LaserSoft Imaging

Hi,

I am just getting to grips with SF, and I am having a few problems understanding a few things concerning batch scanning and the job manager.

Setup: Silverfast Ai 6.2.2r1, Windows XP Prof, Mocrotek ArttxScan 4000tf.

I am trying to scan all slides in the slide holder. I am unsure if batch scanning is suitable. I can find no way to scan more than one slide. The latest version of the manual (modified date 31/10/2003) on page 217 describes hpow to scan with an automatic document feeder. Step 2 of this process is to hit the load image button. All this does is eject the slide holder from the scanner. If I ommit this stage, and hit prescan, which is the next step, I get the prescan, but the scan button does not change to scan batch, so I can only get one scan, and not the four that I want. Am I missing some options somewhere or something?

I have had some success with the job manager, but it appears a bit cumbersome for what I want to do. I am also getting some very strange stuff on the screen whilst it is executing, and not only do I have little control over file names, I don't understand the file names produced. I can't find any of this covered in the manual.

What I would like to do is to scan a whole strip of slides with as little intervention from myself as possible. I don't want to do a prescan for each image. I would want to set the image type once, as it would be the same for all images. I would also hope that the sw can automatically crop the scan to just give the actual image area rather than the slide mount.

Any help will be appreciated.
Steve

Ian Lyon's tutorials:

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/sf5_contents.htm

Tutorials 4 and 5

Frank

I'm using a Nikon film scanner. the process to scan more than 1 image would be:

1. load the film
2. launch SF Ai
3. set Mode to Batch (File)
4. click Prescan
5. set the frame position, size and name
6. set other parameters (I usually only output HDR with Ai)
7. click Process (or Scan)
8. in the dialog box, select the destination and turn on Serial Number.
9. click OK to let the scanning begin.

have you set Mode to Batch (File)?

Gregory,

I have just upgraded from a PIE 1800Silver to a Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 and I was having problems with the batch file and your advice helped immensely. Now I can utilize the transparency holder to scan 4 slides in succession.

Now to try and master Job Manager which also gives me problems.

Mike

Thanks guys. I got the batch working. I guess the problem was that I was reading the manual .

A few issues still hanging around:
1) I assume that there is no auto-frame option, so on the pre-scan it is a case of creating a frame just a bit bigger than the slide, and hope that this allows for any slight prositional discreperencies in the slide holder. Also put portrait and landscape format slides the same way. Does this not effect the auto-correction with some strips of black frame around all te edges?

2) How does filenaming work, and does the user have any control over it? I have had some funny results from my experimentations so far, but I sure that there must be some process in there.

Is it me, or does the quality of documentation for such an expensive product leave a bit (read lot) to be desired?

Steve