* Moving Media to Sub-folders

[Shiriki]

Hi

I have just completed tidying up my Place records (using 8 columns and ignoring the Address field except for repositories) and I now wish to sort out my media files.
I would like to have some structure to the various images within my media files and segregate Birth Certificates from Marriage Certificates, Census images and so forth along similar lines to that shown by davidm_uk in cannot find media (12728).
My FH program (6.0.4) is installed on my D: drive along with FH zipped backups.
At present all my media images are in one folder by default:
C:\users\brian\my documents\family historian projects\my family file\my family file.fh_data\media.......
As an experiment I have created a new folder (Birth Certificates) within this media folder and moved a birth certificate image via cutting and pasting into this new folder.
When I next open FH and examine media via the 'View all Media' from the drop down menu I am presented with media images but I cannot see the newly created 'Birth Certificate' folder and a rectangle with a cross through it appears where the 'old' Birth Certificate image used to reside.
Presumably the latter is due to a broken link which needs to be removed and a new link made to the images new location within the Birth Certificate folder.
I am using Method 1 for sources, with each image linked to its own respective source record.
I can see that I can unlink the old image from this record and link it to it's new location, but what perplexes my at this moment in time is whether it is possible or not) for FH to show such 'nested' folders within the media pane and hence drill down to view them? (an Image within my trial nested folder doesn't seem to appear within the media pane on my system at present)...... If so then once the folders are set up (using Windows Explorer?) then can one import an image into FH and then choose what nested folder it is going to be placed in?
Am I missing something?......is so what is the most elegant way to achieve what I desire or is this something for a wish list?

Many Thanks in Advance

Shiriki

[tatewise]

Hi Shiriki, I have started a new thread for this topic.

You say "My FH program (6.0.4) is installed on my D: drive" and yet "C:\users\brian\my documents\family historian projects..." is used for Projects. Was that a typo? Did you mean FH is installed on C: drive, or your Project is on D: drive?

As I said in that other thread: The process of reorganising your FH photos into Media sub-folders is quite tricky, and requires a good understanding of how to use Windows Explorer to create new folders and move files, and the FH Tools > External File Links options to adjust FH records to match. If you get it wrong then all your photos will become invisible to FH, and all you will get is black X broken links.

What you want to achieve is perfectly feasible, and well supported by FH. See how_to:changing_external_file_links|> Changing External File Links for details of changing the links in bulk.

To correct individual links in FH V6, open the Multimedia Window and click on the thumbnail with the X and a window will open with red links to repair the missing link, but this is inconvenient for bulk changes.

[Shiriki]

Hi Tatewise

Many thanks for the prompt response and I will certainly look again at the knowledge base.
In answer to your query:
My laptop has two hard drives. The C: drive is of the SSD variety and the D: drive a 'conventional' one.
As the C: drive is fairly small, in an attempt to conserve space for the operating system which is on this drive to function as quick as possible, I try to install programs on the D:drive.
I can confirm the installation of FH on my machine as follows:
D:\Program Files\Family Historian\.....with folders shown thereafter as.....Books; Diagrams; Fact Types; Flags; Program and so on.
Note : On installation I requested FH to install into a previously created folder called Program Files on the D: drive.
After installation I requested that FH save 'zipped' backup files also on the D: drive.
However, FH has put the Projects folder on the C: drive under users\brian\my documents.....

This I find somewhat confusing as I guess a crash of either my C: or D: drives would impact on my FH folders/files????
After a FH session I always undertake a full backup (which is zipped to the D: drive as previously explained). In addition I copy this zipped file to an external portable hard drive and also copy it to my Synology NAS.

Is it possible to change this situation so that all relevant FH files appear on the D: drive? As it seems that adding more images my media files will continue to fill the C: drive then I will be fast approaching the full capacity of the SSD.

My SSD is a nominal 64 GB with about 6GB free (I sometimes get what I call the Red Bar' syndrome as a warning that the drive's free space is nearing a recommended limit and have to have a spring clean using ccleaner and Trend Micro Maximum Security clean up utilities.....whereas the D: drive is a nominal 500 GB size with currently 330 GB free.

Any suggestions will be most helpful.

Shiriki

[tatewise]

This is a summary of the most significant FH related folders and files.

Installation Program Files.
FH installs two products: FH itself and the Nova PDF Printer.
The default folders are as follows on 32-bit PC:
C:\Program Files\Family Historian\ 27MB with sub-folders Books, Diagrams, Fact Types, Flags, Program, etc... This is the only one you have relocated to the D: drive.
C:\Program Files\Calico Pie\Family Historian PDF\ 4.2MB with sub-folders AMD64 and i386.

Customisation Program Data.
FH also installs its customisation files with public access in the following default folder:
C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\ with sub-folders Diagrams, Fact Types, Flags, General, etc but NOT Books or Program.
Many of these sub-folders have further sub-folders and new files get added as you customise Diagrams, Reports, etc. Initially 14MB, but mine has grown to 36MB. It is quite difficult to move this folder.

Family Historian Projects.
The File > Project Window > Location determines where to find Projects and where to create New Projects.
So you can set File > Project Window > Location to refer to your D: drive. Mine refers to my F: drive.
Use Tools > Preferences > Backup to set your default backup folder location.

[EDIT: I have created how_to:move_settings#using_non-default_locations|> Move Family Historian Settings and Projects > Using Non-Default Locations as a guide to relocating these folders.]

You are wise to copy backups to external media, but you need to backup more than just your Projects. See glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery for details of what else to backup, and alternative media.

Have you adjusted all your My Documents, etc, to reside on the D: drive by using Libraries?

However, we have gone a bit off track from moving Media!!!!

[Shiriki]

Many thanks Tatewise for your expertise on these matters.

I have looked at the links within the knowledge base and now feel much more comfortable in re-arranging folders etc.
My Project Files have been successfully relocated from my SSD C: drive to my D: drive.
Using Windows Explorer, I can successfully create additional folders in the Media Folder within my Project File and after cutting and pasting images to where I want them, re map any connections so that all is fine and dandy. (Using Tools>External File Links....)
When I open FH and click on 'Media> View All Media' all the media within the Media Folder (and sub folders) appear in the pane.
Is there a way to show within FH how such media is filed within nested folders....by toggling a button for instance which would then reveal the folders and their hierarchy?
I know that one can segregate images and display them within the media pane by using keywords to show for example 'Baptism' images, but I believe it would by useful to see how such media was filed in folders without having to use Windows Explorer.
Hopefully I have explained myself clearly.
Please correct me if this feature is available and I have yet to discover it.

Many Thanks in Advance

Shiriki

[DavidNewton]

Sorting by the File column in the media listing gives you the information about file paths and file names, but probably the visually best method is to use the external file links view.

David

[tatewise]

Yes, there are at least three methods.

1. As David says, in the Multimedia Window in the left-hand Records pane, sort by clicking the File column heading.
   You will probably have to scroll the pane left to reveal the File column by using the scroll-bar below.
2. As David says, use Tools > External File Links which is always sorted.
3. Open the Records Window, choose the Media tab, and sort by clicking the File column heading.

[zoomdoggies]

Thanks, all, for explaining how to move media files into subfolders. I had been dumping everything into the Media folder, and it had accumulated over 1000 files. I was thinking I would do well to shuffle the files into subfolders, but it sounded like an ugly job, so I kept putting it off. Turns out it was pretty easy, and now it's done. So, thanks!