FotoFiler User Manual

Foto Filer
The Digital Photographers Assistant
User Manual
Abbey Road Systems
http://www.AbbeyRoadSystems.com Microsoft, Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Table of Contents
CONCEPTS Why Foto Filer was Developed .............................. 3 FUNDAMENTALS AND TERMINOLOGY ......................................... 4 CAPABILITIES Features of Foto Filer ................................ 5 ABOUT SHAREWARE ..................................................... 12 INSTALLING FOTO FILER ............................................... 12 STARTING & SELECTING A SOURCE FOLDER .............................. 15 NAMING & VIEWING PHOTOS MAIN PROCESSING ........................... 19 ASSIGNING NAMES TO DESTINATION ALBUMS ............................... 36 DISPLAYING CAMERA SETTINGS - PHOTO INFORMATION ...................... 40 MANIPULATING A PHOTO ................................................ 41 SELECTING PHOTOS FOR ADDITIONAL PROCESSING .......................... 47 REGISTRATION PROCESS ................................................ 50 TYPICAL SCENARIOS - Examples ........................................ 55 TECHNIQUES AND TIPS ................................................. 65 REMOVING FOTO FILER FROM PC (UN-INSTALL) ........................... 68 SCREEN SHOT IMAGES .................................................. 69 Image A Installing Foto Filer.................................. 69 Image B Registration Information............................... 69 Image C Select Source Folder................................... 70 Image D Main Processing........................................ 70 Image E Renaming Source Folder................................. 71 Image F - Auto Assign Names & Common Prefix...................... 71 Image G Auto Assign Name Options............................... 72 Image H Film Strip............................................. 72 Image I New Name Message....................................... 73 Image J Assigning Album Names.................................. 73 Image K Show Content of Folder................................. 74 Image L Selecting a Destination Album.......................... 74 Image M Slide Show............................................. 75 Image N Select Photos.......................................... 75 Image O Large Picture.......................................... 76 Image P Manipulate Photo....................................... 76 Image Q About Foto Filer....................................... 77 Image R Registration Step 1.................................... 77 Image S Registration Step 2.................................... 78
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Welcome To
Foto Filer
CONCEPTS Why Foto Filer was Developed The Foto Filer System affords the digital photographer a simple and fast method of assigning meaningful names to digital photos; collect and group these photos into electronic photo albums; manipulate the content and characteristics of a photo; and finally, display the results in a variety of ways. Most digital cameras manufactured for todays amateur or professional photographer, provides the means to interface the digital camera with the PC. This interface is usually a cable that connects the camera to a computer port. The interface then allows the photos stored in the cameras memory to be downloaded (saved) to the storage medium on the PC. This storage medium is usually the computer hard-drive, but it could also be a CD ROM, DVD, or Diskette. Once downloaded, the computer user has the freedom to view, print, or share the photos in any number of ways. Because there are no per picture expenses associated with digital photography, most camera owners quickly accumulate significant numbers of photos. And just as quickly, they loose track of what pictures were taken and where they were saved on the PC. This problem parallels that of printed photographs that get stuffed into a shoebox, never to be seen again. PC owners have a unique opportunity to have the PC store these photos in a meaningful way. Foto Filer harnesses this power of the PC to quickly and easily allow the photographer to assign an appropriate name to a specific photo, group these photos into meaningful albums that can be retrieved for future viewing, and to toss out any unwanted photos. Foto Filer assists the PC user by simplifying this cataloging of photos through
automation. The amount of automation is controlled by the Foto Filer user. In addition to its primary function of cataloging, Foto Filer also offers photo enhancement (e.g., cropping, image rotation, red-eye reduction) and special viewing features (e.g., slide show, film strips). Cataloging, for the purposes of Foto Filer and this documentation, refers to the process of renaming a photo, moving or assigning a photo to an album, or dispatching a photo (deleting from storage). In addition, albums are not the typical hardbound variety, but rather, electronic albums that are stored on a Personal Computer (PC).
FUNDAMENTALS AND TERMINOLOGY Because this documentation has to be understood by both the PC literate group and the casual user of the PC, the terminology used in this documentation may sound simplistic to some and confusing to others. Hopefully, a happy medium has been struck that allows everyone a chance to understand Foto Filer enough to make full use of its capabilities. There is one basic point that every user needs to understand - the concept of Folders and Directories as an inherent part of the Windows operating system (Windows). The Folder, sometimes called a Directory depending on the version of Windows, is the basic area on the Storage Medium where information is retained. All pictures, documents, spreadsheets are stored in these Folders. A PC user has a choice of making any number of Folders for their use. Folders on the PC are created in a hierarchical fashion. This hierarchy, as well as the folder name, is completely under the control of the PC user. There is always a special folder on every Storage Medium in the PC. This special folder is called the ROOT and refers to the highest level in the folder hierarchy. On every system, there is a
ROOT called C:\. If the PC has more than one physical or logical drive it could have multiple ROOTs (for example, D:\ and C:\). Ultimately, the PC user needs to know where photos are stored on the PC. They are always stored in a folder somewhere on the PC. When the camera manufacturers interface is used to download the pictures from the camera to the PC, it usually offers a choice to name the download folder. Most of the time, Windows provides the default folder called C:\My Documents\Pictures. This folder name, or any other common name, can be used to store the downloaded photos. Foto Filer albums too, are nothing more than folders on the PC. Foto Filer will always refer to the source of the photos as the Source Folder. That is, the area chosen to store the photos during the camera to PC interface and download process. The location these photos are moved to during the session with Foto Filer is referred to as the Destination Album. Any number of Destination Albums can be identified in Foto Filer. Choosing not to create any Albums is also an option, in which case the destination of the photos becomes the same as the Source Folder. As photos are processed, they will probably be moved into a variety of Destination Albums, and occasionally, chosen to remain in the Source Folder. This is usually the case when a user wishes to revisit a set of photos at a later time, and move them into an appropriate Destination Album at that future time. For the sake of reference in this documentation, the Source Folder will be referred to as the Source, and the Destination Album simply as Album.
CAPABILITIES Features of Foto Filer Foto Filer provides a number of automation tools to make the cataloging of digital photos as easy as 1,2,3. Before the functions and tools of the Foto Filer system are explained, a survey of the capabilities of Foto Filer will assist the reader in understanding this
documentation, and in utilizing Foto Filer to its fullest. These capabilities include: Selecting the source of the photographs by simply pointing and clicking with the PCs mouse. Create and assign albums on any PCs storage medium without having to be a computer technician, or having any special computer skills. Through simple point and click operations, albums can be created, deleted or renamed. Once created, albums can be selected as destination points for photos. As photos are viewed in Foto Filer, they can be quickly moved to, or from, any of these selected albums. Photos can be quickly renamed by typing in a new SIMPLE name in a special text area on the Main Processing screen. For example, lets suppose a photograph is stored on the PC called C:\SourceDocuments\Pictures\PictureNumberOne.jpg. The actual file name the PC uses for this photo is PictureNumberOne.jpg, but it is stored in the physical location known as C:\SourceDocuments\Pictures\. The JPG portion of the photo name is the type of digital format chosen by the camera manufacturer for the photos taken with the camera. Most cameras use this format. The SIMPLE name for this picture is PictureNumberOne (note that the JPG is dropped in the SIMPLE name). All the Foto Filer user needs to be concerned with is that SIMPLE name and what meaningful name to assign it. For example, lets imagine this is a photo of Big Ben. In Foto Filer, just type in a meaningful name such as Big Ben and press the ENTER key. Foto Filer will do all the work of converting it to the appropriate name used by the PC. In this example, the computer converts it to the computer file name C:\SourceDocuments\Pictures\Big Ben.jpg.
By combining the two previous points, Foto Filer could actually direct that photo to an appropriate album with one click of the mouse. Lets suppose Foto Filer was used to create an album called European Vacation. By clicking on this album prior to typing in the new name Big Ben, the photo would not only be renamed, but it would also be moved out of the C:\SourceDocuments\Pictures\ Source Folder, and moved into the European Vacation album. To the computer, this photo will be identified as C:\European Vacation\Big Ben.jpg. The Foto Filer user does not need to be concerned with what the PC did internally to create the name. Foto Filer can move a photo from the Source Folder into any album, without renaming the photo. Simply click on the album where the photo is to be moved to, and select the ENTER key. Using the example above, the photo will retain the original name, but be relocated to the album selected. The computer will store this photo as C:\European Vacation\PictureNumberOne.jpg. A photo can also be moved between any album created and even back to the Source Folder, if desired. Usually, this technique is used if photos have already been renamed, but a decision is made later to create other more meaningful albums. Any photo can be passed back and forth between any number of albums, any number of times. A prefix can be assigned to any photo that is renamed. A prefix can even be attached to an existing photo name. Lets imagine every picture is to be prefaced with the word England. The Foto Filer user simply has to type the word England once, in the appropriate area on the Foto Filer screen, then repeat the process described above. For instance, if a photo is to be renamed to Big Ben, this process would actually name the photo England Big Ben. The computer would identify it as C:\SourceDocuments\Pictures\England Big Ben.jpg. If the
Destination Album European Vacation was also selected, the computer would identify this photo as C:\European Vacation\England Big Ben.jpg. And if the decision was to not type a new name for the picture, and the ENTER key was pressed without a new name being typed in, the picture would now be named England PictureNumberOne and be recognized by the computer as C:\European Vacation\ England PictureNumberOne.jpg. Foto Filer will automatically assign sequential numbers to a batch of photographs, by simply selecting a checkbox option on the Main Processing screen. At the same time, Foto Filer can be directed to assign a prefix name to each photo (as described above), move these photos to any Destination Album, and finally, set the sequence to start at a specified number. For example, if there is a list of ten photos in the Source Folder, it would take only seconds to auto assign sequential numbers to all ten photos starting with the number 69 and prefacing each photo with the word England. The end result will be photos with the names England 069 through England 078. When automatically assigning sequential numbers to photos, Foto Filer will detect when a number has already been assigned within a folder/album and skip over that number when making the assignment. This prevents duplicate numbers from being assigned to two different photos. By making an appropriate selection, Foto Filer can be used to append a new name to an existing photo name. There are a number of ways this can be done, but Foto Filer offers options to reduce the amount of manual effort in doing so. Foto Filer is intended to make the cataloging of photos as simple as possible. Sometimes during this process an unwanted photo
needs to be deleted. Foto Filer provides the means to expedite this process, without interrupting the flow of work. In addition to the ability to automatically assign photo names, and the ability to attach a standard prefix to photo names, there are other options available to reduce the amount of work required by the Foto Filer user when assigning names to photos. For instance, names entered can be automatically capitalized, or the first letter in each word of the name assigned, can be capitalized. This option is provided to not only reduce the data entry keystrokes, but also as a way of providing some uniformity in how the names are assigned. When working within a Source Folder, not all the pictures on the folder list need to be processed at the same time. Rather, Foto Filer provides the means to select or de-select from this list. None of the automatic functions will be applied to those deselected photos. This is especially handy if the Automatic Assignment option is chosen. By stepping through the list of pictures, each photo can be selected or de-selected from the list, then a name can be automatically applied to only those photos that remained checked off on the list (i.e., selected). Tool tips are associated with each command and explain what the command will do, if exercised. The tool tips are optionally turned on or off at the Foto Filer users request. In addition to these tips, a simple step by step approach can be displayed that directs the novice in handling some of the basic operations within Foto Filer. These steps can be quickly turned on, then off again, making it a convenient way of reminding the Foto Filer user of how to perform a certain task. There are numerous ways that the Foto Filer user can view the photos that are being cataloged, or considered for cataloging.
