FotoControl Configuration for Fuji Frontier Minilabs v3

FotoControl Configuration for Fujifilm Frontier Minilab User Guide Supplement Version 3

2 • FotoControl Configuration for Fuji Frontier Minilabs v3

Contents Introduction

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Introduction...................................................................................................................... 5 About FotoControl............................................................................................................ 5 Software requirements.................................................................................................... 6

FotoControl installation

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Installing FotoControl ...................................................................................................... 7 Starting FotoControl ........................................................................................................ 8

FotoControl configuration

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Starting the FotoControl configuration utility ................................................................. 9 Configuring the Fujifilm Frontier minilab........................................................................ 9 Setup tab ............................................................................................................ 10 Options tab ......................................................................................................... 14 Colour tab ........................................................................................................... 16

Frontend operation

19

Hints on Frontier output ................................................................................................ 20

Contents • 3


Introduction Introduction This document describes specific installation requirements and the configuration of the RIP for Minilabs service tab in FotoControl for output to Fujifilm Frontier minilabs. Please see the FotoControl User Guide for further information on the use and configuration of FotoControl.

About FotoControl FotoControl is an image output program designed to be used in conjunction with other Axiom imaging software. It processes 'LACE' files (.LAC), which are job files in an Axiom proprietary format that contains all the information required to process an order. FotoControl is capable of processing jobs to a wide variety of output types: CD writing, report writing (index prints, CD Labels etc), ripping to a range of digital photographic quality printers and minilabs, ripping to Windows printers (eg inkjet printers), as well as Internet upload in FTP and HTTP formats. Each output type is set up as a separate service and FotoControl can process one or multiple services; each service runs in a separate area of the display and operates independently of the others. Each service is also configured separately. Jobs that are submitted appear in the Input queue (Queue). They are processed by each service in turn depending upon the requirements specified by the LACE file. After processing is complete they are transferred to either the Error or Done queue.

Introduction • 5

Software requirements In order to output digital images to the Frontier, Axiom requires two software components: •

Frontend software - this is supplied by Fujifilm with the Frontier Minilab; the software is commonly known as C4. In some countries it has been upgraded to C4/C5. The C5 element refers to the ability of the Frontier to save its scanned output to disk on the Frontend PC. The purpose of this application is to provide a simple interface to image pixel files like tiff, jpeg and bitmap files.

•

ODBC - when running on the same PC as the Frontend software, the supporting environment is already present but when running on a separate PC, then ODBC support must be present to communicate with the Frontend Access or SQL database. The F-DIA within the C4 software manages the Microsoft Access or SQL database (ie c:\fdia \db\fdia.mde in the case of Access - as a precaution it is a good idea to backup this file). This file contains all the settings from C4 that includes the page sizes and names that have been created by the user on the Frontier. If FotoControl is being run on a separate PC (NT/W2000 only) to the Frontend software: •

Open the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools and then access the Data Sources (ODBC) section.

•

Ensure that either the Microsoft Access Driver, or for version 4 and above, that the SQL Server driver is present.


FotoControl installation Installing FotoControl The installation is described in the FotoControl User Guide. This section describes the specific variations required to install a Fuji Frontier minilab. 1. Load the CD-ROM into the CD drive. The CD is set to autorun; when the Welcome screen is displayed, click on the graphic to display the install screen. 2. Start the FotoControl installation process. Read the program and copyright information and then click Next to continue. 3. Follow the on-screen prompts until the Minilab Configuration Options screen is displayed.

4. Select the Fujifilm Frontier option and then click Next to continue. You are then prompted for the output path location.

FotoControl installation • 7

5. If the default is appropriate, click Next to continue, otherwise type in the path to your preferred location and then click Next to continue. The installation continues to completion, as described in the FotoControl User Guide.

Starting FotoControl FotoControl can be launched as follows: 1. From the desktop (when available), double-click on the FotoControl shortcut (below).

2. From the Windows Start button using Programs, FotoControl, FotoControl.

Note: Before running FotoControl for the first time, use the FCConfig program to configure FotoControl, see FotoControl configuration.


FotoControl configuration Starting the FotoControl configuration utility The configuration of FotoControl is performed using the FCConfig utility. FCConfig can be launched as follows: •

From the desktop (when available), double-click on the FCConfig shortcut (below).

•

From the Windows Start button, select Programs, FotoControl, Configure FotoControl.

Configuring the Fujifilm Frontier minilab This section describes the specific configuration requirements for the Fujifilm Frontier minilab. For full configuration details, including adding new services, see the FotoControl User Guide. To configure the Fujifilm Frontier Minilab: 1. With the FCConfig utility on display, click on the Fujifilm Frontier tab. The service page is displayed.

