Raw files in the cloud

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  • akiersky

    My office just switched from maintaining our own server for files to using Egnyte and Google drive. Everything mostly works as before, a few workflow changes and our team is still getting work done.

    One thing that definitely does not work is raw images. You essentially have to download a folder of images that you think may have the image you are looking for in it and browse from there. Bridge can load previews... after about an hour...

    So now the team that implemented the cloud server is looking for a solution to make working with raw actually work. The top options so far are: 1) Build a "photo gallery" tool that would compress all the cr2's to jpgs that could be browsed, then find the cr2 of the file you want. 2) upgrade to Fiber internet for about $35k over the next 3 years (we don't have it in our area yet, but there is a company that will install it for us and subsidize the cost of running the line).

    Does anyone else have an option? Or maybe suggestions of web gallery tools that we could use as a starting point?

  • jaylarson0

    that sounds fucking annoying. how many images are we talking about here? 300k±? How many users? Who needs access to the images—just creative? Or AEs...

    • I'd say around 5TB of images. maybe 100k+akiersky
    • it is really fucking annoying.akiersky
  • Gnash0

    Doesn't Egnyte have their own servers? or are you using Google Drive to supplement egnytes servers?

    • Egnyte uses Google servers. Their new business plans give essentially unlimited storage apparently.akiersky
  • uan0

    maybe some tool like this
    http://michaeltapesdesign.com/in…

    • Interesting, still seems to take a while though. I'm guessing it has to download the file before processingakiersky
  • Gnash0

    Option 2, from your original post, suggests that the problem is the size of the file and not the format. I'm wondering why Fiber internet would make a difference.

    • we have Comcast 100mbps service now, fiber would be at (or near) 1000mbps, so it would be 10 times faster. That's the theory at leastakiersky
    • so it's not that it's a RAW file, then. would huge TIFF or PSD have the same issue?Gnash
    • It seems like TIFF's and PSD's do a little better for what ever reason. Maybe Bridge just handles them better?akiersky
    • bridge is not a fan of raw - takes forever to load previews. tiff and PSD are better, jpeg the fastestGnash
  • akiersky0

    @Gnash - One thing I forgot to mention was we have 2 ways (3 with their web interface) of getting at & viewing files.

    1. a 'sync' app that loads the file tree and downloads files on demand
    2. a local copy current project files (we detrmine which ones) to a 4TB NAS onsite.

    Our photo library is not synced locally so option 1 is the only way to get to the files. This is why we think that a fiber connection would help loading large files.

    • then the 'file tree' isn't able to load a preview of the cr2's?Gnash
    • Nope, it just show's the generic file iconakiersky
  • akiersky0

    My suggestion to the team was to use our old server (18TB + MacMini) to locally serve the entire photo library, then we would be able to browse as before. Then the Egnyte copy would be merely for backup.

    • < this. though option 1 is good for remote users...monNom
    • agreed, way more practicaljaylarson
    • this may be problematic for remote users though.Gnash
    • This is what we have used for years with pretty good results. Even worked for offsite with VPN.akiersky
    • They looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested it. another reason why I'm leaving soon...akiersky
  • Gnash0

    I use a wonky workaround to speed-up bridge previews on a server. I point the location of the "cache" that bridge creates to live on the server with the images. Once it builds the previews they live in that cache and don't need to be redrawn each time.

    The problem is that link to the cache file is easily broken and needs to be reset. The server must be loaded before you launch bridge so it can find it.

    • also, Bridge has a specific "Camera Raw Preferences..." have a look at those options. There may well be some tweaks you can do to the was raw is accessed.Gnash
    • *way, not wasGnash
    • others on the team can also tell bridge point to that cacheGnash
    • nice, very clever, I'll have to try it outakiersky