Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Digital Asset Management => Topic started by: millard on January 18, 2013, 08:04:50 pm

Title: Any substitute for Picture Flow Archive Creator for Windows 8
Post by: millard on January 18, 2013, 08:04:50 pm
Hello,
I was happily using this old program on my old Win XP when it crashed and I had no choice but to upgrade with a new computer that has windows 8. This program will not work with that or even Vista, so I am looking for a similar program where you can select a bunch of photo folders, slip a CD or DVD and it will automatically fill the cd, archive it in thumbnails, and keep on truckin'. Just keep throwing in the discs until the process is complete! You # the cd's  and it will thumbnail by folder category on all cds, so all you have to do to find an image, is to put a cd in, look for you folder, and it will tell you what cd you have that full blown image on.
Appreciate any input,
Millard
Title: Re: Any substitute for Picture Flow Archive Creator for Windows 8
Post by: Rhossydd on January 21, 2013, 01:40:09 am
I used AC in the past and it was pretty good for it's time. However technology has moved on and left it behind. I gave up using it when I found very many of the DVDs it burnt had deteriorated and were unreadable after a few years. Maybe not the program's fault, but it made it useless to me. Maybe more modern optical drive tech like M@Disc might be more reliable in future.
Unfortunately it's methodology leaves a lot to be desired once image collections start to get large. Pages of HTML thumbnails aren't really a much better solution than contemporary file managers that display thumbnails of inserted disks.
What you need is a proper DAM program that indexes off-line media and will also handle archiving to disk too. I'm afraid I can't help you with that one, but I'm interested to hear what others might recommend. Much will depend on what your personal requirements are and what other software you're using.
Title: Re: Any substitute for Picture Flow Archive Creator for Windows 8
Post by: Phil Indeblanc on February 07, 2013, 02:37:10 pm
List of DAM apps you can look into.
I never needed the offline ref pointers and not sure if any that I list have it, but most cataloging DAMs would do this.

IDImager/PhotoSupreme
PhotoMechanic
ACDSeePro
MediaPro (I have had other issues in file formats. I advise you try the demo first)
Extensis
iMatch

there are others, and a couple I can't think of right now
Worth trying and seeing if FastStone has this ability or addon, as it is a browser.
You can also use LR as a catalog app as it has one built in and does a good job. I have been using/testing this recently. It does get slow as the catalog increases and the switch from process to manage becomes a slow one.
Even CaptureOnev7 has now a catalog,  I have not tried it.
Title: Re: Any substitute for Picture Flow Archive Creator for Windows 8
Post by: millard on March 07, 2013, 10:23:04 am
thanks for the info, I will give them a shot.
Millard