Proposed Design for ImageIngester Folders

[Marc Rochkind]

Peter (and others)--

I'm about to add some additional flexibility in the way ImageIngester arranges images into folders, and I'd thought I'd post my initial ideas here so you and others can comment.

Right now, there is a Primary Folder specified on the Preferences panel, and then ImageIngester makes subfolders from there by year, year and month, or year and month and date. It doesn't do anything to associate images from the same card together.

To conform more closely to what you've said in your post of 26-May and to Figure 6-5 (p. 155) in the book, here's what I'm thinking of doing:

1. The Primary Folder will remain.

2. There will be a new Prompt for Subfolder checkbox. If checked, when ingestion starts, a dialog will appear so a folder name can be entered. Already-entered names can be chosen from a list, with the last-used name preselected. In most cases the user name a folder after a project (e.g., "Job X Images" as in Figure 6-5). This folder will be created if necessary just below the Primary Folder. (I need to figure out how to get this to work with the AutoIngest feature so ingestion can be hands-off after the card is inserted.)

3. There will be a new Create Folders from File-Name Numbers (or some shorter label) checkbox which, if checked, will put the contents of each ingestion in its own subfolder of either the user-entered folder or, if the Prompt for Subfolder checkbox is unchecked, the same subfolders as are used now (e.g., Date). The subfolder holding an ingestion will be labeled with the range of numbers, exactly as in your post and in Figure 6-5.

4. If two ingestions result in duplicate names for subfolders created from a range of numbers, the new folder will be created with a suffix (e.g., "0420-0511a") to make the folder names unique. That way ingestions will still not be mixed. (If multiple cameras are used, the ranges could overlap. The folders will be distinct, but it will be harder to tell what's what by just glancing at the folder list. See my questions at the end.)

With both checkboxes checked, the folder arrangement might be like this:

Primary Folder
   Job X Images
      0420-0511
      0512-0587
      0588-0724
      0725-0818
   Job Y Images
      0819-0945
      0946-1101

In addition to the above, I'm also thinking of how to implement automatic sequencing, which some users have asked for, which would override the numbers taken from the file names. I haven't worked out the details of this yet.

Questions for you Peter (or anyone): Do you reset the camera's starting image number when you start a job? Do you just leave it going until it eventually wraps? When you have multiple cameras, do you keep their ranges far apart to avoid the confusion in folder name ranges I mentioned above?

Comments?

--Marc

(ImageIngester is at http://basepath.com/ImageIngester/.)

[johnbeardy]

"Questions for you Peter (or anyone): Do you reset the camera's starting image number when you start a job? Do you just leave it going until it eventually wraps? When you have multiple cameras, do you keep their ranges far apart to avoid the confusion in folder name ranges I mentioned above?"

There are many schemes. I change a filename like DSC_1234.ext to YYMMDD_041234 description.ext where the first 4 indicates the camera has gone round the 1-9999 cycle 4 times - ie it's my 41,234th digital exposure. Essentially I need a search and replace, looking for DSC_ and replacing it with 04. Others might do a YYMMDD_0001 to YYMMDD_9999 approach counting how many shots were on that day, starting afresh each day. However many permutations you build in, there'll never be enough.

John

[peterkrogh]

Marc,
Thanks for this: I will put it through its paces at the first opportunity.

As to your questions:

I personallly let the counter run, and do not resent, as I outline in the book.  THis populates my archive with many fewer filenames with identical Unique Image Identifiers.

The exception to this is a multi-camera shoot, where I will sequence chronologically, and then rename, often, but not always, starting at 0001.
Peter

[danaltick]

Marc,

From what I can tell, your approach looks good to me.  I'm assuming from your example above that this update will support multi-card shoots to the same "Job X Images" folder; albeit, prompting you each time for the subfolder name, where you would then select the same subfolder.  With this approach, I will more than likely opt for the subfolder name prompting rather than the fully automatic option.  Afterall, sooner or later you have to do that manually, so might as well do it up front where it can prompt you.  That will also lend itself better to pushing multiple jobs through your workflow simultaneously.

Dan

[DJ Webb]

I had a quick play with imageingester on the weekend and found that it currently doesn't work with my file naming scheme.

Basically the numbering on my camera does not match the numbering of my files. In Bridge I do a batch rename to DJW_YYYYMMDD_XXXXX.CR2

If Imageingester could do the same. renumber the files from a given start point (hell if it could remember the last file it renamed of a batch and then when a new batch is started begin from where it left off (+1 obviously)) it'd be a fantastic addition to my work flow.

Thanks

[Marc Rochkind]

DJ:

Many users have requested that kind of automatic sequencing, and it's on my list of enhancements.

By the way, for the next major release, which will include this feature, the Mac version will be available several weeks before the Windows version. Are you on a Mac?

--Marc

[DJ Webb]

I'm a PC me... 

Thanks for the info though. It'll greatly speed up my work flow.

[AnthonyRalph]

DJ:

Many users have requested that kind of automatic sequencing, and it's on my list of enhancements.

By the way, for the next major release, which will include this feature, the Mac version will be available several weeks before the Windows version. Are you on a Mac?

--Marc

Pity the Windows version will trail behind the Mac version, but I shall look forward to the enhancements for my Windows system when they arrive.

Anthony.

[Marc Rochkind]

Anthony... you don't have to wait! I have a really good idea for you: You could switch! ;-)

(The problem is that it's going to take a lot of user-interface iteration with user feedback to get the next set of features right, and I want to iterate only one platform, not two. That way I can cut the UI code for Windows just once.)

--Marc

[DJ Webb]

Its something I'm conisdering for my next upgrade... I dislike apple as much as i dislike microsoft but the mac's do seem to be more geared towards "creative" software...

Maybe now with all the intel dual-core technology I can install a macOS on a selfbuild "windows" system and maybe get the best of both worlds.

Keep up the good work Marc.

[AnthonyRalph]

Anthony... you don't have to wait! I have a really good idea for you: You could switch! ;-)

(The problem is that it's going to take a lot of user-interface iteration with user feedback to get the next set of features right, and I want to iterate only one platform, not two. That way I can cut the UI code for Windows just once.)

--Marc

Marc:

I *do* understand - it's a practical solution to multi-platform program development and you are in good company (Lightroom!?). I just couldn't let it pass without teasing you a little. As I said: I look forward to seeing the new version when it arrives.

Anthony.

[jomilo75]

Marc

Would it be possible to have the custom folder created under the sub-folder? I coordinated several photographers who are taking photos on the same day. Currently, we use image ingester and select the year and date folders (YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD). The photographers now manually create a folder underneath the date folder with their initials. This way, when the photographers return and copy the images to our central server, we end up with a structure like YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/XXX where XXX is the photographer's initials. It would be nice if the photographer promted for his/her initials upon download.

Cheers
Josh

[Marc Rochkind]

Josh--

A timely suggestion. Just yesterday I was wondering if the combination would be useful. The new user-named folder will be added on the choices already there, in addition to the new choice of putting the user-named folder directly under the primary folder.

--Marc

[mlougee]

The most recent two replies, dealing with multiple photographers at "events," also sound very relevant to a "workgroup" or "departmental" group of photographers.  It would be very handy to have an easy (or at least easier) technique to maintain separate folders for each individual who's adding images to the collection.

A discussion in another Post mentions that images are not REQUIRED to be ingested from a card, they can also come from a directory.  These two capabilities seem great for a multiple-photographer environment.  Tnx!