XnView Software

Thanks for the great software! What I would like to do is have the TIFFs that are created by Windows Fax and Scan be automatically converted to PDFs. I have gone into the Batch Conversion settings (even though it is not really a batch, per se), created a Hot Folder, chosen an action and a format and selected an output folder. I have named what seems to be a little script. My assumption was that once that was established, as long as XnView was open, there is something along the lines of a watch folder service that would be running, and any file added to the source folder would be converted and placed in the target folder.

Unfortunately, I only even see the option for the script in the batch conversion window, and when that window is open, nothing else can happen in the app. I am sure that I am either just not saving the script to the right place or being otherwise lame, because it's a great app.

All guidance and assistance wanted and welcomed!

You are using XnViewMP 0.69 presumably?

The watched folder facility is a recent addition and 0.69 incorporates a fix for a bug in the original version; as far as I know Pierre hasn't given any indication of how it may be used...

After a quick test I can confirm that if a watched folder is created and an output folder nominated, files placed in the watched folder are now processed and after a short delay the result appears in the specified output folder -- but only while the Batch convert dialog is open, as you say.

The facility to create a script is only an option to save all settings so that they can be reloaded quickly later, if required, the basic function will work without creating a script.

So there would seem to be no obvious way to leave the watched folder facility running in the background while other XnViewMP functions are used. However, as far as I know it should be possible to run multiple instances of XnViewMP, as for XnView 'Classic', the only possible issue being any possible database issues if you are using the powerful options available in the browser.

You might also note that XnConvert is in effect the batch conversion module of XnViewMP, although they are currenty not perfectly in sync, so another option when the watched folder facility is available would be to use XnConvert to provide a background watched folder function.

Thank you for the reply. I just discovered that it does work as you described. I may just need to find another bit of code like SikuliX to load the settings automatically if there needs to be a restart. I am trying to have this work on a Win7 workstation that needs the received faxes that are stored as TIFFs. I want to have all incoming faxes converted without the need for human intervention. The watch folder does not seem to have been fixed yet in XnConvert, which was the first little bit of yumminess I was exploring. Pierre was kind enough to let me know that .69 of XnViewMP had resolved that, and indeed it has!

[Post inadvertedly overwritten while composing a later post. ]

So there would seem to be no obvious way to leave the watched folder facility running in the background while other XnViewMP functions are used

There is a way, albeit not an obvious one.

1. Go to 'Tools'
2. Press {Shift}
3. With the {Shift} pressed, click on 'Batch Convert'

Now you have the Batch Convert engine not in a dialog but in a tab. ...and you can do other jobs while the "service" is running.

For a real GUI-wise fix together with other features see http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=29204

thetfactor wrote:I want to have all incoming faxes converted without the need for human intervention.

Now that XnConvert 1.66 has been released with the previous watched folder bug fixed, an easy way to leave a watched folder function running continously in the background would be to use [an instance of...] of XnConvert.

The watched folder function continues to operate even when the program is minimised, whereas XnViewMP can't be minimised without first closing the batch convert dialog which will terminate folder watching.