jAlbum/Preferences

Preferences are settings that affect the behavior of the program. They don't affect the resulting album (the language preference being the exception). Preferences are global, i.e. they don't apply to a specific album project, they are saved as defaults.jap in the configuration directory (Menu/Tools/Open Directories/config directory). For settings affecting the album, see jAlbum/Settings.

General

Language

Use this to set the applications interface to your preferred language. Most texts change immediately, however a restart is required to ensure all interface elements change. jAlbum is translated to many different languages but note that the skin settings might not be translated since the interface for the skin settings is created by the skin developers.

Look and feel

The default is to match your computer’s operating system but can be changed to Metal, Nimbus or CDE/Motif.

jAlbum 13 introduced an additional theme called 'Darcula'. for Pro and Power users.

jAlbum 14 makes Darcula available to all licensed users.

Font size

Sets the font size for jAlbum's user interface. Changes take effect once 'OK' is clicked.

Number of Threads

Determines how many images and slide pages that will be processed simultaneously. This will normally default to using the same number of processor cores as your computer has. For example a single processor with four cores, that has dual threading, will allow eight threads to be used at the same time. This just means that jAlbum can process your projects faster the more threads that are supported. Read more about this here.

Logging level

This controls the level of diagnostic/error reporting that is reported to the user. An error or warning is indicated in the bottom right of the application window by a 'warning' triangle, clicking on that icon will open the system console log, showing the details of the problem. This is probably best set to Warning, unless requested by jAlbum to change it for specific debug information or you are developing a skin. More information on the Java logging levels can be found here.

Recent Projects

The number of recent projects listed can be set within the range of 0 to 99. See jAlbum Welcome - Recent Projects for more information on recent projects

Check for updates

If selected the application will check the jAlbum server for updates. If you don't want to be bugged with information about updates then turn this setting off.

Show warning dialogs

Warn before performing file deletion and similar risky tasks.

Display thumbnails in file chooser

When adding files the application will try to use a native file chooser, but if one is not supported then a Java file chooser is used. Selecting this setting will show thumbnail images in the Java file chooser window.

Remember last window position and size

If selected the application will open in the same position and at the same window size as used in the previous session. It does not apply to skin settings windows.

Save backups of album projects

This creates a backup file of the settings used for a project, it does not create a backup of the project’s contents. The backup file (.jap extension) is saved in the same folder as the current album project settings file. The backup settings file is updated after a setting has been changed and a 'Make' operation has been initiated.

Show tip of the day

If selected usage tips will be presented in the notification area when relevant.

Use jAlbum’s integrated browser

If selected then the integrated browser is made available for previewing the album within jAlbum. This can save time especially when experimenting with skin settings.

Close progress dialog when done

When you make an album from a project jAlbum will show its progress as it generates pages, images, videos etc. If you want this progress dialog box to close when the album build is complete then select this setting. Note, if ‘Use jAlbum’s integrated browser’ is selected then this setting is inactive.

Save project on 'Make Album'

Will save the project settings automatically following a 'Make album' operation.

Album

When adding files

Decides what jAlbum is doing when you are adding new files to the program, the options are ask, copy or link. Ask is the default state. Copy will make a copy of the file being added whilst Link will just keep a reference, indicated by a small curved arrow in the lower left of the thumbnail, to the original file. Ask will prompt you to decide whether to copy or link each time a file is added. Linking has the advantage of saving space since there is no need to duplicate the file. Copying means that you can have your original images stored on remote/ removable discs, that do not need to be present when making the album. You can read more about copying and linking here.

"My Albums" location

Click on the folder icon and then navigate to the folder on your computer that you want to hold your jAlbum projects. For example, you could use a subfolder within your Pictures Folder, /Users/user name/Pictures/jAlbum. Whenever you select ‘New Album Project...’ from the File menu, then a new folder, named as your Album name, is created in the ‘My Albums location’.

Illegal characters

Illegal characters are those that are not allowed in file or folder names, generally these will be characters that your operating system does not allow, or are not valid in URLs. If you want to include specific characters just add them to the end of the default set. You can’t use those characters when creating or renaming folders and files in your albums, but if you add files that have such characters they will have a small yellow warning triangle, to alert you that they should not be used, see figure to the left. If you really do want to use those illegal characters then ensure Settings/Advanced/Naming is set to Generate web-safe file names.

