Loading images via folder or direct

[Woodstock]

I have posted similar on the VS board but thought I would ask here as well on the off-chance answer is different.

I plan to upload to paintshop images - ive a new PC and ideally don't want to clog it up so to speak ...is it better ( quality wise ) to create folder on my PC and load all my images then bring them into paintshop ( and create a montage or dvd cover etc ) OR better to leave on my SD card and bring in one at a time.

Or doesn't it matter a jot? quality will be the same whichever etc?

Never could get my head around lossless quality etc avi best or mpeg etc etc baffles me

[LeviFiction]

With images JPG are lossy, but that only relates to saving as data is discarded, opening them they will always be at the quality they were. RAW naturally loses quality after conversion.

AS for whether you should put them in a folder or leave them on the SD card. There are a lot of answers. 1) Size of files 2) Speed of SD card vs speed of HDD 3) RAM on computer, 4) Whether or not you're using 64-bit version of PSP.

If the files are relatively small, only a few MB, I don't think it matters either way, unless you want to archive the images for later then keeping them on your harddrive lets you use PSP's management options. IF the files are really big like 10s ro 100s of MB then I'd put them on the Harddrive usually. SD cards can be pretty snappy, but it depends on their class and the type of reader you have. Also the size of the files if you're using the 32-bit version of PSP you can open fewere images at one time.

And I'm sure I'm missing something or overthinking something.

[JoeB]

I have posted similar on the VS board but thought I would ask here as well on the off-chance answer is different.

I plan to upload to paintshop images - ive a new PC and ideally don't want to clog it up so to speak ...is it better ( quality wise ) to create folder on my PC and load all my images then bring them into paintshop ( and create a montage or dvd cover etc ) OR better to leave on my SD card and bring in one at a time.

Or doesn't it matter a jot? quality will be the same whichever etc?

Never could get my head around lossless quality etc avi best or mpeg etc etc baffles me

I find your questions somewhat confusing. However...

First, as to videos, any conversion of a video from one format to another video format will create some quality degradation. The quality of existing videos in avi or mpeg format simply depends on the various settings used during the original encoding process, so too many variable to consider to say what's best because it depends on the input, the settings, and the goal one is trying to achieve.

When it comes to storing images or videos (if that is your question), if you simply copy or move images or videos from one storage medium (like an SD card) to another medium (like an external or internal hard drive on your computer) there is no quality loss when those images or videos are moved or copied. If you intend to store them in the cloud or online somewhere, the same thing applies unless the online target sets parameters that images or videos above a certain size will be compressed. And again, even if so, if the compression is lossless compression there is no quality loss.

Others might have a better understanding of what you are asking. Otherwise, please provide much more detail about what you are trying to achieve.

[Woodstock]

Thanks Levi and Joe for taking time and trouble to respond.

You have both answered my question in a way - although wishing I could just press a button saying ' press here if you want the very best quality you can get' and not all this Settings / speed / file size etc etc this is 2016 for gows sakes why all the confusion! Surely everyone wants to mess about with their video/photos and retain the best quality possible at the end of the process!!

Anyways, I am using 64bit for photo/vs and my ram is 16 - I suspect my photos aren't the best in terms of quality..but seeing as you have said 'create folders - no loss etc' I will simply upload a few hundred images in folders and then bring some across into my paintshop etc.

If either of you know of a decent backup drive I could be using in case PC goes down let me know..price only around £40 or so and not interested in portability just one to sit under desk.

THANKS again

[hartpaul]

When you consider the cost of computer, cameras hard drives etc. They are material objects that can be replaced at a cost. Sometimes the images cannot be replaced and are more important than all the rest. So maintaining the quality and security o those images is paramount , at least to me.

I have a number of cards which have images on them. I rotate the cards so that the images are not immediately deleted. The images are transferred from the cards to the main computer. There is no loss of quality here. (all this applies to videos as well) . I renumber / rename the files . Again no loss of quality as the image data on the file is not changed only the file name . Then I make a copy of those files to an external hard drive.
I rotate the images (this does involve some minimal loss of quality depending on the save quality).
Further copies are made to other external drives so that I have at least 4 copies of the images.
Then I feel safe deleting the files on the camera cards and using those cards to shoot new images.
When processing images I save at the highest quality (1-5 compression) until I know their final destination - web (10 - 20 compression), print ( 4-6 compression), viewing on computer etc and save the image suitable for that output device.