There are thumbnail photos, large images, standard images, film strip images and even a slide show facility within Foto Filer. All these choices are provided to make the job of cataloging these photos as easy as possible. These choices will be described as the various screens and menus within the Foto Filer system are explained. Foto Filer can handle JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group Format), BMP (Microsoft Bitmap Format), or GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) image format types used in digital photography. The most common digital camera photograph will use the JPEG format and Foto Filer defaults to this choice. However, options to view and work with these other format types, is available in Foto Filer. Special photo manipulation functions are provided that let the Foto Filer user modify the photo content. Flipping the photo horizontally or vertically, rotating the photo in 90 degree increments, cropping, red-eye reduction and some color conversions are available. Once a photo is modified, it can be saved under its original name or renamed to a more appropriate one. If renamed, a new copy of the photo is made reflecting the changes and the original photo remains unaltered. Foto Filer offers an option to keep the original photo intact while renaming or cataloging the photo. The copy of the original photo can be kept in its existing folder or moved to a different Destination Album. A bulk copy/move function is provided that will conveniently copy or move a group of selected photos from the source folder to any Destination Album identified. Whether the action taken is a Copy or a Move is dependent on the option chosen above.
Whenever Foto Filer is stopped, the current state of the option selections is retained. The next time Foto Filer is started, these option selections are put in the same state as the last time Foto Filer was used. Foto Filer retains the standard naming conventions used by the Windows operating system when a photo is cataloged. No special proprietary databases are created in Foto Filer allowing photos and albums to be accessible by any Windows based software capable of processing photos. There is no need to have Foto Filer running on that system to view these photos. This allows Foto Filer users to share their cataloged photos with anyone on any PC running the Windows operating system. This includes any album created in Foto Filer. Typically, photos once processed with Foto Filer, will be copied to a CD and shared with friends and family members. All assigned photo names, and all the albums created in Foto Filer, will be retained in the CD copy and will be displayed on any PC accessing this CD. Ideally, this documentation package should be read in its entirety if a good understanding of Foto Filer is to be achieved. However, documentation is something few of us really enjoy reading. If the reader wants to get right to the meat of Foto Filer, it is suggested that two sections towards the end of the package be reviewed. The first section is titled Typical Scenarios which shows five examples of how to use Foto Filer and can be found starting on page 55. Duplicating these examples may be possible without reading the documentation in full. Sometimes, just reading through these examples is enough to attain a workable understanding of Foto Filer. The second section, Screen Shot Images contains snap shots of Foto Filer screens and can be found starting on page 69.
Foto Filer
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ABOUT SHAREWARE Shareware is a product distribution method that has become more and more popular as the use of the internet grows. The idea behind shareware is to allow potential purchasers an opportunity to try out software before they are committed to spending any money on the product. This try before you buy concept is a little like taking out a car for a test drive. If, after test driving the software the user decides he/she does not like it, then they dont buy it. On the other hand, if the user decides it is a product they want to use, then fair compensation for the product should be given. Foto Filer, as you guessed, is a shareware product. Once Foto Filer is installed, it can be taken through its paces without any commitment from the user. If after the test drive the user decides that Foto Filer isnt the software product for them, Foto Filer provides tools to remove it from the PC. On the other hand, if Foto Filer does prove to be an important part of the users software library, then a simple registration process is provided within Foto Filer. The discussion text and screen images in this documentation package assumes Foto Filer is registered. Certain functionality is only available to a Registered User. There is, however, a free Trial Period Registration that also provides full Foto Filer functionality, but is limited to a 30 day period. This registration process is covered in full on page 50.
INSTALLING FOTO FILER The Foto Filer installation/setup process can be downloaded from the internet, delivered through Email, or provided through an installation CD. In either case, installation starts by running the file called setupff.exe. If this file was downloaded from the internet or saved from an Email, it needs to be run from the location where it was saved. Using Windows - My Computer, browse to locate the setup process (setupff.exe) and double click the file with the left mouse button. An alternative is to select START then RUN from within Windows,
and enter the location followed by setupff.exe. For example, if the setup process was downloaded to the ROOT of the Primary Drive of the PC (C:\), then type in C:\setupff.exe and press the ENTER key. A third alternative is to use the Windows search facility to locate where the installation program was stored and double click the file directly from the search results screen. NOTE: depending upon how Windows is configured, the file extension of .exe may not be displayed. If all the PC displays is setupff then use that as the setup process. Once initiated, the setup process is automated but does require some interaction. Once started, the initial installation screen is displayed and looks like:
Once this initial screen is displayed, ensure it is the correct installation process. It should indicate Foto Filer in the upper left corner of the screen. If satisfied, select NEXT. The screen titled, Important Information is displayed. Review this text for any last minute information required to either install or run
Foto Filer. Remember to scroll down to read all of the text. After reading, select NEXT. The License Agreement screen is displayed. If there is agreement to the conditions of the license as displayed, then select AGREE. If not, select CANCEL which will terminate the Foto Filer installation process. If there was agreement to the license, the Installation Options screen is presented. Foto Filer will be installed in the default location identified in the Installation Folder text area. If a different storage location is preferred type over the default text. Once satisfied with the location, select INSTALL. The actual installation of the various components of Foto Filer should be completed in a few minutes. When completed, the Installation Completed screen is displayed. Select FINISH to complete the installation process. There is a checkbox labeled Show the ReadMe Information. If selected, the ReadMe text file will be displayed for review when the installation is completed. It is recommended that this file be reviewed for any last minute information and or changes. If the box is not checked, the ReadMe document will not be displayed. The ReadMe file is saved, however, and can be displayed at any time in the future. Once installation is completed, two shortcuts will be placed on the PC Desktop. They are the shortcuts to the User Manual and the Foto Filer program itself. Either of these can be run by double clicking on them from the desktop. An alternative is to select the Start, Programs, Foto Filer and then select the appropriate file. For example, to run the actual Foto Filer process, select Start, Programs, Foto Filer, and then Foto Filer. If Desktop clutter is a concern, the Foto Filer shortcuts can be deleted without affecting the ability to use Foto Filer.
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NOTE: this User Manual documentation file and the ReadMe text file are provided as separate downloads. This allows potential users of Foto Filer the opportunity to review the documentation before the actual program is downloaded and/or installed. Since these two documents are always installed as part of the setup process, any copy downloaded separately should be deleted before the setup process is started. This will ensure the latest version of these documents is installed on the PC.
STARTING & SELECTING A SOURCE FOLDER Foto Filer can be started by selecting the Desktop shortcut labeled Foto Filer. Alternately, it can be started by selecting Start, then Programs, then Foto Filer, and finally Foto Filer.
Once Foto Filer starts, it will always present the Select Source Folder screen displayed above. This screen is used to select the SOURCE of the photos that will be worked on during this session with Foto Filer.
As a note, there is an option to return to this screen from the Main Processing screen if the SOURCE of the photos needs to be changed. Within Foto Filer, a SOURCE folder of photos is always the starting point. The Source is where the photos were placed during the camera to PC interface (the download process). This Select Source Folder screen allows the DISK DRIVE letter of the storage medium to be chosen, such as C: or D:. Once this selection is made (double clicking with the mouse), the various PICTURE FOLDERS are displayed that are available on that DISK DRIVE. Simply scroll down this list until the desired Source Folder is located. The selection needs to be double clicked using the left-mouse-button in order to actually initiate this selection. Once the Source is selected, the photos that are in that Source Folder are listed in the AVAILABLE PICTURES box on the bottom of the screen. Additionally, a thumbnail image will be displayed at the lower left of the screen representing the first photo in the list. A thumbnail is simply a miniature picture. If any picture from this list is selected, its thumbnail will be displayed. This feature provides the opportunity to verify that this is, in fact, the Source that is intended to be worked with. If it isnt, then just go back to either the DISK DRIVE list or the PICTURE FOLDER list and select another Source Folder. This is repeated until the correct selection is confirmed. When making selections in the PICTURE FOLDER list, the hierarchical layout of the folders will become apparent. Familiarity with this browsing technique is important in order to locate the Source. If in doubt, Microsoft help facilities offered in their Windows products will provide the necessary training. In addition to the drive and folder listings to select from, there is an option to select the PICTURE TYPE. This is where the selection of JPEG, Bitmap or GIF file formats is made. Based on the selection,
only photos of that type are displayed during the Foto Filer session. Returning to this Select Source Folder screen at any time affords the opportunity to select another format type. No selection is necessary however, unless there is a need to work with formats other than JPEG. Since this is the most common format used by camera manufacturers, it is pre-selected as the default for Foto Filer. Just below the Foto Filer heading (upper right), there is a checkbox that can be used to request the displaying of Tool Tips. If the checkbox is clicked with the mouse, the function is alternately turned on and off. When a checkmark is in the box, then the function is turned on, and Foto Filer will display the purpose of every Command Button, Photo Listing, Checkbox, Image Area, etc in a short reminder format. These reminders are to assist the user in navigating through all the choices Foto Filer has to offer. The best way to understand this, is to select the checkbox and move the mouse over any or all of the items on the screen. Besides the reminder messages, Foto Filer will display steps that can be followed in order for the novice user to quickly use the system functions. These are displayed as Steps 1 though Step 4 in RED type on this screen. There are similar steps identified on subsequent screens. This function can quickly be turned on only when needed to assist with functions that are not often used. Of course, the other choice would be to revert back to this documentation. Most users, however, will be able to use all of the functionality of Foto Filer by reading this documentation once, and relying on the Tool Tips, when they find their memory was left back at the office. When Foto Filer is first installed, this option is pre-selected as turned on. There are two command buttons on the bottom of the screen. The first one is labeled EXIT and by selecting it with the mouse, Foto Filer will do just that: exit and turn off Foto Filer. The other command, USE FOLDER tells Foto Filer to use the Source Folder selected and go to
