PHOTOfunStudio Replacement

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Phil Seastrand

Active member
Since the supplied PHOTOfunSTUDIO doesn't seem to import GH1(3) videos I've created a simple replacement tool for Windows. I created this for myself, but thought others could take advantage of it so I'm going to share it here. I can only provide minimal support, but I will do what I can.

The interface is simple: you supply the path to the GH1 file system, and a path to the desired destination. Click import and the photos and videos will be copied. There are a couple of options:
1) The source and destination are remembered from use to use so I've provided for an optional sub-folder specification. This supports a use pattern where you have a target C:\Pictures, for example, and you want to be able to specify a unique sub-folder name for each import.
2) Photos and Videos can be separated into two distinct sub-folders. The names of these sub-folders are specified in the Options page.
3) Further, a date sub-folder can be created from the source file dates.
4) Optionally copy Clipinfo (CPI) files for all videos.

The tool renames the source video files to the date/time the video file was created and changes the extension from MTS to M2TS. I can easily support local languages if someone is willing to do the translations. If you want your language supported, let me know and I'll send you the strings to be translated. I didn't try to make this idiot proof, but it should handle to most common issues. If you have problems, send me detailed information and I'll do what I can to solve it.

To install it, download the attached GH1Importer.zip file and unzip the contents to a temporary folder. Run the setup.exe program in the root folder.

I hope you find this useful.

You can download the latest version from this link:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8pjdj08Bf6_QVZkMmt2YzlwZm8/edit?usp=sharing

Change Log:

* Version 1.0.20 -- Added support for generalized photo rename.
* Version 1.0.19 -- Added support to import MP4 files from the GH3.
* Version 1.0.18 -- Added support to import audio from Zoom H1.
* Version 1.0.17 -- Support with or without PRIVATE folder for additional cameras; if launched via the AutoPlay feature, source defaults to the root of the device causing the AutoPlay.
* Version 1.0.16 -- Rewrote the playlist parsing code to more properly handle the data stored there.
* Version 1.0.15 -- Added support for HMC-150 Panasonic camcorder.
* Version 1.0.14 -- Chinese text (thanks to anonymous for the translations)
* Version 1.0.13 -- Corrected playlist handling to support GH2 generated data and changed to last modified date for photos when creating sub-folders (thanks polarbeer).
* Version 1.0.12 -- Added AutoPlay option and remembers previous paths.
* Version 1.0.11 -- Added option to append file mode (FHD, L, etc.) to file name.
* Version 1.0.9 -- Changed technique to support other languages.
* Version 1.0.8 -- Fixed issue with non-Windows7 systems.
* Version 1.0.7 -- New dialog when duplicate file is encountered, option to erase the card
* Version 1.0.6 -- Added Cancel button, improved progress bar, added option to copy Clipinfo (CPI) files.
* Version 1.0.5 -- Added support for mis-matched playlist and stream files.
* Version 1.0.4 -- Supports RW2 (Raw) pictures and added detailed message if the application fails. Please post the contents of the "Import failed" dialog when reporting a problem if you see it.
* Version 1.0.3 -- Now includes two check boxes to select videos and/or photos per user request.
 
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Phil,

Many thanks for offering this tool to us.
I hadn't seen the need...until PhotoFunStudio would only download 2 out of 5 or 6 video's on my card. I could access them by delving into the 'Stream' folder, but they obviously were then still '.mts' files with no date/time dated attached etc.
So I thought your tool would be a better way to take my GH-13 AVCHD 25p files off the card.

In case there was a problem on these files, I decided to use some more that PhotoFunStudio had no problem with.
However your GH-1 File Importer started OK but quit after awhile...telling me 'it had a problem and needed to close.'
In fact it had downloaded 2 of the 3 files on that card OK, so I moved over to the CF card that I had problems with in PhotoFunStudio...and your program quit immediately without downloading any of them.
So, as is often the case, 'beta testing' hits a glitch.
David
 
I installed your tool on windows 7 64bit, work perfectly, I just imported 72 files with it, no problems.

Thanks for this tool.
 
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Phil, thanks for this nice tool.

I used it 2 times.
first, I tried to import 122 .MTS files (SH) and 1 MOV file, and it ended to shut down with one .MTS file not to be extracted from SD card, rest of files were OK.
second, 4 .MTS files imported successfully.

and I noticed this tool doesn't read .RW2 files.
 
churasan said:
Phil, thanks for this nice tool.

I used it 2 times.
first, I tried to import 122 .MTS files (SH) and 1 MOV file, and it ended to shut down with one .MTS file not to be extracted from SD card, rest of files were OK.
second, 4 .MTS files imported successfully.

and I noticed this tool doesn't read .RW2 files.
Click to expand...

Did it give any message about the one .MTS file is didn't extract? I forgot about raw files, I'll modify the application to copy them as well. Stay tuned.
 