To understand quality place a folder named test on your desktop and add a couple of files to it. Then load into PSP and resave them using Save As and change the save compression - Use 1, 10, 50 , 80, 90, 99 and change the name to include this number there. Then compare the images to get some idea of what the rate of compression does to the quality of the image.

[Woodstock]

Hartpaul thanks for that reply and useful information..i will do as you say and create a test. Hopefully this 'save compression etc' isnt as complicated as it sounds..newbie here...

Would you say it's ok for me to put photos ( and video for videostudio projects ) into a folder on my PC and then import them across? Or better to load direct from SD card? makes no difference?

No simple button re settings. Like things easy - literally bring in photo and work with it, save as........avi? no? jpeg? Ideally wanting to do Montages ( for old fashioned dvd covers etc...so i would be copying/pasting onto 1 image then printing.

[MarkZ]

Hartpaul thanks for that reply and useful information..i will do as you say and create a test. Hopefully this 'save compression etc' isnt as complicated as it sounds..newbie here...

Would you say it's ok for me to put photos ( and video for videostudio projects ) into a folder on my PC and then import them across? Or better to load direct from SD card? makes no difference

I sense a bit of confusion about viewing images in PaintShop Pro (PSP), or any other software. Once a file is transferred from a card into the computer hard drive, no more moves/copies required. In the editing software (PSP) you direct the program to the folder where the file resides, you do not move the file INTO the software.

I may have misunderstood your comments, if so, I apologize.

[JoeB]

Would you say it's ok for me to put photos ( and video for videostudio projects ) into a folder on my PC and then import them across? Or better to load direct from SD card? makes no difference?

It sounds like you have little experience working with either videos or photos and perhaps computers. If you want to keep it simple, I would suggest that you create two separate folders on your internal hard drive - one named Videos and one named Photos or Pictures. Copy videos from your SD card into the videos folder and photos into the Photos folder. For working with photos, open Paintshop pro, use the Manage tab and select Computer in the navigation pane, browse to the Photos folder to open it and select the images you want to work on. Paintshop pro does not work on videos. For videos, open your Video editor and point it to the Videos folder.

No simple button re settings. Like things easy - literally bring in photo and work with it, save as........avi? no? jpeg? Ideally wanting to do Montages ( for old fashioned dvd covers etc...so i would be copying/pasting onto 1 image then printing.

The fact that you suggest possibly saving photos as avi indicates to me that you don't seem to have a grasp of the difference between video and image file formats.

Paintshop Pro does not save as avi files because avi files are video files. Paintshop pro works on photos and other images. Creating montages, DVD covers, etc., is something you do can with images in Paintshop Pro. It's not something you do create with videos.

If you do not have a reasonable idea of the concepts of video and image formats I suggest you do some research on the internet.

[Woodstock]

Joe, Hartp thanks for the replies.

Why doesn't the PC ( and VS or Photo editor for that matter ) immediately assume your after the very best quality so by default gives you the best quality when transferring images/video into it's programmes?

I have read and re-read your replies...on one hand your saying..

..any conversation will naturally lose quality....but also your saying..simply copying from SD card onto a folder then into videostudio won't be any loss?

I guess I'm not understanding this at all am I. What conversation are you referring too?

Videostudio/paintshop are on my SSD ..I intend to download from SD card ALL of my video ( taking hours here and hundreds if not more photos ), all neatly named etc onto my D drive ( regular mechanical harddrive ). I then plan to upload some video into VS and make a video, same with paintshop and make a dvd cover or whatever. No settings will be adjusted etc....I will assume I will get the best quality leaving well alone.

If you can enlighten me, ie step by step, or tell me NOT to download into serveral folders please do so.

Thanks once again for your time.

[hartpaul]

Why doesn't the PC ( and VS or Photo editor for that matter ) immediately assume your after the very best quality so by default gives you the best quality when transferring images/video into it's programmes?

It does. Transfering a program is like moving a sealed box of cutlery (knives and forks spoons etc) from one location to another. From the truck (the camera card) to the house, or restaraunt. If the box is unopened, there is no loss. Open up the box and spread out the cutlery (opening the file in a program) is different and there can be some loss of spoons etc when you repack them - some left on floor or somewhere else. So when you load the file in a program and then repack / resave it you can lose some quality.

There is no loss of quality by copying or moving a file from a card to the computer or a hard drive or another flash drive. It is an exact digital copy.
Repeat:
There is no loss of quality by copying or moving a file from a card to the computer or a hard drive or another flash drive. It is an exact digital copy.

I have read and re-read your replies...on one hand your saying..

