Nicki's
USBCamera-To-HardDrive-Thingy V0.3
Contents
Brief Introduction
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I guess it is my own fault: I gave the Missus (the Nicki in the program
title) an Olympus D-380 Digital Camera for Christmas - after making sure
that it would be recognised as a USB Mass Storage Device - and it works
fine. I showed Her how to "Refresh Removable Media" after connecting the
camera, copy Her image files to wherever on a hard disk and "Eject
Removable Media" when finished. Is She happy? - No!
Nicki is a "normal user" - She does not want to have to remember
"minor things" such as Refreshing and Ejecting Media. So I put together
a simple Rexx script to do a basic Refresh, Copy files to destination
and Eject BUT She wants to be able to do more than just copy files from
the camera based on filename alone. She wants:-
- to be able to view the images - without viewing being compulsory
- before deciding whether to copy any or all of them to hard drive.
- to be able to extract and retain the Exposure Information
contained in the image - or not.
- to be able to rename the image files using the Date:Time
contained in the Exposure Information to provide the filename - or not.
- Obviously such things as "Refresh Removable Media" and "Eject
Removable Media" should be handled by the application.
OK, So that was "What She Wants". This is "What She Got":-
- The option to Preview image files and select them individually
for copying or non-preview which allows all files to be selected for
copying with just one click
- The option to extract Exposure Information and
- automatically rename files using that Information regardless of
whether the Preview option is selected or not
Sadly "Refresh Removable Media" and "Eject Removable Media" are not
yet fully handled by the application.
This application could be described as a simple Image Pre-Viewer with a
few extra bits.
Be aware that if you use a different camera then the "Extract
Exposure Info" may not work properly - or at all. This process relies on
a handy little utility called renamepics.exe and seems to have been
designed to work with Olympus Digital Cameras that save files in the
EXIF format.
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Requirements
- A USB connected Digital Camera - preferably the same capabilities
as Nicki's to obtain the same results - unless using the application as
a viewer/selective file transfer utility.
- nconvert.exe* - used to produce BMP preview images.
- renamepics.exe* - used to extract Exposure Information from
Olympus cameras (and possibly others) that use the EXIF format.
- Both the above packages are supplied with the application.
- Hard disk space - the application needs approximately 2Mb of disk
space but to use both of the Options requires temporary work space on
the hard disk equal to the size of the Media Card + up to another 12Mb
for storing the preview bitmap images +, of course, storage space for
those images that are selected and copied.
* Both these packages are Freeware and are supplied as ZIP files for
completeness but the executables required are already extracted to the
application installation directory so you may, or not, want to unzip
these packages to different directories to investigate the documentation
supplied.
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Installation
Having unzipped the package into a new directory doubleclick the
install.cmd file and a new folder "Nicki's USBCamera Thingy" containing
a program icon for the application, a program icon for the Eject Camera
command, a program object for the release notes and a shadow of this
file "Readme.htm" will appear on your Desktop - end of Installation.
The installation does not modify the CONFIG.SYS or any INI file.
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UnInstall
Delete program icon from Desktop and then delete the directory
containing the application.
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How to Use
Start the application by doubleclicking the application icon in the
Desktop folder or the application executable file, USBCamera.cmd, in the
installation directory . Allowing for differences in Button types
and colours and other system colour settings you should then have a
similar display to this image - sorry about the default bitmap but I
never claimed to be an artist.
Note that a lot of Buttons are not yet enabled but should
become enabled after Options, Camera and Destination are selected -
depending on the Options selected. Selecting Options must be done BEFORE
selecting Camera source and finally Destination.
When starting the application checks that the required "work"
directory exists and contains a copy of renamepics.exe - if necessary
the directory is created and renamepics.exe is copied from the
application directory. The "work" directory is created as a sub
directory of the application directory.
The Image Filename is displayed below the Image Preview (or default).
It is not currently possible to enter a new Image Filename although
that is planned for a future release.
Options
Extract EXIF and Rename
If this is Checked ALL the JPG files found in the selected Camera
source directory are copied to the "work" directory and renamepics.exe
is used to extract Exposure Information which is written to the image
files Extended Attributes. This information is then visible in the
files' Properties -> File Tab, Page 3 Comments. This option is for
Olympus D-380 and any other camera that saves images in the EXIF format.
Renamepics.exe also automatically renames the image file with the
date:time that the image file was created eg:-
2002-12-26_17-42-21.JPG, which shows the
Year-Month-Day_Hour-Minute-Second - according to the time denoted by the
cameras setup.
