Questions from "The DAM Book" 2nd Edition

[peterkrogh]

Dan,
I pull the images out of number range folders after conversion to DNG and cataloging.

As to multiple "shoots' per card, that depends...
I've recently been experimenting with doing serial downloads with IIP for cards with multiple situations.  I've been trying to see how much of a pain it is.  So far, I think it's a bit better, particularly if I know I won't be getting to the files very soon (and there are not too few per situation).  I like the images to be in subject-oriented shoots in the Working/Raw/#1 folder, so I can see what's there. (Been up in the mountains working on the LOC project a lot this summer, so I've kind of been dumping images as I pass through the studio.)

If I've downloaded a "misc" folder because there were just too many different little shoots on a card (5 images from one place here, 25 there, another 20 from this situation) then I generally keep these together in a misc folder all the way to the archive, since it's not worth breaking them up. As you know, I'm really using the metadata to group the images, so folders don't make much difference.

Peter

[danaltick]

Peter,

Makes sense about your mult-shoots on a single card.

Since you wait until after cataloging to remove your number range folders then I assume you are using the Transfer to Folders Move command in EM to do that, correct?  It seems like it would be easier to do this after DNG conversion, but before cataloging just using the File Browser.  Am I missing a subtlety here?  As a reminder, I can't drag and drop in the Catalog Folders under Windows.

Dan

[danaltick]

Peter,

Nevermind.  I see what you are doing in figure 11-44.  I didn't realize that you could drag thumbnails in EM to other catalog folders and they would automatically transfer to those folders.  That does make it easy to do in EM.  Learn something everyday.

Dan

[danaltick]

Well, now that I've put in a new SSD http://thedambook.com/smf/index.php?topic=2032.msg23959#msg23959, I finally have a separate HDD for my Working Files folder.  I'm using my old Seagate 80GB HDD that was being used for my O/S.  80GB should do me for now.  I also just completed testing and setting up an online Working Files profile (with validation) using SyncBack; excellent program and easy to use.  I plan to setup an offline profile (possibly two if necessary for both swappers) and a bucket profile soon.

My next two steps on my ToDo list now are:

Setup Working Files folders according to the book
    Includes adding catalogs, drop folder, and new originals pipeline.

Create new IIP presets according to the book
    Create tiered presets for both job, personal, client, project work where applicable, p. 263.
    Setup to use new Working Files Landing Zone folder

Dan

[danaltick]

Just purchased two of these for my swappers http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136075&cm_re=western_digital_160gb_sata-_-22-136-075-_-Product.  At those prices you just can't afford not to have swappers.

Dan

[danaltick]

Peter,

After initializing and formatting my new swappers, I'm now attempting to test their integrity.  I already own TweakXP Pro http://www.totalidea.com/product.php?Product=Tweak-XP (hmm... can't get the hyperlinks to work, guess you will have to copy and paste the link) which has its own Disk Doctor.  The following is excerpted from the Tweak XP manual:

Tweak®-XP's DiskDrive Doctor scans your hard disks for logical problems. You can run the DiskDrive Doctor on non-removable media disk drives (hard disks).

How to use Tweak®-XP's DiskDrive Doctor:

 Â· When you open Tweak®-XP's DiskDrive Doctor, a list of all hard disks installed into your machine will be displayed. To schedule a inspection of one of your hard disks, check the appropriate drive's checkbox - when an inspection of a drive is planned, Tweak®-XP will display a 'Waiting to start...' message in the hard disk listbox. 
 
 Â· You may set more then one disk drive to be checked by Tweak®-XP's DiskDrive Doctor. 
 
 Â· To start the DiskDrive Doctor, click the 'Check selected drives!' button. 
 
 Â· The Disk Drive Doctor keeps you informed on the status of the checking procedure in the disk drives listbox. 
 

The Scan-Options:

 Â· Fix errors: when this option is checked, Tweak®-XP's DiskDrive Doctor will try to fix all errors it finds during the disk drive inspection. When an error cannot be fixed, Scandisk will be executed on Windows® Startup. 
 
 Â· Skip Folder Cycle: when checked, this option forces the DiskDrive Doctor to skip intensive folder verification. 
 
 Â· Recover Bad Sectors: when this option is checked, bad sectors will be recovered (if possible). 
 
 Â· Vigorous Index Check: this option forces the DiskDrive Doctor whether a vigorous check of index entries should be performed or not. 
 
 Â· Force Dismount: if this option is checked, the selected drive (s) should be forced to dismount before checking. 
 
 Â· OK to run on startup if disk is locked: when this option is checked, the chkdsk operation should be performed at next boot up time, in case the operation could not be performed because the disk was locked at time the method was called. 
 
I'm not really sure if Disk Doctor does much more than a ChkDsk, but can you tell me what System Mechanic does above and beyond this?  I thought you talked about this somewhere in the book, but I can't find it now.