FotoControl configuration • 9

2. Click on the Configure button. The Fujifilm Frontier configuration page is displayed.

The Fujifilm Frontier is configured using the three tabs, Setup, Options and Colour. Each tab/screen is described in the following sections.

Setup tab Complete the Setup tab (shown below) as follows:

•

Output Path - This is a folder that is used as temporary space while processing output to the minilab.

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Frontier Connection - The first time you configure or create a device for the Frontier, a connection to the Database of the Frontend should be established. This is achieved by pressing the Frontier Connection button. On the first time this is performed, FotoControl will seek out all Frontend machines that it can find on the network. If there is more than one, then the user will be presented with a choice as to which Frontend machine a connection should be made. When a successful connection to a Frontend machine has been found, the ‘Frontier Setup ’ screen is displayed.


For information on the options displayed on this screen, see Frontier Setup.

Frontier setup •

Colour Space / Output Devices - When FotoControl connects to a Frontend machine it will find the colour spaces and output devices that are available. The default colour space found (typically Frontier_sRGB or COLOR_sRGB) would normally be the correct one to use – however you can also select a particular colour space here as well. By default, the Input colour space is sRGB with SP-1500sRGB or SP-2000sRGB as the output device. If you do not want to apply a colour space conversion during the imaging process, choose COLOR_PD as the input colour space and SP-1500PD (on some machines SP2000 may replace SP1500) as the Output device. No other combination will achieve this. In addition, the intermediate file format should be set to BMP, see File Format.

•

Auto Exif Colour - If the input file is known to originate from a Digital Camera and is an Exif JPEG then better results can be achieved by setting the Colour Space to COLOR_EXIF. If you wish to have this switching done automatically then check the Auto EXIF Color Space box.

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Frontier Pages Sizes - If you click on the Frontier Page Sizes button the software displays the available page sizes on the selected output device. Click OK to exit the screen.

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Settings - The Settings button provides access to additional configuration options.


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Backprint - this section controls whether the Frontier will use its ability to print information on the back of prints. There are two lines that can be backprinted; each line is enabled or disabled through the associated check box adjacent to the entry field. The first is a set format that includes filename, job number, date, time etc. The second is user-definable – you can type your own text message of up to 40 characters (eg customer name, copyright information etc).

•

Max Image Per Order – when enabled, this will set the maximum number of images that will be contained in any one order. For larger orders, this allows the Frontier to start printing sooner whilst the remaining images are prepared. The same Order number will appear in the Frontend window for each of the components of the order.

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File Format - this is the desired file format (RAW, BMP or JPEG) for the intermediate files that will be sent to the Frontend.

Note: RAW format is not supported in this version.

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FDI Conversion - When FotoControl is used on a separate PC to the Merlin, this can be used to enable the FDI Convert Server modules which process images for printing by the Frontier, to run on the local FotoControl machine – this can give performance advantages.

Note: If the FotoControl machine is being used to run the FDI Convert Servers then the PC should not be shut down while conversion are being processed.

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Override - These are advanced settings used with EXIF jpeg files to control how they are handled by the Frontier. Table 1 describes the options. Table 1: Frontier Setup Settings – Override options Option

Description

Transfer the EXIF header

This can be used to enable or disable the transfer of EXIF information to the Frontier.

Do not transfer the EXIF Header for packages

This can be used to disable the transfer of EXIF information when a package is being processed.

Force DSC attribute off –

EXIF JPEG files from digital cameras have a different adjustment when processed by the Frontier – this can be disabled with this switch if required (eg to give the same adjustment for digital camera files as for EXIF files that aren't from digital cameras).

Force EXIF colour off when no DSC present –

This will disable EXIF colour adjustment being made on images that aren't from digital camera (eg this could be used on images that have been retouched and may have thus been converted to a particular colour space).

Force EXIF colour off –

This can be used to avoid any colour space correction being done by the Frontier on any JPEG files containing EXIF information.


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Option

Description

Force DSC off on Adobe Marker –

EXIF JPEG files from digital cameras have a different adjustment when processed by the Frontier – this can be disabled with this switch if the Adobe Marker is detected in the EXIF data – this is used for images that have been edited in an Adobe application.

Force EXIF colour off on Adobe Marker –

This will disable EXIF colour adjustment on images that have been edited in an Adobe application.

Force DSC Off/On for unknown models

DSC is a flag in the EXIF header that indicates whether the image originated from a Digital Stills Camera. For camera models that have not been entered in the Channel Configuration library, this field forces the DSC switch off or on.

