[HELP] Bitmap-to-anything smaller Converter

Sakunyuusha

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Jan 27, 2008
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Hey. This has been a problem for me for a while now, but the straw that just broke the camel's back was this HCG set that was 300 MB before I unzipped it but became 29 gigabytes upon unzipping. Even though the images are small in resolution, at 800 x 600 pixels, they are bitmaps and average at around 1.3 MB in size per file. I took one of the bitmaps, converted it to the jpeg format in Gimp, and it came out to 117 KB. In other words, Bmp-to-Jpeg conversion reduced the file by 10x its original size. If I could apply this to the 29 gigabyte archive, it would become 2.5 to 3.5 gigabytes in size. A worthy trade-off!

There's just one problem: the only way I know how to do this is manually converting one picture at a time inside Gimp or other image editing software. So what I was wondering was, can anyone point me in the direction of a safe, reputable:
(1) script that will interface with Gimp and auto-convert the pictures for me in a given directory? or
(2) image editing program that is capable of being assigned batches of images for file format conversion?
 

kbryc08

Master Cheef
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Nov 17, 2006
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I use Irfanview which can batch convert and rename though I use it mainly as an image viewer. It's freeware so no need to find a cracked version or w/e plus its quite small at <2mb.

When you have Irfanview running just hit 'b' or go to the File tab and go to 'Batch conversion/rename' then you can select a folder for conversion or add files to the batch list. It's pretty straightforward.
 

chompy

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Nov 7, 2006
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seconding irfanview.

best image viewer ever, and the batch file converter is awesome.
 

redrooster

赤いオンドリ - 私はオタクです!
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Sep 25, 2007
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seconding irfanview.

best image viewer ever, and the batch file converter is awesome.

using IrFanView too, but cannot open Japanese named images or images in Japanese named directories although all plugins are installed.

Any suggestions what I am doing wrong or what is misconfigured?
 

kbryc08

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Nov 17, 2006
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Irfanview does not support unicode so, for now, you will continue to have this problem unfortunately.
 

Sakunyuusha

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Jan 27, 2008
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Does that mean that Irfanview cannot operate at all in Japanese mode? or does it only mean that it cannot operate on directories which contain Japanese characters in their filepaths?
 

redrooster

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Irfanview does not support unicode so, for now, you will continue to have this problem unfortunately.

I have the unicode support plugin installed, but it´s not working correctly either, I just have to bear with it...

it´s ANSI2UNICODE.DLL by Christophe Paris, it´s just from the IrFanView homepage...
 

Rollyco

Team Tomoe
Oct 4, 2007
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using IrFanView too, but cannot open Japanese named images or images in Japanese named directories although all plugins are installed.
Try installing Microsoft AppLocale, create a shortcut for your IrFanView executable using the Japanese language codepage, launch your new shortcut and you should be able to operate on Japanese filenames.

(If you're on Vista or Win7, you probably have to disable UAC for the installer to work.)

(Optional patch to get rid of runtime warning message.)
 

chompy

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I always set my locale to Japanese (non-unicode Shift_Jis shit) and irfanview can handle moon just fine. Paths, filenames, whatever. I used to play a lot of H-games like 5 years ago, and I got used to that stuff.

It also has an additional option since 4.0x under Misc 1. to enable unicode if that's too much for you.
 

redrooster

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You can change irfanview's language japanese but regardless of the language, it will not operate on pictures that contain Japanese characters in their filepaths (just tried it). I've tried to find a solution before with no success.

:death:
 

kbryc08

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Nov 17, 2006
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redrooster:
My apologies, it seems I'm wrong! If I can get IV to view images w/ japanese characters then it becomes my #1 image viewer hands down. Though I get the feeling I've read chompys solution before, this time I'll try to implement it and see what happens.
 

chompy

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Don't give up, I assure you it's not that difficult.

If you don't want to change your system locale, check out applocale like Rollyco suggested.
 

redrooster

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all my directories inside the h-anime collection are named english + romaji + kanji, just to find anything when searching on 1st hit. But that way I cannot view any cover inside the directories with IrFanView, which is the standard viewer, I have to switch to MS pic + fax viewer (if the translation is correct).

Inside the mangas I normally have eng title only + pics by numbers, but it got boring to rename all those ones which came with Japanese pic names..
 

Rollyco

Team Tomoe
Oct 4, 2007
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I have to switch to MS pic + fax viewer (if the tranlastion is correct).
Ugh. Try Honeyview3, it's a great unicode-friendly replacement for the MS pic viewer. And it's made for viewing comics!
 

kbryc08

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Nov 17, 2006
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Hm, well that wasn't hard. In Irfanview, go to Option->Properties->Misc 1. Then make sure the very last box (Use Unicode Plugin) is checked, then you don't have to change the system locale or use applocale. Now you can batch convert/rename and view images that contain japanese characters without a hitch.
 

redrooster

赤いオンドリ - 私はオタクです!
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Sep 25, 2007
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argghhhhhh - that was so bloody easy. For years I have been suffering from that nasty situation to permanently need to switch between both viewers...

Thx to Sakun too who bumped this topic...

This is a fascinating thread. There was just a question for a special software with added problems and plugins (not working) by some posts and the solution found by Kbryc08 just is incredible. Some people really have got a big profit out of this, me included of course...
 

Seizer

New Member
Feb 26, 2007
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Priceless topic.
Have been using Irfanview forever but it's suprisingly hard to remember to update every program we use. :p
Had 4.00 but with 4.23 now under it's quite nice, although I do have Jap locale in my Vista.
Now I can see pics under garbled up folders like "Æ‚ë‚è‚ñ‚±] ƒeƒBƒtƒ@‚³‚ñ‚ƈê��" which was impossible before with IV(in Jap locale). <3