The Batch Engine

Introduction

When you open a new location in PMIO, the browser begins creating thumbnails for each image that is found there. This process can be very time-consuming. The length of time taken to load the thumbnails depends on several factors:

• The speed of your computer.
• The number of images at the location.
• The size of the images.
• The priority of the loading thread.

Although PMIO allows you to continue working while waiting for the thumbnails to load, this can be inconvenient and there are some functions that won't work until they are loaded.

The Batch Engine attempts to solve this problem by allowing you to generate thumbnails ahead of time so that they are ready when you need them. You add folders and other locations to its queue, and it processes the queued locations over time while you get on with other tasks.

The advantages of the Batch Engine are:

• It works independently of the rest of the program.
• It can create thumbnails for many locations sequentially.
• It uses a queuing system so you can prime it and then forget about it.
• It can run on low priority while you are using your computer for other activities without slowing them down.
• It can operate while other browsers are loading which should be useful on dual processor systems.

User Interface

The Batch Engine window can be opened from the Window menu. The following diagram illustrates the various parts of the Batch Engine's user interface:

The Batch Engine

• Scan Folder allows you to choose a folder to scan. The folder will be added to the queue and processed in due course.

• Scan Folder Recursively allows you to choose a folder to scan recursively. The folder and all its subfolders will be added to the queue and processed in due course.

• New Browser opens a new browser window. This tool is present because it is possible to close all browsers and leave the Batch Engine running.

• Open image opens the currently displayed image.

• Run allows the Batch Engine to run normally.

• Pause pauses the Batch Engine.

• Stop stops the Batch Engine and clear its queue.

• Always load forces the Batch Engine to load and resize the images freshly instead of using the base thumbs from the database.

• Skip location aborts processing of the current location as soon as possible and skips to the next one in the queue.

• The Priority tools allow you to control the priority of the processing thread. You can set the engine to 'lower' priority, for example, to prevent it from slowing down other programs on your computer.

Scanning entire volumes

The tools marked Scan disk volume each allow you to add an entire disk volume to the queue. For example, you can add your entire C:\ drive to the queue with one click. These tools each contain a list of the various volumes that are known to PMIO. All your hard drives, Floppies, CDs, Zip ^tm, Jaz ^tm and foreign volumes that have been seen previously by PMIO will be listed under the relevant tool's menu. If you are not a heavy user of removable volumes, only the first tool (hard drives) will be of any use.

Notes

• Only volumes that have been labelled in the Volume Manager will have meaningful names in the Batch Engine's menus.

• You can speed up the Batch Engine slightly by closing or minimizing its window. It will continue to run in the background without updating its information and thumb.

• While the engine is running, the Batch Engine tool on the browser will flash red.