Picture Uploading questions

If I post from my phone I can directly upload photos to the site. If I post from my computer, I have to resize them. Is this a setting somewhere or does the site itself have control over when it resizes photos on upload?

When I post from my phone I can only upload one photo at a time, the 2 at a time never works. The upload window closes, but the pictures never actually show up in the attachments. Works fine 2 at a time from the computer.

Is there an easier way to upload photos? Maybe the same interface but being able to either drag and drop or select the full 8 allowed pictures at once? I'll fully admit that half the reason I don't post to the site as much is that the picture uploading process is so maddeningly frustrating and time consuming that I just don't bother most of the time.

The site resizes photos, but file size plays a big role. Most cameras take larger file size photos than phones do. Basically anything over 1 meg file size gets resized by the software.

When we switch to the new xenforo software, photo uploading gets much easier.

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Is there an easier way to upload photos?

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What method do you use now? I usually click on the "insert image" icon, click "browse", find the photo, then click upload. This puts the photo in line with the text.

I crop and resize photos on my laptop before uploading. There are plenty of on-line services for this if you don't know how to do it on your computer. I never access SMC from the phone so I don't know about that.

JKJ

Attachment 375791Attachment 375792

OK, so that actually resizes the pictures in the insert method. Only one at a time though. I'll give that a shot and see if that is easier.

I have been going to the manage attachments and uploading from there.

My phone camera pictures are typically around 3.5 to 4.5 MB each. My dslr pictures are larger, but I rarely use those on SMC.

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Originally Posted by Matt Evans

OK, so that actually resizes the pictures in the insert method. Only one at a time though. I'll give that a shot and see if that is easier.

I have been going to the manage attachments and uploading from there.

My phone camera pictures are typically around 3.5 to 4.5 MB each. My dslr pictures are larger, but I rarely use those on SMC.

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You may still find some photos that SMC will not attempt to resize for you.

You might try some tests with your phone pictures. The lenses on phone cameras are rarely up to the quality where 3-4 MB can make any difference. I set the captured size on mine back to a lower resolution. The photos are still fine but take up far less space on the phone and less time to transfer/email. The quality is still good enough that I had one published as a magazine cover.

Attachment 375802

I still reduce pixel size and file size to reasonable web values before uploading, regardless of where I am uploading one. This only takes a few seconds with software that comes with almost any computer or online at numerous web sites, this is a good one: http://www.picresize.com/

I transfer all image for upload from my phone to my laptop. This only takes a couple of seconds by email.

You can upload several photos at once to an album on SMC then add them to messages as desired. This way they can be displayed larger in the message instead of a thumbnail if you like, for example, instead of thumbnails like these:

Attachment 375800 Attachment 375801
you can display larger like this (at least on a laptop/desktop computer screen, I don't know about a mobile device):
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...9&d=1471445201

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...5&d=1483813900

JKJ





JKJ

Good hints, John. I use icecream resizer. I don't do a lot of editing, mostly just crop and rotate on occasion. I'd love to do more, but until I have some time to actually learn, it just ain't gonna happen. I have Lightroom and Photoshop, but don't really know how to use them very well.

Insert picture into post I can only access the standard uploader, so only can upload one at a time.

Album does the same thing. I went into my settings and turned enhanced uploader off and then back on, but it made no difference. I also tried from Chrome and Firefox. I then tried Microsoft Edge, with the same result. (Not that I would ever use Edge for anything more than testing purposes)

I have Flash and Java turned on for SMC, and updated.

I take photos at full resolution on my phone. I am often taking pictures of things with fine detail or equipment tags in less than ideal conditions, and the higher resolution does help when identifying the serial numbers and whatnot when I zoom in. I have a OnePlus 5t with a pretty decent camera and 128gb storage on the phone, so not particularly worried about space. I also use Drop box for photo transfer between devices. Its set up to automatically upload and I don't have to worry about missing a picture here and there.

I don't like taking the DSLR out to the shop. Too much dust and not a great environment for it. Even a good chunk of product pictures are taken with my cell phone these days.


When is the switch to XenForo happening? First I've heard of that occurring.

Hm, the album uploader lets me do to at once: Add photos, browse, then the "+" sign to browse for a second photo. I use FireFox on Win10.

I edit and resize for uploading with Photoshop. It's the quickest and the Save For Web option can resize the image and reduce the file and save as a JPG all in one step. If you want any Photoshop instructions, just ask. (I used it for my work for many years.) Save For Web is available in both the full Photoshop and PS Elements.

I keep all photos in the original unedited form, save hi-res edited versions (append an "_e" to the end of the file name to identify) and make a separate directory tree for wood-related photos for posting, each resized for forum/email use, usually with "_small" appended to distinguish them.

I don't know the date of the switch - there will be announcements.

Seems they been talking about this new system for a long time now, must be getting close to time to do it:confused:

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Originally Posted by Bert Kemp

Seems they been talking about this new system for a long time now, must be getting close to time to do it:confused:

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It is still coming, our software expert also has a full time job and a family and we were waiting for the next edition to be released before proceeding. I understand there are some conversion issues getting our archives, etc across to the new software that are currently delaying the change.

