create picture folder

[CHARLES CAROLLA]

i decided to start scanning some of my (regular) books into the program.  some of them have colons in the title (e.g. Dune: The Butlerian Jihad).  the program doesn't have any scans for some of these titles.  I have Created folder in line with other titles set up this way, using dash format (title- nextsection). the images still do not show in the program.  i have tried drag and drop in case my folder was set up wrong and also had no luck (no new folder created either).  In the early days of Comicbase we could upload the pictures and the folders would be created and pictures available in the next download.  i have a lot of books that i can add to the picture file and i am willing to take the time to scan them.  does any one know how to fix this?

[Fred Slota]

I drag-and-drop for comic cover scans al the time, but haven't done anything with books...

 

I just tried with "Dune: The Butlerian Jihad", and it worked for me.  In my pictures folder, "T", "Tor", I navigated to the folder "Eye of the World, The (Tor)" and dragged HC.jpg and dropped it into CB focused on "Dune: The Butlerian Jihad" and it created "Dune- The Butlerian Jihad" and deposited a copy of the jpg I dropped, and the image is now showing in the grid.

 

Question: What edition of CB are you running?

[Steven L. Dasinger]

A few pointers.

If you are not sure where the Pictures folder is located you can use menu item File->File Tools and select 'Manage Pictures and Movies'.
By default it is C \Users\Public\Documents\Human Computing but you can change it to be a different location.
Note: When changing the Pictures folder location, you want to select the folder that CONTAINS the Pictures folder and not the actual Pictures folder.
Alternately, if some covers are shown, go to a Title with covers then, on the large cover display (top left corner), right-click and select 'Show Picture File'. This will show you where the pictures are located.

To add the Cover scan to CB, it needs to have a .JPG extension.

When naming the cover scan use type the Item # as shown (in Grid View), changing any '/' to a '-' (due to windows file name constraints.
Examples:
Item #    File-name
1             1.jpg
1/A         1-A.jpg
Bk 1       Bk 1.jpg

As Fred mentioned, the drag/drop method is the best way to add cover scans and let CB create the Title folder in the correct location.
Go to the Title you want to add cover scans to, select the cover to add, left-click and hold the button as you drag/drop it in CB's grid area.
NOTE: it can be anywhere in the grid area. It does not have to be on a specific line in the grid area.

You should be able to create your own Title folders, but the rules for them are more complex than naming cover scan files. There are more special characters than ':' that need to be replaced and articles ('The', 'A', and non-us equivalents) are at the end of the name except if they come after a ':' when they are left at the beginning.
Title: 'The Avant-Guards' Filename: is 'Avant-Guards, The'
Title: 'The Legend of Jamomere: The Blue Wizard' Filename: 'Legend of Jamomere, The: The Blue Wizard'
As mentioned previously, it is best to let CB name the Title files.

If you are still having problems, more detailed information may be needed.

Also when adding Books, be careful of the Binding. Mass Market Paperbacks (MMPB) are approx 4.25 x 7 inches (plus/minus a little bit). If the softcover book is larger or smaller, it would be a Paperback (TPB).

[Fred Slota]

Nit-picky clarification - "NOTE: it can be anywhere in the grid area. It does not have to be on a specific line in the grid area."  If your grid is of a search result, where there could be rows from different titles, it needs to be dropped on a row of the right title.

Additional note - Be careful if dragging multiple covers onto search results, things can go awry.  Suppose you have title A #2, 3, 4, 5 and title B #1, 2, 3, 4.  If you drag scans for title B #1, 2, 3, 4 and drop them onto an entry in title B, If I remember correctly, I believe the results will be that #1 and 2 will go to B, but #3 and 4 will go to A.  After copying #2 to B, the thumbnail will be incorrectly updated for A #2, moving the focus to A #2, at which point #3 and 4 will be copied to A.  I update my cover scans with the help of a search result, and only drop to the first title in the list and refresh my search to avoid this problem.

[Steven L. Dasinger]

7 hours ago, Fred Slota said:

Nit-picky clarification - "NOTE: it can be anywhere in the grid area. It does not have to be on a specific line in the grid area."  If your grid is of a search result, where there could be rows from different titles, it needs to be dropped on a row of the right title.

While you can technically drag/drop covers to a Find result display (what is displayed after running a Find), and that result has multiple Titles/Issues, I would strongly suggest NOT doing it (especially for someone new to CB) as it is extremely prone to error and confusion). Here is why.

A) Drag/Drop a Single Cover Scan

1) Click on an Issue of the Title you want to add it to (It could be any Issue for that Title, as CB just needs to know the Title name). You will know if it is ready when the display title at the top of the window changes to the correct Title you want.

2) Drag/Drop the single cover scan anywhere in the Find result display Grid (the issue you are over does NOT matter as CB will use the Title at the top of the window as the location to place the cover scan.

Result: That single cover will go to the Correct Title. (unless you forgot to highlight the correct Title/Issue in which case it will go to the wrong Title).

Sounds relatively simple and it will work like a regular Grid display (except for the extra work of selecting/highlighting an issue for the correct Title to let CB know where to place the Cover scan).

HOWEVER, if you try to drag/drop multiple covers the results will NOT be what you expect or want.

B1) Drag/Drop Multiple Cover Scans

1) Like a single Cover scan, you have to make sure the Title displayed at the top of the window is the correct Title.

2) Drag/Drop, the multiple titles to the Grid area. You don't have to put you mouse pointer on any specific issue as CB uses the Title that is displayed at the top of the window for the destination for the FIRST COVER in the list of multiple covers you are processing. After that first cover is (correctly) place, CB automatically changes the Highlighting back to whatever Title/Issue is first in the Find result display. This changes the Title name at the top of the window and ALL of the other Cover scans will go to that (incorrect) Title. (And you really have to pay attention to notice that is what happened.)

Result: You have 1 cover scan in the correct location and all other Cover scans in the wrong location.

This bad result when adding multiple Cover scans through a Find result display is made disastrous Is you are REPLACING multiple Cover scans.

B2) Drag/Drop Multiple Cover Scans to Replace Other Cover scans (i.e. replacing smaller or incorrect covers).

Steps 1 and 2 are the same as B1.

3) When replacing an Existing cover, another window is displayed comparing the original cover and the replacement cover asks if you want to replace that single cover or ALL of the covers that are being processed. If you select ALL, the first will work successfully but ALL of the others will replace (delete) the covers an incorrect Title.

NOTE: The window to compare the covers ONLY displays if the scan are different sizes. If they happen to be the same size, you will NOT even be given the chance to cancel the process. The original cover will just be deleted and replaced by the new (probably incorrect) cover.

Result: You have 1 Cover scan successfully replacing a Cover scan in the correct Title but ALL other Cover scans being process will will DELETE cover scans in an incorrect Title, replacing them with wrong Cover scans. And unless you have the Archive Edition, you can't download the accidentally deleted covers to replace them.

NOTE: When asked if you want to replace a cover, if you select Yes, just the one Cover scan will be process and the next will open the same window. In this case the coves will NOT match but there is no indication which Title the original (possible replacement). You are left wondering why the covers don't match (and if you think about it instead of mindlessly clicking 'Yes' you can cancel out of the process).

Simply put, unless you know what you are doing and are willing to deal with the mess that can be made (assuming you even notice the mess at the time it happens) do NOT use the Find result grid to add Cover scans.

[CHARLES CAROLLA]

found the problem, my scanner had changed back the file format to PNG.   had to convert my images and everything is working right again

[Fred Slota]

Ah yes...  the old .PNG pong.