Uploading files to a web site is an adventure at times to say the least. Especially larger files. As someone who has been involved in the development of this site I have had the chance to learn about all the ugly stuff which is necessary to make sure files are uploaded, previews are generated and finally the original upload is protected.
The challenge with such a task is to make sure everything runs smoothly. Years ago I was tinkering around with a image gallery system written by some geeks which anyone could use on their web site. You had to know some basics behind web development and setting up a database in order to get it to work but after a few tries I was successful in getting it to run on my website, providing me with a way to upload my pictures via my web browser. The system was pretty solid and I saw a lot of potential but being that it was on a web site, I had to deal with certain limitations set by the server. They eventually offfered a deskop application which elimiated the need to upload through your web browser which made things so much easier. I knew if ever I had a gallery system built the way I wanted, I would also want to have a tool to make the uploading even easier and not be at the mercy of a web browser.
Well that day has finally come. Today I am pleased to announce a standalone "Windows" based desktop application people can download which will allow them to populate their galleries without being subject to some of the limitations of a web page. The software is simply titled “Portfolio Builder” which we are now making available to Yakmonkey Seller account members.
The software is in beta, which means it is still being tested for bugs and compatibility but most people running the Vista or Windows 7 should not have any problems with the software. Of course we would like to here if you do have any problems. The software has actually been out for a few months now and is being used by one of the largest photo studios in Texas. They use it to populate their event galleries with students’ pictures, graduation photos and convention pictures. As you can imagine they are posting hundreds of photos a day with it if not thousands so a tool like this is ideal. The software is very simply to use:
- Start the software
- Login with your FinerWorks/Yakmonkey username and password
- Select the gallery you want to upload to
- Select Up to 100 of your images and click "upload"
Depending on the image file size, quantity, Internet speed it could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to upload your images. I would let it run and go do something else while it is uploading. The software will show you how it is progressing with the uploads.
For you MAC users, we have not forgotten. We were about to post a MAC version but are needing to go back to the drawing board. We discovered a number of problems depending on the version of OS X being used so have decided to start from scratch.
Giclee Printing at FinerWorks
One of the largest ranges of paper selections, while using the highest level of archival print technology allowing superior detail and color, you can create custom giclee prints of your artwork and photos.