NAPIS^® Collection: Image Handling

Images are handled by NAPIS using two different methods: binary large objects (BLOBs) and discrete file names (such as image.jpg).

BLOBs

BLOBs are inserted on the Collection Data Record Taxonomy tab-forms and on the Protocols form with a right-click on the photo field and 'Paste' from the clipboard (for an image stored in Windows memory) or 'Paste From' a discrete file (*.bmp) that is selected using the 'Browse' dialog. BLOB fields are restricted to handle only *.bmp image file types, and the images should have as small a file-size as possible (50-100k for color photos and 10-30k for black & white drawings). BLOBs are stored in a field in the database table, causing the table file size to grow disproportionately fast when compared with text data. Think of the BLOBs as "thumbnail" images.

If BLOB color photos appear to be miscorrected, metallic or funny-looking, try adjusting the image in an image editing software. (In Adobe Photoshop select from the menu bar Image | Mode | Indexed Color and change the Palette setting to 'System' and the Dither setting to 'None'.)

DISCRETE FILES

Discrete file-name images appear on the Collection Data Record Photos tab-forms. Many images can be linked to one Collection record using the same 'Paste' or 'Paste from' method as BLOBs; the difference is that these images are stored outside the database (either on your computer, on a CD-ROM, or on a file-server) so file size is not as important.

Keep in mind that image size directly affects network performance. The larger the file size, the more network resources are required to transfer the images from the server to the client. Images require a disproportionately large amount of hard disk and network resources as compared to the text data in the database.