Problem calibrating a scanner with a Silverfast Kodachrome IT8 Target

[robin_barnes]

<p>I have a Plustek 7600i scanner which came with Silverfast Ai Studio (version 6.6.Or6) software and am currently learning how to use it. As all of my slides are on Kodachrome I also bought one of Silverfast's Kodachrome calibration targets. My computer is an Intel iMac running under OSX 10.4.11.<br>

Calibrating for general use, using the target which came with the scanner and the automated calibration facility, worked fine but when I tried to do this with the Kodachrome target I encountered a problem. The following message appeared:-<br>

"The reference file E002101.txt could not be downloaded automatically. It is on the Silverfast CD or website"<br>

As far as I can tell it isn't on the CD (as the reference file for the general use target must have been) so I tried to find it on Silverfast's website. I couldn't find this file as such but I did find a page showing reference files to download listed by barcodes. So I downloaded the one which has the same barcode as my Kodachrome target slide. <br>

I then tried to calibrate the scanner but got the above message again. Can someone help please?</p>

 

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>If Silverfast can't find the reference file (e...txt), you should have the opportunity in the IT8 calibration process to specify its location. Silverfast will then install (copy) that file to the common location. If not, do a general search for Lasersoft locations (Lasersoft, Silverfast, IT8, etc.), including hidden directories, and manually copy the file to the correct location.</p>

<p>I'm not familiar with Apple file structure, but in Windows, the reference files are located in <em>\Program Files\LaserSoft\SilverFast HDR\SilverFast\IT8 Reference Files.</em></p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>Thank you for your reply Edward. There doesn't seem to be a way in which I can specify the location of the file I need so I searched the Silverfast site for it again but without success. I did find the folder on my HD where Silverfast has put all the reference files from the CD but as barcodes like the ones on my two target slides not in the form E...txt.<br>

So I downloaded the file from the IT8 Target section of Slverfast's site which has the same barcode as my Kodachrome target again and put it in the same folder as the other barcode files.<br>

I then tried to calibrate the scanner but just got the "can't download reference file" message again. <br>

I have tried to ask the same question on LaserSoft's Silverfast forum as it seemed the obvious place to start as others may have had the same problem in the past. However the Moderator stopped my question from being posted and sent me an email saying he had done this because the forum is not intended for individual technical support. He said a member of the their support team would email me but that was almost a week ago and I have heard nothing from them since then. Consequently I have been seeing if I can get help from elsewhere. </p>

[tom_r]

<p>Did you get things set up yet? There's no reason this shouldn't be working if you have the correct IT8 reference file and the correct target. If the program keeps trying to download a file, I would cover that barcode on the target and then the program will prompt you to find the reference file wherever you put it. Try that.<br /> Tom</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>No Tom I haven't got it sorted out yet. However I have now heard from Silverfast support in Germany (I live in the UK) and they advised me to try calibrating manually rather than using the automated facility - this didn't work either. I am waiting for them to get back to me with other ideas. <br>

Thank you for your suggestion that I cover the barcode. It is certainly worth a try but I am not sure that it will work because I think Silverfast needs the barcode to identify the associated reference file that it has to download - there are a lot of different ones for Kodachrome depending, apparently, on how and when the target was made.<br>

I downloaded the file which has the same reference number - E100101.txt - as my target but the problem is that the error message says that it could not download a file with a different reference number - E002101.txt - which is not shown in the list of downloadable files on Silverfast's website. I now wonder if the problem is that the barcode on my target has been printed incorrectly causing the software to search for a reference file that does not actually exist! <br>

Robin</p>

[tom_r]

<p>I know it's possible because I've done it. I have even ordered an it8 target and reference file from another source, and they work fine. The only reason it wouldn't work is if you manually downloaded the wrong reference file.<br>

Good luck, amigo!</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>Tom - the fact that you have actually done it cheers me up! How did you cover the barcode? I was thinking of putting a small piece of black card into the corner of the slide holder above the target to just cover the code.<br>

Having looked at your first post again I think I misunderstood what you said (it was very late and I had had a tough day!). I now think that you saying that the software will ask me to type in the number of the required reference file - is that right? At the moment it is in the same folder as all the files that were on the disc but I guess I could put it in a new folder on its own if all the prompt requires is a location. <br>

As yet I have heard nothing more from Silverfast support.<br>

As you are clearly experienced in using these targets I wonder what you think of the results they produce. As you will know Silverfast Ai Studio has a "built-in" Kodachrome setting which is available to me. I did a test scanning a Kodachrome slide using first the E6 profile that was set up when I calibrated the scanner using the slide that came with it and then using the Kodachrome setting. The first scan, unsurprisingly, had a blue cast but the second one didn't. In fact it looked pretty good and I wondered how much additional improvement I will actually see using a profile generated by a special Kodachrome target. <br>

Thanks again,<br>

Robin</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>TOM YOU ARE A GENIUS! Your suggestion has worked brilliantly! Many thanks indeed!<br /> I selotaped a small piece of grey card (same colour as the slide mount) across the bottom of the target to cover the barcode - using my light box so that I could be sure it was in the right place. I tried auto calibration first but for some reason this got the frame lines in the wrong place and wouldn't proceed any further so I did it manually.<br /> Instead of the message I got before it just said that it couldn't find the necessary reference file without specifying a number. I opened the file which had the same number as my target that I had downloaded from Sliverfast's website, clicked the start button and the calibration was done in a couple of seconds.<br /> I then did a test scan using the same slide as before (a shot of the bay at Menton in the south of France) and I can see that the result is definitely better than the one I got using the "built-in" Kodachrome profile. The white sides of buildings are "white" rather than slightly yellow and the green of the leaves on the trees is more natural as is the blue of the sea.<br /> I can now look forward to spending the remaining winter evenings scanning my archive.<br /> Thanks again,<br /> Robin</p>