Forgive me for my ignorance....

[ranchwife]

I am so new at Elements 6 (and enjoying every minute of it but.....). I imported photos from my D300, Elements seems to have duplicated (actually three copies) all of them. The first photo is the original with original name.."DSC..." the next two are renamed with "vcm_s_kf_..." and are smaller file sizes. What are these extra copies? Can I stop Elements from duplicating photos? Or can I hide the lot of them? Thanks
Sincerely confused!!!:confused:

[Jeff Perry]

Ranchwife, that is a new one on me! Did you download them directly into Elements from the D300 using the Adobe Photo Loader that pops up when you connect your camera?

Do you know where the files are stored on the computer, and are all the same files in those folders?

You mentioned 3 copiues but only gave two naming conventiones, the first DSC_ is the "real one" generated by the D300. The second you said was "vcm_s_kf_..." What is the thrid (or how does it differ from the secon) and what are the files extensions (the last three letters after the ".") The DSC_ files should end in .JPG unless you are capturing the images in RAW format. How about the others?

Jeff

[ranchwife]

Hi Jeff, I did download them right from my D300. I don't think a photo downloader poped up. just the Windows "auto play" I clicked on "use photoshop elelments to get photos" (I was having issues with Nikon transfer.) The original photos do have jpeg at the end the last two start with the "vcm" but both are different size files. One is at 640 x 425 and the last is 160 x 160. They all have "repr" eg: vcm_s_repr_640x425.jpg
They are all jpeg. I haven't even played with raw yet (can you believe that!)
It's not a huge deal, but it is frustrating to have all these copies in my catologue. I found photos in My Pictures. Their are no "copies" in that folder. I am confused.:confused: I did get Nikon transfer up and running yesterday but didn't have time to try and import them into PSE. I will try that today to see if I get my "mysterious" copies.
Thanks for replying, I got chya stumped don't I? We'll make a new club! LOL
Maria

[JulieM]

Hi Ranchwife and welcome to the Village! I don't have any advice, but I'll bet Jeff and others can sort this out for you. Good luck!

[ranchwife]

Hi Julie. Thanks for the welcome! I think I am really going to enjoy this site. There are some really great people on here! I think I am going to learn ALOT!

[Jeff Perry]

Ranchwife,

Have you looked at those "mini-me" images in Elements' Organizer, or tried to load one up inot the Elements Editor, and what does it look like?

Jeff

[Jeff Perry]

Ranchwife, one other tid-bit, a google serch on VCM frequently points to the term Video Compression Manager. I have no idea why Elements would be creating files like that from your D300 jpeg images, but maybe somone else has a thought on the matter.

I'l be interested to hear what you have found when you open one of those little images.

Jeff

[Tina_B]

Sorry I can't help you either on this one but just wnated to say welcome to the village.
Tina B

[ranchwife]

Hi Guys, Thank you for the welcome Tina!
Jeff, I gotta tell ya, I am stumped! I can open and edit the "mini-me"(great name by the way LOL) files. The very last file(the smallest mini-me) is so pixelated, I wouldn't even bother editing it. They are some kind of carbon copy at different resolutions. Odd.

I will have to go through them manually and delete the mini-me's. I just hope it doesn't do it every time. Mind you, I will transfer photos with Nikon transfer from now on. I wonder if it has anything to do with a separate program in Vista or one that Sony (my computer) has installed. I'll be darned if I don't get to the root of this some how! AAARRRGGHH!

Leave it to me to have an "original" problem LOL:D

[Jeff Perry]

Ranchwife, I posted a query explaining the problem on the Nikon Forum at Photo Camel, and got two responses thus far, both suggesting that they were "thumbnail" file images generated by/for the Elements Catalog, which is the "database" for Organizer. Generally all database or browser image viewing porgrams, when loading up all the images for the first time, create thumbnail versions so they can quickly display the images win the catelog or on the hard disk when you start the program each time. Those are the little pictures you see on the screen, and the program saves them fopr the next time in a "secret" place. If what you have are in fact the actual thumnails for the catslog, I have no idea why they are showing up as images in the database; sounds like an impossibility.

Anyway, if you delete them, and they suddenly reappear at some point than you can bet that's what they are. I will keep on it and see what else I come up with.

Jeff

[Jeff Perry]

Sorry, one more thing to try...before you delete them (if you haven't already), right-click on one of the images in Elements Organizer and click "Properties" and a little infomration box should show up somewhere on the screen and at the botom is the the physical location of that image file on your hard drive. This might lead us to a clue about the little rascals.

