Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

ddisoftware, Inc., creator of Qimage photo printing software, is proud to introduce a brand new indispensable tool for your digital photography toolbox!  FlashPipe, a highly capable and user configurable flash card file transfer program, has just been released.  We've done our homework and have designed FlashPipe to be more than just a data "piping" application.  The days of copying/pasting files from explorer windows are over, but that's just scratching the surface of what FlashPipe can do.  Now you can copy/move your photos and videos to different locations, multiple locations, even across a network to multiple computers!  Need to move your photos to one location and videos to another?  Need to copy files to a main folder, a backup, and two networked computers?  Not a problem with FlashPipe.  

FlashPipe's "one click and done" motto will take the pain out of getting your pictures and videos off your camera's flash cards!  FlashPipe even develops all raw photos automatically and places the developed photos in a "Developed" subfolder in each destination location!  All with just one click of the "Go" button.  Once you've identified the operations you would like to perform (copy/move, and selected destinations), it's as easy as inserting your flash card into your computer and clicking the "Go" button when FlashPipe's window automatically opens!  Visit the web site and download the 7 day trial today.

http://www.ddisoftware.com/flashpipe

Mike

Mike, I wrote up a quick PR-note in German (http://fotonews.dh2publishing.info/2009/09/07/ddisoftware-bringt-neuen-foto-downloader-flashpipe/) using your two screen grabs. Guess you don't mind.

FlashPipe's "one click and done" motto will take the pain out of getting your pictures and videos off your camera's flash cards!  FlashPipe even develops all raw photos automatically and places the developed photos in a "Developed" subfolder in each destination location!  All with just one click of the "Go" button.  Once you've identified the operations you would like to perform (copy/move, and selected destinations), it's as easy as inserting your flash card into your computer and clicking the "Go" button when FlashPipe's window automatically opens!  Visit the web site and download the 7 day trial today.

http://www.ddisoftware.com/flashpipe

Mike
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Holy Moley, Batman, I just downloaded the demo, and it works slick as can be. It wont do more than 10 images from a folder because it is a demo.
That being said, for that price, I purchased the registered version and have been running around the house shooting flash of anything just to get a load of images on the card.  (Sorry Marilyn. I didn't know you were in there getting dressed. ;-)   )

I have sort of a weird computer setup.  I have Vista on one hard drive and XP on another hard drive, and can select which OS when I boot the machine,
The downside is that folders of images that reside on my XP machine, need to also reside on the Vista machine. It is a royal pain to try to keep the image folders equal.

FlashPipe fixes it for me.

I simply inserted my CF card into the computer, FlashPipe opens and I have three rows set.
TO FOLDER:
C:\Pics\
F:\Pics\
I:\Pics        (external drive)

When I click GO, the images are sent to the three locations at the same time.
I am one happy camper. !!!

Fred

Very nice, thanks Mike!

Thanks for the replies, and thanks Dierk for the PR: I can use all I can get right now since FlashPipe is brand new.

Mike

Hi Mike - downloaded the free trial of FlashPipe as it is just what I have been waiting for.  However, I am experiencing one problem and I am wondering if I will still get this problem when I purchase the full version.  When I try to exit the programme I keep getting a dialogue box stating "File Access Denied" and the programme just will not close.  I have tried downloading the programme again on a different computer and I am still getting the same problem.  Will this problem be fixed if I purchase the full version?  Or if not have you any suggestions as to what the problem might be and how it can be fixed?

Mike

I've just used Flashpipe to download 2 8Gb and 6 4G CF cards, it is a great program.
A few things - on 3 of the cards the counter and gauge at the bottom stuck, although the copying continued as normal (Windows XP Pro).
If I could be first with feature requests (on first impressions);
We shoot raw + Jpg - I would like to copy raw files to one folder, and jpgs to another. Also, could I select  either raw files or jpgs to copy (and ignore the other)?
If files with the same name are already in a folder, could I have a skip/overwrite/rename option?

Thanks for a really useful program

Brian

No custom options for renaming files that I can see & for that reason the program is of no use to me. If you added Tokens like BreezeBrowser uses or Downloader Pro, or custom fields like PS, Bridge or LR, all which would allow for custom renaming then it would be of use. For my needs, renaming by date only is too limiting as I don't use that format. 

No offence intended but so far I don't see that a) the program is "highly customizable" as it only offers a few options, and b) that "we've done our homework", as it seems that too many features required by many are still missing.

