DataMax Manager (DMM) is a Microsoft© Windows utility designed to provide an automated
means to process images captured by the Ricoh 500SE camera into useable file formats
based off your workflow requirements. In order to properly utilize DMM, a general
knowledge of the camera’s GPS capability and memo embedding procedures should be
understood. Detailed information on these items can be located in the camera’s user
manual.
DMM Primary Features:
1. Automatic renaming of image and video files based off their memo data, GPS position or time.
2. Automatic folder creation based off image memo data or date to organize files
3. Excel Spreadsheet creation of all images in a set.
4. MS Word report generation based off customizable templates
5. Imprinting of images with memos, logos, time or GPS information.
6. Conversion of Lat/Lon in images to various coordinate systems.
7. Automatic file transmission to remote servers via FTP
Windows XP Service Pack 3, Vista, Windows 7. 4GB RAM, Duel-core processor recommended for large image volume processing.
Microsoft Office 2003 or better (for Excel and Word document creation)
Google Earth (for viewing KMZ files)
ArcMap (For importing .shp file)
Table of Contents:
Selecting Input and Output Folders
Setting Basic Image Folder Options
Selecting Advanced Image Folder Options
To get the best workflow automation from DMM it is important to take some time to understand its capabilities and how best to apply them to meet your workflow requirements. This also relates to how you set up your camera memos. For example, suppose you are taking pictures of assets with the 500SE and you want the images you take to be automatically renamed off the asset number and placed into a folder for each days work.
To achieve this objective we first make a memo list for the camera that contains the number for each asset. Once the number of the asset is selected in the camera and pictures are taken, the asset’s number is embedded into the image.
In DMM we make the setting to rename the images based off Memo One (the asset’s number) and set the folder naming options to System Date. Now all arriving images will be placed in a newly created folder for that day and inside will be the renamed image files. If there is also a desire to have an Excel spreadsheet created as well, say for import into an Access database, then the Report Data Format would be set to Excel.
There are many ways DMM can be configured. Initially this may lead to some confusion about what options invoke what behavior as it pertains to file processing. Start off with the minimal number of settings and use test images. As you develop familiarity with DMM you will be better able to select the settings that best optimizes your workflow.
Refer to the Understanding Camera Memos section of this help file for more information on creating memos.
DMM is a hot-folder monitoring program. This means that as image or video files arrive into a designated Input Folder, they are automatically processed per the parameters established by the user and moved to an Output Folder. The first step in configuring DMM is to establish the input and output folder names and paths that will reside in a root folder.
For demonstrational purposes we will be using recommended folder and sub-folder names. You may assign any name to your folders to meet your file organization requirements.
1. From the Main Application Window, select the ‘Input Folder’ ‘Browse’ button and using the ‘Make New Folder’ option select a meaningful folder location and name for a root folder. In this example we are using ‘500SE’ as the root folder name.
Now select ‘500SE’ and use the ‘Make New Folder’ button to create a new folder called ‘Input’ and select ‘OK’.
Note: (using a ‘Desktop’ or ‘My Documents’ folder is generally not recommended due to extensive file path lengths.)
2. Now select the ‘Output Folder’ ‘Browse’ button and navigate to the ‘500SE’ folder. Use the ‘Make New Folder’ button to create a new folder inside ‘500SE’ called ‘Output’. Select ‘OK’. Your input and output folders are now set.
Note: Input and output folders cannot be identical. Input/output folders cannot be parent folders of the other.
DMM provides a variety of methods to manage and organize your files. This process begins with determining a folder structure that makes practical sense for your file storage and retrieval needs. When newly arriving images are processed out of the ‘Input’ folder, they are moved to the ‘Output’ folder. Depending on how many images you have and the types of file formats (reports, spreadsheets, map files, etc.) and how many files you process over time, the contents of the output folder would become excessively large. This would make it difficult to find the files you want for the specific day, asset or job you collected images for. To overcome this problem, DMM allows you to specify intelligent folder management parameters to keep your content logically organized and easily assessable.
In the simplest example, we will have DMM create a new folder automatically under the ‘Output’ folder for our processed images to be contained in. This new folder will be called ‘Images’. We are also going to instruct DMM to use the part of the ‘memo’ in the images to rename the pictures. To prepare for this exercise, pictures of houses were taken with the 500SE using a camera memo that listed the Parcel Number of the houses, the Condition of the house and an indicator as to if they were Occupied or Vacant.
