ACDSee Pro 2 and 2.5

Importing information to a Pro 2.5 database from MS Access

• 

  kbacher
  Member

  I am a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, where we are exploring options for managing our growing collection of digital images. Many of our existing images were originally slides or historic prints, which have since been scanned, and the data describing them are in a Microsoft Access database. Is there any way of importing that Access database information into the ACDSee database, and/or embedding it into the EXIF/IPTC data on the images themselves, without typing the data in one by one? Conversely, is there any way of exporting ACDSee database information, including EXIF/IPTC data, to a traditional database?

  Posted On April 28, 2009 - 11:56 PM (6 months ago) (Permalink to this post)
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  RobotDude
  Member

  My approach would be to extract the information for each image to a text file (comma delimited) and to find a program that would allow this information to be added to the meta data for the image.  There are various meta data fields available, so some investigation will be required. 

  By having the information with the image means that the information can be used by any photo software.  Important: The photo software you are using today is unlikely to be the same you will be using in 5-10 years time, so keep the information with the image and not in a particular photo software's own database.  Most photo software, like ACDSee, will be able to read this information directly from the image.

  Hope this helps.

  Posted On April 29, 2009 - 10:32 AM (6 months ago) (Permalink to this post)
• 

  tibu
  Focus Group

  I have no idea if this will work, but what I would do is tage a few images in ACDSee to create a small database (download a trial copy). Use all the fields in the ACDsee database fields that you would want populated from your Access DB.

  Then export those images to a text file using the database managment tools. I'm very sorry, I'm not at a machine with ACDSee so I can't give you the exact name, but there should be a function for this.

  Look at the text file and how it is setup, see if you can create the same structure from your Access database export. You will probably need to copy some kind of header or footer instruction, but the content setup you may be able to figure out from the test exported ACDsee file.

  Essentially you now setup your access export to follow the structure of how ACDsee exports a text file. Make sure you have the acdsee header instruction and you hopefully end up with a text file that you can import into ACDSee with all your file information.

  Then use the import ACDSee databse function to see how it works.

  One thing you will need, howver, is to have the images in their proper place, and the text file will have a line that tells the database where to find the image. IN ACDSee doing a few test images then exporting you should see that file reference in the file.

  This solution works in my head, but I have limited knowledge of how to export from Access the way you need to for creating the right structure and including the right information.

  As was suggested, some program that can read the date and stuff it into IPTC would be ideal. I am guessing you would still need to create an output file of some sort for whatever the program is to read it.

   

  Posted On April 29, 2009 - 04:48 PM (6 months ago) (Permalink to this post)
• 

  John Radcliffe
  Member

  Unfortunately, I too know of no way of getting ACDSee to import information from an Access database or, indeed, from any external list. If you can find a 3rd party program to do what RobotDude suggests (i.e. assigning metadata from a list), then that would undoubtedly be the way to go. However, I'm afraid that I don't know of such a program, but perhaps others here may.

  I have, however, done something a bit like what tibu suggests, only in my case I was working with information in Excel, and processing an existing ACDSee database export text file by replacing certain fields with new data. It's certainly not straightforward, and would only be considered "easy" if you're already familiar with programming the relevant application (in my case Word / Excel / VBA).

  Can I ask how many images you're talking about, and which fields you want to insert data into?

  The following thread covers similar ground:

  http://community.acdsee.com/forums/topic/excel-import#post-31837 

  Posted On April 29, 2009 - 05:27 PM (6 months ago) (Permalink to this post)

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