If you have deleted them already, if you want, you might go to the Recycle Bin on the Window's Desktop and Open it and look for one of the "mini-me" files if it is in there and Restore it. That should put it back onto the hard drive and theoretically it should show up in your Organizer again. Then right-click and open the Properties window and see where the little guy is hiding.

jeff

[ranchwife]

I can not believe the trouble you are going through! I can't thank you enough! I think you may be onto something. They are thumbnails. I deleted my entire catologue, then went into "my pictures" searched for vcm's and low and behold!.....they were there. I have been trying to delete them but some of them can't be deleted because, and I quote...."could not find item, ...no longer located in C:\ (my photos) verify the items location and try again" So I do try again and nothing. I think I am stuck with the majority of these. (because I already deleted the originals?)

Okay sorry just read your last post. i went into "my pictures" and searched vcm's again, right clicked on one of the one's I can't delete and the properties location is c:\users\Mommy\Pictures\018\2.jpg.files (but don't laugh at the "mommy" part! So the critter is in there! Why can't I delete the little bugger. Why is there .files at the end of my .jpg?

Man alive! I have a headache!:o
Thanks so much for helping me. :D

[mljrbg]

Welcome to the Village. You will really enjoy it here.

Mary Lou

[ranchwife]

Thank you Mary Lou! I certainly am enjoying it so far. I am amazed at how welcoming you all are! And for the poor soul (Jeff) trying to figure this mess out for me. I am completely in awe! Thanks again Mary Lou!
Maria

[ranchwife]

Okay Jeff, i found a way to delete all 2400 of my "mini-me's" I have no idea what I did to bring this apon myself BUT.....if I right click on one of the "un-deleteable" mini-me's.....click on "open file location"....."properties'....uncheck "hidden".....go back and delete the unhidden file folder..... then I am allowed to create a new file path for the "un-deleteable" mini-me, and then delete it!!!!! Well, it should only take me a week or two. But at least I won't have an extra 2400 minnie-me files on my computer.

If in fact, they are what you think they are, then this is all in vain!! I will laugh my butt off when the week of deleting is up! I still have no idea why they showed up as thumbnails? Computers and I have never really lived well together!

I really need to be doing chores. I can't quite seem to peel myself off the computer! Stubborn or what?

Your the best! Still can't believe the trouble you're going through!:o

[Jeff Perry]

Ranchwife, a thought occurred to me that perhaps your Windows/Vista (?) file settings are set to "Show Hidden Files" which would make otherwise hidden files visible to all applications, including Organizer. If your using Windows Xp, if you open a File Explorer window, and go to Tools>Folder Options> and click the View tab, there are a number of settings listed under Hidden Files and Folders as you scroll down, one will be Show Hidden Files. I suspect if you are using Vista that the process is pretty much the same.

Try and determine if your system is displaying hidden files, and if it is, turn it off (un-click it) and see if that makes a difference in the Organizer.

This is a very odd situation, one that I have never come across before.

When you delete the thumbnail files do they get regenerated by Organizer? Does a new Catalog get created?

I don't use Organizer so in that regard I'm not going to be much help.


Jeff

[ranchwife]

Hi Jeff, ummmm, what do you mean by a file explorer window? I am in Vista.(which is confusing in itself)

There is just a few photos that I have imported by file and they are not duplicated with mini-me's.

How do you edit in Elelments if you don't use organizer? Just curious.

[Jeff Perry]

There must be some form of file explore/browser program that comes with Vista, in Windows XP it is called File Explorer. It is the file browser application that lets you see what is on your computer's file structure. There should be some settings or preferences settings section that has settings for the file folders.

As for my workflow...

I download into designated folders automatically numbered by Nikon Transfer.

Once files are downloaded, I'll rename the folders by adding a description of the shoot after the folder number, e.g., "0165 - Cecilia's Wedding".

I'll then create a back-up copy of the folder on two separate external hard drives.

Then I'll reformat the memory card (in the camera, never using the computer)

Now I'll use the files on the laptop as my working folder, and create sub-folders nested underneath, e.g, a folder named PSD for files that have been edited and saved as native Photoshop/Elements files.

I also work a lot in Photoshop Lightroom, and use it much like Organizer as the database manager.

I have read and heard so many complaints about Organizer, that I have never tried to use it. My system seems to work for me for the type of "shoots" I do. I know for others there is a lot of the organizational features, tagging images, ranking, etc., that makes a program like Organizer indispensable, but for me it is not worth the trouble.

Jeff

[ranchwife]

I will do some snooping around Vista. I think I may be on board with you and the organizer. This isn't much fun....at all. I thank you for the advice on the organizer, I used nikon transfer in windows xp, capture NX and PSP (sorry). I never had a problem. I had to set my D300 to mass strorage in order to get nikon transfer to transfer photos.

Vista is nice in some ways, not so much in others! It's all a learning experience I guess!

[Jeff Perry]

Ranchwife, Which version of Nikon Transfer are you using, the original one that was a module of Nikon Picture Project, or the new incarnation that they are now distributing as a standalone program that works with View NX (the replacement for Picture Project)?

