decoders PSD Adobe, etc
Hi,
I downloaded the Ardfry decoder, and I didn't see my PSD's show up. couple did (maybe from before), rest not. Since it was a evaluation copy, I read here someone mention FastPicviewer codec. And since it was $15, I went ahead and purchased that also and now ended up with both isntalled.
In the Catalog Fields/File Types I have WIC PSD Decoder(Ardfry I think), and the WIC Adobe XMP-Thumbs provider (FastPictureViewer Codec).
Are these redundant, and can they cause a conflict, or do they refer to different file types as it may seam(see below)?
When I select the Adobe XMP FastPicviewer codec, it looks like it wants to see PDF files only.
When I select the PSD decoder (Ardfry), it looks like it wants to see TIF, PSD, INDD (InDesign), and Ai (illustrator) files.
TIF has its own File type view, but PSD decoder like to see a few TIF's as a WIC decoded file type(?) Oddly enough there are some PSD files in the TIF view. Many TIF's actually show a thumbnail image, none PSD, and a number of TIF's without a thumnail.
key word "Wants" ....as none of them actually show a thumbnail ☹️.
Just the icon to the file type.
Also noticed a
Adobe Acrobat Doc and a InDesign option (inDesign only shows a Jeg file with Icon only) in the File Types option.
What the Acrobat view tries to display is PSD, indd, PDF, JPEG, and Ai. As those are the icons I see.
It actually manages to gets 3 of the 3 pdf's to show a thumb in nice CYMK color support to boot. But what are the other types doing there?....Which brings me to my original question...Which codec to use and wondering if any are conflicts?
I downloaded the Ardfry decoder, and I didn't see my PSD's show up. couple did (maybe from before), rest not. Since it was a evaluation copy, I read here someone mention FastPicviewer codec. And since it was $15, I went ahead and purchased that also and now ended up with both isntalled.
In the Catalog Fields/File Types I have WIC PSD Decoder(Ardfry I think), and the WIC Adobe XMP-Thumbs provider (FastPictureViewer Codec).
Are these redundant, and can they cause a conflict, or do they refer to different file types as it may seam(see below)?
When I select the Adobe XMP FastPicviewer codec, it looks like it wants to see PDF files only.
When I select the PSD decoder (Ardfry), it looks like it wants to see TIF, PSD, INDD (InDesign), and Ai (illustrator) files.
TIF has its own File type view, but PSD decoder like to see a few TIF's as a WIC decoded file type(?) Oddly enough there are some PSD files in the TIF view. Many TIF's actually show a thumbnail image, none PSD, and a number of TIF's without a thumnail.
key word "Wants" ....as none of them actually show a thumbnail ☹️.
Just the icon to the file type.
Also noticed a
Adobe Acrobat Doc and a InDesign option (inDesign only shows a Jeg file with Icon only) in the File Types option.
What the Acrobat view tries to display is PSD, indd, PDF, JPEG, and Ai. As those are the icons I see.
It actually manages to gets 3 of the 3 pdf's to show a thumb in nice CYMK color support to boot. But what are the other types doing there?....Which brings me to my original question...Which codec to use and wondering if any are conflicts?
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Raffi, I'd like to support your request for more info on this topic.
I just updated from EM2 to MP1. I was expecting to see thumbnails for all the PSD, GIF, TGA and other file types that did not display thumbnails properly in EM2. Unfortunately, MP1 still does not correctly display thumbnails for these files.
Like you, I installed the FastPictureViewer Codec in the hope that this would solve the issue. It did not. I can see PSD files in Windows Explorer now (which is great) but these same PSD files will still not display thumbnails in MP1.
I noticed one oddity that you did not mention. The "File Type", "WIC Photoshop Codec" entry in the MP1 "Organize Panel" counts only a small portion of my actual PSD files. The files not counted are included in the JPEG, TIFF and RAW file counts. If I double click on one of the generic file icons for one of these PSD files in the thumbnail view of MP1, I get a message that shows a file type (it could be TIFF, JPEG, CR2, etc. even though it is actually a PSD file) and the statement "No importer found for media file". It's seems like MP1 doesn't even know that these are PSD files. BTW, I tried both "compatibility" settings (on & off) in Photoshop for saving the PSD files but neither worked.
I really need my PSD files to properly display thumbnails in MP1. All help appreciated.0 -
I am sorry to hear you having the same troubles as me...hehe.. I have a support ticket and the advise they gave is that I am A using the wrong codec, and B that it maybe the right codec but it isn't working.
