Multimedia Files

[Jeff89]

I've been busily printing census records from Ancestry, storing them in a folder, and attaching them to the multimedia tab of the source cited for each person. That folder is now approaching 1 gig in size. A recent thread that asked about transferring multimedia files made me go read the manual about multimedia and I found and corrected 13 missing (broken links, actually) files. I also added and deleted a picture to several persons in my family file. So ... two questions:

1. Why do the deleted (or unlinked, more properly) pictures still appear in the Thumbnails folder when I right-click (or control-click, Bob) on the family file and select "Show Package Contents"? If I add the same jpg file to 10 different people and then unlink it, I have 10 additional thumbnails in the family file. Why?

2. I must be reading the manual incorrectly, but it seems to be saying that if I click on Multimedia on the left sidebar when I have a family or person record displayed in the center of Reunion, I should see the multimedia files attached to the source, family, or person (not events or notes) on the right multimedia sidebar. The only files I see there are ones that I've added there. Yes, I can attach a pdf formatted census record to the person by clicking on the "+" sign, but if I do so, Reunion limits me to a 200% zoom. If I click on the multimedia tab of the source record and then on the document in question, it opens up in Adobe Acrobat, which allows higher levels of zoom than Reunion does. As it stands now, the only way I know a pdf formatted census record is attached to a person is by opening the source and clicking on the multimedia tab. If I have a pdf formatted text document (a letter, essay, story, etc.), this feature works well, because 200% magnification is more than enough.

When I ran a multimedia report, I found about 7 people with census records attached to them instead of to the source. Those census records were Mariner Write text files that I had converted to pdf. I deleted them because if I want a census record attached to a person, I want the actual image of the census record attached, not a text file that I created from the record with Mariner Write.

Yes, the multimedia icon on the left changes from blank to a picture, but only if the file is a jpg, not if it is a pdf. That feature is rather redundant, though, because if a jpg is attached to a person, it shows up to the left of their name in the family view. I don't need the icon on the multimedia tab to change to let me know there is a jpg file attached to a person.

It would be useful to know that I have a pdf formatted census record attached to a person, though, by clicking on the multimedia tab on the left sidebar. Then, if I had a question, I could go to the multimedia tab of the source record and get an answer. Or not.

It appears to me that the multimedia sidebar (on the right) does not link to source record pdf documents. Do I misunderstand something here? If so, what am I doing wrong? Should attaching a pdf file to a person on the multimedia tab in a source record result in a "link" to the multimedia sidebar on the right when the family or person view is open so that the pdf file shows there, too? Or do I have to perform two separate actions?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Steve B]

Re: Multimedia Files

1. Why do the deleted (or unlinked, more properly) pictures still appear in the Thumbnails folder when I right-click (or control-click, Bob) on the family file and select "Show Package Contents"? If I add the same jpg file to 10 different people and then unlink it, I have 10 additional thumbnails in the family file. Why?

After a bit of experimentation with the sample family file I would say that every time you create a link to a multimedia file, reunion creates a small thumbnail version of that file and places it in the thumbnails folder you refer to. This then stays there forever. If you unlink the image file from the record. the thumbnail still remains in the thumbnail folder.

If you want to get rid of these surplus thumbnails click File>Rebuild Cache Files. That seems to remove them.

[Steve B]

Re: Multimedia Files

2. I must be reading the manual incorrectly,

I think you might be. Reunion is a relational database that has various types of record - in particular people and sources. You can attach a multimedia file to a person, or to a source. If you attach it to a person then it shows up in the multimedia sidebar next to the family view. If however you attach it to a source (as you would with a copy of a census) then it doesn't appear as a person multimedia item (because its not). You can only see it when you take a closer look at the source record.

[Jeff89]

Re: Multimedia Files

I think you might be. Reunion is a relational database that has various types of record - in particular people and sources. You can attach a multimedia file to a person, or to a source. If you attach it to a person then it shows up in the multimedia sidebar next to the family view. If however you attach it to a source (as you would with a copy of a census) then it doesn't appear as a person multimedia item (because its not). You can only see it when you take a closer look at the source record.

O.K., I understand now. Multimedia files can be attached to persons, families and sources but when you have the person/family view open, only multimedia files attached to people and families appear. I suppose that makes sense, from the point of view of someone who knows nothing about databases, but I'd love to be able to see the files attached to sources, too. Is that something that can be added to a wish list, Leister?

