New variable request - {clipboard}/{clip}

[FairfieldPhoto]

Been a long time since I made a request and I hope this one is straightforward enough that you would consider it.

I am using a program to manage my headshot sessions.  It has a feature where I can click a person's name that is waiting in line and a special string (name and sequence number) is copied to the clipboard.  As I shoot with specific tethering software, it pre-pends that name/number from the clipboard onto the front of the filename.   The tethering software then drops the renamed file into a hot folder that the web tool uploads for the client to see from their smartphone.

I don't like being constrained to just that specific tethering tool.  I can use other, more inexpensive tools to do the tethering or even use the FTP feature built into my Z 9.  But they can't do the name/number prepend.
 
If there was a clipboard contents variable in PM that I could reference in the Live Ingest function, I *think* I would get the same result as using the more expensive tethering program (of which I would use only .01% of it's features - kinda overkill).

I am not familiar with coding for the clipboard, but you would only need to allow text values - binary values like image data on the clipboard could be ignored.  If the clipboard is empty or has invalid data (like image file binary data), then fill the {clipboard} variable with null.

Is this something worth discussing further?

-Mike

[Kirk Baker]

Mike,

Been a long time since I made a request and I hope this one is straightforward enough that you would consider it.

I am using a program to manage my headshot sessions.  It has a feature where I can click a person's name that is waiting in line and a special string (name and sequence number) is copied to the clipboard.  As I shoot with specific tethering software, it pre-pends that name/number from the clipboard onto the front of the filename.   The tethering software then drops the renamed file into a hot folder that the web tool uploads for the client to see from their smartphone.

I don't like being constrained to just that specific tethering tool.  I can use other, more inexpensive tools to do the tethering or even use the FTP feature built into my Z 9.  But they can't do the name/number prepend.
 
If there was a clipboard contents variable in PM that I could reference in the Live Ingest function, I *think* I would get the same result as using the more expensive tethering program (of which I would use only .01% of it's features - kinda overkill).

I am not familiar with coding for the clipboard, but you would only need to allow text values - binary values like image data on the clipboard could be ignored.  If the clipboard is empty or has invalid data (like image file binary data), then fill the {clipboard} variable with null.

It would be fairly straightforward to add such a variable.  It would have to enforce a limit to the length of the text (don't want it to get out of hand).

How would you get the image off to the client after the Live Ingest processing?

-Kirk

[Max Lemesh]

I would assume it is headshottools you are using. We developed something similar, but a bit different in how it delivers images.
Anyway I support this request.

As to your question Kirk, photos could be delivered using a cloud service, something like dropbox. Or as with headshottools, they have a watch folder that automatically uploads images to the system and to corresponding client based on that clipboard contents information. So being able to not use C1 or LR for that would offer an alternative workflow

[FairfieldPhoto]

Yes, Headshot Tools and concur with what Max said about how HT handles the upload and delivery to the client.

As I think about this further, the {clipboard} variable could also be beneficial when doing things like batch renames, and such.

Regarding max length, I would suggest the maximum file length for MacOS or Windows (or whichever is shorter) minus 12 characters for the default image filename (e.g. DSC_1234.jpg)

I am working on an really small computer/screen setup, so having all the features of CaptureOne and SmartShooter isn't useful.  Having PM doing the file rename would be really useful.

Thanks!
-M

[FairfieldPhoto]

Couild the resulting filename be displayed anywhere in the Live Ingest panel so we can glance at it and make sure the right value is being used?

[Kirk Baker]

Mike,

Yes, Headshot Tools and concur with what Max said about how HT handles the upload and delivery to the client.

As I think about this further, the {clipboard} variable could also be beneficial when doing things like batch renames, and such.

Regarding max length, I would suggest the maximum file length for MacOS or Windows (or whichever is shorter) minus 12 characters for the default image filename (e.g. DSC_1234.jpg)

I would likely limit it to something that could be used in other fields, say 2k characters.  Trying to guess the length of other parts your filename would be made out of is futile.

-Kirk

[Kirk Baker]

Mike,

Couild the resulting filename be displayed anywhere in the Live Ingest panel so we can glance at it and make sure the right value is being used?

There is currently no provision for that and it would be odd for that feature alone to display the contents of a specific variable.

Also, Live Ingest is ongoing.  How would you know that it is correct once it changes and the Live Ingest is already underway?

-Kirk

[Max Lemesh]

How would you know that it is correct once it changes and the Live Ingest is already underway?

The same way it works with C1 and Headshot Tools. Once you click on a client the information is in the clipboard, so everything you shoot via C1 have that clipboard info in the file name via the Clipboard token. And it stays there until you click on the next person to photograph

[FairfieldPhoto]

Re: Max length

If 2K text length is easier to implement, then reuse that code.  I know that Windows would choke hard on a filename that long, so I'd be fine with a 50 or 75 character limit here just to make fixing an errant clipboard value easier to identify and correct.