I have been a ACDSee user for a long time. Without much of a hicup, it is able to show just about all my files, and with a ghostscript addition can do PDF files(no color fsup for CMYK). It does like compat mode for PSD, and it also likes IIq vs older TIF digiback files, as it has trouble seeing it.
I mention this as I have not needed to load codecs for ACDSee to show me TIF or others.
I too notice that I have JPEG selected, yet I have a tif or pdf, or psd in that view. I can have TIF file Type selected and it will show an icon of a jpeg with no thumbnail. I think the codecs are cross contaminated and its a big mess. Whats worse is that it maybe in the catalog and not the program. As I was thinking of reinstalling the program, but I don't look forward to building new catalogues...and even so with what codec or what is it to keep from cross wiring again?
I too have WinExplorer showing my PSD, so PDF..I went in properties of Acrobat reader 10 and selected some things that made PDF's visible in Explorer. PSD's mostly are (I think in compat mode).
Maybe if we compile a list and perhaps post it in a new thread to get others with the issue, we can get this resolved. I love what MediaPro might be able to do, and I love ADCSee for what it can do now, but having one database limits lots of things. It also isn't portable or compatible with their other manager app.
So yes, I get partial PSD's show up. I also installed Ardfry codec. I also installed DNG codec by Adobe. These codecs need to be identified as compatible and I'd like to know if the codecs are overlapping claimed support . meaning if Ardfry claims PSD, and if Fastpicviewer does also, would they conflict? Can we map these codecs manually?0 -
I did notice the lower info bar on the app window that displays the mem used of catalog, and media, also list the # of hidden and selected file...
That is now visible.
Running window7 64, I had picked in the setup options for "Best performance" as wanting to reserve the max amount of RAM for the apps, etc. ... this disables some things to be visible, and the info bar is one of them. So far I enabled a few more in a custom setup. No help as far as I can tell for thumbnails.
But if you have folder Views and Always display Icons over thumbs, then you surely want to change that.0 -
Raffi,
Like you, I think that Media Pro is a terrific concept and would be a wonderful program if it worked as it's supposed to. In the past, I have used both Expression Media 1 and 2 with unacceptable results. But when I saw that PhaseOne had released their version of EM re-branded as Media Pro, I figured they must have fixed some of the critical issues that plagued EM. From what I’m seeing so far, that's not the case. Sad, because MP could be such a great program. The two issues are: (1) it’s SLOW and (2) it doesn’t handle the image codecs correctly. (BTW, my hardware is very fast; a Hex core i7 OC’d with 24GB DDR3 1600 RAM, a SSD for the OS, two 2GB RAID 0 arrays (each 2x1TB) for video editing and a 2GB data disc.)
When I select “File Types†in the “Organize Panel†it never gets them correct. There are lots of PSD files misidentified as TIF, some TIF misidentified as PSD. There’s some PSD files identified as DNG, some PSD misidentified as JPEG, and on and on. It really is a rather big mess.
What puzzles me is why PhaseOne would release the product under their own brand when it still has such debilitating problems. When PhaseOne bought the product from Microsoft, I figured they’d have all these major issues solved before they released it under their brand. It doesn’t seem to have gone that way. I can’t imagine that PhaseOne hasn’t seen the same issues that you and I are seeing.
BTW, IMO it is not an issue with the catalogs. I’ve rebuilt several catalogs and the same issues always exist. I’m thinking about giving up on MP and writing an automated script in Photoshop to build me a thumbnail catalog of all my images. That approach won’t have all the nice features that Media Pro has but, regrettably, all those features aren’t much good when so many files are misidentified and don’t show thumbnails.
I sure wish Media Pro worked. It has the potential to be such a terrific program.
Mardon0 -
Yup..codecs are a mixed bag of a mess for me too Mardon,
I think the main interest Phase One looks to have is a browser that supports C1 files with adjustments to show in the MediaPro previews. Other than that, perhaps they are working on other aspects. Only thing is when I received a response from support, it was totally blamed on the codec, or the way I am using it. I was told to get intouch with the codec maker. So this actually doesn't look good for us. I'm rather speachless with the response. There was no mentin of concurring of any issue. My system didn't show 2 JPEGS, and the response was that they have no problem seeing it. They kindly attached a screen shot with the jpegs showing and working on their system. I was a bit puzzled with the response. I expected them to be able to see the images, as I wanted them to focus on the problem of mixed codecs, and not go after the files being corrupt. But that was it. I can't see the JPEG (A core Window "codec, I think), and them assuring they can. I was happy that I got a response rather fast, and perhaps supports response was to just start dialogue to perhaps help me pinpoint the problem, but I am a bit uncertain of that. Of course too early to tell as I certainly would give it another day. Just saying with the response I received, I am uncertain what to expect.
