Wham, Bam! DAM
August 22nd, 2007 by Gavin Clabaugh
For all you folks that have been ever so gently bugging me about sharing my damn DAM system… Between minor brain freezes and other lovely things like work and spending two weeks tasting wine in Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cote du Rhone, and Provence; well, time just slipped away. I apologize. [and.. Yes, I have stories to tell … sordid tales of love and the GPS lady, but those will have to wait…]
I’m back, and now I’ve knocked “sharing the DAM thing” off my “to-do” list. Read on.
Gavin’s DAM System
Finally (finally!), my brain kicked into gear. I figured out an easy way to share the DAM thing. Moreover, I re-did the whole thing in WSS just to make sure it was totally portable and didn’t have any residual MOSS attributes, etc.
I knew it should be easy. I think I was just over thinking it. Finally, one day, I, not so gently, slapped myself in the head and said (to myself): “why not just put it up on one of those free file sharing/storage systems that have sprouted up all over the place in the last few years. Might just be a good chance to take a look at how they work anyway.” A couple of aspirin later (for the headache after the slapping) I did it.
Here’s how: I closed my eyes and picked one. Once I picked one, I then puttered around with it trying to figure out how to actually share something. Then I trashed it, and tried another. Trashed that one, and tried yet another, and then another, and … finally I found one that would do what I wanted. It’s a nice service and it seems to work. It’s called File123. It seems workable.
The downside — it has a time limit. Four weeks. We’ll work around that simple enough. As long as people want it, I’ll keep resetting the date and/or posting a new copy.
So, (tad da!) you can find the completed DAM WSS template here:
http://www.file123.com/Transfer.aspx?guid=33a3935c-a4e4-4df0-975b-f066fcfe34e7
(Link updated 10/29/2007 - the new link will expire on 11/26/2007)
(12/4/2007)
I got tired of updating that link, so here’s one that won’t expire, up on Microsoft’s new (beta) Skydrive. Click here.
As I said, that URL will work for four weeks (all these systems impose some sort of time limit – I guess so you don’t use them as some sort continual, free, FTP hosting service just like I am doing). In four weeks I’ll re-share the file and reset the date.
Now: Some information:
First, I re-wrote the whole thing for WSS. My original (and working) design is in MOSS. But, I discovered that while something designed for WSS works just fine in MOSS, the reverse is not necessarily true. So, I just redid it in WSS.
Second, I completed the “Graphics” section. The photograph section was fully formed, but the Graphics section had been left wanting. I also put in some sample graphics and pictures. Of course, feel free to delete.
Third, I’ve saved it as a WSS template, instead of a “backup.” This, I believe, makes it much more portable and flexible. Everything is still there (I chose the option of saving data with the template), but templates are designed as “re-usable,” so there should be no issue with broken links or the like. I also eliminated the “search” portions. Instead, it should fall right into whatever search is appropriate for your particular installation.
Fourth, here are some basic instructions
Step 1: Add the template to your MOSS/WSS installation:
- Choose: Site Actions
- From the Galleries list, choose: Site Templates
- From the List menu, choose Upload and then upload the DAM WSS STP file into your site gallery.
Step 2: Choose to create a new site. On the site information page, choose the template under the CUSTOM tab in the Template Selection named “DAM WSS Version.”
Finally — and I say this seriously — download and have fun. However, Caveat Emptor and all that jazz. I offer no guarantees. I distribute this free of all responsibility and liability, use and/or abuse at your own risk. It should give you no problems, but if it does, well… I’ve left town, yeah, and am now living on the island of Fernando Poo, or maybe the long lost Isles of Langerhans… Yeah, that’s it.
How did you get that link with an expiration? I’ll check out file123, but just wondering seems like a cool feature.
Does your DAM allow management of Flash files, Photoshop files, etc. Also, does it do thumbnailing of those assets as well? Just curious.
Hi Eze,
The DAM is built in WSS (Windows SharePoint Services 3.0) — so anything the native “picture library” will handle is OK. I can’t speak to Flash, but I personally have TIFs, JPG’s, GIF’s, visio drawings, and photoshop stuff in it. It may very well do Flash, but I have not tried. You may have to add an add-in IFilter for indexing other formats, etc.
So far, it’s thumbnailed everything I put in there — except for the visio stuff — as well as provides built-in utilities for various exports by size/resolution.
gavin
Gavin,
Does your system automatically grab the EXIF data from JPGs?
David,
Nope — at least not that I can see. The underlying system relies on the “Picture Library” features of MOSS and WSS. As far as I can tell, they do not expose the EXIF data. It’s a shame.
gavin
Gavin,
That is a shame - we ended up writing some custom code for that. Another question: do you have a way to bulk update metadata? IOW, if you upload 50 pictures, can you tag them all at once with keywords, etc?
David,
Yep. That we do. We use a third-party utility called DockIT for batch import. I originally used it for an import (with metadata) of some 20,000 documents when moving from SPS2001 to SPS2003.
But it also works with picture libraries. Basically you build a structured data file (csv or excel) that contains the metadata. It will do any supported MOSS field (column) type, including choice fields and keywords.
For small uploads we just use the built in tools, for large uploads 20+ pictures, we’ve used DockIT. I built structured Excel sheets to ease the data entry process and validate data entry.
Find it here: http://www.vyapin.com
gavin
I was wondering if you would refresh - repost the DAM template, the file123 link has expired. It looks like what you’ve created would work perfectly for a small marketing and design department within our organization!
Steve,
I updated the link in the original post. This one will last until 10.27.2007. Have fun!
Here’s a copy too: Click
Gavin
Gavin:
I attempted to access the File 123 link incorporated above, but it the site indicates the link is expired. Can you please either reload the site template to the site or send it to me? (I can load it to the FISM Partners site as well (or you could)). This would be very helpful to us here.
Thanks in advance,
-Inge
Inge,
Will do… It’s up on FISM!
Gavin
It’s now December, 2007. I am a week late accessing the File123-store, and do not see where it could be on FISM (if I was at the correct site). Where can I find this DAM gem template?
I wonder if Microsoft’s “new” Expression Image has corporate features, or interopability with MOSS.
-John
Hi John,
Sorry — the FISM site is a private site… but, i’ve updated the link in the post with one that doesn’t expire.
Gavin
Hi Gavin
Greetings from a Brit working down under.
Just wanted to say a big thank you. When I joined my employers in August, they were looking at spending an obscene amount of money on a 3rd party DAM/BAM. Your solution gave me the basis for an in house DAM which performs incredibly well on WSS 3.0.
Thanks for sharing amigo.
Daryll
I just found your site and enjoyed the story lines. I am intrigued with your WSS/Sharepoint integration of different systems.
One question: do you know of any way in which I could place a Skype presence within a WSS 3.0 site? Like a webpart?
I tried the IM Live messenger option and it worked, but not the way I need it to. A lot of our users utilize Skype for video/chat and it would be “cool” if I could find a webpart for WSS 3.0 that allows me to do this.
A video presence within WSS would greatly enhance our collaboration efforts.
I have no programming experience of any kind. What I know I learned from reading. So my programming skills are minimal.
Hi Babeach,
This is do-able, and (as I was to discover) remarkably easy.
The secret is the so-called CEWP (Content Editor Web Part). Basically, you can find an HTML widget on the Skype web site, modify that widget by hand to include various Skype usernames, and then place the HTML into a CEWP part.
I’ll write up a short posting and put it up at the Diner. I’ve been slow on posting anyway, this one will give me a quick one. (My problem is that all my other pending posts are way over 1,600 words… and writing short stuff takes work!)
Regards
Gavin