1. From the Main Application Window the ‘Folder Structure’ button is selected to invoke the ‘Export Folder Structure Settings' window.
2. Since we are not using Group Folders in this example, the first checkbox ‘Use Group Folder with name of’ is unchecked. (see X).
3. The radio button of ‘Use Image Named’ is selected and the default folder name is left as ‘Images’ but could be changed to anything desired.
4. In the ‘JPG Rename Format’ line the ‘Define’ button is selected to invoke the ‘File Renaming’ Window.
5. In the ‘File Renaming’ window we select Memo Fields one, two and three to rename our image files off those parameters.
6. The ‘Separator char:’ is left default to give us an underscore between the memos in the new file name. If a different separation character is desired it may be selected.
7. Selecting ‘OK’ sets our renaming parameters and closes the ‘File Renaming’ window. Clicking ‘OK’ again from the ‘Export Folder Structure Settings' window takes us back to the Main Application Window while saving our settings.
8. After starting DMM and placing our pictures from the camera into the ‘Input’ folder, the images would be processed based off our settings. The results of the ‘Output’ folder would appear as seen to the right. We can see that the pictures were placed into a new folder called ‘Images' that was created under the ‘Output’ folder and that the images in this new folder were renamed based off parcel number, condition and occupancy status. Notice that to avoid overwriting of images with the same name that a _01 and _02 were added to the like file names.
Note: All options selected in DMM are ‘set-and-forget’. This means that DMM will always use your last settings until you change them. So if you were to process more images in this example all the pictures would be renamed based off the first three memos and they would all be directed into the existing ‘Images’ folder.
Although the 500SE camera does allow for up to three memo fields and GPS information to be imprinted on to an image as it is captured for identification purposes, there are times when it is not desirable to have the image obscured or maybe more data is needed to be printed on to the images. In these cases DMM may be used to automatically imprint as many as five memos, GPS and date/time information in a new white space created under the image. Organization logos may also be printed in this area.
1. Across from the ‘Imprinted Image Folder’ icon in the ‘Export Folder Structure Settings’ window, three radio buttons are available that determine where imprinted images will reside.
In this example we will select the option ‘Use New Folder Named:’ and leave the folder name to the default of ‘Imprint’. These options will have the images placed into a new folder underneath the Group Folder called ‘Imprints’. This will keep our original non-imprinted images separate from the imprinted ones but will still allow the imprinted images to be easily assessable from within the parcel group folder.
Had ‘Use Image Folder’ or ‘Use Group Folder’ been selected, both the imprinted and original images would reside in the same parcel folder.
2. Selecting the ‘More Options’ button opens the ‘Data Imprint’ window where various imprint options may be selected.
Selecting the first check box ‘Add Data Imprint’ activates the other checkbox options. In this case we will select Date and Time, four Memos and since these images have GPS information in them, we will have that data imprinted as well. Our final option is to imprint the logo of the company that took the pictures by selecting the ‘Add logo’ option and browsing to the appropriate sized logo.
3. Once the images are processed, a folder called ‘Imprint’ is located under the Group folder for the image set. The name of the files match those from our pervious image renaming parameters except for the additional word IMPRINT is added as part of the file name.
4. Opening an imprinted image reveals the selected data and logo imprinted below the picture.
Note: Imprinted images no longer contain their embedded memo or GPS data so they cannot be reprocessed in DMM. Use original or renamed original images if reprocessing files is required.
In the above example we can easily identify images for each parcel number but we may be better served if images for each parcel number were in there own folder. We can achieve this by enabling the ‘Group Subfolder’ option.
Note: DMM recognized sets, or ‘groups’, of images to be images that contain the same memo data.
1. From the ‘Export Folder Structure Settings' we check the radio button for ‘Use a Group Folder with the name of’. An icon of a new folder called ‘Group Subfolder’ will become visible in the folder tree panel.
2. Selecting the ‘Define’ button invokes the ‘Subfolder Format’ window. In our case we will select the checkbox ‘Use Memo’ and set the variable radio button to ‘Memo1’.