Xenforo version 2 was released over a week ago but their conversion program has a bug that won't import our user list when names have odd characters. Aaron Koehl corrected the program himself and reported the problem to the Xenforo staff. We still need to complete the upgraded test bed install so we can start working on the software, things like a custom advertising menu and creating our tech support files. The initial configuration will be a big job as there are lots of decisions to make and we will no doubt have to make changes as we learn more about the software. Aaron has to see what it will take to preserve all of our search engine links as well.

I load my pics into DropBox and then resize them for SMC with PIX RESIZER. I then dload them separately as an attachment to my SMC post.
Lately though, many of my photos are loaded into the post non-vertically when it is published and not as they were originally..They are oriented differently (usually 90 degrees off)..
I cannot find a way to edit/rotate these images back to the original orientation (vertical).
In my most recent post yesterday here at SMC, 3 of my 4 images were oriented horizontally and I cannot find a way to rotate/correct back to vertical..
Your help/advice will be appreciated...Thanks:confused:

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Originally Posted by Jerry Olexa

I load my pics into DropBox and then resize them for SMC with PIX RESIZER. I then dload them separately as an attachment to my SMC post.
Lately though, many of my photos are loaded into the post non-vertically when it is published and not as they were originally..They are oriented differently (usually 90 degrees off)..
I cannot find a way to edit/rotate these images back to the original orientation (vertical).
In my most recent post yesterday here at SMC, 3 of my 4 images were oriented horizontally and I cannot find a way to rotate/correct back to vertical..
Your help/advice will be appreciated...Thanks:confused:

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Jerry,

I tried taking a look at this.

I don't know about PIX RESIZER, is that an online resizing program? I do know about PicResize.com and have tested it in the past.

I downloaded your photos from that message, the three incorrectly rotated and the one that was OK. The EXIF info (metadata) embedded in the JPG images indicated the X and Y dimensions were exactly as it appeared on SMC. That's a good thing.

I loaded one errant image into PicResize and rotated it there and saved it without resizing.
I loaded the same image into Photoshop Elements, rotated and saved.
All upload here as expected:

Attachment 376224 As downloaded
Attachment 376225 Rotated with PicResize.com
Attachment 376226 Rotated with Photoshop Elements

I examined and compared the metadata from each process and it was also as expected - no surprises.

I have never been able to duplicate a bad rotation when I upload photos so something is different here.
I use:
- Dell Precision 7510 and two other laptop computers to view, process, and upload
- Win 10 OS
- camera: Canon 70D (dslr)
- camera: Motorola droidx razr
- camera: several others
- Photoshop Elements to resize, save, edit, etc.
- FireFox browser to upload

Can you describe what you are using in hardware and software?
- the computer or device you use to view and upload the images?
- OS?
- camera?
- any local software used? (for example, do you email photos from a phone to a computer before uploading?)
- any local image software used besides the online PicResize?
- any other steps besides transferring to and from Dropbox?
- browser used to upload

- any other image software you have on your computer/device that could be used to load, edit, and save a photo.


Maybe someone who has the same issues can spot something in common. Fifteen years ago I was fairly fluent in digital image issues but so much has changed I sort of bungle around these days. But I'm willing to try to spot something if you want. (unless someone else already knows cause and fix)

There have been several mentions here of problems when using an iPhone. (Apple has a history of trying to make things foolproof for their users but unfortunately their schemes sometimes fall apart outside of their own sphere of hardware/software.) I don't have an iPhone but my wife does so maybe I can borrow a photo from her if needed and I do have a couple of iPads I could test with if needed, but it might be simplest to test with your own images.

The easiest thing would be if I had two images from you to experiment with: one that you resized that uploads to SMC correctly every time and one that you resized that does not. For both of these I would like a the original files as well, before any resizing or other processing. (so email four images total)

This way I can try running them through Dropbox, PicResize, Photoshop, etc. and compare the internal metadata after each step. Maybe something will jump out at me.

JKJ

John Jordan covered some of this....Photos have metadata that tells the software what way the picture is supposed to be viewed. Many cameras (phones, tablets etc.) put this data in the photo file when the photo is taken. Most smart phones, tablets, etc. will read that data and always display the photo right side up no matter which way you rotate the device. The SMC software doesn't do that. I use either Adobe Photo Shop or Windows live Photo Gallery (free with windows 7 and newer) to preview photos I wish to upload to SMC. When you create a post you can go back and edit that post including the photos for a period of time after you make the post and fix any errors or even add information. If your photos are oriented incorrectly as viewed here, go tot eh advanced setting and remove them, then add photos that are properly oriented.

Note: I use the same software to fix photos that are oriented wrong here. I simply down load the photo, view it on one of those photo editors and then save the file after orienting it correctly and put it back here.

Windows Live Photo Gallery does some pretty neat things for "Free software". Here are two photos taken on a vacation. I took the first one then traded places with my wife and she took the second one.
Attachment 376231Attachment 376233
Here are the two photos fused together with Windows Live Photo Gallery
Attachment 376235

Thanks Lee and John....Difficult to identify exactly what is happening.. I take my pics with my relatively new Samsung 8 Android cell and load into DropBox as a camera upload...Then I do a normal response or thread in SMC and load these in as attachments to my post...When published, the rotation ocurrs.

As an interesting BTW, I find now when I click on the opened (enlarged) pics I posted, they will correct and go back to true vertical.
Thanks for your help...I suppose we all have bigger issues to pursue....Thanks

Take a look at this Thread there is more information on photos and even four photos taken with my Samsung S-4. Why your photos end up sideways