I still use the former, even for the D300 without a problem, but ironically, when I hook my D3 up to it and launch that "old" version, it recognizes that D3 as attached, but does not see any of the JPGs on the memory card. It works fine with the new Nikon Transfer program, but what's up with that. It's a Nikon product! I wrote Nikon support and they said they don't support that program any more, and don't know why it is not seeing any of the files on the D3. Hmmmm....

Oh well, so it goes.

Jeff

[ranchwife]

Good morning Jeff, first of all......A D3! I am jealous! Nice!
I am using Nikon transfer 1.1(to be updated yet). I did some snooping around my PC,
I have a sneaky suspicion that Sony Media plus is doing this and not PSE. I may be wrong. Yep, I feel like an a_ _!

I can share my media with playstation 3 wirelessly, it might reproduce these photos at different resolutions to generate thumbnails? (it does this automatically) What do you think? I am asking Sony today. After you suggested they could be generated for photo applications, it got me thinking.

I was trying to think of what else VCM could stand for...Vaio Compressed Media? Just a stab.

PSE was the first program I played with, so I just figured PSE duplicated the files:o When PSE searched for new photos, it found EVERYTHING! I will have to play with this sony program some more when I get a chance. What a pain, I am going to figure this out yet....thankfully you were here, cause you gave me some great ideas at what to look for and how to do it. Not to mention all the hard work you put into this. You must love puzzles?

I hope this is it, and not a problem with PSE or Nikon. I was so excited to see PSE 6 installed in this computer (more than getting the computer itself!)

I did find the file options, and "hide" hidden files was checked. So i was kind of bummed that this wasn't it. That's when I did some snooping.

Do you mean Capture NX? I do have it, not installed yet. How nice of Nikon to give you a hand.

Ahhh, but if anything else, I found a Nikon friend!:D I'd love to see your photos.

[Jeff Perry]

Well if some other program like Sony Media is generating them that would make perfect sense. I couldn't understand why PSE would generate them and then show them, seemed to be an impossibility.

Here's a thought...If you recall there is a "Show Properties" choice when you right click on a thumbnail in Elements Organizer, and if you click on it it displays the file information about the image. Images from your D300 will show all the EXIF information, including date & time the picture was taken, camera and lens used, exposre and meter settings used, etc. In some instances, for some files if applicable, the program that created the image will be identified.

You can also see similar information if you use the Vista file explorer/browser, to examine a folder, and then right click on a "suspect" JPG and select Properties and look at the the different panesl/tabs of information. If there is one called Summary, it will give you much the same information. Heaven forbid it should tell you which application created the image. That would be too easy!

I really don't think PSE is to blame, and sadly I know nothing about the other programs you mentioned so if they are the culprit, I'm not sure how to make them stop cluttering up your hard drive.

As for the Nikon Software, the latest and greatest version of the Nikon software for the Digital cameras comes in different flavors. The general software they give away in every DSLR camera body box is Nikon Transfer and View NX. It used to be called (no obsolute) Picture Project and it included a Nikon Transfer module/component.

Previously Nikon Capture and now Capture NX were the extra-cost software apps that were supposed to be better and more flexible at dealing with RAW files than the freebies, but most people didn't go there becasue they either processed RAW in Adobe Camera Raw (part of Photoshop and Elements), or used Adobe Lightroom, or some other third party Raw Processor e.g, Raw Shooter Essentials, Bibble Pro, etc.).

Recently Nikon handed out free versions of Capture NX with the D300 bodies as I recall, and I have it installed, but hate the interface so I don't use it very much. I shoot mostly JPG and process those either in Lightroom or in the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in and then open the file in Photoshop or Elements.

The one thing that I do like about Capture NX is that it uses the Nik (not to be confused with Nikon) U-Point Technology which allows you to selectively place "control points" on your image and make adjsutments to that area without significantly affecting other parts of the image. A very cool feature. It is the same feature in other Nik applications, and is probably the ONLY thing keeping me from uninstalling Capture NX.

If you captiure images in RAW there may be additional reasons why Capture NX may be superior to Adobe Camera Raw or some others, but that is not a real issue for me.

As for photos, I haven't posted much, only been on the Forum for a short time. Here is a recent thread about creating templates using Frame Layers, and there is a post from me with a link to one of my example images.

Frame Layers for Template Users/Builders (http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38889)


Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Leknif]

First of all, english aint my native language =)
I don't know if this problem is solved yet?
I got the same problem and this thread is the only one at google =)
Anyway, the program that generates the copys is...

The Vaio content analyzer
Just search for the Vaio content analyzer (settings)

and unmark
Video analyzis
picture analyzis
music analyzis

This problem seams to be rare. Took me ages to understand what program cousing these problems.

Jonas