3. Clicking ‘OK’ saves our subfolder format parameters and closes the ‘Subfolder format’ window. Our new settings of Memo1 for the name of the subfolder can be seen in the ‘Use Group Folder with the name of’ dialog box.
4. Clicking ‘OK’ takes us back to the Main Application Window.
5. After starting DMM and placing our pictures from the camera into the ‘Input’ folder, the images will be processed based off our settings. The results of the ‘Output’ folder would now have two new folders underneath it based off the names of the parcel numbers for each set, or group, of images. Since we did not change the remaining parameters for the images they will still be renamed based off memos one, two and three.
If pictures of the same house were taken several days later and processed in DMM, they would be directed into the existing folder already created for that parcel number and the image file names would be augmented with a _03, _04, etc. to avoid file overwriting. This lets you keep all images with a like memo in the same folder to track over time. However, in this situation it may be a better idea to have the file’s names also include the date the photos were taken so it is easier to distinguish older photos from newer ones.
There are numerous combinations of folder and file renaming that can be used to fit your specific workflow requirements.
Take time to explore these combinations until you find one that works best for you.
Using DMM’s report generation feature, two primary report types can be generated. A Microsoft Word document report based off a customizable template supplied with DMM and a Excel spreadsheet.
The Word document feature utilizes the memo one data captured with a picture to place all the original images with an identical memo one value into the same document.
All memo data, time information and GPS information is extracted for each image and placed next to the respective image in the report. A free typing area is also created for each image allowing the user to add additional information about each picture after the report has been generated.
The document is also renamed based off the memo one value of the image set for easy recognition and retrieval.
The Excel spreadsheet report takes all the images in a folder and extracts all the memo, data and GPS information into separate cells within the spreadsheet. Thumbnails are generated for each image and the full path to the original image is embedded into the respective cells to facilitate easy importation into common databases.
If Group folders are used the spreadsheet will contain only the images in that group. This is ideal to track images in a specific set.
If Group folders are not used, the spreadsheet will contain all the images processed into the root ‘Images’ folder.
Any subsequent images arriving into that folder later will be appended to the spreadsheet. This is ideal to keep track of all images that are processed at one time or over time.
The XML file and text file options generate delimited files based off the renamed image that contains all the memo and GPS data embedded into the image. These files are suited for programmers or database administrators.
1. Across from the ‘Reports/Document Folder’ icon in the ‘Export Folder Structure Settings’ window, three radio buttons are available that determine where reports will reside. In this example we will select the option ‘Use New Folder Named:’ and leave the folder name to the default of ‘Reports’. These options will have the images placed into a new folder underneath the Group Folder for each image set called ‘Reports’. This will keep our reports separate from our images. Had ‘Use Image Folder’ or ‘Use Group Folder’ been selected, the reports would reside in those respective locations instead.
2. Selecting the ‘More Options’ button allows us to select our report types from the ‘Data Format’ window. In this case we will select to have the MS Document reports created as well as the Excel and XML files.
3. Once the images are processed, a folder called ‘Reports’ is created inside the Group folder. Inside the folder we will find an XML file for each image, a Word document named off the memo one value in the image set and a spreadsheet file called Summary.xls.
4. Opening the Summary.xls file reveals a spreadsheet containing a thumbnail for each image followed by that image’s respective memo and GPS data. In the last cell is a hyperlink path to each respective original renamed image. In this case the path would point to the group’s Images folder.
5. Opening the Word document reveals a customized cover sheet based off changes made in advance to the standard Word template included with DMM. The cover sheet has text boxes and a large text area where additional report information can be entered after the report has been generated.
On subsequent pages of the report are the original resolution images placed two-up per page in the order in which they were taken. Across from each image is a data box that contains the extracted memo and/or GPS information as well as a ‘notes’ section where additional information about that respective image may be entered after the report has been generated.
Note: To modify the Word template first save the original p.doc file in the DMM program folder with a new name for back-up purposes. Modify the logo and text cell areas of the template as needed. Save the finished template as p.doc in the same folder. DMM will now use your modified p.doc as the template for image processing.
Geo Map File Creation:
For workflows that utilize the 500SE to capture GPS position
information, DMM has the ability to generate common map file types used by programs
such as Google Earth or ArcGIS.
