I developed an application which is called Appia. Appia extracts image information from the JPEG headers (whether EXIF or XMP) as well as from the filename. It then creates the related media records in TMS, moves the image file into the correct folder location, generates a thumbnail image file, writes the appropriate Media to Object xref in TMS, and finally collects tombstone data from TMS about the objects depicted in the image and embeds that information into the XMP header of the jpeg. It works on a hotfolder basis - so images are placed into a folder on the network, and Appia will process all of the images in that folder. It also comes with a feature to update a single image (in case a color corrected derivative of the same file name supersedes an image in TMS or you accidentally delete the image file from the file server), and another to spider over images in a folder an update the object tombstone metadata embedded in the XMP header. The process almost completely automates our image workflow - we used this script to link 9000 images in two days. The only drawbacks are that we have to run the thumbnail utility to embed thumbnail blobs into the database, and we have to change ranking for objects with multiple images. But all in all, I spend less then fifteen minutes processing images, regardless of how many derivatives photography sends me that day. Chad M Petrovay Collections Database Administrator P: 410.547.9000 x266 -----Original Message----- From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Fournier, Melissa Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 10:28 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: media record creation/automation Dear TMS users - I am interested to hear from any of you that have automated or otherwise developed methods to streamline the creation and population of TMS media records (media type digital images/linked to Objects) as part of your digital imaging workflow. Anyone out there who has done this and wouldn't mind answering a few questions? Please feel free to contact me directly, unless this is of general interest to the list. Thanks, Melissa Melissa Gold Fournier Associate Museum Registrar YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART [log in to unmask] Mailing: P.O. Box 208280, New Haven, CT 06520 Shipping: 161 York Street, New Haven, CT 06511 Fax: 203 432 6780 Phone: 203 432 2834