I'm embarking on a bit of a scan-fest, and so of course I wanted to use MC to get all my images straight into my library. However I won't be doing that for the following reasons:
1 - File format; my main problem is that I want to save all images from now on in lossless LZW compressed TIF files. The options dialogue doesn't allow you to choose a file format, and rather confusingly, lets you type the file extension but only saves in JPG. (At first I typed in [filename].tif, and of course Windows Image and Fax Viewer opened it, so I thought 'Great!', but Photoshop told me it wasn't the right format until I changed the extension to .jpg)
2 - Workflow; when I click acquire, I first get a choice of using TWAIN or WIA. I click TWAIN, and the Epson dialogue opens. Typically I have 3 photographs on the plate, but as soon as I scan one image, the dialogue closes and I have to start all over again. This is too many clicks per image for me. As a comparison, when acquiring images in Photoshop, the dialogue box stays open until dismissed, and all the scans are then open in the program.
3 - Naming; although I don't know of a better way of doing this (so I'll probably do it in MC later with KS's Replace Master or using expressions), the file number increment system that MC uses is not very appropriate for what I want - I don't want spaces in the filename (or parentheses!).
Other little things that irk: The AW entry is called 'Camera' - I had to guess that the scanner would be there too; If I use the entry in the drop-down which identifies my scanner correctly, it does some kind of all-in-one scan at 72dpi. Only if I choose 'Generic Scanner' do I get the options to choose the interface. Finally, the options dialogue looks like a camera-interface dialogue, with its 'types to acquire' field. The poor old scanner has really taken a back seat!
So here's my ideal version of scanning in MC:
Having chosen 'Acquire Images' in the AW, I select my Epson Perfection in the dropdown and click 'Options'. In options I get to choose which interface (TWAIN vs WIA) to use (either that, or get a 'do not ask me this again' check box on the dialogue that pops up now - but that's the less preferable option). I also get to choose a file format, the options that go with it (so for TIF files, whether to use LZW, JPG or ZIP compression, etc.), and then for filename, I get a directory field and a base-name field - with an increment field and zero-padding options.
Then, when I've ok'd all my options and click 'Acquire', my chosen interface dialogue opens (in my case I always use the TWAIN interface), and it stays open as I scan each image, with the files being created in the background. Voila!
So, J River, what are the chances?!!
Anyone else have suggestions? (for J River or for me!)