Force EXIF Colour Off for unknown models

EXIF is one of two colour space modes supported by FotoControl. For camera models that have not been entered in the Channel Configuration library, this field, when selected, forces the system to use the sRGB colour space mode.

Use Custom Rendering

Custom Rendering is a field in the EXIF header. This sets whether the Custom Rendering field will be recognised. This will allow for the switch to sRGB rather than EXIF if in-camera processing has been performed.

DSC Channels – Select this button when it is necessary to control the processing of images coming from digital cameras based on the camera model.

The features of the DSC Channel Configuration screen are described in Table 2.


Table 2: DSC Channel Configuration options Option

Description

Settings

Select options to create a list of models and attach certain settings to each one. These settings will override any global settings set elsewhere. For an explanation of the options see Table 1 above.

Camera Model

This displays any digital camera models that are configured. Select a camera from the list – the settings shown on the left can be configured separately for each camera model – these will then override the global settings for these attributes.

New Model

To add a digital camera type to the list, click on the Capture button. The ‘Find Exif JPEG File’ screen is displayed. This can be used to browse and select a JPEG file from the relevant digital camera (this must be a file containing EXIF information in the .jpg file – the EXIF information will include information about the camera type). Select Open – if a camera model is detected in the selected JPEG file you will be prompted whether to add the camera type. The new camera will then appear on the drop down list for the camera model, and settings can be applied to it.

Options tab Complete the Options tab (shown below) as follows:

•

Picture Size - The Picture Size setting is used to set the print size for the FotoControl device being configured. It will display the list of available sizes on the device that is selected on the Frontier Output field underneath Picture size. On the default SP-2000sRGB output setting you would have a whole range of print sizes available.

•

Frontier Output - This is used to select which of the Frontier's configured output options will be used for that device.

•

CD Service – Select this check box if you want the option of creating a CD.


•

Pixel Scaling - This is used to set how images will be scaled to the print size (set in the Setup tab). The Pixel Scaling options are as follows: •

Scale to Fill - A picture file will be scaled so that it fills the size of the paper specified in the paper tray option. There may be some cropping of the image if its shape is different to that of the size settings.

Note: All scaling is done in proportion – the image is not stretched.

•

Scale to Fit - A picture file will be scaled so that it fits the size of the paper specified in the paper tray option. The image will not be cropped, but there may be a white border if the picture shape is different to the size settings.*

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No Scaling - A picture file will be output at the resolution of the printer (ie one pixel on the image will equate to one pixel on the printed image ).

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Custom Size - Not used.

•

Pixel Scaling Mode - This setting controls the type of interpolation used when scaling pixel images. The default setting of Normal is the fastest mode. The High setting applies bicubic interpolation, which can give better quality on scaled images but will take longer to apply. This tends to be used for larger sizes (eg over 7”x5”).

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Sharpening - This can be used to apply sharpening to images as they are processed – a typical value is 20-25. The range is up to 100 but higher values should be avoided as they can adversely affect image quality.

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Pixel Auto Rotate - With this check box selected, image files will be printed using the best orientation to fill the paper. For example, if a portrait file is sent to a landscape size, it will automatically be rotated.

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Pixel Label Style - This drop down list allows a label such as some text or a logo to be added to an image file on output. (See the FotoControl User Guide for more details).

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Package - This drop down list allows you to select a package. A package is a print option that enables an image to be repeated on pages at preset sizes for applications such as passport photos, mini-prints, school packages etc. It can also be useful for saving media when producing prints smaller than the paper sizes supported by a printer. (See the FotoControl User Guide for more details).

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Border – This check box option can be used to give prints with a white border around the edge of the print.


Colour tab This can be used to apply colour adjustments or colour connection (profiles) at the ripping stage on a per device basis. Complete the Colour tab (shown below) as follows:

•

Brightness - These three values provide a basic control of the overall brightness of the image. The Brightness can be set for each of the RGB (Red, Green and Blue) colour components; the values can be varied from -9 (darker) to + 9 (lighter). Brightness allows corrections to be made to images that are too light or too dark, or when there is an overall colour cast (not a cross-curve) affecting the image. The brightness values work in the same way as a gamma adjustment, where the white and black ends of the tonal range remain fixed, and midtones are adjusted progressively.

•

Intensity/Saturation/Contrast - These attributes can be adjusted separately using values from -9 (darker) to + 9 (lighter).

Note: Printer Calibration - The Brightness, Intensity, Saturation and Contrast controls are intended to provide a quick method of making simple adjustments but are not a substitute for a correctly calibrated printer.


