GERBING Software
________________________________________________________________________________________
|
________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
FAQ, Questions to image data base software:
2.Must I know how a data base works? 3.Must I really provide every foto/video with keywords? 4.What does 'free keywords' mean? 6.How do I use the keywords for finding? 7.Can I show the found fotos/videos automatically as diashow? 8.May I afterwards move or copy my files and the data base on another location? 9.Why has the program no colored surface and hardly menus but is operated mainly by pressing keys? 11.Does GERBING software have something against Thumbnails? 12.Where are there further hints for the professional version? 13.Is there a version for Mac OS? 14.What is the content of the package GERBING fotoalbum 13? 15.How to organize a multi user environment? 16.What can be done, when runtime errors occur? 17.I suspect that the data base unnecessarily increases itself, can I do something against this? 18.How can I create a link for fotos.exe by myself? 19.Can I relocate my fotoalbum to another hard drive or to another computer? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAQ, Answers to image data base software:
1.Why is a data base more efficient as an ingenious folder structure or as thumbnail overviews or as an IPTC fulltext search?If you handle your filenames skillfully, you can put into the filenames and folders a lot of information which is needed for finding. For finding you then look for a part of the filename. With large archives the filename alone is not sufficient. For example the 'search for files and folders' will not succeed if you search for a range of numbers. The search is not able to find file names with a name part 'cubic capacity 2000' or 'cubic capacity 3000' or all cubic capacities between the both. You will need a data base with numeric fields for such purposes. The users of IPTC fields store their keywords in the image directly and for finding they use an IPTC fulltext search, which lasts however decided longer, as the search in a data base. With the Thumbnail overviews it is similar, among 50 thumbnails you fastly can find the desired image but what do you with 10.000 thumbnails? The ideal solution is a data base software which can import keywords from IPTC fields, GERBING Fotoalbum 13 can do that.
2.Must I know how a data base works?No, however it is no fault because you then better understand the power of the program and can better use the functions for finding. GERBING fotoalbum 13 uses a Microsoft Access data base. There is no need to have installed Microsoft Access on your computer to run GERBING Fotoalbum 13. Only a few expert tasks in the Professional Version can not be executed without an installed Microsoft Access.
3.Must I really provide every foto/video with keywords?Yes, but you can assign the keywords groupwise which are same for a group of files (with the tool Fotosmdb) just with Drag&Drop from the Windows Explorer. The standard data base fields are 'year situation location country people comment'. You do not need to deliver keywords for each data base field. In the extreme case you can let empty all data base fields, but it will be difficult then to find a certain foto/video.
4.What does 'free keywords' mean?'Free keywords' means, you need not to define the keywords in a previous step. For example you can allocate a whole series of 'free keywords' to the field 'situation', as '10th anniversary class reunion goethe school'. You can define user defined keyword fields in the professional version.
5.How to edit keywords?You can edit the keywords (new, change, delete) of the files easily directly in a list window. In the list window you see many lines, one line for every foto/video. You must have write access to edit keywords.
6.How do I use the keywords for finding?At the program start you see a search mask with fields, where you shall enter your keywords. If you enter nothing, you find all files which there are in the data base. If you enter keywords, you only find the files which are described by these keywords. The user has the choice, whether he looks for free keywords or only for keywords which guaranteed are available. When you enter keywords into the search mask you can choose whether the keywords shall be connected by 'OR' or by 'AND'. Default is 'AND'. Additionaly you can search by 'AND' for the file date or part of the filename.
7.Can I show the found fotos/videos automatically as diashow? Yes, of course. There is an automatic for ongoing fotos (slideshow, diashow) or for videos (interactively arranged film).
8.May I afterwards move or copy my files and the data base on another location?Yes, to move the files including data base on CD or DVD or USB stick or network drives is possible without a loss of synchronisation between the files and the data base and you can also work with the CD or DVD or USB stick directly. If you move all files including the data base to a network drive you can for example create a central foto archive for all members of your company.
9.Why has the program no colored surface and hardly menus but is operated mainly by pressing keys?The program has an 8-year maturity time from 1997 to 2005 behind itself before it was introduced to the public. In this maturity time the program was judged again and again by its users (programmer colleagues, friends, members of the family), examined and rubbed smooth, with the result: -we do not want and need functions, for which there is already different software. -we want to see fotos on the screen, which fill out the screen and therefore no title bars and no menu bars. -we want to come to the result with few mouse clicks or keystrokes.
10.Are there zoom functions?Yes
11.Does GERBING software have something against Thumbnails?No, but who uses a data base, needs no Thumbnails. If you should nevertheless need Thumbnail overviews, then you can use the build-in function of the Windows Explorer (menu view > miniature view). The program can change out of the current file to the Windows Explorer.
12.Where are there further hints for the professional version?You get access to further hints for the professional version, if you download and install the shareware version. Then read in the file Fotos.chm under 'search criteria', please. The help file describes all functions, thus also those of the Professional version.
13.Is there a version for Mac OS?No, is not intended also.
