Importing image files

You can import images authored outside IXIASOFT CCMS Desktop and add them to the Content Store.

When you import an image, the following happens:

It is assigned an initial status (such as Authoring:work status)
It is automatically assigned to you
Its filename is added to the object's metadata in the originalFileName index
Its path relative to its containing map is added to the object's metadata in the originalRelativePath index

When you import an image to replace an image in a multiple resolution image object, all the formats are replaced by the imported image. For example, suppose you have an existing multiple resolution image object containing a high resolution JPEG image and a low resolution PNG image. If you import an image with the same image ID as the existing image object, the high resolution JPEG image and a low resolution PNG image will both be replaced by the imported image.

Important: If you are importing the source file for the image and wish to retain its original extension, make sure that its MIME type is listed in the mimetypes.xml configuration file. If its MIME type is not listed in the configuration file, the extension will be converted to a .bin extension. For example, if you are importing files such as Adobe Illustrator, edit the mimetypes.xml file to include the .ai MIME type. Instructions for editing the mimetypes.xml file are available in the Administration Guide for IXIASOFT CCMS available on the IXIASOFT web site.

Import options

You can specify the following options when importing images:

Option		Description
Import As External		When you import the document, it and its children (if any) are imported into the Content Store and assigned the Authoring:readonly status.
Update existing documents		When you import a document, the system determines if this document already exists. If a document already exists and the Update existing documents option is selected, the existing document is updated with the contents of the imported document. If this option is not selected, a new document is created, with a new filename. If the Use relative path along with file name to match documents to update option is also selected, the system also checks that the base path of the imported document matches the base path of the document in the Content Store. The system updates the existing document only if the paths match. When you re-import an external document, this option is always enabled and the existing document and its children (if any) are always updated.
Default language		All documents in the Content Store must have a designated language. If the documents you are importing do not have a language attribute, the system will assign them the language you select from this list. If the document you are importing has children, this language will also be assigned to these children. You can also set the Override unknown languages with default option. When you import documents that reference a language that’s not configured in your system, the system will replace these values with the default language specified if you select this option.
Images options		You need to specify the type and format of the images you are importing. Type is an informative label that is written into the image metadata. Default values are Line Art, Screen Capture, and Equation. If an image is labeled Line Art or Screen Capture, the system will automatically designate it as Needing Translation. Images labeled Equation are not designated as needing translation; if these images are part of a map that is sent for localization, the system will automatically promote them to the review state and will not include them in the image localization kit. You can set the translation designation for specific images as required once the image has been imported, and the image type may be changed once the image is in the Content Store. Format may determine the output format of an image, depending on your system setup.
Labels		You can assign one or more labels to a document and its children (if any). Labels are added as metadata and improve searchability.
Import options
	Images:	If this option is selected and there are two (or more) images with the same filename, then the system imports just one of them (randomly). If you leave this checkbox empty, then all images are imported, they keep their duplicate titles, and the system assigns unique filenames.
	Import Base Path:	Specifies the base path to use when replacing existing documents. Important: The filename and base path of the imported object are important when you intend to replace an existing object. See Re-importing and updates to existing files for more information.

Multiple resolution images

When you publish in different media, you most likely use different image resolutions for each output. For example, you might want a low-resolution JPEG designed for the web but have a high-resolution version for PDFs.

You can simultaneously import all the different formats that you use for each image and automatically assign them to the different output formats. You can also specify the default format and whether the images will need to be translated at the same time.

Preparation

Before you import the images, ensure that all images the images are prepared as follows:

Each image resolution must be saved in a different directory. It is recommended that you create an import directory with a subdirectory for each type of resolution. For example:
```
C:\images_import\Medres
C:\images_import\PDF
C:\images_import\Web
C:\images_import\Hires
...
```
All the different resolutions of an image must share the same filename. For example, you might have a file called bike.jpg that you'd use for web output, and another called bike.png that you would use for glossy brochures.
When multi-resolution images are imported into the system, they are assigned a collective ID and stored in a zip file with the extension .image. To successfully assign the different resolutions to the correct image object, the must have the same filename.

Import options for multiple resolution images

You can specify the following options when importing images:

Option		Description
Import As External		When you import the document, it and its children (if any) are imported into the Content Store and assigned the Authoring:readonly status.
Default language		All documents in the Content Store must have a designated language. If the documents you are importing do not have a language attribute, the system will assign them the language you select from this list. If the document you are importing has children, this language will also be assigned to these children. You can also set the Override unknown languages with default option. When you import documents that reference a language that’s not configured in your system, the system will replace these values with the default language specified if you select this option.
Type		Type is an informative label that is written into the image metadata. Default values are Line Art, Screen Capture, and Equation.
Default format		Format may determine the output format of an image, depending on your system setup.
Needs translation		When a map is sent for localization, only the images designated as Needs translation are included in the image localization kit. Images that are not designated as needing translation when a map is sent for localization are automatically promoted to the review state and are not included in the image localization kit.