Digital camera software

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:07 pm

Hi All,

My problem is that I have tried to upload a certificate many times today to the gallery, I have done this once before and managed with no problem, the error states: NO FILE FOR UPLOAD, check that your server lets you upload, I dont know how to do this

I just installed camera software, and everything has gone haywire, do you think this is my problem?
I uninstalled it and went to restore, but still can't seem to get my certificate in gallery!! Can anyone help!!

Ann

Post by **Anne H** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:34 pm

Hi Ann,

I'm not the right person to answer your query when it comes to "technical difficulties" . I have four different software packages installed on my computer and frequently forget to save as jpg or tiff files. Half the time, I don't know where some of my images are saved. Most of them seem to go in to my "Paint Shop" program and when I get the NO FILE FOR UPLOAD message it usually means that I have to find the image and re-save it as jpg or tiff...once that's done the Kodak icon appears (although I now use an HP camera) I have no problem finding or uploading images.

So until someone who knows what they're talking about comes along, check to see how you saved your images

Regards,
Anne H

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:03 pm

Hi Anne,

Thanks for the reply, I checked and the file is saved as a jpg, which is how I usually save them, I just sent it on as an attachment, and when I looked at my sent mail, the attachment was huge

compared to how they usually look when sent, , so goodness knows what I have done!!

I think its time for a computer course!!

Ann

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:16 am

Hello Ann,

The format in which you save the ScotlandsPeople images should be exactly the same as that delivered by SP. Census and Statutory certificates are delivered as TIFs and should be saved as such. OPRs are delivered as JPGs and should be saved and stored in that format. That’s the way they arrive as direct downloads.

An average census TIF would be about 100kb while the average statutory certificate is a little less at about 75kb.

The OPR JPG’s are much larger in file size and therefore take much longer to download, or to send by email, and use up more space on your hard drive. They vary in size but most of the ones I’ve seen have been in the 500kb to 900kb range.

There is no advantage in saving an SP statutory or census TIF as a JPG. All that happens is that you end up with just about exactly the same image but one that has a file size about ten times as much. With average compression the JPG would be around 900kb in size with resultant effects on storage and transmission time etc.

If there is a limit on gallery space and you already have stuff there you may be going over your limit by trying to upload a relatively largish JPG.

If anyone has saved their statutory and census images as JPGs it mightn’t be a bad idea just to check to make sure that they are all of the correct pixel dimensions and that the software that converted them to JPGs hasn’t done something else in the process. Statutory certificate images should be very approximately about 2600x1600 and census images should be a bit larger.

The trouble with a lot of camera software, as distinct from photo editing software, is that it is usually designed to make it easy for 10 year old’s to download photos from their cameras and offers little flexibility. I’ve dumped everything photo related except PhotoPaint and IrfanView.

The truth is that none of this software is necessary. Windows XP has an inbuilt wizard which can download your cameras photos to wherever you want them and which works as well as anything. You probably need the driver file from the CD but that’s all.

Not long ago I purchased a digital camera. I plugged it into a computer on which I have Ubuntu Linux as the operating system and immediately a window opened displaying the photos and asking where I wanted to put them.

When I did the same thing on a Windows XP machine it went through a great fuss about finding new hardware etc, demanded I insert a disc, suggested I install a whole lot of programs including something about funny faces, and then would have demanded I restart the machine. I hope Vista is a bit more sophisticated than that.

Anyhow I hope there’s something useful there.
All the best,
Alan

LATER: I should mention that I have all my image files set to open in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer and use Irfanview for more specialised tasks.
Alan

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:06 am

Hi Alan,

I have just looked at the certificate in question, and I downloaded one yesterday when I still had in the software, and have one from before, one says 665 kb and the other 2.74 mb, so something is not right.

I think one is saved as jpg and the other tif, they are census certificates, I had a look at all my others and they are much smaller, I will double check all the savings.

I have windows xp, and open them with windows fax viewer, and had no trouble before, in fact it was so easy I dont know why I did this!, the software just seem to grab anything I tried to do!!!

Thank you for your explanation Alan, I have taken note of the size guides and will keep for future reference.
Off to check all my pics now!!
Thanks
Ann

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:05 am

Back again Ann,

I think that “grab” is a pretty good description of what can happen. If your image associations (i.e. the program that opens when you double click the image) get grabbed by new software but you want to keep the software you can change it back. Just right click the image icon, click on ‘open with’, then ‘choose program’ select ‘Windows Picture & Fax Viewer’ or whatever, tick the ‘Always use’ box and then ok. You’ll have to do that once for each image type ie TIF, JPG and so on.

The SP TIFs are 1 bit i.e. just two colours, black and white and are compressed as Group 4 Fax. It’s possible that the 2.74mb one, if that’s the TIF, has more bits, and at a guess I’d say it’s an uncompressed 8 bit, 256 colour even though it still only has two colours.

If you right click the 2.74mb image icon and select properties, then the advanced button on the summary tab it should show the bit depth. If it’s more than 1 bit you could open the image in your photo editing program and change the colour mode (possibly under an image menu) to Black & White 1 bit and then save it (save as under a slightly different name) as a TIF with CCITT4 compression (Group 4 Fax) or LZW if you don’t have that.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds, but if your program won’t do that just download a new image from SP.

Alan

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:28 am

Hi Alan,

I managed to find the properties for this certificate and you are right , while all my others are 1 bit, this one tif, and the jpg says 24 bit!!! I think I will just delete it and try again, as I have thrown out all the photo software, you made that sound so simple to do, thank you, from a very non technical person!!

Ann

ADDED:

I just downloaded new certificate and back to normal, 1bit and 156 kb, thank you so much, I will NEVER add photo software again!!