About HTML Album Generator plug-in
Welcome to the HTML Album Generator Plug-in

The HTML Album Generator plug-in is a command extension plug-in for ACD digital imaging products.  It is ideal for web site developers who want to quickly and easily create HTML photo albums. These albums can be used as web pages and viewed with Internet Explorer ® or Netscape®.


How to Use This Help File

The following are some tips to assist you with the use of this help file.

The help file dialog

Depressing the Help Topics button opens the Table of Contents on the left side of the help file dialog. This is the default setting when you open this help file, as seen below…

To close the Table of Contents to allow for more topic viewing room, click on the button once.

The help file dialog size can be expanded and reduced as needed.  Simply move your mouse pointer to the frame of the dialog, and when the pointer turns into a [image], click your primary mouse button and drag the frame.

Context sensitive help (what’s this?)

With certain application windows, you have the option of clicking on the [image] button located in the top-right corner of the window.

This will change your mouse to the [What’s this?] [image] cursor.  Place the cursor on the area in question to access a brief explanation of the field.

Alternately, you can access the same information by clicking an area with the alternate mouse button.  However, this method will not work with text boxes (those that can be edited).


File Generation

The following information briefly explains the process behind the creation of HTML album files.

Pages

When you create an HTML album, HTML pages are generated based on the number of images selected, as well as the size of the page specified in the Properties dialog (number of rows and columns).  These pages are named in the following format…

page_xx.htm

Where ‘xx’ equals the page number.

For example, if you select enough images to fill three pages, you will have the following files…

page_01.htm, page_02.htm, page_03.htm

Note:	If you would like to change the name of the HTML files (when there are multiple pages), you will also need to change the names within the HTML source code.

Thumbnails

A thumbnail is created for each image within an album.  The thumbnail naming standard is as follows…

TN_xxxxxx.file extension

Where ‘xxxxxx’ equals the name of the original image and ‘file extension’ is the extension that you define in the Properties dialog.  This provides you with an easy way to distinguish between the original images and the thumbnails.

Note:	When using an HTML album in a web page, you will need to place all thumbnail files, as well as the original images, on the server that contains your web page files.

See:

Creating an Album

Album Generator Properties


Creating an Album

To create an album, follow these steps:

1.	In the ACDSee Browser, select the images that you would like to appear in the album.

2.	Click the shortcut [image] button or select [Plug-ins | HTML Album Generator].

3.	In the [Format] field, select the file extension that you would like to use for the thumbnails that will be created.

4.	In the [Page Settings | Size] field, select the number of columns and rows to display the thumbnails.

5.	In the [Title] field, enter a title that you would like displayed inside the photo album.

6.	Click OK and the album will be created and then displayed in a browser.

For a description of the dialog fields, please see Album Generator Properties.


Album Generator Properties

The following is a brief description of the main fields in the HTML Album Generator dialog.

Thumbnail Image

Format	Specifies the image format for the thumbnail images.  It is recommended that you use JPG for photographs and GIF or PNG for artwork.
Size	Specifies the size of the thumbnail in pixels.
Settings	Modifies the compression settings of the thumbnails.
Page Settings

Size	Specifies the number of images in each column and row on the web browser page.
Title	The displayed album title.
Page Colors	Changes the colors displayed on the album page.
Output

Folder	Specifies the folder that the album will be stored in.
Overwrite	Specifies whether or not HTML Album Generator will overwrite duplicate files.

Selecting the [Copy source images to output folder] checkbox will cause HTML Album Generator to copy all the original images into the folder that houses the new thumbnails.  This is especially useful if you plan on publishing the thumbnails as well as the source images to a web page; everything is located in one folder.  If this checkbox is deselected, then the thumbnail links will contain the complete file path of the source images.

Select the [Launch web browser to view output when done] checkbox to automatically view your completed HTML album.

Image Links

Source Prefix	Specifies the type of text that prefixes the link to the images. None: No prefix is added to the image link. File Path: The complete file path prefixes the image link. Custom: A custom prefix is used in the image link.
Thumbnail Prefix	Specifies the type of text that prefixes the link to the thumbnails. None: No prefix is added to the thumbnail link. File Path: The complete file path prefixes the thumbnail link. Custom: A custom prefix is used in the thumbnail link.


Technical Support

For more assistance with HTML Album Generator, please e-mail us at: acdtech@acdsystems.com.

If you do not have e-mail access, you may telephone us at 1 (250) 544-6701.  Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm PST.

For up-to-date information on HTML Album Generator and other products from ACD Systems, please go to http://www.ACDSYSTEMS.com/.


Modifies the settings of the thumbnails that will be created.


Sets the colors that will be used for the album.


Opens a dialog box to browse for folders.


Specifies the title that will appear on the album.


Specifies the folder that the album will be saved in.


Specifies the image format for the thumbnail images.  It is recommended to use JPG for photographs and GIF or PNG for artwork.


Specifies the type of text that prefixes the link to the images.

None: No prefix is added to the image link.

File Path: The complete file path prefixes the image link.

Custom: A custom prefix is used in the image link.


Specifies the type of text that prefixes the link to the thumbnails.

None: No prefix is added to the thumbnail link.

File Path: The complete file path prefixes the thumbnail link.

Custom: A custom prefix is used in the thumbnail link.


Specifies the text that prefixes the link to the images.

e.g., pictures/ if the images are to be put in a subfolder named pictures.


Specifies the text that prefixes the link to the thumbnails.

e.g., thumbnails/ if the thumbnails are to be put in a subfolder named thumbnails.


Displays the results in the default web browser.


Copies the source images to the output folder.


Specifies the maximum width (in pixels) of the thumbnails that will be created.


Specifies the maximum height (in pixels) of the thumbnails that will be created.


Specifies the number of columns of images per page.


Specifies the number of rows of images per page.


Causes the output to overwrite existing files.


Causes the output not to overwrite existing files.


Causes the program to ask for confirmation before overwriting any files.