Preview images
If this is Checked ALL the JPG files found in the selected Camera
source directory are copied to the "work" directory - unless the Extract
EXIF option is also selected in which case the files have already been
copied - and nconvert.exe is then used to create scaled down bitmap
images of the camera image files in the "work" directory. These JPG and
bitmap files are deleted when any of these buttons are clicked:-
"Camera", "Eject Camera", "Exit".
Selecting either (or both) of the above options means that the image
files will be copied from camera to a subdirectory, "work", for
processing by either renamepics.exe and/or nconvert.exe. These files are
deleted from the "work" directory after copying to Destination is
complete.
If neither option is selected (both are unchecked) the image files
are not copied to the "work" directory as no processing is required.
Selected, or All, image files are copied directly from Camera to
Destination.
Camera Button
Click on
this to open the Camera Path Dialog to select the Drive Letter and path
to the image files on the camera.
Camera Path Dialog
Depending on the Options selected the JPG image files found in the
selected Path may be copied to the "work" directory and BMP bitmap
preview images created.
The filenames are displayed in the source list below the Camera
button.
Destination Button
Click on this to open a Path Dialog to select Drive:\Path to save the
image files to.
Destination Path Dialog
This
dialog allows selection of Drive:\DirectoryPath to save selected images
to.
The New Directory button allows the creation of a new directory in
which to store the images.
Enter the New Directory name, select Change to target directory and
click Create. The Create Dialog will close having selected the New
Directory and the Save Images To Dialog will show the New Directory as
selected, so just click OK.
Selection Buttons
These become enabled/disabled
depending on the Options selected and after the Camera and Destination
have been selected; also depends on whether there are any files in the
respective lists.
> Add Button
Selects
one image file at a time for copying - this Button is highlighted
showing that it was the last used - the filename will appear in the copy
list below the Destination button.
>> Add All Button
Selects
ALL files - only available when the Preview Option is not checked - all
filenames appear in the copy list below the Destination button.
These Selection Buttons become enabled/disabled depending on the
number of images selected for copying.
< Remove Button
Remove selected file from copy list - only available when there is at
least 1 file to remove.
<< Remove All Button
Removes ALL files from copy list - only available when there are more
than 1 file to remove.
Copy Button
Copies
selected files from either "work" directory or directly from Camera,
depending on the Options settings, to the Destination directory.
The copy list is cleared when copying is complete.
Exit Button
Deletes
any temporary BMP and JPG files in the "work" directory, reminds you to
Eject the camera before disconnecting - use the Eject Camera object in
the Desktop folder - and closes the application. NOTE: If the
application is closed using any other method temporary BMP and JPG files
in the "work" directory are NOT deleted.
Having Exited the application use the Eject Camera object in the
Desktop folder to eject the camera. Clicking Eject Camera should produce
this dialog:-
Enter the drive letter that the camera has been using but not the colon
ie:- k not k:
Status Bar
Displays some information, instructions, errrors or progress
depending on the current process - WARNING (Before I get swamped with
email over this): Sometimes the status bar does not "keep up" with
events and displays incorrect information. This will be rectified in a
future release.
Errors
Hopefully none should occur but if an error condition exists you may
find an error message dialog box onscreen or a message in the Status
Bar. Probably the most common error to date, in testing by Nicki
Herself, is closing the application without using the Exit Button which
leaves unwanted image files in the "work" directory and can cause errors
next time the application is used. The remedy to this is to Exit the
application and then delete any JPG and BMP files in the "work"
directory. I guess checking for this condition should go on the
update list.
If the error cannot be resolved please contact me at the email address
below with details of the error(s) and any message(s) displayed.
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Examples of the
application in use
These examples are screenshots taken after selecting Options as
required, then Camera and then Destination but before Copying the files
to the Destination directory.
No Options selected
With no
Options checked there is no need to copy the files from Camera to hard
drive "work" directory for preprocessing - the selected image
files will be copied directly from the Camera path (Drive:\Directory) to
the Destination directory - No Preview, No Extract EXIF and Rename.
As stated in the Status Bar at the bottom of the application - If
selecting individual files it is necessary to double click the required
image file name in the Camera List, the list below the Camera Button, to
select the file before clicking the Add Button.
All Selection Buttons are enabled - the last button used was the Add
All Button.
The next step is to click the Copy Button to copy the selected files,
displayed in the copy list below the Destination Button, from the Camera
path to the Destination directory.
Extract EXIF and Rename Option selected
The image files have been copied from the Camera to the "work"
directory and renamepics.exe has been used to extract EXposure
InFormation from the image files.