I've updated the base note with version 1.0.4 which supports raw photo files and adds some diagnostic messages when an error occurs.
 
I suspect I'm missing the point here - I've always just done a drag and drop from the card to the PC, and never used software for that. What did Photofunstudio do that was useful in this context? Have I been missing something good all along (like maybe it turns my crap shots into good ones?? :) )
 
ozpeter said:
i suspect i'm missing the point here - i've always just done a drag and drop from the card to the pc, and never used software for that. What did photofunstudio do that was useful in this context? Have i been missing something good all along (like maybe it turns my crap shots into good ones?? :) )
Click to expand...

+1
 
Ozpeter said:
I suspect I'm missing the point here - I've always just done a drag and drop from the card to the PC, and never used software for that. What did Photofunstudio do that was useful in this context? Have I been missing something good all along (like maybe it turns my crap shots into good ones?? :) )
Click to expand...

Me too, just drag and drop the stream folder. Cineform reads the files, so does Vegas and Tmpgenc..............???
 
Phil Seastrand said:
Did it give any message about the one .MTS file is didn't extract? I forgot about raw files, I'll modify the application to copy them as well. Stay tuned.
Click to expand...

only error message was from windows,"will you report this error to microsoft?", I think. sorry for not remembering details...
BTW thanks for update. I'll try it.


in comparison to just drag and drop files with explorer, I think such tool like GH1importer or PHOTOFUNstudio is useful for that
it renames the imported files from simple serial number like "00000.MTS" to date-time number like "20100717_133500.m2ts".
and more, it devides the files into the folders according to the date automatically.
these are very useful functions, I think.
 
Ozpeter said:
I suspect I'm missing the point here - I've always just done a drag and drop from the card to the PC, and never used software for that. What did Photofunstudio do that was useful in this context? Have I been missing something good all along (like maybe it turns my crap shots into good ones?? :) )
Click to expand...
Here's my reasons:
1) Convenience -- With one click I can copy all the photos and movies from various folders into a single folder. If I use the "drag and drop" technique, I have to navigate down into the card folders each time.
2) If I have multiple cards for the same shoot I'm going to have file name collisions. Also, 00000.MTS and 00001.MTS don't tell me much about the clips. At least I have the date/time the clip was shot in the filename.
3) It was fun to write! PHOTOfunSTUDIO had a lot more features that I didn't need. Once the hack broke it, I wanted to create a tool that implemented the features I needed. I thought others would benefit from it as well.
 
churasan said:
only error message was from windows,"will you report this error to microsoft?", I think. sorry for not remembering details...
BTW thanks for update. I'll try it.
Click to expand...
The updated application should present a more useful message. If you get a message with the caption "Import Failed", post the contents of this message if you can.
 
Updated to version 1.0.5 which adds support for when the playlists and stream contents are not in sync. This can happen when the camera freezes or there is a write problem to the card. All the video files are copied, but the exact date/time cannot be set for the extra file(s). When this happens I use the file date/time instead of the playlist date/time.

This may be a cause for some of the reported failures during import of video files.
 
Works great! Thanks! Requests for next version: -Cancel button during import -Option to import .cpi files for video metadata -Option to delete after import (with are you sure prompt) -If you can figure out a way to put .mts files back on the card in a way the GH1 can play back in camera.
 
Thank you, this works great. I have problems with Win7 64bit importing and Fun studio, but your aplication resolved this.
 
beaglesd said:
Works great! Thanks! Requests for next version: -Cancel button during import -Option to import .cpi files for video metadata -Option to delete after import (with are you sure prompt) -If you can figure out a way to put .mts files back on the card in a way the GH1 can play back in camera.
Click to expand...
These sound like reasonable features. I'm away from my development machine for the next week, so it'll be awhile before I can get to it. The only request that I don't know about it the last one -- putting the .mts files back on the card. This is a little outside the scope of what I'm trying to do.
 
.cpi files

.cpi files

Does anyone know what's in the .cpi the files? I'm not using them now, but Daliv recommended saving them. Not sure which programs can read them. At least they're small and it's better than saving the whole AVCHD directory structure. Cheers.
 
in that file clip information such as all stream parameters (possible cameras inside that file store: resolution, FPS, AR, shutter speed, exposure, etc ...) many of which not persists in main stream, if not interested in that infos - you may surely omit that files and copy only *.mts ..., BUT currently can't suggest any program that natively reads that files.
 
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Published Version 1.0.6 with these changes:
  • Added Cancel button to abort the import in progress. The current file will finish coping before the cancel takes effect.
  • Improved the progress bar by updating the taskbar per Win7 styles.
  • Added option to copy Clipinfo (CPI) files along with the M2TS files.
I elected to not add a delete option because I don't want to be responsible for deleting someone's files. Besides, I recommend re-formatting each time as this keeps the card from getting fragmented.

Putting files back onto the card is beyond the scope of the application.

Enjoy!
 
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