the Main Processing screen. As mentioned earlier, if the decision was made to use a particular folder, and it turns out to be the wrong one, the Select Source Folder screen can be returned to, in order to make another selection. Often times, after processing a group of photos from one Source, the user comes back to this screen to select another Source to work on. In fact, a typical scenario is for a user to select a Source, then rename and move a series of photos into a new album. When that is completed, the user will come back to that new album and sift through the photos again. Sometimes, yet another album is created for certain photos that seem to belong together. This give and take, moving photos from one album to another, is actually what makes Foto Filer so powerful and useful. A third command button labeled SET DEFAULT FOLDER allows the name of the currently selected folder to be remembered for the next time Foto Filer is started. When Foto Filer is started, it first checks to see if a folder was preserved (by virtue of selecting this command button anytime during any previous use of Foto Filer). If it was, that preserved folder name will be the first folder name presented in the Select Source Folder screen. This is handy in many ways, but primarily if the work in one session is interrupted. It allows Foto Filer to start back up in the same source folder without having to re-select it each time Foto Filer is started. With Release 1.1.5, a new format of the Main Process screen has been introduced. The documentation that follows will reference this new format. In line with this new format, there is now an additional set of choices that the user can make. First, if you have been using Foto Filer for a while and prefer the old style format, then select that option in the lower left corner of the screen. The default is the new format called Foto Filer 2006. In addition to this choice, the user of the new version can also select to have the screens auto fit. Selecting this will automatically expand the physical dimensions of Foto Filer display screens to more closely match the super high resolution
monitors. You can switch back and forth between either of the options (version and auto-fit) as often as you wish. However, it can only be done when the Select Folder screen is first displayed. If you have already displayed the Main Process screen, then you need to exit Foto Filer in order to change your selection. Foto Filer also will remember your selections when you exit.
NAMING & VIEWING PHOTOS MAIN PROCESSING The Main Processing screen is the heart of the Foto Filer system. Once a Source Folder is chosen, the Main Processing screen is where all of the activity will be managed. This includes cataloging (renaming, moving and deleting photos), viewing a slide show of the photos, viewing groups of photos in a film strip and so on.
From this screen, Foto Filer will branch off into other screens to accomplish various tasks. There is also the opportunity to return to the Select Source Folder screen from here to assign a new Source Folder. Although the screen may look very complex when first seen, once the
functionality is understood, it will become clear that Foto Filer is organized to minimize the effort required to manage the work session. The screen is divided into six sections that relate to the workflow in cataloging the photos. These sections include: Select Options Here, Destination Album Assignment, Image and Data Entry, Source Folder Picture List, Various Display Operations, and Command Functions. Select Options Here: In this section, choices are available to either customize the look and feel of Foto Filer, or to provide special functionality. A selection is made by clicking on the small checkbox with the mouse. If it is checked, it is considered turned on, while unchecked is turned off. Note: references to IMAGE LETTERS in the explanation below, refers to a specific graphic in the SCREEN SHOT SECTION starting on page 69 of this document. To view the options, you first need to move the mouse arrow directly over the Select Options Here box. As soon as you do that, the actual option menu will drop down for your selections. When you move the mouse on any other part of the screen, the option list will disappear. Turn Photo Filer Useful Tips On. This checkbox option is the same one found on the Select Source Folder screen. Its state of being checked or not checked is dependent on what selection is made on either screen. So when it is checked on the Main Processing screen, it is also checked on the Select Source Folder screen, and visa versa. When turned on, Foto Filer will display the purpose of any Command Button, Photo Listing, Checkbox, Image Area, etc in a short reminder format. These reminders are to assist the user in navigating through all the choices Foto Filer has to offer. The best way to understand this is to select the checkbox and move the mouse over any or all of the items on the screen. Besides the reminder messages, Foto Filer will display steps that can be followed, in order for the novice Foto Filer user to quickly use the system functions. These are displayed as
Steps 1 and Step 2 in RED type on this screen. There are similar steps identified on subsequent screens. The default setting is checked. Single Line Film Strip. When turned on, this option shows a maximum of six thumbnail images per display page when the FILM STRIP or SELECT PHOTO command buttons are selected. NEXT and PREVIOUS command buttons are provided to accommodate when more than six photos are in the Source Folder or Album selected. When turned off, this option shows a maximum of twenty four thumbnail images per Film Strip or Select Photo display page. This choice is available to accommodate slower PCs, since displaying twenty four images at a time may be time consuming on these slower computers. The default setting is checked. Refer to IMAGE H which shows the twenty-four image display. First Letter Caps. There are several areas in Foto Filer where data entry in a text field is provided. After entering information, Foto Filer knows data entry is completed through the pressing of the ENTER key on the PC keyboard. If this option is turned on, and data entry is completed, Foto Filer will automatically capitalize the first letter of each word that is entered. If turned off, no changes are made to the information keyed in. The default setting is checked. All Upper Case. This option is identical to the one above with one exception. If turned on, and after data entry is completed, all letters in the data entered will be capitalized. The default setting is not checked. Show New Name Message. When this option is turned on, a brief message is displayed every time a new photo name is entered. The message highlights the name of the photo just assigned and
asks for confirmation to accept or not accept the new name keyed in. Selecting YES will cause the new name to be applied. Selecting NO will reject the name that was keyed in and revert back to the original name of the photo. The default setting is checked. Refer to IMAGE I, center of image. In this example, a new name was not entered but the Common Prefix of Sample of Prefix was entered. The new name displayed in the message shows that the prefix was attached to the existing photo name. Display Date and Display Date & Time. When turned on, the date or date/time the photograph was captured will be displayed above the photo. If neither is checked no date is displayed. Xpress Print. When turned on, the printing of a photo will bypass the printer selection menu and initiate the actual printing of the photo immediately. Keep a Copy of Original Photo. This checkbox is used to alter the simple Renaming function into a Copy and Renaming function. If checked, the original photo remains in its original location with the original name. A copy of this photo is then made and renamed, moved or whatever independent of the original photo. When exiting Foto Filer, this option selection is not maintained like the other checkbox options above. You need to select this option each time you run Foto Filer if you choose to take advantage of this feature. Auto Assign Names. When turned on, the screen is transformed into one that allows the automatic assignment of photo names. When turned off, normal Foto Filer processing is available. The default setting is not checked. Refer to IMAGE F. By selecting the START command button, Auto Sequencing will be initiated and be completed for all selected photos in the
Source Folder list box. The OPTION command button will present an additional menu. Here a starting sequence number can be selected. The choice in the number of leading zeros that will be applied to the number assigned as the photo name, can also be made. Refer to IMAGE G. Add Space After Prefix. This option provides the means to automatically force a space character to follow a Common Prefix field, if entered (see below). The default setting is checked. Append New Name To Existing. When Foto Filer is processing data, it always highlights the current name of the photo. This allows the name to be changed by simply typing in the new name without worrying about cursor placement. If the current name of the photo is to be maintained, but additional text is to be added to the name, the cursor has to be placed just at the edge of the text of the photo name. For example, if the current photo name is BIG BEN, and it needs to be changed to BIG BEN CLOCK, the entire name could be re-typed, or the cursor can be placed at the right of the N and only CLOCK needs to be entered. By turning this option on, this cursor placement is done automatically. This is typically used when all the photos have been named with meaningful names, but additional text needs to be added to a group of photos. The default setting is not checked. Use Common Prefix. This option provides the means to enter a prefix once, and have this prefix attached automatically to every photo that is cataloged. Refer to IMAGE F. When turned on, the screen is transformed to allow the entry of the value for the Prefix Text. The default setting is turned off. This function works in conjunction with the Add Space After Prefix checkbox to force the addition of a space character after the Prefix Text. So, if the Prefix Text entered is England and the
Add Space After Prefix checkbox is not turned on, and the new photo name entered is Parliament, then the name actually created by Foto Filer is EnglandParliament. With the Add Space checkbox turned on, the name would be England Parliament with a space between England and Parliament. When the screen is transformed by turning on the Use Common Prefix option, there is also an additional command button displayed to the right of the NEXT command button and is called the DO NOT ATTACH PREFIX command button. After renaming a photo, selecting this command will process the photo as if the ENTER key was selected, but the Prefix Text entered will NOT be assigned to this one photo. It is the same effect as turning the Use Common Prefix off, and pressing the ENTER key. When the Auto Assign option is turned on, this additional command button does not get displayed. Destination Album Assignment: In this section, Destination Albums are assigned names that can be used to distribute photos to. Once named, any named Album can be selected as the current Destination Album. Note: references to IMAGE LETTERS in the explanation below, refers to a specific graphic in the SCREEN SHOT SECTION starting on page 69 of this document. Assigning Names to Albums. This command button is selected to open the Foto Filer process used for the naming and/or selection of Destination Albums. In that process, albums can be created, deleted, and assigned to one of the six available album selections seen in this section. In the example screen image above, three of the six albums have already been assigned. The names chosen in this example are Vacation 2008, England, and Unidentified. Through this command button, these album assignments can be modified, eliminated altogether, or additional ones can be assigned. While only six Destination Albums can be assigned at any given time, these assignments can be changed
very quickly through this process. The Assign Names to Albums process will be discussed later in this documentation. Destination Albums. The six little blocks that look like miniature manila folders are the Destination Album identifiers. If the folders have been assigned to a Destination Album, that album name is displayed across the miniature folder image. If no name is there, it has not yet been assigned. The name that is displayed is the SIMPLE name of the album. When the mouse pointer is located over the folder, and not clicked, the entire album name will be displayed. An album is selected to be used as the Destination Album by clicking the miniature folder. When this is done, a box will surround that album selected. Refer to IMAGE L. Selecting another miniature folder will force the box to be moved to that selected folder. Therefore, the Destination Album with the box around it is the selected Destination Album. All Foto Filer processing will use this selected Destination Album as just that: the Album where all photos will be moved to during the cataloging process. Switching the destination of a photo or group of photos is done by simply selecting another one of the assigned albums from this section. To clarify a point, there is a distinction between an assigned album and a selected album. An assigned album is one of the six miniature folders in the section that has a name associated with it. A selected album is the one that has been chosen as the active Destination Album, and the one with the box surrounding it. Albums can be assigned names, and yet never be selected as Destination Albums. Clear. This command button is used to de-select the Destination Album that is currently selected. This not only removes the block from around the miniature folder, it also assigns the Source Folder as the active Destination Album. Therefore, any photo cataloged, will be placed back into the same Source Folder it