NOTE: If you choose this option the files are automatically renamed by
renamepics.exe according to the Date_Time found in the EXposure
InFormation.
The ADD All Button was used to select all files for Copying.
The next step is to click the Copy Button to copy the selected files,
displayed in the copy list below the Destination Button from the "work"
directory to the Destination directory.
Both Options selected
The image files have been copied from the Camera to the "work"
directory, renamepics.exe has been used to extract EXposure InFormation
from the image files and nconvert.exe has been used to create bitmap
Preview image files - I hope the Chinese Dragon does not offend.
The ADD Button was used to select 1 file for Copying - so far.
Nicki uses this set of Options to decide whether to bother copying the
image file.
Nicki likes being selective and although this is the slowest possible
method of copying the image files it is the mode She uses most. Having
said that She is usually only checking between 12 and 30 images at a
time - mainly images to support Her ebay (uk) Seller activities.
Having finished selecting files the next step is, as above, to click
the Copy Button to copy the selected files, displayed in the copy list
below the Destination Button from the "work" directory to the
Destination directory.
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Points to note
Important! This application will not delete any files on your Removable
Media - Primarily because Nicki's Olympus D-380 gets very upset when
using an eCS or OS/2 system to delete files. So She uses her Camera to
delete the Camera files. She's happy and her Camera is happy that way.
It could be introduced as an Option in some future revision if there is
a demand.
The preparation of image files for Preview mode can take a little time
if you have a lot of images to prepare and slightly more if the Extract
Exposure Information option is also selected. Basically, the larger the
Media Card and the more images the longer it takes.
Processing is therefore quicker with just the Extract Exposure
Information option selected and even quicker if Copying directly from
Camera to Destination.
I do not know how quickly USB 2.0 devices transfer files but the
Olympus D-380 access seems fairly slow and this is where a lot of time
is spent waiting for files to be copied either to the "work" directory
or, if no Options are selected, directly to the Destination directory.
We timed transferring files from a full 32Mb Smartmedia card in the
D-380 with both Preview and Extract EXIF options checked at 10 minutes
and 35 seconds - it is only marginally quicker with neither of these
options selected at 9 minutes 12 seconds.
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Finally
I only have the Olympus D-380 to work with and can therefore only state
that this application works the way that Nicki wants it to work with Her
camera. The above screenshots are from my PC, not Hers, so any Drives
shown are not USB Removable Mass Storage Devices but a hard drive
partition. Sorry if that causes any confusion to anyone - I tried to
keep this document as current as possible by modifying it while testing
the application hence the screenshots based on a hard drive.
If you try this application and find that your camera uses a
different format than EXIF I am prepared to look at the possibility of
updating the application to meet your requirements BUT I will need you
to supply all the necessary information regarding the camera's image
format. I will then try to either locate a suitable alternative to
renamepics.exe or attempt (important word!) to create the necessary
utility - but please do not expect immediate results.
Suggestions - preferably within my limited capabilities - for
improvements to this application are welcome, as are questions, at the
email address below BUT make sure that the Subject Header contains
"USBCamera" to help with my email filtering; I would not want to be
filtering good suggestions or requests for help into my email Trashcan
by accident just because someone has a genuine hotmail/yahoo/lycos etc
account.
I aim to remove the need for nconvert.exe at some point in the near
future - if I can find a less sizeable alternative that works as well.
Alternatively there is the possibility that a more talented programmer
than myself may create the necessary JPG handling TImage component for
the Sibyl development package thus removing the need for an external
utility such as nconvert.exe.
Hopefully this documentation is complete and I have not missed
anything out - hopefully it is fairly obvious how to use the application
;-)
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Credits
My thanks to the following for their work which is used by this
application:-
Pierre-E Gougelet for the OS/2 port of nconvert.exe
Denise Hallmark for the original renamepics.exe, Rolf Lochbuehler
and Brian Morrison for later modifications.
Aaron Lawrence for his "Execute" Sibyl component - it helps make a
"messy job" look neat.
Nicki for being a Slave Driver - but a friendly one
as She
decided to release Her
(this) application as Freeware.
The original Sibyl package development team for what could have been
a fantastic product - but at least it is very useable.
Documentation produced using Mozilla 1.3 Composer and PMView - great
applications.
Sorry if I have missed anyone off of this list - if you deserve it
then I thank you.
Disclaimer
If your PC blows up It certainly is not my fault ;-)
I hope this application is of some use to the eCS and OS/2
Community.
Regards to all
Peter Brown
losepete@ntlworld.com - BUT make sure that the Subject Header
contains "USBCamera" to help with my email filtering.
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