14.What is the content of the package GERBING fotoalbum 13?-BatchHistogramCorrection.exe program for histogram correction for pale images in batch mode -BatchHistogramCorrection.chm associated help file
-Diashow.exe
program to display fotos without the use of a data base -fotos.exe Program for looking for fotos/videos in the data base and to display them -Fotos.chm associated help file -Fotosmdb.exe Tool to 'Create new data base records' in the data base (with Drag&Drop) and to examine for valid contents -Fotosmdb.chm associated help file -RenamMdb.exe Tool Tool to the simultaneous and corresponding change of filename of Fotos/Videos both in the data base and in the folder -RenamMdb.chm associated help file
15.How to organize a multi user environment?15.1. What is a multi user environment? That means you install 'GERBING Fotoalbum 13' on a local network computer. There can be organized two variants of a multi user environment: 1. All users get write access for the data base fotos.mdb. 2. Only one administrator gets write access for the data base fotos.mdb. All other users get read access. to 1: Then all users simultaneously can add, change or delete records. But the users must be conscious that temporary lockings can arise, if a user wants to change the language without informing the other users. Or if several users work with the function 'first hit per year' simultaneously. to 2: You then avoid all problems which can occur at variant 1. Special tasks lie in the responsibility of one administrator. ---------------------------------------------------- 15.2. How to install GERBING Fotoalbum 13 in a local network? 1. How must it be installed? The fotoalbum must reside on a network folder. It must be installed there. Any user who wants to start the fotoalbum from the network folder must also install once the GERBING Fotoalbum 13 on his computer using his user account. The shareware version is sufficient. By installing on his computer each user gets his own fotos.ini file where individual setting are saved. After that the installation remains untouched on his computer . When the installation is omitted on the user computer, you get an error message saying ...SYSINFO.OCX ... not registered. 2. Results for wrong sharing the network folder. The network folder must be released with full access. If this is not the case, there are the following reactions: Diashow.exe can be started BatchHistogrammCorrection.exe delivers runtime error ‘13‘ type mismatch Fotos.exe delivers runtime error ‘3050‘ File could not be locked FotosMdb.exe requires administrative privileges and write access to fotos.mdb Renammdb.exe criticizes lack of write access to fotos.mdb 3. Reactions on full access, but lack of administrative privileges. When a user logs on to the network folder, but his account does not have administrative privileges, then there are the following reactions: BatchHistogrammCorrection.exe can be started Fotos.exe can be started with read access for fotos.mdb FotosMdb.exe can be started with read access for fotos.mdb Renammdb.exe can not be started 4. Countermeasures if the .chm help files are not displayed, but only a message 'Navigation to the webpage was canceled'. For such cases a registry change helps: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/HTMLHELP/1.x/ create a key (right mouse button on 1.x) key: ItssRestrictions create a DWORT under this key (with right mouse button in the right pane): MaxAllowedZone enter value 3 5. What happens when multiple users with write access to fotos.mdb want to change the same record? After changing and moving to a different record, the user sees again the old content in the record he believes to have changed. It is possible that the user is not not paying attention and does not notice this condition. Therefore there is in the filename list the 'refresh button' to work in multi user environments. Each user should click the 'refresh button' immediately before the proposed change to a specific record. So changes become visible, which were made by other users and the user can be sure that his own change is updated.
16.What can be done, when runtime errors occur?1. Download the latest Download file. 2. If runtime errors happen during standard functions like display of the found fotos/videos or when you create new data base records you then can assume that something is fault on your PC because it works at thousands of other PC. Try to install the software on another PC. Read also under News
17.I suspect that the data base unnecessarily increases itself, can I do something against this?It is a known behaviour of a Microsoft Access data base that it blows up after some time. If you suspect this, start 'Fotos.exe' and end the program immediately by clicking the close cross. You get some reference values for a better assessment here. A data base with 10.000 records is about 2,5 MB large, a data base with 50.000 entries is about 12,0 MB large.
18.How can I create a link for fotos.exe by myself?Sometimes it happens, that you can not find the program group 'GERBING Fotoalbum 13' or it was deleted or what else so ever. Now you stand before the problem to create the link 'Fotos ' by yourself. Here you get a description how to create this link in XP. In later operating systems it is similar: 1.Use the Windows Explorer and open the folder where you want to create the link, for example C:\Documents and Settings\all users\Desktop 2.Click in the menu bar on File -> New -> Link. Then the window 'Create link' opens. 3.Click now on Search... and select the folder where 'fotos.exe' has been installed, this is by default C:\Program Files\GERBING Fotoalbum 13. After having selected fotos.exe it will be entered left from Search... 4.Enter a name for the link, for example 'Fotos' and click on 'Finish'
19.Can I relocate my fotoalbum to another hard drive or to another computer? 19.1.Tip for the relocation of a fotoalbum from one location to another on the same computer: Another location can be a different hard drive, an external hard drive, an USB stick, a drive on the network. You must observe the rules of the trinity than you can move or copy the fotoalbum by the windows explorer to the new location. That is all you have to do. If you run 'fotos.exe' from the new location, it just has to work as at the old location. 19.2.Tip for the relocation of a fotoalbum from one computer to another: This is basically the same as the relocation of a fotoalbum from one location to another on the same computer. If on the other computer is not yet installed 'GERBING Fotoalbum 13', you must install the program, i.e. you must run the installation file 'GERBING Fotoalbum 13.msi'. Select at any case a destination folder other than the location of the relocated fotoalbum.
20.I am using other software for archiving my fotos but I want to change to a database software and want to use GERBING Fotoalbum 13. I have about 20,000 fotos scattered on the computer. The most important step is that you combine all foto/video files below one folder (fotoalbum folder). Under the fotoalbum folder you should create year folders (four-digit years) under the year folders you can but do not need to create other folders. In the fotoalbum folder must run GERBING Fotoalbum 13 or must be installed there. You then create the database quite easily, if your fotos contain IPTC fields. If this is not the case, you should create the database step by step by the function Check3 of the tool Fotosmdb. Step by step take a group of fotos that can be described with the same keywords. You do this until the function Check3 does not report errors. If you then want to attach individual key words to your fotos, you have to either scroll through the fotoalbum or search at first for known keywords.
|
|
|