..any conversation will naturally lose quality....but also your saying..simply copying from SD card onto a folder then into videostudio won't be any loss?

I guess I'm not understanding this at all am I. What conversation are you referring too?

You are confusing a couple of words.
Conversation - communication between two or more people eg talking , chatting
Conversion - changing a file from one type to another eg changing a tif to a jpg, changing a jpg to a gif. In video changing an avi to a mpg or an mp4. Because the different file types have different ways of packing the information some information / quality can be lost. , changing an atheist into a christian? , changing a photoshop fan into a PSP or photoline fan - these are also conversions.



Videostudio/paintshop are on my SSD ..I intend to download from SD card ALL of my video ( taking hours here and hundreds if not more photos ), all neatly named etc onto my D drive ( regular mechanical harddrive ). I then plan to upload some video into VS and make a video, same with paintshop and make a dvd cover or whatever. No settings will be adjusted etc....I will assume I will get the best quality leaving well alone.

If you can enlighten me, ie step by step, or tell me NOT to download into serveral folders please do so.

Thanks once again for your time.

Making a a video and a dvd cover will both involve some loss of quality but you can experiment (with copies of your files) to test how much quality loss you can accept. Even making a dvd cover with "no settings adjusted" involves a conversion done by the printer as well as the program

[Woodstock]

Thank you for breaking that down into easy to digest chunks - hard not to understand it now!

one - final - question relating to photos/video...How do I ensure any videos and photos I load from my SD card are loaded onto my D: drive ( my C drive appears to have windows 10 preinstalled etc and is my SSD drive , whereas D: drive is much larger and the older, mechanical type. )

Just - I have the images/video, copy them and paste....into 'Pictures' folder - but that seems to automatically be on my C: drive..can't see how to 'create a new folder' on my D: drive and load into there.

Appologies aware this is not exactly paintshop pro related ( although technically it is as I just want to ensure I'm working off my D: drive when bringing images into paintshop. )

As said..final question..

thanks again for your patience.

[hartpaul]

You did not say if your D drive was an internal drive or an external HDD.
In either case it is much the same.
If an external drive make sure it is connected to your computer

With computer on and ready, double click This PC.
You should see a list of folders and also a section called Devices and Drives. Your D drive should show up here.
Double click your D Drive.
In a clear space Right click and choose New > Folder.
Name your folder eg August Videos
or 160809 namexxx

For videos shot on 9 th August 2016
Or if you are not going to do many and not concerned about cataloging just my Videos

You can then copy your videos from your C drive or your camera or your card reader into the new folder.

Some people do Copy and then Paste, but that does a copy, if you want to Move them then you need to highlight the ones you want to move and then Right Click and drag them to your new folder (both folders being open and viewable on your desktop).

[Woodstock]

Hartpaul, will do as you suggest thanks, common sense in the end, just new to all this and espicially windows 10!

Keen to put to bed this thread but your post conjours up 1 more question...Copying files! The difference between copying and cutting ( from an SD card ). Does it make any difference other than you effectively 'wipe' the original off the SD card if you 'cut'.

In past I would just 'copy' assuming as others have said on this thread the quality would be the same.

[JoeB]

Hartpaul, will do as you suggest thanks, common sense in the end, just new to all this and espicially windows 10!

Keen to put to bed this thread but your post conjours up 1 more question...Copying files! The difference between copying and cutting ( from an SD card ). Does it make any difference other than you effectively 'wipe' the original off the SD card if you 'cut'.

In past I would just 'copy' assuming as others have said on this thread the quality would be the same.

Copying leaves the original on the drive you copied from. Cutting removes the original from that drive and you then paste it to whatever new drive you want. If you "move" a file to another drive it also removes that file from the original drive you moved it from. None of those methods degrade the quality of the file because you are not converting the file from one format to another or using a "save" option that can degrade the image.

While Windows 10 has a different interface than previous windows and some different options and features, if you are familiar with previous versions of windows then all of these things about copying, pasting, moving, converting, etc., are no different from the way they worked in previous versions. Are you just new to Windows 10 or are you new to Windows and computers, period?

[Woodstock]

Ok thanks Joe, that clears that up then. Not new to windows obviously but have never been convinced re the whole copying a photo or video into VS or whatever - quality issues - just more experimenting I suppose as clearly it won't degrade as mentioned several times on here.

Great advice thanks for all the replies, will simply create my D: drive ( internal mechanical harddrive ) with folders for video and photos etc and in future copy everything to there.

Thanks again