came from. The CLEAR command button does not clear the assignment of the Destination Albums. These are only reassigned by selecting the Assign Names to Albums command button. Save on Exit Checkbox. When this is checked, all the names assigned to albums will be saved when Foto Filer is stopped and then are re-introduced the next time Foto Filer is started. But only the next time, not continually. Always Save Checkbox. When this is checked, all the names assigned to albums are saved every time Foto Filer is stopped, and re-introduced every time Foto Filer is started. This constant saving and re-applying continues until Foto Filer is stopped with the check removed from the checkbox. Image and Data Entry: The purpose of Foto Filer is to allow the cataloging (rename, move, delete) of photos. The active photo, or the one all changes will be applied to, is the one that is highlighted in the Source Folder of Available Photos list. The photos from this list can be processed randomly or sequentially. As a photo is selected in the list, it becomes the active photo and is displayed in the top center of the screen. If no photos are selected or listed, then the message No Picture Available will be displayed. Photo Image. As a photo is selected for processing, it is displayed in the image section of the screen. This image is resized to fit in the space assigned to it, but the proportions of width to height are maintained to give an accurate representation of the picture. Sometimes, the photo cannot be displayed due to an error or corruption in the source photo. In such cases, an error message will be displayed in the area reserved for the photo image. Double clicking the image with the left mouse button will resize the image to the full size of the computer monitor. To
return to normal processing and re-display the small image, double click the large picture. While the full size image is displayed, cataloging functions of Foto Filer are limited. Data Entry Text Block. This text area is where new photo names are typed in. The name that is in the box before any keying is done, is the name of the currently selected photo from the Source Folder list. The name selected from the list, the image of the photo, and the name in this text box all correspond with one another. Under normal processing, the name in this box will be fully highlighted. If a new name is typed at this point without moving the cursor, then the original text will be deleted and the new name (what was just keyed in) will replace the original in this text box. Part of the existing name can be used as part of the new name by simply placing the cursor in the appropriate spot in the text box. This will remove the highlighting from the text box. Basically, what you see is what you get. Whatever is in that text box when you press the ENTER key, is what will become the new name of the photo. So, if no new name was keyed in, and the ENTER key was selected, then the new name of the photo will be the same as the old name of the photo. Of course, if the prefix option was selected (see explanation under Option Selection), the name entered will be modified to include this prefix. Next and Previous Command Buttons. These two command buttons select either the next or the previous photo to be selected from the list of available photos (Source Folder list). If the last photo is currently selected from the list, selecting NEXT will cycle back to the first photo in the list. And likewise, selecting PREVIOUS when the first photo in the list is currently selected, will select the last photo in the list. Photos are only selectable, when they have a checkmark next to the photo. This feature will be described later on, but for now, if a photo does not have a
checkmark, it is treated as if it is not in the list. So cycling through the list as described in the sections above, applies only to the photos that have a checkmark associated with them. If there is only one photo in the list, or only one photo is checked from the list, the NEXT and PREVIOUS command buttons are disabled. Source Folder of Available Photos Listing (Source Photo List): This section displays the list of photos that are in the Source Folder chosen in the Select Source Folder screen. The list only includes photos that are of the Format Type previously identified (e.g. JPG, BMP or GIF). If any other files, pictures, or programs are in this folder, they will not be displayed and therefore cannot be modified by Foto Filer. If the folder contains pictures of another Format Type, returning to the Select Source Folder screen and selecting the appropriate Format Type will allow access to those photos, so they too can be cataloged. When Foto Filer first displays the Main Processing screen, all the available photos have a checkmark placed next to them. This checkmark signifies the photo as a selected photo. The checkmark acts like an on/off switch, alternating between checked and not checked when you click the mouse over the appropriate check box. When a photo is selected, it can be cataloged. If not selected (that is, not checked), the photo will be skipped over during the cataloging process, whether done a picture at a time, or as a group through the Auto Assign operation. Although not the single reason, but certainly the primary reason this selection capability is provided, is to accommodate the Auto Assign process. By pre-selecting photos, the photos that are not selected are treated as if they are not even on the list. Therefore, this smaller group of photos can be renamed, and/or assigned sequential numbers, assigned a common prefix, and moved into a special album as a group.
All the photos that have not been selected remain in the Source Folder unaffected by the activity of the selected group. Foto Filer users will typically process through the Source list of photos in multiple passes, selecting a different group of photos in each pass. This, as well as many other techniques, will be obvious after developing some familiarity with Foto Filer. Certain functions within Foto Filer operate against only the selected photos in the Source Photo list, while other functions operate against all photos in the Source Photo list, regardless of whether they have been selected or not. As the various functions are described, this distinction will be raised. Various Display Operations: Foto Filer provides a number of methods to display the photos so that an appropriate name can be assigned to the photo, and so it can be directed to an appropriate Destination Album. The thumbnail view that is displayed in the Select Source Folder screen is one example. There are other functions available in Foto Filer that can assist in the process. Note: references to IMAGE LETTERS in the explanation below, refers to a specific graphic in the SCREEN SHOT SECTION starting on page 69 of this document. Slide Show. Selecting this command button initiates a presentation of all the photos that are in the Source Photo list. Each photo is sequentially displayed in a full screen format. The slide show provides options to enhance the presentation of the photos such as, the ability to change the interval between each slide and the ability to pause the show, and then restart it when ready. When paused, the Foto Filer allows the slide show to be stepped forward or backward, one photo at a time. The RESET command button allows the slide show interval to be reset to the default speed of two seconds between each slide. Refer to IMAGE M. The two option buttons just below the SLIDE
SHOW command button directs the slide show to display all the photos in the Source Folder list or just the photos that have been marked as selected. Film Strip. This command initiates a display of all the photos in the Destination Album. If no Destination Album is selected, then the photos in the Source Folder are displayed. The display consists of miniature images, called thumbnails. If you desire, you can see an enlarged version of a thumbnail by single clicking on any thumbnail image displayed. Clicking the enlarged image will return you to the normal Film Strip view. If the option Single Line Film Strip is selected (see explanation in OPTION SECTION of this documentation, page 21), then a maximum of six imagers per page are displayed. Displaying more than six images is handled by selecting NEXT and/or PREVIOUS command buttons on the Film Strip screen. If the option is not selected, then up to twenty four images per page can be displayed. The decision on which option to choose depends on the speed of the computer, since displaying multiple images on a single screen can be very slow on an older computer. Refer to IMAGE H. While the images are being placed onto the screen, a special command button is available called STOP LOADING PICTURES NOW. When selected, the load process is paused. During the pause, there is an option to either RETURN to the Main Processing Screen or CONTINUE LOADING images. Select Photos. This command initiates a display that is used to assist in selecting and de-selecting photos for other Foto Filer operations. It ultimately serves the same purpose as the selection process discussed in the Source Folder of Available Photos section above. However, this process allows for more advanced selection opportunities and the use of graphical displays that make the selection process easier for the user. The screen display is similar in appearance to the Film Strip screen with
some exceptions. In addition to the thumbnail images displayed on the Film Strip screen, there are additional command buttons used to control and speed up the selection process. There is also a checkmark indicator used to clearly identify a photo as being either selected or not selected. This screen is discussed in more detail starting on page 47 of this document. While in the Film Strip display, a single click will enlarge the thumbnail view, in the Select Photos screen, a double click is required to expand the image. Single clicking is reserved for selecting or de-selecting an image. Clicking the enlarged image will return you to the normal Select Photos view. Large Picture. Selecting this command button expands the current photo to fill the size of the screen of the PC. This is the same effect as double clicking from anywhere within the image. To return to the Main Processing screen, double click anywhere within the large image. Refer to IMAGE O. Note that this function is very similar to the Slide Show presentation, except it only displays a single photo. Its purpose is to allow a photo to be expanded quickly and easily (to see more detail in the photo) and then quickly return to the normal Foto Filer process flow. While the full size image is displayed, cataloging functions of Foto Filer are not available. Print. Provides the means to print the current selected image to hardcopy. When selected, a Print Preview screen is displayed providing options for printer selection, positioning, and orientation. Selecting the PRINT command button in this Print Preview screen will route the photo image to the printer selected, in the format chosen. Selecting the CANCEL command button will terminate the printing and the Print Preview display. If the Xpress Print option was selected, then the Print Preview screen is bypassed and the photo is printed using the printer settings last used.
Command Functions: The eleven command buttons on the lower section of the screen are used to initiate special processing in one form or another. Eight are specific for tasks affecting the photos in the Source list while the remaining three are for general processing. Delete Photo. Selecting this command button will initiate the deleting of the photo that is currently active. The active photo is highlighted in the Source list, displayed in the Input Text Box and displayed in the Image Area of this screen. When the DELETE command button is selected, a warning message will be displayed, along with the name of the photo about to be deleted. An option to select YES, to continue with the delete, or NO, do not delete, provides a second opportunity to confirm the photo should actually be removed from PC storage. Once the delete is confirmed, the photo will not be able be accessed again. Move Selected. This command will either be displayed as Copy Selected or Move Selected depending on the checkbox selection made for Keep Copy of Original Photo option. Selecting this command will either copy or move all the selected photos in the Available Photos list into the Destination Album chosen in one simple operation. This is considered a bulk move or copy and once started cannot be stopped until all the photos selected are processed. Select All. This command automatically selects all the photos that are in the Source Photo list. Only those photos that remain in the list are affected. All photos that have been processed are not affected. A checkmark is placed in the checkbox to the left of every photo to signify the photo has been selected. Clear List. This command is the opposite of the SELECT ALL command. All photos are automatically de-selected, all checkmarks are removed and no photo image is displayed in the
Image Area section of this screen. This function is used when a limited number of photos from the list are to be selected for processing. Rather than de-select a large number of photos manually, it is easier to de-select all and then select only the few that are to be cataloged. Refresh Source. This function is used to re-populate the Source Photo list with all the photos that are currently in the Source Folder. If six out of ten original photos have already been cataloged, the new list will contain the four that have not been processed, along with their original names, and the six that have been processed, along with their new names. If two of the six that were already processed, were directed to a different Destination Album, these two photos would not be re-displayed on the Source Photo list. Thats because they have been physically removed from the Source Folder and moved to the designated Destination Album during the cataloging process. In that example, only eight photos will be on the Source Photo list after the REFRESH SOURCE command button is selected. This command is provided by Foto Filer, so that the photos can be processed, brought back for additional work, processed again, and so forth. This iterative (repetitive) approach to cataloging, ensures photos are quickly processed with an appropriate name, and directed to an appropriate Destination Album. Rename Source. This command provides the means to physically change the name of the current Source Folder. When the camera to PC interface is requested, a folder name is either created or selected during the interface process. The RENAME SOURCE command allows that name to be changed to something more representative of the photos that are contained in the folder. Foto Filer can also accommodate this request by having all the photos in the Source Folder moved to an appropriate Destination Album. However, if all the photos in the