Can you explain why a pdf file attached to a person gives no indication of existing in the family view? Photographs and, presumably, videos, will, but pdf files don't. I have a series of old letters, dating from the mid-19th century, that I've transcribed and converted to pdf files. I'd love to be "prompted" to read them from the family view, but pdf files, unlike jpg files, don't have an icon or any way to indicate that they are attached.

Another item on the wish list, Leister?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Jeff89]

Re: Multimedia Files

After a bit of experimentation with the sample family file I would say that every time you create a link to a multimedia file, reunion creates a small thumbnail version of that file and places it in the thumbnails folder you refer to. This then stays there forever. If you unlink the image file from the record. the thumbnail still remains in the thumbnail folder.

If you want to get rid of these surplus thumbnails click File>Rebuild Cache Files. That seems to remove them.

Yes, that does get rid of unused thumbnails. Thanks!

Jeff

[Steve B]

Re: Multimedia Files

Can you explain why a pdf file attached to a person gives no indication of existing in the family view? Photographs and, presumably, videos, will, but pdf files don't.

I just tried that one by attaching a pdf file to a person. The multimedia little icon in the left sidebar came up in colour. The pdf appeared as an icon in the multimedia sidebar on the right when I selected multimedia in the left sidebar.

So for me, pdf files seem to work exactly the same as jpg files.

I know I have had issues with pdf files before (not with reunion) - I have a feeling not all pdfs are created equal - there can be problems depending on what software you used to create the pdf.

Perhaps someone with a bit more knowledge of pdfs could comment?

[Michael Talibard]

Re: Multimedia Files

Can you explain why a pdf file attached to a person gives no indication of existing in the family view? Photographs and, presumably, videos, will, but pdf files don't. I have a series of old letters, dating from the mid-19th century, that I've transcribed and converted to pdf files. I'd love to be "prompted" to read them from the family view, but pdf files, unlike jpg files, don't have an icon or any way to indicate that they are attached.

I find this puzzling. When I drop a pdf into a Multimedia window it appears as illustrated (bottom left).

[Steve B]

Re: Multimedia Files

Yes that's exactly how mine comes up. Complete with Adobe Acrobat logo even though I've removed Acrobat Reader from my mac because its so poor. Preview works much better.

[Frank]

Re: Multimedia Files

What you're seeing is normal, and explained in the manual…

"Note: In the Multimedia sidebar, thumbnails for PDF files show the Adobe/PDF icon; they do not reflect the content of the PDF file."

[Frank]

Re: Multimedia Files

...Can you explain why a pdf file attached to a person gives no indication of existing in the family view? Photographs and, presumably, videos, will, but pdf files don't. I have a series of old letters, dating from the mid-19th century, that I've transcribed and converted to pdf files. I'd love to be "prompted" to read them from the family view, but pdf files, unlike jpg files, don't have an icon or any way to indicate that they are attached...

If a PDF file is the only multimedia item attached to a person (or if there is nothing but PDF files attached to a person) then no icon will appear inside the person's button in the family view. This is because PDF files can't be designated as the "preferred" picture for a person, and the image thumbnail that appears in a person's button is the preferred picture.

Both of these items will likely change in the next major upgrade of Reunion: PDF thumbnails will reflect the content of the PDF image file, and a PDF file will be OK to designate as a preferred pix for a person.

[Jeff89]

Re: Multimedia Files

I just tried that one by attaching a pdf file to a person. The multimedia little icon in the left sidebar came up in colour. The pdf appeared as an icon in the multimedia sidebar on the right when I selected multimedia in the left sidebar.

So for me, pdf files seem to work exactly the same as jpg files.

Well, you know the old saying, "blind in one eye and can't see out of the other." I could have sworn that the multimedia icon didn't change when I dropped a pdf file into the multimedia window in the right sidebar, but I just did it and it does. Still, that is a bit of a chore to look for as an indicator of a pdf file attached to a person, since pdf files don't generate an icon next to the person's name. But Frank Leister wrote that this will very likely change in the next major upgrade to Reunion, so my wish should come true.

Thanks, everyone, for their replies and I look forward to an even better Reunion in the future.

Jeff

[Bill Schoenherr]

Re: Multimedia Files

Regularly I've encountered a number of issues with Multimedia files...mostly pictures where: 1) 50-100 links have been broken;
2) Preferred images have been changed, but link path as not, to another individual, and/or;
3) Preferred images and links have been changed to another individual.

Doing a "repair" on links does not resolve the issue.

My family file and multimedia folders both reside in Dropbox in the same folder.

I take care not to open the family file on more that one computer at a time.

Any ideas??

Bill