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Colour Connection - This allows a colour management system to make colour adjustments to images ‘on-the-fly’, during the ripping stage of output. The use of a colour management system allows colour adjustments to be applied to images ‘on-the-fly’, during output. This is especially important when converting between colour spaces (ie output of RGB images on CMYK printers, or CMYK images on RGB printers). The colour management system currently available is the Heidelberg Colour Engine, it allows colour profiles in the ICC format to be used. These profiles may be generated by the user (using colour profiling software) or provided by a third party (eg monitor, printer, scanner, or operating systems manufacturers etc). Profiles can be set separately for source (input) images for RGB and CMYK scans. These are then used in conjunction with an output profile for the printer device being used. Some colour profiles are supplied with FotoControl – these are in the \CC folder inside the FotoControl software folder. The profiles will be applied automatically while image files are being printed. •

Mode - this is a drop down list that allows you to enable the colour management systems built into FotoControl.

Note: Colour management can also be turned off by selecting Off from the list. This will also turn off all of the other colour adjustment functions.

•

RGB Scans - This area allows you to select an input profile for RGB images (i.e. a colour profile describing the colour space of the images that are being used). The file location of the colour profile can be specified in the second box; you can enter the file location directly into the box or select it using the Browse function. The options available in the drop down list will depend on the colour management system selected. If the Heidelberg colour engine is being used, several options (including ‘Off’) will be available.

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CMYK Scans - This area allows you to select an input profile for CMYK images - (i.e. a colour profile describing the colour space of the images that are being used). The file location of the colour profile can be specified in the second box; you can enter the file location directly into the box or select it using the Browse function. The options available in the drop down list will depend on the colour management system selected. If the Heidelberg colour engine is being used, several options (including ‘Off’) will be available.

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Output ICC Profile - The file location of the Output ICC Profile can be entered directly into the box or selected using the Browse function. This should be a colour profile for the printer being used.



Frontend operation The Frontend software would normally be running when the machine is started but it need not be running for an order to be sent to it. When it is running a FotoControl order will appear in FE-IN, which is an Input Queue that the C4 software uses. This Queue is displayed in the Order Reception window of C4. When orders are registered with the F-DIA data base files, the ripped files are automatically copied from their locations and the conversion process is performed by C4 on all the files in the order. When this is done the ‘converting’ status changes to one of ‘Wait’ which indicates that C4 is waiting for the Controlling software on the Frontier to be ready to receive digital data (the operator must put the Frontier in this mode) If the correct paper is in the Frontier and selected, the prints will be made with no further intervention from the user. When the order is printed, the entry will be removed from the screen after a preset interval if the Fujifilm Engineers have set this feature. One note – previously it was possible to print one part of a mixed paper width order, and it would appear that the order has been printed successfully, although one of the paper widths was not been printed. With the current version of the Axiom software, any mixed paper orders will be split into sub-orders containing only a single paper width.

Frontend operation • 19

Hints on Frontier output •

Wherever possible, install FotoControl and Frontend software on separate PCs.

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Frontend software benefits from having the highest spec PC in order to run its ‘Convert Servers’.

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If FotoControl fails to make a connection and hence does not get a list of Frontier paper names then take the following action: •

If the Frontend software is working with the Access database then copy the file fdiaclient.dll that is to be found in c:\fe of the Frontend software into \imgdir.

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With the SQL database the fdiaclient.dll is now placed in the c:\winnt\system32 folder. If FotoControl is running on the same machine as Frontend then remove the version of fdiaclient.dll in the \imgdir so that only the one in c:\winnt\system32 can be found and so used. Alternatively, if FotoControl is installed on a remote machine then in order to ensure that the correct .dll is used copy the fdiaclient.dll that is in c:\winnt\system32 on the Frontend PC to the \imgdir folder overwriting any other fdiaclient.dll that might be found there. In the case of Version 4.0 and above you should also copy fdiaclient40.dll to \imgdir.

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When working from a remote machine you must always ensure that this machine has logged in (Frontier/FRONTIER) or is a User of the Frontend PC, or there will be a lengthy wait whilst the remote PC tries to interrogate all the PCs on the Network including the Frontend in order to establish an ODBC link.

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With the SQL database (version 3.52 and below) when working on a remote machine, ensure that this machine is logged in as (Frontier/FRONTIER) and has administrator rights.

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Also confirm that both the InSpool and OutSpool folders on the Frontend PC are shared with the shared names ‘InSpool’ and ‘OutSpool’, for remote operation.


FotoControl Configuration for Fuji Frontier Minilabs v3

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