1. Across from the ‘Mapping Files Folders’ icon in the ‘Export Folder Structure Settings’ window, are three radio buttons that determine where map files will reside. In this example we will select the option ‘Use New Folder Named:’ and leave the folder name to the default of ‘Geo’. This option will place duplicates of the original renamed images and their related map file(s) placed into a new folder called ‘Geo’ that will reside underneath the image set Group Folder.This will keep our mapping files separate from our original or imprinted images and allow us to share our map files by simply sharing, or sending, the ‘Geo’ folder for that set.
Had ‘Use Image Folder’ or ‘Use Group Folder’ been selected, the map files would reside in those respective locations instead and no duplicate image files would be created. If we were not using Group folders, map files for all images processed would be combined into a single map file regardless of the images memo one data.
2. Selecting the ‘More Options’ button allows us to select our map file types from the ‘Data Format’ window. In this case we will select to have only Google Earth (KML) files generated.
If we were using ArcGIS we would have selected the ‘Shape File’ option.
Note: The shape files generated in DMM have limited functionality in GIS and do not provide automatic image hyper-linking or geo-database /SDE integration. It is recommended that GIS extensions designed to import 500SE images directly into GIS be utilized instead. These extensions are available from:
Windenvironmental.com or Geospatialexperts.com.
3. Once the images are processed, a folder called ‘Geo’ is created inside the Group folder. Inside the ‘Geo’ folder we will find the duplicate images, the KML file and a camera icon used to reference the image points in Google Earth.
4. Opening the KML file with Google Earth installed bring up the image points in the map area where the images were taken.
In the Google ‘Places’ table to the left of the image names are visible active hyperlinks and may be checked or unchecked as needed.
Note: If a compass is utilized with the 500SE each image will have an accompanying ‘cone-of-view’ layer displayed on the screen that indicates the direction the camera was facing when the image was captured.
5. In the main map window the camera icons may be hovered over to reveal a thumbnail of the image inside a data box that points to the active icon. In the data box below the thumbnail is the associated memo and GPS data of the image. Clicking on the thumbnail in the data box will open the full size image in a new browser window.
Note: In order to have the image open full size in an external browser you must select Tools/Options from the Google Earth toolbar and from the general tab ensure both ‘Show Web Results in External Browser’ and ‘Allow Placemark Balloons to Access Local Files and Personal Data’ are enabled.
Videos captured by the 500SE are also embedded with camera memo data. DMM is able to rename video files and apply the same folder routing/creation options as discussed in the previous section dealing with renaming and managing images. The following exceptions apply to video files:
1. Video files are not embedded into Reports.
2. Video files are not used in the generation of Geo files.
3. There is no Imprint option for video files.
GPS Format: Natively the 500SE embeds GPS data into an image using the Latitude/Longitude coordinate system. There are two alternate coordinate systems. Decimal Degree or UTM. Selecting a coordinate system will use that system in all reports, imprints and file renaming operations.
GPS Magnetic Declination: Natively the 500SE captures camera direction in ‘magnetic North’ orientation when using a GPS/Compass module or a rangefinder with an electronic compass. Since most mapping applications, including Google Earth, use ‘True North’ as the compass orientation, a magnetic declination value must be selected for the images to point to true north. Depending on the location the images were captured, it is necessary to access the NOAA database online to locate the proper declination value. Click on the link to the NOAA web site and enter the proper general location. Enter those setting into the declination dialog by using either the slider or manual entry. Pressing ‘OK’ sets the new values as defaults for all images processed until the GPS Options screen is accessed again and the values are changed.
Setting Advanced Options:
File Logging: By enabling logging, a record of all activity
performed by DMM is created in a log file. Enabling logging is recommended as it
provides verification of exact image processing times and events for chain-of-custody
purposes and also provides a means to quickly diagnose issues with DMM if there is
a processing error. Using the log file ‘Browse’ button, navigate to or create a logically-named
folder. Select the period of time logging data will be appended to the log file:
Daily, weekly or monthly. The log file will be named based off these parameters.
Once a time parameter period is expired, a new log file with the next period parameter
name will be created.
Note: Do not direct the log file to reside in the input or output folder or sub folders.
Processing: Images, and/or all generated files, may be automatically routed to an FTP server after processing.