folder are to be moved, it would be easier to just rename the folder. The current name of the folder is listed above the command buttons. By renaming this Source Folder, not only is the folder assigned a new name, but this display is also modified to reflect that new name. Refer to IMAGE E. Information. This command is used to display details of the photo that were captured by the camera at the time the photograph was taken. Not all cameras collect all the data that can be displayed, but most cameras collect things like aperture setting, shutter speed, ISO settings and so on. If you have ever asked yourself how you took such a great photo, this is the button to press to get the answer. Manipulate Photo. This command is used to open the Photo Manipulation screen. This process provides numerous tools to alter the currently selected photo. The tools available include: Horizontal and/or Vertical Image Flipping, Image Rotation, Elliptical and/or Rectangular Cropping, Red-eye Reduction, and the ability to alter Color Tones. Also included is the ability to save a copy of the photo under a different photo name (SaveAs) and to route the photo to hard copy (Print). The Manipulation process will be discussed later in this documentation (see page 41). Select Source. This command is used to return to the original entry point screen which provides the means to select a new Source Folder. Refer to IMAGE C. All Destination Albums created during the Foto Filer processing become available for selection at this time. By returning to the Select Source Folder screen, any of these folders can be selected. If for example, the folder selected was previously a Destination Album, the Source Folder is now replaced by that selected folder. That is, what once was considered a Destination Album, now becomes the
Source Folder. Foto Filer always considers the source of photos that are going to be worked on as the Source Folder. Source Folders may have been Destination Albums at one time or may become Destination Albums in the future. Likewise, Destination Albums may have been Source Folders at one time or may become Source Folders in the future. This distinction depends on whether the photos were being moved into or out of that folder/album. Not to complicate things further, the Source Folder could be any repository of photos that are going to be processed (cataloged). This could be a source of photos already processed as described above, or a fresh batch of photos from a different download. It could even be from a CD ROM delivered from one of the Photo Labs. Simply stated: a source is a source, no matter what the source. And, Foto Filer views the source as the group of photos to be cataloged. User Manual. Selecting either the icon or the command button will display the User Manual. This has the same affect as if the icon was selected from the desktop or the Start/Programs selection of Windows. About Me. This command is used to display the Foto Filer licensing information as well as the version number and Registration information of the software. Like most good software, Foto Filer is always being upgraded to improve efficiency and to upgrade functionality. Version number is the means to identify which functionality is contained in the version of Foto Filer running at this point in time. Refer to IMAGE Q. Exit. This is an easy one. Select this command button to stop Foto Filer. Whenever a registered copy of Foto Filer is stopped, the current state of the option selections is retained. The next time Foto Filer is started, these option selections are put in the same state as the last time Foto Filer was used.
ASSIGNING NAMES TO DESTINATION ALBUMS This Foto Filer process is used for the naming of Destination Albums. Albums can be created, deleted, and assigned to one of the six available Destination Album selections seen on this screen. In the example screen image below, three of the six albums have already been assigned. The names chosen in this example are Vacation 2008, England, and Unidentified. Through this process, these album assignments can be modified, eliminated altogether, or additional ones can be assigned. Only six Destination Albums can be assigned at any given time, however, these assignments can be changed to accommodate the cataloging requirements.
After the screen is displayed, several choices are available depending on whether an existing folder is to be used or a new folder is to be created and then used. Like the Main Processing screen, there is an input text area (large bar in the middle of the screen) that is used to enter a new folder name if desired. This text field also displays the Picture Folder that is currently selected. As the Select Picture Folder list box is navigated, the folder selected is displayed in this text field. If the root of the drive is selected, then only the letter
corresponding to this root is displayed (such as C:\). In either case, the cursor is located just to the right of the text, so that a new folder name can be entered. Please see the Fundamentals & Terminology section page 4 for an explanation of the ROOT. Locating and navigating through the folder listing, to select an appropriate folder, is the same operation used in the Select Source Folder processing. Entering information into the text field is not considered complete until the ENTER key is pressed. Typing the letters is only part of the process. The ENTER key signifies to Foto Filer that the text field is completely keyed in. There are six available Destination Album slots represented by the six miniature manila folders on the right of the screen. Any of the six album slots is selected by clicking on the surface of the miniature folder with the left mouse button. When an album slot is selected, a black box will surround it. If the Tool Tips option was selected in the Main Processing screen, then the reminder messages and the quick steps will be displayed on the screen as an aid in identifying the sequence that should be followed to assign names. These are displayed as Steps 1 though Last Step in RED type on this screen. They are similar to the steps identified on subsequent screens, but the sequence itself varies with what actions are taken while working within the process of assigning names. Use Album. The process of assigning a folder name to an Album slot is handled by a Foto Filer process called Using a Folder. This simply means that a selected folder (the one listed in the text box), will be associated with the selected album slot (the one with the box around it). Once this association is made by selecting the USE ALBUM command button, the miniature manila folder will display this folder name. If the album slot already has a name assigned to it, the name will be over-written
with the new name. This folder assignment will remain until another folder is assigned to this album slot as described here. It does not matter which Destination Album slot is chosen. The purpose is however, to assign an appropriate folder name to one of the six available slots. These assignments can be changed any number of times, but the assignments that exist at the time the RETURN command button is selected, will be the Destination Albums available for the cataloging of photos in the Main Processing screen. These can, of course, be changed and new assignments made at any time when using Foto Filer by returning to this assignment process. Create New Album. After typing in a new album name in the text box, then pressing the ENTER key, the CREATE ALBUM command button can now be selected to complete the request. Until this CREATE function is completed, the PC storage is not affected by what was entered in the text box. Create and Use Album. Selecting this command button combines the two operations discussed above into one command. That is, an album entered in the text box is first created and then immediately assigned to the Destination Album slot that is active. Clear Keystrokes. Once a single character is typed in the text box, the CLEAR KEYSTROKES command button is made available. Selecting this button will remove all the text that was entered and returns the text field to the state just before any data was entered on the keyboard. Delete Album. This function removes the Album/Folder permanently from PC storage. It is similar to the DELETE command in the Main Processing screen. However, that command deletes only a single photo. The DELETE ALBUM
command deletes an entire album from storage and all of the data that is in that album. Once deleted, it cannot be recovered so caution must be exercised. There is a second chance warning that will be displayed asking for confirmation that the album should in fact be deleted. Additionally, if there is any data in the album, then an additional warning message will be displayed asking confirmation to delete, not only the album/folder, but also the data that is in that album. There are some instances where this function will not work (e.g., if data on that album is protected in any way by the Windows operating system). Sometimes a file is created by a Windows operation that places a tag on the file that identifies the file as a SYSTEM file or a READ ONLY file. These files are owned by the Operating System. To protect the PC from accidentally deleting an important Windows file, Foto Filer will not attempt to delete a file that Windows claims ownership to. Since all the files cannot be deleted from the album/folder, likewise the folder itself cannot be deleted. This problem should not present itself if Foto Filer is used to create albums that are used solely to store photos. Show Content. Selecting this command button will transform this screen so that the folder contents will be displayed for the currently selected folder. Refer to IMAGE K. Unlike other folder lists in Foto Filer that show only photos, this list will display all files that are in this folder. This will include documentation files, pictures files, spreadsheet files and even Windows system files. The purpose of the display is to verify that the folder selected is the one intended to be selected. Folder names can sometimes become confusing and an incorrect folder could be chosen as a Destination Album. When that happens, photos could be moved into this folder by mistake. Foto Filer can be used to remove them at a later time, but by reviewing the content of the intended folder, the Foto Filer user can save time by doing the cataloging correctly the first time. When the
SHOW CONTENT command button is selected, the name of the button is also changed to HIDE CONTENT. Selecting this command button again will remove the folder content list and return the screen to its previous state. While the content list is displayed, selecting an appropriate file from the list will display the photo image on the bottom of the screen. An appropriate file is one that has the corresponding Format Type that was selected in the Select Source Folder screen. Therefore, if the active Format Type is JPEG, then only JPEG files can be displayed. Selecting any other file type will not cause a problem; it just wont try to display the image. Remove Assignment. This command is used to remove an assignment made by Foto Filer. It will remove the assignment made to the selected Destination Album only (the one with the block around it) and will rename the album assignment to Available. Remove All Assignments. This command is used to remove all album name assignments made by Foto Filer. The album assignments will be renamed to Available. Return. Returns the processing to the Main Processing screen. All assignments made will be available to the Foto Filer cataloging process.
DISPLAYING CAMERA SETTINGS - PHOTO INFORMATION Foto Filer provides a means to display information that was captured by the camera at the time the photograph was taken. Most JPEG files that are created at the time a photo is taken also contain camera setting data in the same file as the photo itself. It is this information that Foto Filer exploits and displays for your review.
Although it is not a function you would use all the time, it is useful if you ever wanted to know how a certain photograph was taken.
There are four tabs that present the information, including Camera Settings, General Information, Camera Information, and Kitchen Sink which is an unformatted list of everything collected by the camera manufacturer. Select the INFORMATION command to see this display and CONTINUE to return to the Main Processing functions.
MANIPULATING A PHOTO Foto Filer provides a number of tools that can be used to alter the image properties of the photo. These tools include the ability to: change the orientation of the image, crop the image, change the color properties of the image or print the image to hardcopy. Foto Filer also provides the choice to save the altered image under the same photo name, under a new photo name or to ignore the changes altogether.
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To simplify the use of this process, the tools are identified by icons that represent the actions to be taken. For instance, a magnifying glass represents the tool used to Zoom in on the image. There are no command buttons since every action is associated with a tool icon across the top of the screen. Return. Close the manipulation process and return Foto Filer to the Main Processing screen. If changes were made to the image but not saved, a message will be presented to ask if the changes made to the image should be saved or removed before returning to the Main Processing screen. Simply select YES or NO if presented with this message. If changes were made but the image was already saved, the message will not be presented. Save. Permanently save all the changes made to this image since the manipulation process was initiated or since the last SAVE or SAVE AS icon was selected. This icon is only available if changes were actually made to this image.
