All Activity

Steve is right. I read too quickly over the note in the search window which indicates that I can change it by changing the grid maximum rows, which I currently have set at 5000. The point I was making though is that, for me, the search worked well and is much appreciated. Although it did reveal that I've not kept up with maximizing my local cover scan library in some time.

The maximum number of results returned depends on the amount of memory you have. The more memory, they more that can be returned. For example, I have 32GB of memory and the Max allowed in 2,000,000. PS there is also a Max Results box you can set the limit to which could be smaller that the Max allowed.

Try running the search, select a block of the results that have cover images shown, right click, and select Download Covers. If you are an Archive user, this will replace any of the tiny placeholder thumbnail images with the larger-resolution images from the database for those selections. If you then run the same search again, you should see the number of results returned is reduced (although you may need to try first with another publisher to see this result, if 'Marvel' returns more than the max. 5000 results on your first go). This was my experience when trying the search just now. I can't recall if I ever used the Quick Start picture load, or if it's a result of not downloading full-res covers with each of the weekly downloads, but it does appear that the search picks up the thumbnail placeholder images in the results where those are present on my machine. Presumably if I downloaded the full-res image archive again and updated my local database with those images, it would eliminate most of those false positives in the returned results. Put another way, it appears the search returns results based on the cover image sizes in your local database as they exist at the time of the search. As soon as you click on one of the covers, if available, it will download a larger cover image from the ComicBase server. If you have a high-speed internet connection, the delay in downloading that image when displaying the larger cover is not noticeable, so that it appears as if the search returned some false results that already had larger cover images. Once you have downloaded full-resolution cover images for all available covers though, the search should return consistent results which meet your expectations. Try it with 'Bongo' for a smaller publisher with manageable number of results. First time for me had 179 results. Ctrl+A to select all, Download Covers, re-run search, and it's consistently 19 results thereafter (all having no cover image except 32/A which has a tiny scan in the master database).

I installed them initially.

I am not asking you to install them. Just whether you did or not. I don't know if the install of these populate the Picture fields correctly or not. May affect the query I supplied. Hopefully the Rebuild will fix the problem.

Won't this overwrite my existing covers?

Go to the ComicBase website. Under My Accounts, select Registrations. Click the green arrow under download next to you active subscription. Here you can download the CB program, the Quick Start version of pictures and CB Media. If you click the Other radio button, you get to where you can download all the full size covers.

It's Archive, but I guess I'm not understanding. Where is this Quick Start? I'm not seeing it anywhere.

What Edition of CB do you have? Pro or Archive? If it is Archive, you have an option to download / install the pictures with a Quick Start or downloading the entire full-size covers. The Quick Start installs smaller 'thumbnail' size covers. With Preferences setting 'Automatically download larger pictures...' checked, whenever you access a cover it will automatically download the full-size cover.

I ran Rebuild for Pictures, I don' know what the Quick Start is. I've had the program installed forever.

Did you use the Quick Start install for the covers? Have you run the Rebuild Lists for Pictures?

Okay, I tried both Height and Width, and tried NULL and 0, and neither worked right. It returned Marvel comics but they all had covers already. I already tried the Rebuild Lists first.

This should work. ComicTitles.Publisher = 'Marvel' AND (I.PictureHeight IS NULL OR I.PictureHeight < 200) I used Picture Height (but you could use Picture Width) with an arbitrary value of 200 pixels. However, a few bits of information. Sometimes the Picture fields (Height, Width, File Size, Modified) information isn't correct or starnge. For example, they may have contain 0 instead of being NULL. Because of that, you might need to run File Tools->Rebuild Lists using the long running 'Picture files lists'. I have run this successfully on my database but I have all the full-sized covers. I am not sure if the 'quick-start' version populates the Picture fields the same way. I would hope it does but I haven't tested it. PS You need to check for both Less than a value and NULL since NULL is not a value.

I'd also like to be able to search for images that are below a certain size too.

Anyone help me with advanced search? I'm wanting one that shows all comics from Marvel that do not have a cover.

Thanks for the heads up Steve, i messaged our programming team to look into it. Hope to have it resolved by end of day. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Download/install the revised CB2023 program installer (v23.2.2.2901). Restart your computer afterwards and see if that helps. If that doesn't work, try the following: -using Sidekick's Optimize database option -visits Sidekick setting's General Tab and review your database list. Make sure your main file(s) are all displayed with valid file paths. Use the + and - icons to adjust the list if needed. -If none of suggest tips above don't work; then try using a backup copy of your database If you still have trouble, message our support team at support@comicbase.com

I second this. Thoughts?

