Multimedia

With the PastPerfect MultiMedia Upgrade, you will be able to attach digital images and link multimedia files to your catalog records. This is an optional feature and may be purchased for an additional charge. Multimedia files can include digital audio, digital video, Web pages, MS-Word documents, MS-Excel files, PDF files, or any other file your computer can open. Images may also be attached to condition reports, exhibits, sites, people biographies and contacts. Multimedia files may be linked to the catalog and accession records, exhibits, sites and contacts.

In this chapter we will discuss how to install the MultiMedia Upgrade, how to attach and manipulate digital images, and how to link multimedia files.

Installing the MultiMedia Upgrade

When you purchase the MultiMedia option, you will receive a MultiMedia Upgrade CD. To activate this feature, click Setup on the Main Menu and then click MultiMedia on the Setup menu. Click the Install MultiMedia Upgrade button and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

All PastPerfect digital images are stored in numbered subfolders within the Images folder on the hard drive. Multimedia files are stored in a Multimedia folder on the hard drive, separated into folders based on the types of files . In a non-network installation these folders are generally c:\pp5\images and c:\pp5\multimedia. If PastPerfect is installed on a network, these folders will reside on the main computer or server. See Chapter 1 - Installation & Upgrade for more information.

Setup MultiMedia Options

Image Subfolder Settings

Subfolders are created within the digital image folder to store the images. By limiting the number of images in each subfolder, it allows for image subfolders to be easily backed up to CD or DVD. The image subfolders are named 001, 002, 003, and so on. You may view the current image subfolder number in the field Current Image Subfolder. If PastPerfect is not able to automatically create the next subfolder when the current one is full, you may change this subfolder by clicking the up or down arrow buttons to the right of the number.

Maximum Images/Subfolder - When the number of images in the current image subfolder reaches the maximum, PastPerfect will start saving images in the next subfolder. These new subfolders will be automatically created as required. The default maximum number of images is 500. It is recommended that this setting be between 500 and 1000.

This screen will also tell you the file size of the current image subfolder, calculated from the number of images in the folder and the size of each image.

Default Settings

Default Save Image Format - When creating images in PastPerfect via a scanner, this determines the image file type that will be created. The default is JPG.

Don't Display Thumbnail Images on Catalog Screens - Prevents the thumbnail images from being displayed on all catalog screens. Leaving this box unchecked is recommended for most PastPerfect users; however having this option checked may speed the opening of catalog records if your network speed does not meet the minimum hardware requirements.

Don't Display Metadata Screen When Attaching New Image - Prevents the Image Metadata screen from appearing after attaching a new image from file, camera, or scanner. Leaving this box unchecked is recommended for most PastPerfect users; however you may check this box if you do not want to have the option to enter metadata when attaching images.

Below Catalog Screen Thumbnail Images Display - Allows you to choose whether you see the image file name or the caption of the image below the thumbnail on the catalog screens. The default is File Name, but you may change it to Caption by clicking the radio button next to Caption.

Large Archival Images

The images that you attach to your PastPerfect records are generally for identification purposes. To conserve storage space and improve performance, these "discovery" images should be of limited size and resolution. For preservation and high-quality printing, you may also want to create larger, high-resolution "archival" images of your items and link them to your catalog records.

If you check the box in this area of the Setup screen, when you scan an image at a high resolution or attach a high resolution archival image, a smaller discovery image will be created. This smaller JPG image will be attached to the PastPerfect catalog record, and will display in the thumbnail image section of the catalog record. The original archival image will be transferred to the MultiMedia Large Images folder, and a multimedia link will be created for the archival image. This link can be accessed by clicking the Media button in the Navigation Bar.

Based on the file size you enter in this section, PastPerfect will decide if an image should be considered an archival image. Next to the check box you should enter this file size in kilobytes. The default size is 2000 kilobytes or just under 2 MB.

Multimedia Removable Storage Drives

Since audio, video, and archival image files can be large, you may not want to store all of them on your computer or file server's hard drive. If you want to keep the files on a CD, DVD, or other high-capacity removable drive, you may do so. To be able to access the file, you will be prompted to insert the media or drive. Specify the drives on each workstation for CDs, DVDs, or other removable storage, such as an external hard drive.

Once you have unlocked the upgrade and adjusted your settings, click Exit to save your changes and close the screen.