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SaveAs. Save a copy of the image under a different photo name than the original. The original photo, along with its name and image qualities remains unaltered. A copy of this original image is then created and any changes made to the image are applied to the new image only. It is then saved under a new photo name. When SaveAs is selected, a red bar is displayed across the top of the screen providing a text box for entering the new name for the image. Once the name is keyed, selecting either the ENTER key or the ACCEPT command button will assign the new name to this photo and close out the re-naming operation. Selecting the SKIP command button will ignore all name changes and close out the re-naming operation. The new photo name should be entered in the same way as on the Main Processing screen. That is, without typing in the long path name (e.g., C:\FOLDER NAME.) or the photo type (e.g., JPG). The simple photo name is all that is required. The other technical information will be generated by Foto Filer. Once created, the new photo will be stored in the same Album or Folder that the original photo is located in. Once renamed, additional changes to this image can be applied to this copy without affecting the original image. This icon is available even when no changes are made to this image. Undo. Remove all the changes made to the image since the last time the photo was saved. Image changes can be tried, then undone until the final image meets the users expectations. Once the image is saved, the changes cannot be removed. This icon is only available if changes were actually made to this image. Print. Provides the means to print the image to hardcopy. When selected, a Print Preview screen is displayed providing options for printer selection, positioning, and orientation. Selecting the PRINT command button in this Print Preview screen will route the photo image to the printer selected, in the format chosen.
Selecting the CANCEL command button will terminate the printing and the Print Preview display. Flip Vertical. Changes the orientation of the image 180 degrees South to North. Flip Horizontal. Changes the orientation of the image 180 degrees West to East. Rotate. Changes the orientation of the image 90 degrees counterclockwise. Zoom. Allows the image to be expanded or contracted while maintaining the original dimensions of the image. Once selected, the icon name is changed from Zoom to Normal and the mouse pointer is changed to a magnifying glass. When the magnifying glass is positioned anywhere over the image, each click of the left mouse button will zoom in and each click of the right mouse button will zoom out. Zoom activity is terminated by selecting either the ELLIPSE or RECTANGLE tools, but the image remains in the last zoomed state. Selecting either the ZOOM tool (now labeled Normal) or the UNDO tool will return the image to its normal size. Zoom does not permanently change the size of an image. It is used to assist in other tool operations such as Red-eye Reduction. Ellipse. To select an elliptical section of the photo image for use with other tools such as cropping and Red-eye Reduction. Once selected, the mouse pointer is converted to cross-hairs while over the image area. The elliptical selection is made by placing the cross-hair in a starting location on the image, pressing and holding down the left mouse button, dragging the mouse to another area of the image comprising the dimensions of the selection desired, and then releasing the mouse button. Once this
action is completed, the mouse pointer is returned to the standard pointer and the ellipse will be visible on the image. If the selection is not what was expected, select the ELLIPSE tool again and the selection will be removed. When the ELLIPSE tool is used, the selection actions must be completed before other tools can be used. That is, once started, the ellipse must be completed so that Foto Filer knows to move onto other tasks. If the user changes his/her mind after making the request to draw an ellipse, it still needs to be drawn. In such a case, draw the ellipse and then select the ELLIPSE tool again to cancel the selection. Rectangle. To select an rectangular section of the photo image for use with other tools such as cropping. Once selected, the mouse pointer is converted to cross-hairs while over the image area. The rectangular selection is made by placing the cross-hair in a starting location on the image, pressing and holding down the left mouse button, dragging the mouse to another area of the image comprising the dimensions of the selection desired, and then releasing the mouse button. Once this action is completed, the mouse pointer is returned to the standard pointer and the rectangle will be visible on the image. If the selection is not what was expected, select the RECTANGLE tool again and the selection will be removed. When the RECTANGLE tool is used, the selection actions must be completed before other tools can be used. That is, once started, the rectangle must be completed so that Foto Filer knows to move onto other tasks. If the user changes his/her mind after making the request to draw a rectangle, it still needs to be drawn. In such a case, draw the rectangle and then select the RECTANGLE tool again to cancel the selection. RedEye. Select to eliminate red tones from the elliptical selection. This tool needs to be used in conjunction with the
selection of an elliptical area surrounding the image area to be altered. It is also a good idea to make the elliptical selection after the eye area of the image has been zoomed in on with the ZOOM tool. This ensures the area to be altered is large enough to encircle. Crop. This tool is used in conjunction with either the elliptical or rectangular selection tools. Once a selection is made, selecting the CROP tool will remove all elements of the image that are outside the boundaries of the selection. Color. This tool is used to alter the color characteristics of the image. By selecting the tool, a yellow bar is displayed across the top of the screen. A drop down list is presented on the yellow bar allowing for easy selection of the color modification. Selecting from the list immediately alters the color tones of the image based on the selection. The caveat is that the selection does not have any effect when changing from a lower quality image to a higher quality image. For instance, you cannot change from 256 Grayscale to 256 Colors because the image data does not exist in the photo to allow this to happen. On the other hand, the change from 256 Colors to 256 Grayscale works fine, as does 256 Grayscale to Black & White. Selecting the SKIP command button closes out the COLOR change function without making any changes to the image. Bright. This tool is used to alter the contrast and brightness characteristics of the image. By selecting the tool, a turquoise bar is displayed across the top of the screen. Two slider levers are located in this bar which allows the adjustment of both contrast and brightness. Sliding the bars left reduces the affect and right increases the affect. The regeneration of the picture sometimes takes a few minutes. When the new image is displayed, you can select to either ignore the change or accept the
change. Ignoring the change will return the photo back to its original state.
SELECTING PHOTOS FOR ADDITIONAL PROCESSING The ability to select photos from the Source folder provides the opportunity to use some of the special processing functions provided by Foto Filer on a select group of photos rather than the entire list of photos available in the source folder. Foto Filer provides two methods for making the selection.
First, by simply selecting the checkbox in the Source Photo List (see page 28) and second, by selecting the SELECT PHOTOS command button from the Main Processing screen, which will display the screen below. Which choice depends on how much selection/de-selection is expected. Using the Source Folder Listing method is faster and easier if only a few photos are to be selected or deselected and, when the user knows which photos are to be selected. In all other situations, the best method is to use the Select Photos process.
This method displays a thumbnail image of the photos (up to 24 per page) making it easy to see which photos are to be selected and which ones are to be excluded. Once the photos that are to be selected or deselected are identified, the actual selection mechanics are simplified through the use of tools provided with the process. Although it looks very similar to the Film Strip display, this screen will only display photos that are in the Source Folder list. The Film Strip display can be used to display the contents of either the Source Folder or any selected Destination Folder. Whenever a photo is selected, a red checkmark is displayed to the left of the image. And likewise, any photo not selected will not have the checkmark. Any selection activity that took place before the SELECT PHOTOS command is initiated will carry over to this display. So, if the CLEAR ALL command button was selected in the Main Processing screen resulting in the de-selection of all the photos, all the photos in Select Photos screen will reflect that action. Similarly, any selection activity in the Select Photos process will be carried over to, and be reflected in, the Main Processing screen. There are six command buttons that are available for managing the selection process. These include: Select Page. This command button will select every photo that is displayed on the current display page. Photos on other pages will not be selected. There can be anywhere from 1 to 24 photos per page depending on: how many photos are in the source folder list; and which display options have been chosen by the user. Clear Page. This command will de-select every photo that is displayed on the current display page. Photos on other pages will not be de-selected.
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Select All. This command will select every photo in the current Source Folder list regardless of whether the photo is being displayed on the current page or not. Clear All. This command will de-select every photo in the current Source Folder list regardless of whether the photo is being displayed on the current page or not. Group selections are made by using the RIGHT MOUSE button. Moving the mouse pointer over any image and clicking the Right Mouse button starts the selection process. Moving the mouse to any other image and selecting the Right Mouse button a second time ends the selection process. Every photo between these two selection points will be identified by having the photo name grayed out (lower intensity of the text). The second selection step (selecting the end point) can be done in any direction. That is, it could be to the right of the starting point, to the left, below it or above it. The end point can even be on a different page from the starting point. Since this is only identifying the group to be selected or deselected, nothing actually happens to these photos until after one of the GROUP SELECT command buttons are pressed. Select Group. This command button is only available after a starting and ending selection points have been identified. When this button is selected, all photos that are contained in that selection group will be selected. Clear Group. This command button is only available after a starting and ending selection points have been identified. When this button is selected, all photos that are contained in that selection group will be de-selected. There is also a selection toggle feature provided. Placing the mouse pointer over any image and clicking the Left Mouse button will toggle
the selection either on or off, depending upon its current state of selection. If the photo is selected, it will be de-selected by clicking with the Left Mouse pointer and visa versa. While viewing the thumbnail images, double-clicking any image will enlarge it as an aid in determining if the photo should or should not be selected. Clicking the enlarged image will reduce it back to the thumbnail size so the selection process can continue. The various selection tools can be used separately or together in any combination.
REGISTRATION PROCESS There are four stages of registration that are recognized by Foto Filer. They are: Not Registered, Trial Period Registration Active, Trial Period Registration Expired, and Registered.
When Foto Filer is started for the very first time, it is in the Not Registered state and the Foto Filer Registration Information screen is
displayed. This screen identifies the registration status and options available at that particular point in time. The screen itself varies depending upon what stage of registration Foto Filer is in. If the registration status is Not Registered, or Trial Period Registration Expired or Not Started, the functionality of Foto Filer is restricted. The following features are not available until some form of registration occurs: Slide Show, Film Strip, Advanced Selection, Photo Manipulation, and Auto Assign Names functions; and the ability to preserve Option Settings, Album Name Assignments and Default Folder Settings. Once Foto Filer is registered, including the Trial Period registration, then this functionality is made available. Furthermore, until Foto Filer is permanently registered (i.e., status of Registered) the Registration Information screen will continue to be presented each time Foto Filer is started to display the current state of registration. This includes the number of days remaining in the Trial Period Registration if appropriate. Also, one or two additional command buttons are placed on the Main Processing screen to accommodate the registration process. If no registration has taken place the START TRIAL PERIOD and REGISTER command buttons will be available. If the Trial Period Registration is in progress, then only the REGISTER command button is identified. Two or three choices are available in the Registration Information screen depending upon the state of registration. Do Nothing Now. Functionality of Foto Filer will continue to be restricted. Access to Foto Filer's basic functions will never be denied regardless of whether registration ever takes place. Start Trial Period. All Foto Filer functionality will be available to use as often as desired. If Foto Filer is not permanently
