Suggestions for features in an image cataloging application

Actually, right now it's vaporware... but I'm thinking of developing

software to help photographers catalog images and their properties,

and be able to query and cross reference various properties.

My plan is to use an MS Access backend, since I think MS Access is

just about universal.

 

I'm compiling my requirements right now, and would like to solicit

your input into what kind of image properties you'd like to be able

to catalog.

 

Thanks.

I considered this too. If you really enjoy programming it could be a fun project. I decided against it.

 

Take a look at iMatch. Think you can do as good with Access? I didn't.

 

I'd also question the statement that Access is universal. You do need to be running Windows and you do need some version of Office (or Access standalone). Access doesn't come with any version of Windows as far as I know.

Hi Bob - yeah, I regretted that Access statement as soon as I submitted it -- it's obviously inaccurate. I referred to Access just for the database to store images and properties, but the front end would be in Powerbuilder or VB or something.

 

As an alternative, I'm also thinking about writing this in Java and allowing users to upload images and properties into a central online SQL database, but this would require quite a bit more time and effort.

Why not just some form of SQL support? (sorry, I was in the honors version of the software engineering class, we did a raytracer instead of database) That way you could set it up to work with MySQL, PostgreSQL, or some other free version? Also prepare for a major headache. the nature of the tiff file format is that it is easy to write but very hard to make a fully functional reader. As it is I wouldn't mind joining up with you on this.

 

One thing I think would be nice would be some saved thumbnail and preview information along with the ability to link an original scan file to the editted versio to the web sized versions. Also it would be nice to have some support for filing across CD's. As it is I am approaching the end of my disk space due to my recent scans.

Nick, I'm sure that it already exists somewhere but how about a really user-friendly database application which enables photographers (and others with similar uses) to upload images into a central file on the server and then for the images to be searchable in albums, folders or by keywords? This would be ideal for <a href="http://stainedglassphotography.com">my own website</a> but many people have warned me off database applications because of their inherent complexities.

fyi... I also posted this question on the B&W Film & Processing forum. In addition to the typical image cataloging properties we all track as photographers, I'd also like to be able to capture some of the processing variable -- in film, this equates to developers & dilutions & timing and film densities -- in digital, this could be things like Levels, Curves, etc...

 

I'd like to be able to create a knowledge base that deals with what-if scenarios based on various variables that go into taking the shot and processing the image... a lot of the outcome may be subjective by nature, but some may be mathematically calculated.

 

Heck, I may even get really ambitious and add some WML tags to allow you to view the knowledge base on your GPRS cellular phones; at the very least, something you can download to your Pocket PC - won't that be cool??

 

It's in the very early conceptual stages right now, so I'm open to suggestions.

 

Thanks.

I second Bob on IMatch (www.photools.com). You are not going to get as flexible a

category system from a relational database. Given how cheap and powerful IMatch is,

it really makes no sense whatsoever to reinvent the square wheel on Windows.

You can redistribute the Jet backend (which Access uses for it's SQL support) freely. You can also redistribute a crippleware version of SQL Server (it has a 2Gb max DB size, just like Jet). MySQL is pretty well broken if you care about your DB being a real relational database, but Postgres is pretty decent. I would tend toward Postgres and using a backend like LEAD Tools as your file decoding back end. You'll probably need the SDKs for the various camera manufacturers to handle RAW file display.

 

As far as what I would like to catalog would be subject, location, time of year, keywords, who I've submitted the image to. I would also like to be able to store full res PSD images, a web version, the printable version in various sizes and resolutions, etc. etc. Maybe some record of the income that a particular image has provided (broken down by publisher, sale price, number of reorders...)

 

--John

Good luck.

 

There are, however, several different image cataloging apps available or in development (both free and non-free), you sure you don't want to contribute to an existing project? Sooner or later M$ will include such an app in windows and 2-3 commercial apps will emerge as "winners" in the market for an advanced cataloging software. And then I'll just shrug and say that history does indeed repeat itself :)

 

If you do it, though, make it flexible.