But like QImage, I'm sure that FP will evolve.

P.S. I don't like the name. Sounds like something from the drug culture. "Hash Pipe". ;-)

"No custom options for renaming files that I can see"

I completely agree. Much as I like Qimage Studio & Profile Prism, I will have to pass this one up. I hope the renaming options improve! Specifically to incorporate the unique image ID that the camera generates.

John L

Mike,

Does FlashPipe support the Delkin DDREADER-40?  In other words, can it transfer all four cards at once to the specified locations, etc.?

Thanks,
Scott

I am getting the same thing. I can't close it either with the x or with File>exit. I got that message also when I first clicked on Go, but when I re-clicked I was able to copy images.

Another issue: I tried using the program two ways, one using an external card reader and once using my CPU's built in card reader. Only the latter worked. With the former, I could navigate to the folder, but when I clicked on Go I got a message like "nothing to do" (or something like that).

I'm using Vista 32 bit.

Liz

On the rename options: what type of options would you like?  How about Qimage's rename options: are those flexible enough?

On the name: it is as intended.  We're all photo junkies.  We need our flash pipe!  :P

On that error when closing, it sounds as if you've picked a data folder to which you don't have write access.  When installing, did you just accept the default folders or did you change the data folder?

Mike

I had this twice with the trial version, then the external card started working. It hasn't happened with the full version (I'm on XP Pro)

Brian

I just accepted the default folders when downloading.

I have just uninstalled FlashPipe completely from my computer and then downloaded and reinstalled it and now it seems to be closing down without any problems.

I didn't change anything when installing Flashpipe, though when I set up my photo folders when the computer was brand new I did change their location from the default one to C:\My Pictures.

Liz

Mike,
That would be good enough for me.
Thanks for this new addition your your products, I can see it's going to be very useful.
One plea, applies to Qimage too: at least for jpegs, copy over the Exif data too  :P
Terry.

Mike - for me, I would like the ability to incorporate part of the original filename, either by extracting the unique image ID or something as simple as "the rightmost 4 characters". Also the ability to include the date taken and set the preferred date format (for me that is MMDDYY). So "_DSC4915" would rename to "4915_090709".

But I'm sure that others have their own naming conventions!

I'm sure that, like Qimage, the program will improve over time.

On another note, I tried the demo with "develop raw" checked and I noticed something very interesting. The jpegs are larger than the raw files! For example a raw file that is 11.4 megs converts to a jpeg of over 15.5 meg. Any other raw converter that I have used results in a jpeg of approximately half the size of the raw file, even at the highest quality setting.
John L

Qimage has this feature to use all of the original file name, the code is ?o.
Eg. I rename to get 2009-09-03_MG_3493.CR2 where the part in bold blue is the image name given by the camera.
Terry.

The custom renaming options are pretty easy to do.  The current date renaming is the same code that is used in Qimage so the Qimage options are still there: they're just not visible.  I debated putting custom renaming options in but I wanted to keep the first version simple and find out what people really need.  My survey of several hundred Qimage users indicated that not many users even wanted to rename files and most of those who did thought that the date naming (Qimage's default) was all they would use.  Of course, FlashPipe and Qimage will ultimately have different user bases with different needs.  I think you'll find custom renaming options being added to an upgrade very soon.  As most of you Qimagers already know, I'm pretty good at implementing user suggestions.  Without them, I would never have made it this far!

So thanks to everyone for the feedback!

Mike

When I first saw the name I thought it had to do with the copper tubing coolers on the motherboard. ;D ;D ::)

I think EOS had it right.  Similar to Downloader Pro would be great.  Personally, I have never "date named" a file since it is embedded in the EXIF and XMP.  I need to put the name, location, topic; singularly or in combo.  Not asking for a DL Pro clone, just a better execution of a good idea.

Also, Mike, can you give us a list of the cards you have tested it with?  I have found some that are finicky in certain software--especially Lexar when they go off on some proprietary wagon.

One more.  With the network option, will it go to through wireless to a NAS and can we FTP/VPN it?  Man, that would be the nuts when travelling!!

EXIF is part of the JPEG header.  If it is not there, your JPG is not being "copied;" it's being re-written.

Also, I keep "Authentication" on most of the time.  ANY modification to the original would render it as manipulated.

Are you losing the EXIF data only when viewing thumbnails or when the JPG is opened?

Funny how we think of different things; I immediately thought of a network because of the Windows icons which also have a pipe feature, see attached.
Qimage does not copy the Exif information from raw to jpeg at present  :(
Terry.