I am again experiencing this issue. I save reports and they don’t appear until hours or sometimes days later. Very frustrating.

Delete or Move ALL (1.jpg - 9.jpg) From: Pictures\G\Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy\Escape From Alcatraz To: Pictures\G\Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy\Escape From Alcatraz Comic Series

thanks for the info.

The database includes the titles Escape from Alcatraz and Escape from Alcatraz Comic Series. These series are duplicates of each other. Based on the indicia, the correct title is Escape from Alcatraz Comic Series. In the database, EfACS contains only issue #2, but EfA contains issues #1 through 9. Issues #1 and #3-#9 of EfA should be transferred to EfACS and then the EfA title should be deleted. BTW there is an issue #10 of EfACS that isn't in the database, at some point I will get that submitted (won't be for a while, I'm backlogged with more urgent tasks for the next couple of weeks).

Not sure if this has been suggested before or not. When using the barcode scan to add items, the ability to display a list of all the items that have been added.

I am not trying to 'sell' an item but CB does sell an actual barcode scanner (you can buy other brands of scanners but they are not supported with help from CB). These allow you to use the desktop program with the Add By Barcode option to add comics by barcode very quickly (and much easier than the Mobil App). And the number of covers that come with CB depends on the Edition. Archive has all that are available (either submitted to or scanned by Human Computing). Professional only has enough covers for one issues per title (but even then, not all titles). As for whether or not you need the Collection (or other) Reports, that is what I was going to test (I don't really use the Mobile App so I am not as sure of it works as the desktop program). Now that the process is fixed and I have the reports displayed, it appears there is no correlation/interaction between them and the actual database. They are just a method for you to review what you own without looking through all the other titles/issues you don't own. The Find Item only seems to look a Comic Book Types. However, when using Scan Item then Check For Sales and Purchases, it does correctly added the issues to the correct Types (I tested Comic Books and Books). In my case, increasing Qty to 2 since I already had them entered with Qty 1. I think the Mobile App barcode scan was envisioned for use when you are out of town and can't get to the Desktop program (i.e. convention). If you could get back to the Desktop App (and have a hand held scanner), it is MUCH faster to add you issues. In the time it takes the Mobile App to scan 1 issue, you can add a dozen (or more) issues with the Desktop program and a hand-held scanner. Pete has mentioned that he is working on an updated Mobile App. Hopefully, some of the features currently lacking will be addressed.

Thanks for the update. I'm still a little confused, as I don't know why you have to upload a Report to the web in order to test the search functionality for non-comics. If the two are related somehow, then perhaps the problem is that I've never uploaded a collection report for anything but comics. I'm a little surprised that bar code scanning isn't one of the primary ways to enter comics. Since bar code scanning doesn't show you whether you already own any copies, what is it supposed to be used for? I suppose looking up values is another use, but that's about all that's left. Entering issues through the desktop app can be easier in some cases but has several drawbacks. The main problem comes when you don't know which series a comic comes from. I know my Avengers well enough to know which volume a particular issue likely comes from but the same can't be said for Amazing Spider-Man, or Thor, or Punisher, or...So, if I try to enter them through the desktop app, I have to hunt around for the right volume based on either opening up the (usually bagged) comic book to get the year, or by referencing the bar code numbers which are usually higher for later years. Either way, I often have to open up multiple different volumes to find the right one, if I'm on the desktop. And for variant covers, I end up having to look at barcodes for sure, as I don't have cover images on the desktop (I think I need to upgrade to get all of those.) Scanning with the barcode instantly finds the right volume and (almost always) the right cover. Barcode scanning also works great for virgin covers, when I would have to open up the comic book for sure to figure out what series and issue number it is. Barcode scanning is also quite a bit faster, especially when I only have a few items from each series. And there are times when I don't have my computer available. I would definitely be curious if you've ever surveyed your users on what they use the barcode scanner for and what their preferred methods for issue entry are. Perhaps my method is more unusual than I would have thought. In any case, I appreciate you continuing to listen to my rambling. I hope to get the rest of my titles corrected soon and then I might have questions on how to map the variant covers over for the unknown comics that aren't due to title changes. Kenny