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Archiver > TMG > 2005-10 > 1128386327


From: Robin Lamacraft <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] Wishlist for Exhibit Log
Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2005 10:08:47 +0930
References: <20051003192941.33830.qmail@web81604.mail.yahoo.com><24541667.1128359806832.JavaMail.root@mswamui-swiss.atl.sa.earthlink.net><20051003192941.33830.qmail@web81604.mail.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <6.2.1.2.0.20051003223311.027eced8@pop.sprynet.com>


At 22:54 3/10/2005 +0000, Darrell A. Martin wrote:
>At 07:29 PM 10/3/2005, Jennifer Reusser wrote:
>
> Hi, Jennifer:
>
> And I reply, inserted and indented.
>
> >My thoughts based on what Astrid and Darrell seem to want - and since I
> would like to see a combination of the two:
> >
> >Master Exhibit/Image (Source) List:
> > Record number (TMG internal use only - links based on this)
> > Path to file (for external exhibits; can be unique but doesn't have
> to be)
>
> It does not make any sense to me to have a
> "Master Image List" record that points to
> more than one image file. Or are you saying
> the program should allow for multiple
> "versions" of the same image? I would need
> more detail before I would agree, and I'm
> inclined to say I wouldn't.


Darrell,

I have long advocated the need for TMG to hold links to multiple copies of
the same image. Let me explain a bit further before you dismiss this out of
hand. This problem is exacerbated by the way TMG maintains only one Primary
status for a person image.

Let me look at the way exhibits may be used in TMG and ask - does one image
file (of the identical subject) serve all needs. It is my belief that this
is not true. An image may be:
A - the best that you have (as acquired, no cropping or other adjustments)
B - a cropped image of printable resolution suitable for inclusion in a
chart or FGS, etc
C - a reduced resolution image for inclusion on a web page for fast
downloading
D - a cropped, adjusted image for inclusion in the final copy of a family
history book

The choice of which image to use in an output should be under the control
of the particular report that is being created. (But in TMG only one image
can be primary!) Any revision of the exhibit management should in my
opinion add this capability to its features. This would mean that I could
select images of a particular class, say B for a chart, but D for in a
narrative. It may be that these should be considered Exhibit "variants"
with some kind of flag - but it is definitely something that is needed.

For instance, I have been sent a VCF .VC2 with many images in it that was
over 300Mb in size. That file actually caused my printer driver problems.
By obtaining the original TMG project and the associated exhibit files and
then re-creating the same chart with images that had been re-sampled back
to 600dpi at final print size, the .VC2 file was only 6Mb. (By the way,
editing a chart file with excessively large images actually slows down all
operations without any gain in final output quality.)

It is unclear to me whether a citation like link to each variant would be
best way (so that the link could contain the Caption and Description , etc)
Personally, the best of both worlds would be to have the ability to enter
the information in both the Exhibit entry, *and* the Exhibit link entry,
with the pro visor that if the values were in the Link it would be used in
preference to those in the Exhibit Entry. Then users who only wanted one
set of values could put them in the Exhibit entry, and those who wanted
variation (like German / English) could put them in the Exhibit link.


Robin Lamacraft (Adelaide, Auistralia)

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