bothered to play with metada.

Well, Thank you so much for all these info. Whenever I have time, I should reconsider the above, according to your suggestions.
Thanks!