Enter the IP address or name of the FTP server. The ftp prefix (ftp://) is NOT entered. Enter the proper user name and password for server access. Select ‘Passive mode’ if the destination server does not support active mode. Selecting ‘Send Image Only’ will refrain other generated content, such as reports or geo files, from being sent to the server.
Custom Command Execution: This feature allows user-defined routines, or scripts,
to run once images are processed that go beyond the native capabilities of DMM. Suppose,
for example, that there is a need for an HTML web page created of all the images
processed in a session. By entering the proper calls in the custom command line,
such a web page can be generated automatically by DMM.
Familiarity with script programming
is recommended to utilize this feature. String symbols that than can be passed as
a command line parameter are provided to the right.
A sample script ‘genhtml.bat’
comes with DMM. It is located in the DMM program folder. This script automatically
generates a html file containing thumbnails of image files, their memos and GPS data.
Usage: (Change ‘Path’ to reflect where the .bat file resides on your machine)
C:\Path\genhtml.bat%OUTPUTFOLDER %FULLFILENAME %DATE %MEMO1 %MEMO2 %MEMO3 %MEMO4 %MEMO5 %GPS
Start On Load: Checking the ‘Start On Load’ box will allow DMM to start automatically when the computer boots and reside in the SysTray. This ensures DMM is always available to process any content that arrives into its input folder without a user needed to start the application.
Types of String Symbols:
%INPUTFOLDER Input folder name
%OUTPUTFOLDER Output folder name
%FILENAME Renamed File Name
%FILEPATH Directory of Renamed File Name
%FULLFILENAME Renamed File Name including path
%MEMO1 Memofield 1 from file
%MEMO2 Memofield 2 from file
%MEMO3 Memofield 3 from file
%MEMO4 Memofield 4 from file
%MEMO5 Memofield 5 from file
%GPS GPS information (lat/lon)
%DATE Image taken date
Registration:
DMM must be registered within 30 days of installation for it to remain fully functional. The information needed to register DMM must come from the Reseller you purchased DMM from or you can purchase directly from ExtraWave webpage .
1. Click on the ‘Register’ button from the main screen to invoke the registration data-entry dialog form. Enter the following:
Name, Company and Purchase receipt number as supplied by your reseller and click the ‘Get Registration Via Secure Internet’ button.
2. DMM will automatically route to the EasyRegServer.com web page. The information entered in the previous step will be auto-populated in the web form. Optional e-mail and phone number may be entered. Press the ‘Get Registration Code’ button.
3. If the entered information matches the reseller issued information, EasyRegServer will automatically display a valid software registration license.
Note: Highlight and copy the license number for easy entry into DMM.
4. Once the license number is pasted (or manually entered) into the Serial No. section of the DMM Registration screen, an indicator that ‘Registration Successful’ will appear. DMM is now fully licensed.
Note: If DMM was already expired it may be required to restart the program for the interface buttons to become active.
Camera Memos are pre-defined lists of data that relates to your workflow. From the camera’s ‘Memo’ interface you can select items from this list to be associated to the image or images you capture. Memo data is permanently embedded into the image. DMM parses this embedded data out of the image and uses it to perform the automated routines mention in this help file.
An unlimited number of ‘Memo Lists’ can be stored on the camera’s SD memory card. Most workflows require only one. Each list can contain up to 10 “Memo Fields” and each field can have up to 50 pre-defined “Values” that can be selected by the operator via a drop-down interface. In addition to making pre-defined lists, memo field values may also be populated during the workflow by the camera’s on-screen keyboard or by using the camera’s barcode scanning feature.
To maximize workflow efficiency, thought must be given to the structure of a memo list. Generally the items toward the top of the memo list should be the most dynamic, or changed the most often. This would be items such as an object’s unique identifier or a classification that can change dependent on the object. The labels and values of list items that change the least, or do not change at all, should be toward the bottom. Examples of this would be the name of the photographer or the company that person works for.
The following restrictions apply when creating your own List:
Note: Label names may contain up to 20 characters but only the first 8 are visible on the camera’s LCD.
Value entries may contain up to 32 characters but only the first 14 are visible on the camera’s LCD.
Drop-down list can contain a maximum of 50 value entries.
