Author Topic: Max file sizes?  (Read 4879 times)

Offline sidelinepros

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Max file sizes?
« on: September 14, 2009, 10:43:39 PM »
Is there a way to specify the max file size?  For our service, I'm capped for image size to be a max of 2mb.  So I'm constantly having to reduce the file size. 

Thanks!

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2009, 11:19:11 PM »
Is there a way to specify the max file size?  For our service, I'm capped for image size to be a max of 2mb.  So I'm constantly having to reduce the file size. 

No.  The size displayed next to the JPEG quality slider is just an estimate, but people find it useful.

-Kirk

Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2009, 08:53:30 PM »
Unfortunately PM gives only a very rough estimate on the filesize. All you can do is to find the right setting below your limit that practice shows to be usually working. When I am working with a 200 kb limit of web images I usually set PM to 140 and it usually gives a good result. Not the best method but good enough.

I would support an option allowing to force filesize to fit the given limit. I understand it would be slower but in some cases it still would save time to have PM do it right on the first attempt than the photographer needs to check and correct the mistake every time when a strict limit is given. And such strict limits are not so rare at all.
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Offline sidelinepros

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2009, 09:06:12 PM »
I agree it would save me lots of time to have the ability to set max file size

Offline Lars

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2009, 12:17:43 AM »
such a feature would be really great and extremely usefull.

Thanks!

Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2009, 03:00:55 AM »
In general the current rough estimate is OK, but when one has a strict limit it can be a pain in the ass to find out what doesn't work and spend valuable time discovering "ahh, that 0.2 Kbytes in the filesize"...

It would be great even as an optional thing to stick to the limit (slower) or just aproximately that size (current) not a big deal if somewhat larger.
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Offline FVlcek

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2009, 06:59:51 AM »
As I understand it (I am no programmer though) it's a problem of JPEG format - the compression algorithms, as I understand it, do not allow for an easy way to compress a file to a given file size, and resulting file size is a function of the image content as well (noisy detailed photos at high iso compress far worse than low iso product shot). It's a problem, that for compression to a given file size, the program would have to really compress the file many times, picking the best result out of all of them, for every file to be compressed. You can see that could take a very looong time for even few dozens files... If there is a better way with JPEG, nobody discovered it yet.

JPEG2000, another compression format, unrelated in its mathematics to JPEG, allows for precise compression to a given file size, unfortunately, it has never been widely adopted by the industry (as it has other significant disadvantages for camera use).


Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2009, 07:15:24 PM »
As I understand it (I am no programmer though) it's a problem of JPEG format - the compression algorithms, as I understand it, do not allow for an easy way to compress a file to a given file size, and resulting file size is a function of the image content as well (noisy detailed photos at high iso compress far worse than low iso product shot). It's a problem, that for compression to a given file size, the program would have to really compress the file many times, picking the best result out of all of them, for every file to be compressed. You can see that could take a very looong time for even few dozens files... If there is a better way with JPEG, nobody discovered it yet.

JPEG2000, another compression format, unrelated in its mathematics to JPEG, allows for precise compression to a given file size, unfortunately, it has never been widely adopted by the industry (as it has other significant disadvantages for camera use).

I understand this problem quite well. But it is still can be a solution for those who have to fit their images into a filesize limit to wait longer but get the good result than do it roughly with PM try to send and fail discover what doesn't fit and correct it manually then send again.

As I understand JPG compressio is quite precise in setting size limit with only one image the problem with PM is it calculages an average with multiple files. With PS or even Preview on the Mac you can set the filesize when saving an individual image. The time taking PM longer would be to recalculate settings for each image individually based on the size limit settings. But it still could - and would - be a good solution at least with an optional setting allowing the user to switch from the standard rough estimate to the sick all images to the given limit...
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Offline sidelinepros

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2010, 08:54:03 PM »
Is there still no ability or plans for this feature?  It would save me ALOT of time when transmitting.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Max file sizes?
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2010, 10:18:18 PM »
Is there still no ability or plans for this feature?  It would save me ALOT of time when transmitting.

We have no plans to implement a per-image size limit feature at this time.

-Kirk