Configure automatic image creation

Create settings that are automatically applied to new or modified images.

Context

The configuration is carried out in the censhare Admin-Client. It refers to "Automatic Image Create (settings)" in the Configuration/Module/Image section.

Prerequisites

censhare provides an image service, such as ImageMagick that is used for basic editing functionality such as resizing, cropping or rotating images. The image service is already configured for you. You can see the image services in the censhare Admin-Client under Configuration/Services/Image/Configuration: Special Setup/Default Backend.

Introduction

In censhare, you can configure that sets of specific settings are automatically applied to newly created or modified images. You can configure settings for dimensions, resolution, colors, or storage type etc. With asset filters, you can additionally control to which assets these settings should be applied, for example to assets in a certain domain or to assets in a certain workflow step. A custom configuration file is created from your settings.

With one of the following image server actions you enable that the custom configuration is applied to new or modified images that match the filters you specified:

"Create additional image": When enabled, the action is available in the censhare Client. In the censhare Client, you can select it for an image asset and then choose the image settings that should be applied to the asset.
"Create additional image (automatic)": When enabled, the defined settings are applied automatically according to the filters defined to all appropriate image assets. You will see the newly created images in the censhare Client.

Filters and image-specific settings

In the "Automatic Image Create (settings)" you define the following:

The asset filter: censhare only searches for assets that match the filter criteria, such as domain or workflow step of an asset.
The image settings: Image specific settings such as resolution, format, storage type that are applied to the new or updated image assets.

You can create and define multiple sets of filters and associated image settings in one configuration. To do so, click the plus-button at the very bottom of the dialog.

Note: In the dialog, mandatory fields are highlighted in red.

Field	Description
Search	Specify the filters for the assets the settings should be applied to: for instance, the domain, or a defined workflow step of an asset. The functionality here is the same as in a detailed search query in the censhare Client. For further information, see Detailed Search.
ID	Enter an ID for the specific image creation settings.
Name	Enter a name for the specific image creation settings. This will be available for selection in the censhare Client when you carry out the action "Create additional image".
Storage type	File type that should be created for the output images, such as PDF, thumbnail, or video preview. To define a new storage type, go to the "Files type" folder in the censhare Admin-Client.
Maximum width	Maximum pixel width, aspect ratio is retained, "0" retains the original value.
Maximum height	Maximum pixel height, aspect ratio is retained, "0" retains the original value.
Upscale	Image is scaled up to the configured size.
Resample	Physically changes the number of pixels in the image. Source image is recalculated according to the specified image resolution (DPI). The size in millimeter is retained. Pixel values are recalculated automatically. You should enable this setting when you change the dpi value to ensure the image quality. In this case, Maximum Width/Height should be set to "0".
Enforce geometry	Only supported with the image tool "ImageMagick": - Specified aspect ratio is used. - Aspect ratio of source image is ignored. - "Upscale" is ignored, if enabled.
Frame	The image is fit into a frame. Width and height values are treated as fixed values.
Alignment	Select the position using cardinal directions to align the image into the frame.
Resolution	DPI value of image in integers. Pixel ratio is retained. "0" retains the original value.
Backend	Image service to accomplish the built-in image editing tasks: Default: the image service that is configured for you as default. We recommend that you select Default. Usually, the default is ImageMagick. For special requirements that cannot be provided with the Default ImageMagick, address your censhare project manager. - ImageMagick - Helios
Color space	Color space of output image: RGB, CMYK or Grayscale. "Keep" retains the color space of the original image.
Target ICC profile	ICC profile of resulting image. Specify the full name. The ICC profile must be stored in app/services/images/iccprofiles. The censhare Service-Client must be able to access the file. Ensure that you select the color spaces according to the specified ICC profile. "Color Management" under Configuration/Services/Image/Configuration must be enabled.
Format	Image format of output image: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, Photoshop (PSD)
Transparency	Transparency mode of output image: - no transparency - retain transparency of original image - use transparency from clipping path (see "Transparency crop")
Background color	Defines the background color. "Use system color": censhare uses the color as it is defined in the censhare Admin-Client under Configuration/Services/Image/Configuration/Color Management. "Background color": Opens a dialog where you can select the preferred color and color options. Background color is supported for the image service ImageMagick, and for images with alpha channel and no transparency. censhare interprets Alpha channels in the image formats PNG, TIFF, PSD.
Transparency crop	If "Transparency from clipping path" is set as Transparency mode: The result is fitted into a frame with the specified number of pixels as margin.
Strip ICC profiles	ICC profiles as well as all other properties are removed from input image.
Sharpen	Sharpens the output image using the defined values for Radius and Sigma. Sharpen original: Sharpens the original image. With large source images, this will take some time. Adaptive Sharpen: Supported for the image service Sharpens the output image using the defined values for Radius and Sigma. Sharpen original: Sharpens the original image. With large source images, this will take some time. Adaptive Sharpen: Supported for the image service ImageMagick. Adaptively sharpen pixels, with increasing effect near edges. For further information, see the ImageMagick documentation.
Effect	Effects are applied. Available effects: Watermark, Crop Watermark: An image that is to be used as watermark must be available as transparent asset. Image asset ID: Enter the ID for the watermark asset. Opacity:Define opacity of watermark. 0…100, 0=fully transparent, 100=fully opaque Alignment: select the position using cardinal directions Effect: - Tiles: Makes tiles from the watermark and fills the original - Scale width: Watermark scaled to width of the original image - Scale height: Watermark scaled to height of the original image - Noise: Suppress colorized noise: Converts watermark to greyscale after noise was added. Crop: - Maximum width: Maximum pixel width, 0 retains original width - Maximum height: Maximum pixel height, 0 retains original height
Asset MIME types	Possible MIME types of input images, such as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF.
Alternative sources if master doesn’t contain a "picture" storage	If the master does not contain an image storage item, choose one the following: - PDF storage - Preview storage

Create custom settings

To create custom settings:

Log in to the censhare Admin-Client as administrator.
Go to Configuration, Modules, Image.
Double-click "Automated Image create (setting)". A dialog for entering the image settings is displayed.
You find a section with general settings, and a section with settings specific to the server action.
Select and enter the general settings.
Select and enter the settings that should be applied to the images defined in the search query. For further information, see the table.
Confirm your edits with OK.
A custom configuration file is created. It is displayed under "Configuration/Module/Image" below the default configuration.
To activate your edits, click "Update server configuration" on the toolbar of the censhare Admin-Client.

Result

You have created a custom configuration for images that can be applied to new or updated images you have defined in the configuration.

Next steps

With one of the following image server actions you enable the custom configuration is applied to new or modified images that match the filters you specified:

• "Create additional image": When enabled, the action is available in the censhare Client. In the censhare Client, you can select it for an image asset and then choose the image settings that should be applied to the asset.

• "Create additional image (automatic)": When enabled, the defined settings are applied automatically according to the filters defined for all appropriate image assets. You will see the newly created images in the censhare Client.