The Memo file name should not be longer than 7 characters so it displays properly on the camera’s LCD.
Creating a Memo List in List Editor:
Launch List Editor:
List Editor is a Ricoh application that installs with other camera applications from the CD that comes with the 500SE.
Select List Editor from your Caplio Software Program Group.
Note: List Editor is the ListEdit Program Group if installed separately. If you have lost your CD or need the 10 memo version of List Editor contact you reseller.
Enter Memo Data:
The 5 tabs across the top of List Editor represent the 5 Labels in the order they will appear on the camera’s screen. Click on each tab and provide it a name using the ‘Item Name’ entry field. The Values for each Label are entered using the ‘Details:Input’ area. Entering multiple values by using the ‘Add’ button creates a drop-down list for that Label.
Multiple value entries may be Edited or have their order changed by using the respective buttons.
Note: 10 tabs are visible if you are using the 10 memo version of List Editor.
3. Save The Memo File:
Select ‘Save As’ from the top menu and navigate to a place on your hard drive to store your memo files. It is recommended you create a new folder called ‘Memo Lists’ to store them in.
Save the memo file with a meaningful name for easy identification. Keep the .mta extension.
Note: Value entries may contain up to 32 characters but only the first 14 are visible on the camera’s LCD.
Drop-down list can contain a maximum of 50 value entries.
The Memo file name should not be longer than 7 characters so it displays properly on the camera’s LCD.
Preparing a Memo File for Use:
Memo files must reside in the camera's SD memory card inside a folder on the cared called ‘Template’. The Template folder is created when formatting a memory card for the first time in the camera. It is not recommended to create the folder manually.
If your card has not been formatted in the camera, format the card before proceeding.
Warning: Formatting a memory card will delete all images on the SD card.
For this exercise the SD card should be removed from the camera and placed into an SD card reader connected to the PC. Alternately, the camera may be set to ‘Mass Storage’ mode using the camera’s USB menu options. Refer to your camera manual on instructions on how to do this.
1. Open 2 File Explorer Windows by placing your mouse pointer on the START button and press the Right mouse button.
2. Highlight ‘Explore’ and Left-Click your mouse.
3. An instance of File Explorer will open. Navigate to your Memo List Folder. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to open a second File Explorer instance.
5. Navigate the second File Explorer to expose the camera’s TEMPLATE folder.
6. Drag-n-drop the Memo file(s) to the Template folder.
Accessing the Memo File in the Camera:
Once the Memo file has been transferred, place the SD card in the camera with the camera’s power off. If the USB transfer method was used, disconnect the camera from the PC.
1. Turn the camera on and ensure the Mode Dial is in the green camera icon position.
2. In the upper-right of the LCD an orange box with the word MEMO should appear.
Note: If the Memo box is not visible it may be the camera is set to the wrong ‘display mode’. Press the DISP button on the back of the camera until the display changes to the mode where all camera information such as resolution and flash state is displayed. This is the mode the memo box can be seen.
3. Press the camera’s ADJ / MEMO button to display the memo list on the screen.
Selecting Labels and Values:
1. Using the keys, scroll up and down to highlight Values for the different Labels.
2. With a Value highlit, press the key to expose the drop-down selection list if one was created.
3. Use the keys to scroll through the list. Select a value by pushing the button.
4. Once all changes are made, press the ADJ / MEMO button to exit the menu.
Note: Once the desired memos are selected, all images subsequently captured will be embedded with those memo selections. Memos are set BEFORE taking the picture.
DMM is a ‘Hot Folder’ monitoring application. Any images or videos in that are in the Input Folder BEFORE DMM is started will NOT be processed.
After all parameters are set, return to the DMM ‘Main Screen’ and press the ‘Start’ button. The button will change in name to ‘Stop’. This indicates DMM has started an is now monitoring the ‘Input’ hot folder for new content to arrive.
As content arrives into the ‘Input’ folder, the ‘Processing status’ indicator bar will show the number of files remaining to be processes. If FTP was utilized the ‘FTP status’ bar will indicate the number of files remaining to be sent via FTP.
DMM may be minimized to reside in the Systray at any time.
Note: Do not close (X) DMM while it is processing files.
To interrupt file processing press the ‘Stop’ button.
alternate memos
file name
drop-down
