BigPicture for QuarkXPress and InDesign
Page 4

This unlink tool provides two options for breaking the link to an image file: remove the path to the image file, retaining only the picture name and preview (pictures in the QuarkXPress folder or in the same folder as the document cannot be unlinked this way); or completely remove the link to the image file, retaining only the picture preview. After the unlinking process is complete, pictures will display the error, “No Disk File.”

The link to folder feature enables you to change the path of selected pictures from one folder to another folder that contains pictures with the same name. Perhaps akin to a poor man's OPI, this feature allows quick switching back and forth between a folder with low-resolution pictures and that of high-resolution pictures.

Figure 10 The linking and unlinking tools are very powerful and make updating the links from images within your document to a new destination a snap.

The final of the options along the top of the dialogue box is move, though it's actually move and re-link or copy and re-link. This feature will enable you to to move or copy selected pictures from one folder to another on the same volume and update the link to the new location automatically.

This menu also offers a collection utility.

Figure 11 Much like the OS options, you may copy or move images to another folder, but with BigPicture, your links to the new location are automatically provided to the document.

The Search Panel

A number of Badia's extensions have extensive search facilities, and BigPicture is no exception. This search function can search entire and multiple volumes to locate missing pictures or any specific picture name you choose; limit the search to any of the mounted volumes or search all of them. The search is not case sensitive and any partial matches will be found. If a match is not a valid picture file, it will be grayed out in the matches-found list.

Figure 12 Here you can see that I searched for images with xray in the name and the results have displayed as much information as I could possibly hope for in providing me possible match results.

NOTE: Picture files are determined according to the available
picture filters in QuarkXPress or InDesign.

Once you select any of the picture files from the list of matches, you can then reveal it at the finder level, view the full path, open it with the default application, and re-link it with the currently selected document picture. When you select re-link, a dialogue will confirm the operation, as well as let you retain picture attributes and update all occurrences.

At first glance, BigPicture might seem as though it's strictly suited for a prepress department that needs to update customer documents for output, but as a designer or production person, you'll only have to update the images in one fair-sized catalogue before you'll wish you had exactly this tool.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

If you enjoy our articles, click here to subscribe.
Free JavaScripts provided by The JavaScript Source