If you watch the tutorial video on the 3rd tab drop down, you will see the File Tpe tutorial. Watching that is heart breaking for me. It beautifully shows all the file types that Media Pro supports. It doesn't claim that the OS supports it and MPro works as an extension of the OS supported types, it particularly states that MPro supports these file types. I do have my support case in, and I expect to hear back shortly. The initial response was I had not installed the correct codec, or that I was not using it right, or the codec had an issue. It would be nice or rather expected to have Phase run a codec test and see which codecs work so they can actually refer to one without problems. This to all or as many types as they can.
Just a quick question for those that might have some answers...
What do other browsers do to make the file types work and show thumbnails?
Why have I not needed codecs for these other apps?
Is there a place in Win7/64bit that allows you to associate or disable specific codecs to do some testing?
Does Media Pro have a section that interprets these codecs?
(this last one is what I think the problem is with Media Pro. It maybe that it holds all the codecs in one folder and ones they some how get contaminated they are a mixed mess. Don't ask me how they get cross contaminated and then knock some out and some versions of certain types don't work likely due to some XMP info or other detail in the format that is corrupt.
I'm very close to just shutting it off and see if it is something Adobe/MS/MPro have to work on together...But I expect more from support and Phase one has been great in the past, and I think they will be frank with me, and perhaps help me make a choice unless they help solve this.
Well I am no coder, but before you start writing scripts, check out ACDSee Pro4. It used to be $280 or more, and now dropped to $95 for the Pro. The manager version which in many ways is the same app (see the compare link as they point out the differences), is only $29.
Maybe by th time this is corrected, ACDSee Pro 4 will have multiple database support, CMYK in PDF support, and with them having no issue showing previews or thumbs(except indd, and a few others that aren't deal breakers), it would be a mature enough app to use....But I doubt it they would make such strong moves 😊
For me... It all boils down to being fast and support file types and being able to make smaller batch conversions with compression , some sharpening, and some light/dark also helps, with variations to place in new or other folders and put a watermark without PShop on the image in a specific format, ready to email... that is about it. ACDSee does that and a bunch more EXCEPT there is only one database in the background and is not multi computer user friendly. You can't smoothly have the db on a server without having to sync it and some other work arounds involved. It also doesn't have a "update folders option" so when you do move files in Explorer or elsewhere, it doesn't update things, it simply causes it to freeze crash, or miss what you did in Explorer.0 -
Looks very familiar....
Ya. we'll wait and see.
I am interested to upgrade to 2x quad xeon or something in the future. What Mobo are you on for the 24gb ram and a Hex core? (which is that?). I had the OS/C drive on SSD. but since the drive died 2x (patriot Torq), I went back to the Raptor. I might raid-0 it and see. Or go for a Revo drive. I keep reading bad stuff re Sandforce chips on SSD, and then fw updates fix this and that, or just for a tem time. I honestly am confused which are stable and r/r @ over 500mb per sec.
I need the C drive to be about 200-240GB. I like it half full, so there are less options at that size.
I have a 128gb SSD as a D drive for Pshop scratch alone. I think I might have put the OS pagefile there too? I forget if I did or not. (might of had an issue?). I also have 16gb ram. This system is dedicated to image editing, so there is no email, no office, no gaming, no fluff. Just image editors and some graphic design stuff. I don't even print from this as I have a print system with a RIP to a LF printer which I do ftp, email and other office stuff on.
Ok...good stuff Mardon. Hope between us we can get this resolved. BTW, have you tried to "Make" a smaller jpeg file from MPro. try it and see what you experience.0 -
Oops! I posted the message below but now I am adding this edit at the beginning. I just added a lot more files to the catalog that seemed to be working and out of the 4,579 image files I added, 148 failed to scan and thus display icons instead of thumbnails. Of these, 146 are PSD files, 1 is a DNG file and one is a CR2 file. All 148 of these files display fine in Windows Explorer. I also see that the files that didn't scan properly are usually associated with an incorrect file type in the Organize panel. I guess the problem is much improved but not totally solved as I thought when I made the original post below.
Another update: I removed from the catalog all 148 of the files that were not display thumbnails correctly. I did not delete the files themselves. I just removed them from the catalog. I then added these files to the catalog again. This time they all added fine. I now have a test catalog with 8,559 image files and they are all displaying thumbnails properly. Perhaps my initial enthusiasm about switching to the WICs instead of the PhaseOne codecs was not misplaced after all. That said, I'll have to build more and larger catalogs before I can be confident about how I feel. Things are looking up though.