Dan

[danaltick]

Just got my two swappers formatted, checked, and backed up with two separate SyncBack profiles.  Two profiles were needed due to each one having a different drive letter in WinXP.  I also have SyncBack running at 12 midnight every night syncing my Working files to another PC on my LAN.  The complete Working Files backup system is now in place and should be very low maintenance.  I work a day job across town, so I just take a swapper to and from work as needed along with my lunch and other supplies each day.  I don't even need an assistant; couldn't be simpler.  The only thing I might like to do when the proper software becomes available is incremental backups of only the online Working Files.  I would only do this when software becomes available that will only back up the pieces of the media that has changed rather than the whole files.  The only reason for doing this would be to alleviate the risk of propogating corruption inherent with mirrored backups.

Dan

[danaltick]

Ok, time for the next step; migrating to the DNG 1.2 specification.  I hope to kill two birds with one stone here by also migrating from iView to the new IDimager version 5 beta.  Below are the steps involved:

1. Make sure iView catalog of existing buckets is up-to-date.
2. Push all metadata into the files.
3. Perform System Mechanic check on primary and backup drives.
4. Use Auto Hard Disk Monitor to check SMART data on the primary and backup drives.
5. Run the DNG converter on the primary drive, targeting the backup drive, with "Preserve Folder Structure" checked.
6. Confirm that no errors were encounrtered in the processing.
7. If other file-types were in the folders and left behind, use Syncback with validation to copy them to the new folders on the backup drive.
8. Catalog the new files on the backup drive using IDimager. Make sure numbers match in folders.
9. Reconfirm an equal number of files exist in the source and the destination drives.
10. Do a quick visual inspection of the files using the catalog manager thumbnails, looking for any visual corruption (colored bands like shown on page 249 of "The DAM Book second Edition").
11. Perform a Syncback validated transfer from the backup to the primary drive.
12. Reconnect IDimager from the backup drive to the new validated archive on the primary drive.
13. Take backup drive offsite.
14. You're done. Open a Carlsberg.  (For those who don't know this is the #1 beer in Denmark; Peter's native land).

Dan

[danaltick]

Well I've made it to step #8.  So far so good.  I did have 3 DNG's that got errors on the new conversion.  Fortunately they had no stars, so I just removed them from the database.  Interesting though that the previews and metadata were fine; apparently just the raw data was corrupt.  Instead of running System Mechanic, I did a chkdsk on each drive overnight.  I've also got Active Hard Disk monitor running now.  My disks are all green.  I noticed though that my QuickSwap drive bay http://www.cooldrives.com/quswsamorafo.html doesn't let the SMART through.  Oh well, it's only used for my backup drives.  Also, my SSD is not supported by SMART.

Next on the agenda, IDimager version 5 beta.  I realize I might be taking a risk here in going to a beta version; but I do still have iViiew to fall back on if it doesn't go smoothly.

Dan

[danaltick]

Well, had to iron out some nuances with the new beta version of IDimager, but I'm finally up and running with version 5 and a full DNG 1.2 archive validated and backed up offsite in my new Blu-ray buckets with swappers and the whole nine yards... life is good ;-).  Now all I need to do is develop a serial monogamy with my new catalog manager.  Looks like my prenup's in place ;-).  So far Hert and the gang at IDimager have been extremely helpful and I'm still discovering new features in the product.  I'm going to be spending some time cleaning up my metadata and restructuring my catalog sets (or catalog labels in IDimager terms).  I'll be sure to post any more new features or gotchas I come across in the process.  For now I'm just enjoying a very good tasting Carlsberg.  Oh and Peter, this one's for you ;-).  Thanks again for all your help, and especially for writing the new book.  Hopefully I can pay it forward here at the forum.

Dan

[peterkrogh]

Dan,
Sounds like you're all buttoned up.
Peter

[danaltick]

Peter,

Wouldn't say that I'm all buttoned up.  I don't think that's possible in this field, so you better learn to enjoy the journey ;-).  However,  I've definitely crossed a major milestone and feel much better about moving forward now knowing that I'm harvesting all the XMP with a DNG 1.2 archive.  I'm going to create a catalog set to hold all my reworked DNG's for re-validation and backup recovery if necessary.

I've also discovered that I can color manage my master files and generate sRGB proofs directly from them.  Another simplification of the derivative workflow, which is always nice.

I've been playing around with the Light Table as well.  It appears to have good performance running off the DNG previews and supports up to 30 images.  It appears to be very nicely done.

I will say that IDimager has some pretty sophisticated features that would probably never be used in a DAM workflow; however, those features that would be used are still very comprehensive.  It just appears to be a comprehensive product all around.  There are quite a few bugs in v5, but it's solid enough for my purposes, and Hert I have no doubt will tie up the loose ends before final release.

Dan

[danaltick]

I think I would like to say one more thing here.  I really do empathize and sympathize with all the EM and iView Mac users out there in limbo not knowing the future right now.  I do hope a positive sign will emerge from Microsoft soon.  I'm fortunate that I've been able to jump ship with a good product that appears to have a promising future; and I would not have done that had the product not impressed me so much.  I really hope that it will become successful enough that Hert will invest the time and resources to create a true Mac version.  I think if I were him, as soon as I discovered that EM was not going to be continued (if that happens), I would jump right on it, if not sooner.

Dan