We are pleased to announce the release of Daminion 8.4, which brings significant improvements and enhancements to the software.
Please read the major changes in this release and prepare for the upgrade by following the guidelines below.
Preparation for Version 8.4 Upgrade:
- Before upgrading to version 8.4, we recommend backing up your catalogs and thumbnail folder ( excluding the faces, mid-size, and preview folders ).
- Learn about the new minimum system requirements and major changes in this release.
Changes in this release:
1.Transition to x64 Architecture:
- Daminion Server is now installed by default in C:\Program Files\Daminion Software\Daminion\Daminion Server *
- Daminion Client is installed in Appdata\Local\Daminion Software\Daminion
- Both the server, client, and third-party programs are now 64-bit, removing memory usage limitations that could cause “out of memory” errors in previous versions.
- These changes will pave the way for future multi-platform support for the server.
2.Multithreaded Media Processor:
- The Media Processor is now multithreaded, allowing it to utilize multiple threads during import. Due to this enhancement, the minimum system requirements have been raised.
- Importing JPEG files with metadata is now approximately four times faster. Other formats also benefit from accelerated import, but the speed improvement depends on the file size and format.
3.Reading Metadata with Exiftool:
All metadata is now read using Exiftool. If you encountered any issues with specific metadata in the previous version, re-read the metadata using the desktop client in the new version.
4.Static Thumbnails and Updater Service:
- We have migrated thumbnails in the desktop and web interfaces to a new format, resulting in improved catalog performance and reduced server load.
After the update, the current thumbnail format (dat) will be converted into three jpg files of different sizes. The dat file will remain, and you can revert to the previous Daminion version if desired.
- The Updater service manages thumbnail conversion, checks for existing thumbnails in the catalog, and requests generation if necessary.
Warning! Ensure that you have sufficient free disk space in the folder where thumbnails are stored. If you have experienced thumbnail-related issues before, a check will be performed for all files in the catalog. If thumbnails are missing, the generation process will be initiated. Additionally, when transitioning to the new format of static thumbnails, the old thumbnails will not be deleted, and the new ones will occupy a similar amount of space as the old ones.
5.Deferred Thumbnail Generation:
Part of the thumbnails is now generated after files are imported into the catalog to optimize and speed up the import process. If a thumbnail is not visible immediately after import, please wait, and it will appear shortly.
6.Limitations:
- The preview acceleration setting has been removed from the server settings.
Preview and midsize generation are now enabled by default and can’t be disabled, as they are critical to the normal operation of the server.
*Please note! If you have https access configured or the web directory is not configured by default, don’t forget to change the path to the Daminion server in IIS.
We hope that Daminion 8.4’s improvements will enhance your media management experience and productivity. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance.