Moving images to CD/DVD and keeping track of them

[dampfish]

I have had a look around for some software to perform what I'd have

thought was an often-demanded function, but have had no luck. I

wonder if anyone out there has found something to do what I'm

after...

Up until now I have kept all my digital images on my hard drive

organised in a folder hierarchy that has grown organically over

time. The folders are based on subject content rather than time/date

because the OS and EXIF date stamps everything.

What I want to do is have a utility scan recursively from my root

picture directory looking for files bigger than a thumbnail. On

finding one, I'd like a thumbnail generated, and the original moved

to DVD. The utility needs to prompt which DVD still has space

available and also record which DVD the original now lives on.

Later when I browse thumbnails, should I should have a "load

original.." context menu that will prompt for the correct DVD and

open the image in Photoshop (or whatever).

The whole point being to free up hard drive space, while keeping an

easy-to-browse file structure, and making a permanent DVD based copy

of the pictures.

I've scoured the web, tried IMatch and Portfolio but so far nothing

seems to do what I'm after. Any suggestions? Thanks in anticipation!

[robert_martin5]

I don't know of a utility that does exactly what you specified, but you might want to look at Archive Creator.

 

http://www.pictureflow.com/ArchiveCreator/Pages/AC-Main.html

 

This software will:

1. Determine how many CD's or DVD's is required to archive all images you selected.

2. Generate an index of thumbnail images for each CD/DVD in the set.

3. Write the thumbnail index for all CD/DVD in the set on each CD/DVD in the archive set.

4. Write the image files on the correct CD/DVD in the set.

 

Since each CD/DVD in the set has an index of thumbnails for the entire set, you can locate the image you are searching for by reviewing the index files on any CD/DVD in the archive set.

[rubens_abboud]

Bob,

 

I regularly do what you describe in a different way:

 

1. I regularly dump my Compact Flash images into a single directory on my XP machine.

 

2. Once the directory holds 4.5Gb of images, I burn the entire contents to DVD+R with RecordNow DX, which came with my Sony DVD drive. The DVD+R is burned with a sequential DVD label.

 

3. I then import the DVD+R into Photoshop Album 2.0. There are options in Album that allow you to leave the original image on DVD+R and import only thumbnails into Album's database.

 

4. Once the images are on DVD+R and the thumbnails in Album, I delete the original images from the hard drive, and the cycle repeats itself.

 

At the end of the cycle, your original images are on DVD+R. Your hard drive has additional space available. And thumbnails are imported into PS Album which allows you to tag/categorize your images in a number of very flexible ways.

 

You can then perform searches within Album by date, categories and other criteria which will yield a screenful of matching thumbnails. Once you select the image that you are looking for, Album will prompt you to insert the correct DVD+R by refering to the DVD label.

 

I've looked at other packages, including ACDsee and could not find better functionality than what I found in Album.

 

Rubens.

[marlene_degrood]

Maybe a little off subject. How much do you trust putting your images on DVD

and then trashing them from your hard drive? Is the stability of DVD better

than CD? What I have been doing is making 2 copies of every disk and then

periodically making new ones but it's really a hassle. 1 copy stays home and

another copy at work in case the house burn downs. Still I tend to worry that

someday I may try to open the disk and it would fail and all my images would

be lost. Is DVD better than CD, other than the obvious of holding more.

[rubens_abboud]

Marlene,

 

DVD-R/+R's have archival lives that beat conventional photo media (slides & prints) by decades. The claims are that DVD-R/+R media can last around 70 to 100 years.

 

The way I see it, a DVD will outlast my PC, my hard drives, my slides, my DV tapes, and my prints. It is then logical for me to burn a copy of all my precious data onto DVDs to keep this information safe.

 

Burning copies onto two DVDs as a precautionary measure makes a lot of sense if different brands of DVD (or DVDs of different coatings) are used. This will reduce the risk of poorly manufactured DVD media.