How to Reduce HUGE Images.
If you download image sets at 21 MP resolution, a set with 100 images can easily occupy 1GB of disk space.
Instead of downloading the 'medium' resolution of a set, you can reduce the HUGE image set to use less
disk space and drastically improve the image quality at the same time.
Bigger is not always better. The sheer number of megapixels does not necessarily translate to more
details. This is particularly true for software zoom (magnification) that interpolates subsampled color
data and reconstructs the full image with actual grayscale data. Finding the optimal image size that
maximizes the
effective pixels
is the challenge. One place to look is the sensor of the camera; this will give you an indication
of the maximum distinguishable squares.
A 21 megapixel (MP) camera, such as the
Canon EOS-5D Mark II, has a
36mm × 24mm sensor. If we translate this to mean 1 mm = 100 screen pixels, we can reduce its largest
image resolution, 5616x3744, to 3600x2400 with enhanced details. Some images in the set can even be reduced
further, such as close-ups, to 2880x1920 (or smaller) for more disk space.
- View an image from the set.
- Activate the Image Lab [alt-B] (or select Lab | Edit script from Viewer menu)
- Select Image | Resize | Distill and specify 3600x2400, then click Ok button.
The following appears in the Lab Script ...
DISTILL=2400,3600
>DISTILL%%=6410
- Delete the first line DISTILL=2400,3600.
- Edit the second line to look like this DISTILL%%=6410.
- View another image in the set.
- From Lab Script window, select Perform [F9].
The selected image is again reduced to 3600x2400 whether portrait or landscape in orientation.
Now load the entire image set as bookmarks in the Viewer. Review and unmark images from the
set that you do not want to be converted. When satisfied with remaining bookmarked images ...
- From lab Script window, select Perform [F9].
The selected image is reduced to 3600x2400.
- Select Enhance | Details / Sharpen
From dialog check the Fine edges box and click Apply button.
The image is sharpened with very subtle enhancements and the following command is added.
UNSHARPMASK=255,63,1
- Select Image | JPEG | Compression or [ctrl-J]
- From dialog, adjust settings and click Test button.
- When satisfied with output, just click Close button.
Your JPEG settings are saved and recalled.
- Press [F5] to refresh the current image and undo changes.
- Select File | Batch Files | to JPG and specify a target folder.
The entire image set will be encoded to a target folder at the reduced resolution.
You can save and reuse the same batch file to convert similar image sets.
For your convenience, you can download the following set of BIP files ...
The ZIP file contains BIP files for lower and higher resolutions (e.g., 3480x2320, 4080x2720, 4320x2880) with varying
UNSHARPMASK presets.
Note: Requires AiPICT or AiPICX (v8.9 or later).
How to Thumbnail HUGE collections Unattended.
The built-in Explorer generates thumbnails only when it is idle as it it necessary for
it to yield to whatever you are doing (e.g., moving files).
The Slide Album generates thumbnails in a highly optimized batch process.
If you check your multi-core CPU usage, you will notice the increased percetage of CPU resources used.
This results is faster thumbnailing. In addition, you can thumbnail multiple folder unattended.
AiPICT and AiPICX (v8.9 or later) lets you specify its thumbnail cache folder. You can keep a folder with
thumbnails of a very large collection for an extended period, while you quickly peruse
the collection with the built-in Explorer.
For example, if you have over a terabyte of numerous art reproductions, you may have a folder called 'Metropolitan Art'
with paintings organized in alphabetical folders by artist.
- From built-in Explorer,select Tools | Cache | Change.
A dialog is presented to select a Folder.
- Navigate to your fastest drive and click the 'New Folder" icon (on top right of dialog).
- In this case, name this folder 'met-art thumbs', then click OK button.
All thumbails will now be generated in this folder.
- From built-in Explorer, navigate to the parent folder of your collection.
- From built-in Explorer click Slides tool bar button.
- Select Slide album (new)
The Slide Album will be populated with all images contained in all sub-folders and folders within them.
You can now leave the Slide Album to generate thumbnails overnight. When it is done, simply discard the slides
in the Slide Album (e.g., create a new slide show or close the application). Since thumbnails are shared by
the Slide Album and built-in Explorer, you can review and peruse your collection with pre-made thumbnails.
For everyday use, you can change the thumbnail cache (e.g., to a 'temp thumbs' folder) which can be
cleared at anytime by selecting Tools | Cache | Clear from built-in Explorer. When you want to go
back to reviewing your collection, change the thumbnail cache folder back to the 'met-art thumbs' folder
and the thumbnails will still be there when you navigate your collection.