Photos are not stored in the database. They are stored in one or more folders on the computer or network and only the link (directory and file name) is stored in the database record.
The photos can be stored in any folder but it is advisable (to make it easier to find and back them up) to create one or more folders for that purpose. You can set up the default folders for Costume Photos, Props Photos and Company Member (People) photos on the List of Modules screen.
Although the photos can be any size it is a good idea to keep them under 0.5 MB (500 KB) each. The Photo Gallery display from the Search Menus can become overwhelmed and will not display the photos if they are too large.
Once the path for the Photo folder is set here the program will open that folder every time you go to load a photo in the costume, prop, or company member record. Currently the default path is set to the C:\ drive. If you don’t set up your own path every time you go to load a photo you will have to redirect the program to your photos folder in the Browse window.
Be sure to copy all your photos to the directory you set up before you try to assign it to a costume or prop.
If you are on a local PC or network: The photos are not backed up with the Backup Utility on the Utilities menu. These folders need to be backed up independently.
Reducing the size of photos
The best way to manage the size of your photos is to reduce them in size before they are linked to a database record. There are several software packages available for free or low cost that will save a lot of headaches. One that I use is called “FastStone Photo Resizer” http://www.faststone.org. There are detailed instructions on the Costume & Theatre Inv. Resources website / Resource Guides: http://www.costumeinventory.com/Resource_Guides.html. Look for the “Tips for Saving Photos” Resource Guide.
Rotating photos:
Many times you will take a photo in a horizontal orientation and other times you will turn or rotate the camera to get the best photo. This rotation information is stored in the photo. Some times when you load (link) photos to a database record it will come in correctly and other times not. You can use the a right-mouse click over the photo in the database to open a menu which will offer you a "Rotate" option. This will rotate the image temporarily but will not keep that rotation. The next time you look at the record / photo it will be back with the original rotation.
The best way to fix that is to use a software program like "FastStone Photo Resizer" (see above) to rotate the photos before they are linked to the database record.
Sometimes - you need to rotate a photo 90 degrees right - then rotate it again 90 degrees left - and then it will display correctly. It sounds like it would be the wrong thing to do but it actually works.
