Photoshop Album for Windows - What happens to file hierarchy after adding pictures

Author

What happens to file hierarchy after adding pictures

v6v6v6@adobeforums.com

2005-09-07, 8:03 pm

v6v6v6 - 7:47pm Sep 6, 05 PST (#2 of 3)

Since this is an appropriate thread title, I'd like to add my own question...

Up until now I've been handling the task of adding pictures to PSA for my family. My process usually consists of putting in the CF card or CD, creating a folder and renaming it to today's date, copying the files into this new folder, and then going to Get
Photos > From Files and Folders... and adding them into PSA.

My wife will be taking over the task since she got her new laptop and she's looking for the easiest way to do this. I feel the easiest would be to use the default folders and settings... putting in the CF card or CD, choosing PSA from the popup window ask
ing what you'd like to do, and selecting the photos to add once PSA and the Get Photos window opens.

But I'm concerned with how PSA handles the file/folder structure as the files are copied to Windows. Here's what I assume happens (based on Windows XP) and some questions:

From Camera or Card Reader:
- Puts files into C:\...\My Documents\My Pictures\Adobe\Digital Camera Photos\YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM-SS
- Say we make a mistake while copying over files from our CF card and have to put it in again, does this mean a new folder with an updated date/time will be created?

From Files and Folders:
- Puts files into C:\...\My Documents\My Pictures\Adobe
- Does this simply copy over the file structure from the CD into the Adobe folder?

Sorry for the long-winded question--thanks.

Colin Walls - 11:58pm Sep 6, 05 PST (#3 of 3)

v6v6v6

You really shouldn't hijack another thread - this is a new question.

Your assumption about getting from camera or card reader is mostly correct. However, you have lots more option than that. These are the defaults. What kind of mistake might you make? I have been using this software for 2.5 years [since the first release o
f PSA], as have the rest of my family, and we have never had a problem.

Your assumption about Files and Folders is not complete. You have the option of having PSA copy the images [not any folder structure] or it can leave them on the CD and create local proxies.

You would find this book helpful: <http://www.enjoyingdp.com/>

v6v6v6@adobeforums.com

2005-09-07, 8:03 pm

Your assumption about getting from camera or card reader is mostly correct.
However, you have lots more option than that.

I'm not sure I see what the other options are in this case. Would you explain this further?

These are the defaults. What kind of mistake might you make?

I'd like to use the defaults in order to minimize any problems that might occur. For example, if we need to reinstall PSA (which has happened twice already) then we can easily get started again by using the default settings. I feel this will allow us to c
oncentrate on the pictures and less on the technicalities.

Your assumption about Files and Folders is not complete. You have the
option of having PSA copy the images [not any folder structure] or it
can leave them on the CD and create local proxies.

Let's leave the proxy option out for now since we don't have a regular CD collection for our pictures. Most of our pictures are taken from the CF card which goes directly to PSA. The only CDs we use are from friends who send us pictures.

About copying the images... I understand you can set a default folder in the preferences, but does PSA allow us to choose/name a subfolder we want the pictures to go into as we're in the "Get Photos" process?

You would find this book helpful: <http://www.enjoyingdp.com/>

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out today.

Colin Walls

2005-09-07, 8:03 pm

With Get Photos, you can have all the images go into a single folder or a subfolder based on import date/time. You have a prefs option to set the "base" folder. In PSE 3 Organizer, more flexibility was introduced.

W_Bobrowski@adobeforums.com

2005-09-07, 11:30 pm

Colin is correct! First think about a location of a MAIN FOLDER on your HD within which you will place your camera card images. Now, within PSA (I use PSAv2) select EDIT PREFERENCES.

Now, select the CAMERA OR CARD READER preferences. In the IMPORT section, choose the drive letter that is the default card reader on your computer. Also, in the FILES section, choose the MAIN FOLDER where new camera images will be stored. Be sure to check
mark the option "Create subfolders using date/time of import". Also determine if you want PSA to delete the original image files off of the storage card, once they are transferred (no need to keep them on the card at this point, but it's up to you).

This way, you will always know where those camera images are going when you use the function "GET IMAGES FROM CARD READER", and you will know that they are organized into subfolders based on date/time of import. HOWEVER, NEVER use Windows Explorer to move
or delete those image files. Always use PSA to perform those functions for you, otherwise you will cause havoc as the system loses track of those images.

"Let the image manager manage the images!"

Best regards,
Walt

"Life is a Zoo!"
<http://home.comcast.net/~lifeisazoo>

Way cool step by step PhotoDeluxe graphic tutorials.

v6v6v6@adobeforums.com

2005-09-07, 11:30 pm

Thanks for the replies. I went ahead and copied some pictures from a CD and it created a new subfolder called "Photos from Removable Media" and then another subfolder within that called "Wedding - 1984594873".

Although this is acceptable, I don't see where I can change how the subfolders are named? Also, what do the numbers in the folder name represent?

Sorry for the newb questions.

Karin_Sue@adobeforums.com

2005-09-08, 7:35 pm

Interesting. I am curious. What name does the CD have? I would guess that the cd was named Wedding at the time it was burned. It would make sense for the subfolders in the Photos from Removable Media folder to be named after the media.

v6v6v6@adobeforums.com

2005-09-08, 7:35 pm

Hey Karin Sue,

I didn't even think about this--doh. I was concentrating so much on the CD's folder structure that I didn't even think it would be the CD name. This makes sense now... The folder structure was ignored and all the pictures were placed into a folder named a
fter the CD. I'll have to confirm this when I get home.

v6v6v6@adobeforums.com

2005-09-09, 4:33 am

OK, so I went out and bought the book suggested by Colin (good advice!) and it explains the default naming scheme for CDs and other "Removable Media" which aren't kept offline.

"Photos are in subfolders named by the removable media volume and serial number."

I didn't even realize CDs had a serial number and I can't find it in the properties, but there it is. I wonder why Adobe didn't just use the CD Name and Date/Time convention? Makes more sense to me than a seemingly random serial number.

It doesn't look like we're able to change the folder name.