* Orientation of multi media objects

[aaj1945]

Is it possible within FH5 to reorientate images? I have been scanning and uploading census images and find that whereas the original is placed as landscape on the scanner, it comes out as portrait in FH5. I hope you are going to say 'yes' because it's going to take a month of Sundays to redo it all otherwise!

ID:6441

[tatewise]

Although you placed the document in landscape position on the scanner, it would still almost certainly be scanned in as a portrait image.

If you double-click on any such image in your Media folder to open it, how is it displayed? I suspect in portrait format.

You need a batch conversion program to rotate all those images 90 degrees to convert from portrait to landscape.

One that does the job is IrfanView and it is free and useful for other image editing too.

Use File > Batch Conversion/Rename and select Use advanced options and click Advanced button.
There select Rotate left or Rotate right as required in the centre.
Then select all your required image files and click Start Batch.

[aaj1945]

Thanks Tatewise.

I downloaded IrfanView which was immediately blocked by my security software as being a product with procedures incurring very significant risk.

Reviewing the situation I find that all of the scans made in past years using the ancient scanner (that died just as I took up the FH4 30 day trial back in November) are ok; the images are held in my computer as landscape, which lessens the task ahead.

I have been using AS templates for inputting Census & marriage certificate data. The text element is fine; it's just the linked images that are inconveniently 90 degrees out. Can one change the linked image in the AS template without unhitching the text as it were, or using AS would one have to repeat the whole exercise? Nick explained a while ago that one cannot edit the completed template form once it has been saved. It would be helpful if one could.
Alternatively,could one select the Fact (census or marriage) in the Facts Box and in the Media Box directly substitute a landscape image for the portrait image that presently resides there?

I apologise for being very dim but I have nigh on 25 year's worth of data and several thousand individuals all on paper or in Word and Excel files. Having been based in very remote areas overseas for many years, this is the first time that I have ventured into the realm of genealogical software. Being now retired back in the UK and subject to senior moments, I'm finding it a struggle to grasp the intricacies of FH5 (I'm halfway through 'the book' having completed Chapter 12). Even some of the terminology is alien.[confused]

[PeterR]

Many of us have been using Irfanview for years without any problems at all, so I would recommend it.

It is possible that the census image scans are in fact held on your computer in portrait format but the image viewing software is automatically showing them in landscape format.  This is why you need to use software such as Irfanview to make a rotated copy, that really is in landscape format, of each linked image.  AS and FH will then display the already linked images properly, without any further work on your part.

[NickWalker]

Just to repeat what Peter and Tatewise have said...

If the images are showing in portrait in FH then the image files must be portrait. FH (and AS) are just displaying the files as they are.

Irfanview is fine (used it for years) and has the power to rotate a batch of images (or one at a time if you prefer!)

You shouldn't need to do anything in Family Historian or Ancestral Sources. Once the images are correctly rotated they will display correctly in FH.

[tatewise]

I downloaded IrfanView which was immediately blocked by my security software as being a product with procedures incurring very significant risk.

The download file should be iview433_setup.exe which does not incur any risk whatsoever.

I find that all of the scans made in past years using the ancient scanner are ok; the images are held in my computer as landscape.

Are these images displayed in FH and AS in Portrait or Landscape layout?
What software are you using to display these image scans?

I can only reiterate what Nick, Peter, and I have said, that FH and AS display the images as they are stored on the PC, but if you can rotate them, then they will be displayed in Landscape without any further changes in FH or AS.

[Bonzo]

Just remember the more times you open and save a jpg file the qulity suffers. This not a problem with png files.