Thanks, but I don't want the entire filename. Only the 4 digits. In youir example that would be 3493. That's why I don't use Qimage's rename function :)

Mike-

One more thing.  Are you converting color space or assigning it?  Nikon has all these wierd ones going on so I'd like to minimize conversions.  Can we have a third option to specify a color space besides Adobe or sRGB?  (I go into ProPhoto usually.)

You can do this with a program like ReNameMaster http://www.joejoesoft.com/cms/showpage.php?cid=108
However, that mean a separate operation and to me, would not be worth the bother.
Terry.

Thanks again, Terry. I do have a renaming program but I'd like to do everything with one program. I may buy it anyway just to support Mike and encourage further development (although I'm sure that updates will be coming!).  I only paid $25 for Qimage a long time ago and then the upgrade to the Studio edition so I have gotten way more than my money's worth! 
John

John,
As you said, you got your money's worth with Qimage, and so you know you will do as well with Flashpipe.
Mike already indicated that it would not be too difficult to incorporate the renaming routines from Qimage into Flashpipe.
That translates to, wait a day or so. :-)

Fred ;)

Can't get it to work here.  Running Vista 32.  Flashpipe opens automatically and recognizes my external card reader and the 13 RAW photos.  I select the operation "Develop" and it says RAW.  I provide an output file and it supplies today's date as the sub-folder.  Press Go and get error "File access denied".  Program won't allow me to cancel so I have to use task manager.  I have removed the program and downloaded and installed it again.  Same problem.   Bob

Bob,
That same problem was reported earlier today, and Mike responded.
Perhaps this will help.

On that error when closing, it sounds as if you've picked a data folder to which you don't have write access.  When installing, did you just accept the default folders or did you change the data folder?

Mike

Fred

I also downloaded the trial and had a similar problem. "File access denied" . I was just checking the program with no need for the program since I have Downloader Pro and also use LR for downloading my files. Decided to uninstall the trial on my Vista 32 bit system which gave some difficulty. Eventually ended having to do  a system restore to the previous day to sort things out. Qimage is my printing software of choice but not my primary raw converter.

Additional info Sep 8, 2009. Lightroom 2.4 which I also use presently has a bug with Vista 32 bit which causes Lightroom to boot whenever a card reader or other device containing image files is connected to the computer. Don't know if this is contributing to the conflict.

As someone stated earlier, during the process of copying 438 files (jpg & RAW) the progress counter stopped working when it got to " 17 / 438" and never changed again. All the files were copied however. 

Otherwise the process was realatively fast.  The card had 219 jpg and 219 corresponding RAW files (Nikon D300).  It took about 5 minutes to copy all 438 files and another 33 minutes to develop all the 219 RAW files.

Got things working okay last night but when I turned the computer on this morning it immediately came up with the error message again File Access Denied and I was not able to close FlashPipe down.  I have to use Task Manager to close FlashPipe down and it comes up with the message that FlashPipe is waiting for me to perform an action before it will close down - this might be some help to you in determining the problem.  As I said in a previous post I have tried reinstalling and always use the default settings.  Yesterday I was finding that I tended to get the problem if I installed a desk top icon but today I am having the problem right from the start with only using the green F in the task bar.

Forgot to add that I am running Windows Vista if this helps.

Also had a great deal of difficulty in uninstalling.  Is this problem only affecting Vista 32 bit users?

Brian


Just wanted to add something, Brian which is in the help file but easily overlooked.
If you have camera profiles that you use in Qimage Studio, you can copy the contents of that PROFILE folder to the PROFILE folder in Flashpipe, and all your raw imaes will be the same as Qimage and in the camera profile color space. If you already spotted that in help, maybe someone else will read this that missed it.
Nice feature.

Fred

I'm running Vista 32 bit SP2.  Installed FlashPipe using all default settings.  Got "access denied" message.  When I inserted a memory card into the card reader, got a blue screen and automatic re-boot.  After re-boot, opened the application and unchecked the auto open on card insert option.  Inserted a card, no blue screen this time but still get the access denied message and can not close the application.  Used task manager to close and promptly uninstalled.  Just reporting here in support of others with similar experiences.

Bill

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Thanks, but I don't want the entire filename. Only the 4 digits. In youir example that would be 3493. That's why I don't use Qimage's rename function :)

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I think Flashpipe now has just what you wanted for a naming option. See latest program update.
Fred