registered by the conclusion of the Trial Period, the functionality of Foto Filer will once again be restricted. No personal information needs to be entered for the Trial Period. If the Trial Period Registration has already been started, this command button is not displayed. Register. Selecting this option initiates the permanent registration process. This process can be initiated at anytime before, during or after the Trial Period. Registration does require a small payment to help defer the development costs of Foto Filer. The Registration Process screen is then displayed. Registration is a two step process. First a request needs to be made for a Registration Serial Number and second, this Registration Serial Number has to be entered into the Foto Filer system. These steps are explained below.
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Selecting the DO NOTHING NOW command button will terminate the registration process and return to the Main Processing screen. The registration process can always be restarted at any time. No Registration Serial Number Received or Requested. Before permanently registering Foto Filer, a Registration Serial Number has to be obtained from the Abbey Road Systems web page. Selecting the GET REGISTRATION CODE command button will automatically link to the correct web page. There must be an internet connection already running for this to work properly. An alternative is to use the web browser directly by entering the web address "http://www.AbbeyRoadSystems.com/fotofiler.htm" into the ADDRESS field of the browser. The text fotofiler.htm is case sensitive. Once connected, select the Purchase Foto Filer option from the list in the left column. From there, follow the instructions on how to submit the payment information. After the payment is accepted, an Email notification will be sent with the Registration Serial Number. If preferable, checks can be sent over the postal service and the Registration Serial Number can be mailed rather than Emailed. Instructions are on the web page. Received Registration Serial Number. After receiving the Registration Serial Number, it has to be entered into Foto Filer. In addition to the Registration Serial Number, other biographical information is required to identify the registered individual. When the Registration Serial Number is assigned, it uses this biographical information to distinguish one registered user from another. As such, the information that was provided at the time the Registration Serial Number was requested needs to be used when completing the registration process. Select the CONTINUE REGISTRATION command button to open the Registration Entry screen.
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To properly register Foto Filer, enter the appropriate information in the data entry areas provided. The First, Middle, and Last must be entered exactly the same as when the Registration Serial Number was requested. If there is no Middle Initial, then tab over that field. Like the Name fields, the Email address also needs to be keyed the same way that it was when the Registration Serial Number was requested. It is however, not case sensitive. If no Email address was available at the time the Registration Serial Number was requested, the address does not need to be entered. Remember to key in the entire address including the @ symbol. Do not place spaces between the characters. Finally, enter the 20 character Registration Serial Number provided to you. The code consists of 5 groups of 4 character sets. Foto Filer automatically converts the text entered to upper case and will automatically tab to the appropriate field as each group is completed.
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Similar to the other Registration screens, if the registration process needs to be postponed or canceled before completion, select the SKIP REGISTRATION command button. Once the appropriate information is entered, the REGISTER command button will become available. Selecting this will process the registration information. If an error message is displayed, then review and correct the text that was keyed. Common problems include using the wrong case (lower when it should be upper and visa versa), leaving a required field blank, using the wrong Registration Serial Number, or using the letter O instead of the number 0 (or visa versa). Tab to the text that needs to be corrected and re-enter the data. When the Registration Successful message is displayed, the registration process is completed. Select the CONTINUE command button to begin using Foto Filer.
TYPICAL SCENARIOS - Examples Like many PC systems that have fair degree of functionality, Foto Filer can seem a little complex and confusing for the novice user. Once experience is attained with any sophisticated system, that complexity disappears. The difficulty is bridging the gap between novice and experienced user. Some examples are provided below that highlight some of the common uses of Foto Filer to help bridge that gap. The more Foto Filer functionality that is exercised, the more useful it will be to the digital photographer. And the sooner Foto Filer is used, the sooner digital photographers will be able to locate and enjoy those photos taken. The example numbers correspond to the complexity of the example itself. Example one is simple, example two is a little more complex and so forth. The fifth and final example is very complex and is actually three exercises in one.
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Example One Simple Photo Renaming. This solution will use Foto Filer to read in a series of photos, apply a new name to one or more of the photos in the list, and keep them in the same Source Folder that they were in prior to this current execution of Foto Filer. 1. When Foto Filer is first started, the Select Source Folder screen is displayed. If Foto Filer is already running, then select the SELECT SOURCE command button to display the Select Source Folder screen. 2. From this screen, select the Disk Drive letter where the source of the photos are stored. From the Select Picture Folder list, select the appropriate folder where the photos are stored. The folder is sometimes referred to as the Directory, or the Album. If the exact location of the folder is unknown, browse through the list until located. 3. Once the correct folder is located, click on any number of the photos in the Available Pictures list to verify. The image will be displayed on the bottom of the screen. If the image is not what was expected, then select another folder until satisfied the correct one has been identified. 4. Select the USE FOLDER command button. This will display the Main Processing screen. 5. From the Main Processing screen, do one of two things. If the name is to be changed, type in a new name for the photo and press the ENTER key. If the name is not to be changed, simply press the ENTER key. The name of the photo is displayed in the text box just below the image of the photo. To change it, just retype the new name right over the existing name. 6. Each time the ENTER key is pressed, the photo will be considered processed. It will be removed from the Source Folder of Available Photos list on the left, and placed into the Photos Cataloged & Completed list on the right.
7. Continue to do this until all the photos in the Source Photo list have been moved to the Completed Photo list. 8. Select the EXIT command button to end the Foto Filer processing.
Example Two Automatic Assignment. This solution will use Foto Filer to read in a series of photos, automatically apply a sequence number to all of the photos in the list, and keep them in the same Source Folder that they were in prior to this current execution of Foto Filer. 1. When Foto Filer is first started, the Select Source Folder screen is displayed. If Foto Filer is already running, then select the SELECT SOURCE command button to display the Select Source Folder screen. 2. From this screen, select the Disk Drive letter where the source of the photos are stored. From the Select Picture Folder list, select the appropriate folder where the photos are stored. The folder is sometimes referred to as the Directory, or the Album. If the exact location of the folder is unknown, browse through the list until it is located. 3. Once the correct folder is located, click on any number of the photos in the Available Pictures list to verify. The image will be displayed on the bottom of the screen. If the image is not what was expected, then select another folder until satisfied the correct one has been identified. 4. Select the USE FOLDER command button. This will display the Main Processing screen. 5. From the Main Processing screen, select the AUTO ASSIGN NAMES checkbox in the Select Options section of the screen (upper left). The Main Processing screen will be transformed to show a new set of commands in the center of
the screen below the image display. From that section, select the START command button. 6. Each photo will be processed one after the other until the Source Photo list is exhausted. The photos will be removed from the Source Photo list on the left, and placed into the Completed Photo list on the right and display the newly assigned sequence number. 7. Select the EXIT command button to end the Foto Filer processing.
Example Three Automatic Assignment with Selective Photos. This solution will use Foto Filer to read in a series of photos, automatically apply a sequence number to only the photos in the list that have been previously selected, and keep the photos processed in the same Source Folder where they were located prior to this current execution of Foto Filer. 1. When Foto Filer is first started, the Select Source Folder screen is displayed. If Foto Filer is already running, then select the SELECT SOURCE command button to display the Select Source Folder screen. 2. From this screen, select the Disk Drive letter where the source of the photos are stored. From the Select Picture Folder list, select the appropriate folder where the photos are stored. The folder is sometimes referred to as the Directory, or the Album. If the exact location of the folder is unknown, browse through the list until located. 3. Once the correct folder is located, click on any number of the photos in the Available Pictures list to verify. The image will be displayed on the bottom of the screen. If the image is not what was expected, then select another folder until satisfied the correct one has been identified.
4. Select the USE FOLDER command button. This will display the Main Processing screen. 5. From the Main Processing screen select the CLEAR LIST command button at the bottom of the screen. All the checkmarks to the left of each photo in the Source Photo list will be removed, and no photo will be displayed in the image area of the screen. This signifies that no photos are available to be processed. 6. Randomly select at least two, but not all, of the photos from the Source Photo list. Just single click with the left mouse button directly over the empty checkbox. 7. Select the AUTO ASSIGN NAMES checkbox in the Select Options section of the screen (upper left). The Main Processing screen will be transformed to show a new set of commands in the center of the screen below the image display. From that section, select the START command button. 8. Each photo that has a checkmark associated with it, will be processed one after the other until the Source Photo list contains only the unchecked photos. The photos processed will be removed from the Source Photo list on the left, and placed into the Completed Photo list on the right, and display the newly assigned sequence number. 9. Select the REFRESH SOURCE command button. The photos just processed will now be integrated in with the un-processed photos in the Source Photo list, and will be removed from the Completed Photo list. Only the photos in the list that were originally checked off, will have sequence numbers assigned to them. 10. Select the EXIT command button to end the Foto Filer processing.
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Example Four Using Common Prefix. This solution will use Foto Filer to read in a series of photos, apply a new name to one or more of the photos in the list, and keep them in the same Source Folder that they were in prior to this current execution of Foto Filer. As each photo is renamed, a prefix will automatically be attached to the name. 1. When Foto Filer is first started, the Select Source Folder screen is displayed. If Foto Filer is already running, then select the SELECT SOURCE command button to display the Select Source Folder screen. 2. From this screen, select the Disk Drive letter where the source of the photos are stored. From the Select Picture Folder list, select the appropriate folder where the photos are stored. The folder is sometimes referred to as the Directory, or the Album. If the exact location of the folder is unknown, browse through the list until located. 3. Once the correct folder is located, click on any number of the photos in the Available Pictures list to verify. The image will be displayed on the bottom of the screen. If the image is not what was expected, then select another folder until satisfied the correct one has been identified. 4. Select the USE FOLDER command button. This will display the Main Processing screen. 5. From the Main Processing screen, select the USE COMMON PREFIX checkbox in the Select Options section of the screen (upper left). The Main Processing screen will be transformed to show a text box just below the checkbox where a prefix can be entered. 6. Enter the letters nice system in the text box and press the ENTER key. Do not enter the quote characters, use all lower case letters, and keep a space between the two words. When the ENTER key is pressed, the prefix will be modified to read Nice System because the option FIRST LETTER CAPS was
