Need DNG Conversion Help

[AP]

I'm using Windows 8 64 bit OS.

I've been reading, searching & trying to use & understand & to edit the Photo Supreme import DNG script, running it on Import or as a Batch Process, but I cannot get it to work either at all, or without doing weird things to the test raw (old Canon Tif) files. I either get an error & the conversion never takes place as some parameter or other is missing, or the latest attempt had the conversion supposedly take place but the image files remained with the Tif extension but were zero bytes in size. If I understand correctly, the script says that the DNG Converter file should be in WindowsProgramsDir + 'Adobe\Adobe DNG Converter.exe', but I suspect that this path is for the 32 bit OS? I've tried to replace that path with what I think is the correct path, but whatever I input it's not correct, as the DNG Converter.exe on my system is not in the script's location. But I have also tried to put the DNG Converter.exe file in the scripts desired location & that doesn't work for me either.

What I am trying to do is to convert all my old Canon raw Tif files into DNG files (which I can easily do outside of Photo Supreme with the DNG Converter), BUT, when I reimport the converted to DNG image files, the original metadata for the raw Tif files in the sidecare xmp files does not appear in Photo Supreme. No keyword or lable metadata appears & not as the required or desired, same Photo Supreme labels that I created in Photo Supreme that I thought would be in the xmp file (preferred), nor as a list of keywords (not preferred as it would require so much shuffling to recreate the labels).

When the converted TO DNG files viewed in a browser, then I see keywords (Photo Supreme lables), so the DNG conversion is taking the xmp info, but I can't figure out how to get Photo Supreme to use it. I've tried Verifying files, rebuilding thumbs, compacting database, restarting, searching the help files, searching the internet, even the IDI Workbook etc..

Any help would be appreciated. I hope that I do not have to redo all the lables, but I have imagined a way to help myself by leaving one Tif file to copy lables to DNG from within Photo Supreme should I have to.

I had hoped that the Batch processing might have an easy Export To or Convert To function, but I read in one of the few DNG threads that the DNG's need to be reimported, which would be fine, a) if I could get the import script to work & b) IF the lables created also come with the DNG & work within Photo Supreme as I created them. Thank you.

[Hert]

First some background for all readers. AP has some legacy files that are RAW files from the old Canon 1Ds (one of the first DSLRs). This camera was able to shoot RAW files. Back in the days, there was no such thing as CRW or CR2 files and Canon (but also Nikon in its high end models) recorded RAW in the TIF format. These were no "ordinary" TIF files but true RAW files as in the sense that we know today. However they uses the TIF file extension. Photo Supreme will not recognize these legacy TIF files as RAW files and I recommended AP to convert them to regular TIF files. AP had the better idea to convert them to the DNG format.

I've been reading, searching & trying to use & understand & to edit the Photo Supreme import DNG script, running it on Import or as a Batch Process, but I cannot get it to work either at all, or without doing weird things to the test raw (old Canon Tif) files.

The thing here is that the DNG script only works for RAW files and PSU won't recognize your TIF files as RAW files and so these will not be converted to DNG. You could make a small change in the script.

Find the line

Code: Select all

    if not AImageItem.IsRaw then exit;

and replace that with

Code: Select all

    if (not AImageItem.IsRaw) and (not AImageItem.IsTif) then exit;

Also, if you're sure that the DNG files that you've converted outside of PSU contain your keywords then they should auto-display in PSU. You can force that with Ctrl+Alt+F12. I can't confirm that the DNG converter will pick up the XMP sidecars for your TIF files but you should be able to verify that by looking at the metadata of the DNG file with ExifTool+ExifToolGUI. If they have keywords, then what does the counter on the PSU thumbs read (lower right corner of the thumb)

If the self converted DNG files contain your metadata then I think that is a better way to do it than by using the DNG converter script.

Hert

[AP]

Thanks Hert, but the script change didn't work yet. But no worries, not worth greater effort. Just as an update, in Photo Supreme under the Details Tab, the converted DNG files do contain keywords, which were the Lables but are now as just keywords & no longer mapped to Photo Supreme Lables. Better than nothing. I tried Ctrl+Alt+F12 etc. but it did not change anything. The orange circle lower right on the thumbnails still displays 0. What I'll do, is leave the Tifs with lables in the folder, then import the DNG conversions (done on Tif copies with Adobe DNG outside of Photo Supreme), then import the DNG's & then copy the Photo Supreme lables from the Tifs to the DNGs before deleting the Tifs. That should work.

For me, these aren't "Legacy" 1Ds Tif raw files, I still have to shoot with the 1Ds as my primary digital camera & so these are my primary digital files. As my stock photo biz sales have plunged so much the last few years, that I don't see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a new body, for which I'd be paid pennies to a few dollars, on the stock images produced with the new body. As well as prices plummeting, sales volume is also down. In the old days, I could still make decent money even on lower volume. Rarely now. The 1Ds files are still "good enough" for being paid cents or a few dollars per image, (but the 1Ds batteries still suck as does the raw Tif file format) & my processing & Photoshop skills can still turn out high quality.

And, as a seasoned 25+ year "pro", I'm doing better than a lot of guys with the same agencies, where we used to make a normal living wage. For me, raw Tif file stock sales have to also pay for mortgage, vehicle, repairs, groceries, savings, etc., (thank goodness we have basically free health care!!!!) & so to suck money out for a better digital body isn't worth the expense. Especially for a new body vs. used. I got SO HOSED on the 1Ds, even buying it used, compared to what we could buy now for a lot less money. Sort of like clients buying stock images I guess. But back then, Who Knew what would happen in the new digital world. I sure didn't. Or I need to get an outside job, or move to a new bigger location & UGH, SPIT, COUGH, ECK, shoot weddings or babies or get a job at a Walmart portrait studio in the city paying $10/hr, YES, $10/hr. I saw an ad online for a regional Walmart job.

[Hert]

Alec, I think the easiest for you is when I re-eanble the code that checks if a TIF file is a RAW file. I'll do that with a registry tweak so other TIF users aren't affected by this. It'll be in the next update.

[AP]

Thanks Hert, but don't put too much work into it, nor break the program trying to include it. I'm sure you have better things to do for Photo Supreme. At some point I will retire the 1Ds & the raw Tif format & switching them to DNG for Photo Supreme is worth it for better DAM work. Photo Supreme worked pretty well with the raw Tif's, as IDI did, there were a few glitches, but I just won't do any image editing with them there. Working with the files as DNGs will make things more reliable. I can work around the Lable / keyword thing & from now on there won't be a problem as new files will be DNGs first.