Raffi, Can you tell me how to view which codecs I have installed for still iamges? I can list the video and audio codecs but not the codecs for still iamges.
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Great news! I made a couple of changes and everything with Media Pro seems to be working fine. It appears to me that the problem is with the PhaseOne rendering engine.
Here’s what I did.
I first installed the “Fast Picture Viewer†codec pack. This allowed windows explorer to display all of the file types that it couldn’t normally handle, like PSD and my Canon CR2 Raw files. I then went to the “Media Rendering†dialogue in MP1 and changed the “Preferred Engine†from PhaseOne to Windows Imaging Componentâ€. I also made certain that “Use embedded preview†was not checked.
http://www.JustPhotos.ca/post/MediaPro/MediaRendering.jpg
After that, I went to the “Thumbnails and Previews†dialogue and made sure that “Use built-in thumbnails†was not checked
http://www.JustPhotos.ca/post/MediaPro/thumbs&previews.jpg
I then created a new catalog using these settings and the result was that every file had a visible thumbnail. And I couldn’t find any files that were catalogued as an incorrect type in the Organize Panel. The program also seems to run MUCH faster. I think it must have been getting bogged down before with whatever the PhaseOne codec issue is.
Hope this procedure works for you!
As for my computer, the SSD for the OS is an Intel 250 GB. I’ve relocated all the Libraries (My Documents, etc.) off the C: drive to keep C: clean for the OS. I use my computer for everything and it is still lightning fast. Video rendering is amazingly fast. I bought my system from Scott at ADK (http://www.advanceddesignky.com/). They are amazing people! I liked their product and service so much, I made them a video testimonial. You can view it here:
BTW, The "Hex" for the i7 means it is a six core CPU.
Mardon0 -
Hi Mardon,
this is great news!
I will get on to making new databases, as I too have the FastPicviewer codec installed. I deleted theArdfry codec, as it is redundant. I usually make catalogs for each client. That way I can organize it and have it available offline by client. Each of those would have anywhere from 500 to 5000+ images. When working on a client, I just open that catalog.
I had all the settings you had, but I must have made those changes after the catalog was created. ALSO, I think REBUILD (and maybe even UPDATE folder) should apply or have the option to apply the new preference or thumbnail preview settings, otherwise I see little use for Rebuild at least, as there is no new definition to rebuild from.
Regarding viewing what codec you have...
I emailed both Ardfry and Axel at FPViewer, and Axel said what ever the last one you installed will overwrite any overlapping support of the file type. There is a folder the .dll files are stored, but I'm not sure where. I think they are all part of the WIC for our OS.
In MediaPro, according to the tutorial it lists all that it supports. Unless Peter(The guy who made the video) has a catalog made that includes all those file types(Mac). Since so far, I only see file types that I potentially have in the catalog.
I am remaking a catalog now, so I will let you know how it goes.
I watched the clip...cool! nice view!
I have been building systems for a little over 20 years now, so I am comfortable with it, although I find less time these days to tinker with them and the support maybe worth the few extra hundred it costs having it built by a reputable place.
My system is rather snappy, and the SSD on the OS is the best thing in the world, which I will switch back to once I know the right one to get. Intel is superb in this area. I too have my 2600mgz overclocked to 3.4ghz and that is rather moderate using decent fans. Most important here is the keep the space cool. It hits 80 even with AC, sometimes 90 if I don't have AC on from the start of the morning. Heat is the #1 enemy of pc hardware, particularly hddrives. With SSD that too is something less to worry about 😊0 -
Hi Mardon,
It is working better. I see most things. It did crash a few times, but it is now seeing the correct file types. The settings you have posted helped!
I even did the resize to new folder with custom options under Convert Image Files (Actions). It asked to save the settings as a profile, but when I tried another one and in the window I didn't see the profile anywhere to select it.
It is working OK. It also crashed a couple times when I initiated a folder update (As i made a couple varients of an image in Photoshop that needed to be updated. Then the catalog was locked and forced to rename it.
I also downloaded ID-Imager. powerful look but overly complex I think. There are many things that I like about Media Pro, and I can only imagine it improving. I don't think there is a BG reporting thread put up by moderators, which may help this app be rock solid rather fast. Once thats done, there could be a feature wish list pole. These are things that Phase needs to keep the client close to the brand, and this also in turn solves issues very fast.
So things are looking better. I can see most files and the types are not a mess.0
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