selected by default. Furthermore, because the option ADD SPACE AFTER PREFIX is also selected by default, a space character will be inserted between the prefix and the photo name entered. Both these options can be changed if desired. 7. From the Main Processing screen, do one of two things. If the name is to be changed, type in a new name for the photo and press the ENTER key. If the name is not to be changed, simply press the ENTER key. The name of the photo is displayed in the text box just below the image of the photo. To change it, type the new name right over the existing name. 8. Each time the ENTER key is pressed, the photo will be considered processed. It will be removed from the Source Photo list on the left, and placed into the Completed Photo list on the right. The prefix Nice System, followed by a space, will be attached to each of the photo names processed, regardless of whether a new name was entered before pressing the ENTER key or not. 9. Continue to do this until all the photos in the Source Photo list have been moved to the Completed Photo list. 10. Select the EXIT command button to end the Foto Filer processing.
Example Five Renaming Photos and Moving them to New Album. This solution will use Foto Filer to read in a series of photos, apply a new name to one or more of the photos in the list, and move those photos to a new album created just for this example. 1. When Foto Filer is first started, the Select Source Folder screen is displayed. If Foto Filer is already running, then select the SELECT SOURCE command button to display the Select Source Folder screen.
2. From this screen, select the Disk Drive letter where the source of the photos are stored. From the Select Picture Folder list, select the appropriate folder where the photos are stored. The folder is sometimes referred to as the Directory, or the Album. If the exact location of the folder is unknown, browse through the list until located. 3. Once the correct folder is located, click on any number of the photos in the Available Pictures list to verify. The image will be displayed on the bottom of the screen. If the image is not what was expected, then select another folder until satisfied the correct one has been identified. 4. Select the USE FOLDER command button. This will display the Main Processing screen. 5. From the Main Processing screen, select the ASSIGN NAMES TO ALBUMS command button in the upper right of the screen. This will display the Assign Album Names screen. 6. From this screen, select C: from the Select Disk Drive list. By default, it may already be displayed in which case no selection is needed. 7. In the Select Picture Folder list, double click (left mouse button) on the very top item in the list. It should say C:\ with a little folder to its left. The Album Name textbox (long horizontal bar on the screen) should now display C:\ and the cursor should be just right of the \. 8. Type in the following: FotoFilerTestXXX, then press the ENTER key. There should be no spaces between any of the letters and the quote characters should not be entered. The Album Name text area should display C:\FotoFilerTestXXX. 9. Select the CREATE AND USE ALBUM single command button. This is the lower of the three top buttons. One of the small manila folders in the top right of the screen should now display the album name FotoFilerTestXXX.
10. Select the RETURN command button. This will return Foto Filer to the Main Processing screen. 11. In the upper right of the screen, select (by single clicking with the left mouse button) the little manila folder that corresponds to the album name just entered; FotoFilerTestXXX. This selection process now identifies FotoFilerTestXXX as the current Destination Album. 12. From the Main Processing screen, do one of two things. If the name is to be changed, type in a new name for the photo and press the ENTER key. If the name is not to be changed, simply press the ENTER key. The name of the photo is displayed in the text box just below the image of the photo. To change it, just retype the new name right over the existing name. 13. Each time the ENTER key is pressed, the photo will be considered processed. It will be removed from the Source Photo list on the left, and placed into the Completed Photo list on the right. Unlike the previous example, the photos that are processed are now moved out of the original Source Folder, and moved into the Album called FotoFilerTestXXX. 14. Continue to do this until all the photos in the Source Photo list have been moved to the Completed Photo list. To see a demonstration of how Foto Filer has manipulated the photos, proceed to the next step before processing all the photos in the Source Photo list and exiting from Foto Filer. To exit this example now, select the EXIT command button which will end the Foto Filer processing. 15. To see how Foto Filer manipulates photos, move only a few of the photos to the new Album. Leave at least one in the original Source Folder Then, select the REFRESH SOURCE command button. This reloads all the photos in the Source Folder back into the Source Photo list. Note, in this example, the pictures moved to the Album FotoFilerTestXXX are no
longer being displayed. Thats because they have been physically moved from this source to that new album. 16. Return to the Select Source Folder screen, and select the folder called FotoFilerTestXXX as the Source Folder. When completed return to the Main Processing screen. 17. From the Foto Filer Main Processing screen, return to the Assign Names To Album screen, and select the picture folder that corresponds to the name of the original source folder used in STEP 2 above. The name of that folder should be displayed in the Album Name text box if the selection was done correctly. Assign this name to one of the available manila folders by selecting the USE command button on that screen. These are the same steps used in the earlier example, however, since the Picture Folder already exists, there is no need to create it again. In fact, Foto Filer will not allow two folders with the same name. Selecting the USE command button allows Foto Filer to assign any existing Picture Folder or Album to an available manila folder. 18. Return to the Main Processing screen, then select the Destination Album name just assigned. Below the Source Photo list (left side), the Source Folder Name should display FotoFilerTestXXX. Below the Completed Photo list, the name of the original source folder should be displayed. 19. Press the ENTER key for each photo in the Source Photo list. As this is done, each of the photos are being moved back into the original Source Folder. 20. After the photos have been moved back into the original Source, the Album created earlier in this example can be deleted. The next few steps explain how this is done. 21. Return once again to the Assign Names To Albums screen. 22. Locate and select the picture folder called FotoFilerTestXXX. Once selected the name will be displayed in the Album Name text box.
23. Select the DELETE ALBUM command button. The test folder created for this example will now be removed permanently from the PC storage. 24. Select the RETURN command button to return to the Main Processing screen. 25. Select the EXIT command button to end the Foto Filer processing.
TECHNIQUES AND TIPS As experience grows with Foto Filer, each user will naturally develop shortcuts and a comfortable process flow. The collection below represents some ideas that can be adopted by Foto Filer users as desired. As more copies of Foto Filer are distributed, contributions to this list by the user community will be shared in future releases of the documentation. For the most current list of these tips, check the Foto Filer website at http://www.abbeyroadsystems.com/fotofiler.htm then select Techniques & Tips from the left column of choices. The text fotofiler is case sensitive. Deleting a Photo. Foto Filer provides the means to delete a photo from the Main Processing screen. However, once the photo is deleted, it can no longer be retrieved. Sometimes when photos are being reviewed, they appear to be less than perfect and are deleted. Later on, the Foto Filer user becomes aware that, even though the photo was not great, it was a one of a kind photo that cannot be replaced. If it has been deleted, it is gone for good. An alternative approach to this deleting command is to create a Destination Album called Deleted Photos. During the Foto Filer review, a picture deemed unworthy of being saved, may be moved into this special delete Destination Album. When all the photos have been processed, a review of this Deleted Photos album will give the
user another opportunity to either save or permanently delete the photo(s). Registration Status. Selecting the ABOUT ME command button from the Main Processing screen displays pertinent information about Foto Filer. It also displays some key registration information. Depending on the registration status, it could display the Registration Serial Number used to register Foto Filer, or the number of days remaining in the Trial Registration Period. It also displays the number of times Foto Filer has been run. The RESET COUNTER command button on this screen will reset this counter to 1. When using the Manipulate Photo process, and selecting the ZOOM tool, the image can be returned to normal size by selecting the SHIFT key while at the same time clicking the image with the left mouse button. When the Auto Assign function is activated, double clicking any un-occupied section of the gray block will turn the function off. It is quicker than moving the mouse over to the Auto Assign checkbox and deselecting the checkmark. Double clicking the photo on the Main Processing screen will expand the image to full screen. This is the same effect as selecting the LARGE PICTURE command button. In both the Select Source Folder and Assign Album Names screens, single clicking any item in the photo list area will display that image in the thumbnail section of the screen. This can be used to verify the correct album/folder has been selected for processing.
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The Film Strip function displays photos from multiple sources. If no Destination Album has been selected, the Film Strip display will show the content of the Source Folder. If a Destination Album has been selected, the display is of the contents of that Destination Album. The purpose for allowing this is to provide a quick method for the user to see the contents of the various Destination Albums and be able to pick the appropriate one at an appropriate time. When using the SET DEFAULT FOLDER option in the Source Folder Selection screen, it is a good idea to set this to represent the name of the folder that the digital images are downloaded to. This way, when Foto Filer is started, it always points to the freshly downloaded photos. It can however, be set to any folder the user wishes. The best method of selecting photos is by using the SELECT PHOTOS command button from the Main Processing screen. This affords the opportunity to see the photos before making the selection or de-selection decision. If the user prefers to use the Source Folder List checkbox method, it is best to start the selection from the bottom of the list and work towards the top of the list. Because Foto Filer displays the first selected image in the list on the Main Processing screen, this would force the current photo being selected to be displayed and thus affording the user the chance to see if that was the intended photo or not. When viewing a Slide Show, moving the mouse to the lowest part of the screen will automatically hide the Remote Control. Moving the mouse over any section of the photograph being displayed will re-display the Remote Control. Pressing the rightmouse button from anywhere on the screen will alternately pause and re-start the slide show (just like pressing the PAUSE button on the Remote Control).
REMOVING FOTO FILER FROM PC (UN-INSTALL) If at some point it becomes desirable to remove Foto Filer from the PC, a special Un-install process is available. This process will remove all the program processes and documentation associated with Foto Filer. However, it DOES NOT remove any albums or photos that are on the PC, even if they were created using Foto Filer. To start the uninstall process, select: Start, then Programs, then Foto Filer, and finally Uninstall Foto Filer. An alternative is to use the Windows Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs process.
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SCREEN SHOT IMAGES Image A Installing Foto Filer
Image B Registration Information
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Image C Select Source Folder
Image D Main Processing
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Image E Renaming Source Folder
Image F - Auto Assign Names & Common Prefix
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Image G Auto Assign Name Options
Image H Film Strip
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Image I New Name Message
Image J Assigning Album Names
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Image K Show Content of Folder
Image L Selecting a Destination Album
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Image M Slide Show
Image N Select Photos
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Image O Large Picture
Image P Manipulate Photo
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Image Q About Foto Filer
Image R Registration Step 1
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Image S Registration Step 2
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NOTES
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FotoFiler User Manual

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FotoFiler User Manual

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Foto Filer

The Digital Photographers Assistant

SCREEN SHOT IMAGES Image A Installing Foto Filer

Image B Registration Information

Image C Select Source Folder

Image D Main Processing

Image E Renaming Source Folder

Image F - Auto Assign Names & Common Prefix

Image G Auto Assign Name Options

Image H Film Strip

Image I New Name Message

Image J Assigning Album Names

Image K Show Content of Folder

Image L Selecting a Destination Album

Image M Slide Show

Image N Select Photos

Image O Large Picture

Image P Manipulate Photo

Image Q About Foto Filer

Image R Registration Step 1

Image S Registration Step 2

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