Clean old output files on make all

This setting will remove files from within the 'res' folder that are no longer required with the current configuration, maybe because of a change to the settings or a change of skin.

Synchronise output directory

If selected then changes within jAlbum’s explore window pane will be reflected immediately in the output directory. For example, deleting a folder from the explore window pane will remove the equivalent folder in the output directory.

Cache thumbnails

Speed up the thumbnail display by cacheing local thumbnail files for images that lacks embedded thumbnails.

Video support

This will allow jAlbum to use "ffmpeg"software to reprocess videos to a standard mp4 format. The Advanced tab has a list of supported video formats. Turn this setting off if you don’t want jAlbum to reprocess your videos. Note, how videos are supported varies on a skin by skin basis, since not all skins support videos.

Allow local flash preview

This allows videos in your ‘My albums’ location to be played using Flash technology within the jAlbum application.

Keep track of files copied from memory cards

If selected jAlbum will store a small database file on each memory card so that it can track which images have already been used with jAlbum. The database file is called jalbum-copied-files.db, it is created when a card is inserted with jAlbum running and a file is copied from the camera’s image directory.

Include the lifeboat file

This will upload a ‘lifeboat’ zip file containing your project directory structure, settings file and template pages amongst other things. This will allow you to recreate most of the project, should your original files be lost or damaged. You still need to backup your original images to be able to recover a complete project.

Skins

Use layout hints

Allow skins to modify your album settings. This applies to skins that supply a hints.jap file with recommended settings, for example the rows and columns as set in Settings, Pages, Thumbnail layout.

Restore previous settings

This applies to skins that supply a hints.jap file and when ‘Use layout hints’ is selected. This ensures that if you have changed the rows and columns, and then change to another skin, with a hint for rows and columns, the values you set are used and not those supplied with the hints.jap of the newly selected skin.

Image editing

Write xmp metadata to files

This will write comments, keywords etc. to the images in your project. Before writing though, it will read any existing metadata and then write out the new data, ensuring existing information remains. jAlbum can also read the xmp data, see jAlbum/Settings/Advanced.

Publishing

After publishing

Decide what jAlbum should do after the album has been published, you can 'open published album' or 'do nothing'. Open published album is the default setting and will open the album that you have published in an external browser.

Max simultaneous transfers

The higher the number selected, the faster the upload will generally be, If you have problems connecting or uploading, try lowering this setting to 2 for example.

Advanced

Use zip streaming when available

Click on the little right facing triangle to reveal a zip streaming option. If selected then the whole album will be zipped up and transferred to your host as a single file. This will speed up transfer times.

Paranoia

Encrypt manifest file

Click on the little right facing triangle to reveal an encrypt manifest file option. Determined and technically savvy users could list your album's files by examining the manifest file. If you are really concerned about users digging into your album’s contents then turn this setting on and enter a password for the encryption algorithm. Make sure you remember the password!

Advanced

Web proxy settings

If your local network requires the use of a "proxy server" for outgoing web access, you can enter the proxy server details here, if you don’t know them you will need to contact the person in charge of your local network.

Use watchdog

If selected a file named 'thread-dump.txt' is created whenever jAlbum's user interface hangs for twenty seconds or more. The file is written to the 'Configuration' directory, open that directory with SHIFT+C+Cmd/Ctrl or Menu/Tools/Open directories/Config directory.

Compatibility mode

If checked, makes some older skins run but at the expense of memory usage. Keep deselected. Older skins that requires this mode can have compatibility mode checked on a skin basis instead (See Tools->Developer->Edit skin properties).

Attempt to use native file dialogs

When selected adding files jAlbum will try to use the OS file chooser dialog, if it can’t, or if this option is deselected, then a simplified file chooser dialog is used. Navigating your own folders to find files is easier using the native file dialog. This setting requires jAlbum to be restarted to take effect.

Unify image color model to BGR or ABGR

If BGR/ABGR is selected compatibility with certain image filters is improved, it will however result in jAlbum requiring more memory to operate.

Supported video formats

This is a list of video file types that are supported by the "ffmpeg" video processor, if you have a video that is of a type not listed, but you know ffmpeg supports it, then add the file extension to this list.