Migration of Derivative Panoramas stitched from Multiple Original Files

[David Dalgety]

Before I start migrating my files I would be grateful for your thoughts.

I have had three digital workflows in the past and would like to know if there is a way I can successfully put everything into one archive bucket system?!
1) stills photos shot in JPEG or RAW format with various print and Web derivatives (the DAM book explains well how to archive these files.  No problem)
2) legacy iPIX immersive images.  In other words 2 JPEG fisheye shots stitched into one  360° panorama.  I've gone through and converted all the iPIX format files to master Equirectangular TIFF files (as I'm giving up the iPIX stitching software).  What is the best way to associate each original 2 jpeg shots with the master derivative file?  Should this be put into the meta data or filename as keywords?  Currently most projects are organised into folders by job and then subfolders for each scene location e.g. kitchen, bathroom, garden...
3) Fullscreen Interactive Panoramas.  These have all been shot in raw format.  Typically there are between 8 and 16 shots per panorama which are then converted into the master TIFF file.  Normally two sets for shadows and highlights. These are then stitched before various TIFF panorama versions e.g. 1,2,3 are created.  This is largely because of the number of layers used within each panorama version is a lot especially when blending highlights and shadows.  So eventually there is a final master file :-) it's important know to keep previous versions just in case something needs changing. Other derivatives include print versions and Web format versions e.g. QTVR.  Once again, what is the best way of keeping these files related to each other?  Should I maintain my existing panoramas subfolder structure in the archive bucket system?  What would be the most effective keyword method for cross-referencing/linking related files to each other?

Thanks for your help,

David

[peterkrogh]

David,
What is the total scope of your collection?  Number of files and amount of data in GB.
Peter

[David Dalgety]

Hi Peter

1) client photos 24 GB plus the same again in the original raw format.  Personal photos 4 GB plus raw (all raw formats are currently on CD or DVD only) approximately 3000 photos.  Plus approximately 1000 raw originals.
2) iPIX just 6 GB consisting of 20 or so projects.  Approximately 100 individual stitched panoramas.  200 original source files.
3) Full Screen panoramas currently 52 GB of derivative files (20 projects so far).  Approximately 60 individual stitched panoramas.  Plus several hundred source files and the same again in raw originals.

Due to my inefficient existing system I don't actually know how many photographs I have nor the total number of individual panoramas without going through and counting them :-)

I have two PCs.  One laptop and one workstation.  The workstation now has all the photography on it except for raw files which are on CD/DVD.  I've just added two SATA drives for the new archive of 300 GB each (one internal and one external).

Having a foolproof way to associate the original source files and staged stitched/blending working files for each panorama would be useful.  I have the added complication of using PTGui (panorama tools) for stitching panoramas which does not pass over EXIF, IPTC data to the newly stitched panoramas.  So ideally I would use the cataloguing programme (iView MediaPro) to merge all this data into the one final stitched panorama.

Thanks, David
PS it's a great feeling beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

[peterkrogh]

Sorting the old work out is rthe hardest part of the entire process.

I would probably be tempted in your case to round everything up and put it one one drive and catalog it with one catalog.

In the future, I might split the originals from the derivatives (as I suggest in the book), but depending on workflow, perhaps I'd keep the originals and derivatives together for a case like yours.  In any case, I suggest that you use catalog sets to group the images together, even if they are not kept in folders together.

The catalog sets might look like this

Panoramas
>Project A
>>Original Images
>>Stiched Images

Start playing with catalogs and see how it works for you.
Peter

[johnbeardy]

I have a similar requirement with panoramas and pairs of (infrared + natural light) images and prefer to use a custom field rather than a catalog set. Custom fields are that little bit more visible when you examine or input the metadata in other applications such as Bridge.

John

[David Dalgety]

Thanks Peter and John for your advice.

I've ordered a copy of iView MediaPro and look forward to experimenting with virtual sets  will report back progress.

John how do you create custom fields? Presumably this has to be done using iView MediaPro?  I looked in Adobe Bridge but could not see a way. 

David

[johnbeardy]

Yes, David, in MediaPro, it's Edit > CustomFields and then you can enter up to 16. They aren't hierarchical like sets and I suspect many iView users don't use them. (Do you Peter?)

You have to know what you're doing to also input them or get them to show in Bridge, but it's possible to write a File Info panel linked to any XMP namespace. So just as iView adds a File Info panel, you can add your own.

John