Import

Daminion can recognize and import 100+ media formats including IMAGES (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PSD, PSB, etc), VIDEO (MP4, MOV, AVI, .h264, .h265, etc), DOCUMENTS (PDF, RTF, TXT, and MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint formats), VECTOR IMAGES (InDesign, EPS, AI, PDF, SVG), 3D/CAD FORMATS (FBX, DWG, OBJ, UNREAL, etc), CAMERA RAW IMAGES, and AUDIO files. If there is a media format you need to have supported you can request the new media format development.
Full list of the supported formats

Daminion Local version can import your media using file references while the actual original files will reside in their original location, including a NAS or file server. This is the benefit of a local version of Daminion – unlike cloud based DAM systems where your media will be duplicated to the cloud.

Daminion will sync all external file system changes automatically. Daminion File System Monitor will detect any file or folder changes, addition or deletion of media, and keep your database up to date.

New files are held in the Daminion Waiting Room until they have been approved by moderators or with properly assigned tags before being added to a catalog.

Daminion Local version indexes your media archive without content duplication. You own and manage your file storage space. Daminion Cloud includes 100GB storage space in all plans and can grow as your library grows.

Easy migration of media and metadata from other systems can be done via a CSV file. We can help you migrate your media into Daminion. Please contact us to discuss the details of your migration.

Some DAM solutions have limitations for importing one folder at a time.This makes importing a large library tricky and slow. In Daminion you can drag and drop multiple folders at once or a nested folder structure.

Define what type of files or folders that will or will not be imported into a catalog. You can also tell Daminion to import only folders with a given name.

Upload files directly to a certain folder in the web client and the desktop client

Files can be renamed automatically during the import. New sub-folders can be made based on importing file metadata

Accept files from external workers via an auto-import folder. Any file that is copied to this folder will be uploaded into Daminion Server and removed from this auto-importing folder.


Organizing

Folder based media organization is very limited. One digital asset can be stored in one folder only without making file duplicates. Plus you need to know the exact folder path in order to locate an asset. In Daminion multiple tags can be assigned to a digital asset without occupying additional disk space. You can quickly locate media by combining multiple tags in your search criteria and logical operands like AND/OR/NOT.

Create tags with unlimited levels of hierarchical structure

Import and use your existing controlled vocabulary or create a new structure from scratch within Daminion. Use structured search terms and language to enable your users to more quickly find assets without needing to remember folder paths.

Link related assets to each other such as a model release with photographs, or a design file with each of the elements used within the design. Linking related assets will greatly improve your users search experience and speed in finding assets.

Use synonyms to simplify your tagging structure and give your users greater flexibility when searching for assets. You can create your own synonyms and choose which ones you want users to see regardless of which ones they use. For example, tag ‘Camera’, ‘Digital Camera’, ‘Digicam’, and DSLR as synonyms. Then regardless of the term searched by your users they will see the same results.

Daminion offers about 50 standard metadata tags for you to use right out of the box. You can also create custom user defined tags to support your business and industry specific needs. For example: Weight, Price, Designer, Interior Style, etc.

Daminion allows you to manage your file/folder structure in the same way you can do in Windows Explorer.

For example, lock price range between: $300 and $500 and browse Watch photos vendor by vendor

If you have taken a lot of photos but forgot to set the correct time zone in your camera – don’t worry. You can shift the datetime for the imported files by X hours to set the correct datetime.

Reduce a number or visual elements. Continuously shooted photos with minor changes or photos of the same product can be grouped together

Draggable panels in the desktop client allows you to use your multiple monitor workspaces more effectively

Images with GPS coordinates will be displayed on a map (different map providers can be used). It is also possible to tag photos by dragging them to a map

Split your data into multiple catalogs with different content and different access rights. Archive catalogs can be used for rarely used archived files

Tray is a super easy way to collect assets that you are going to download, share or perform a batch operation.

Analyze how well your catalog is organized

Export your tag structure to txt file, or import from txt file.

Only files that are approved by moderators or with properly assigned tags will be included into the catalog.

Daminion imports metadata from files automatically. These metadata will be marked as unapproved unless you approve them. This guarantees that your tag vocabulary will be properly protected from unwanted changes.


Tools for quick tagging

Tagging might be time consuming without batch tools or automatic keywording. Daminion can recognize and tag common objects on your images via Google Vision or Clarify services.

Daminion’s AI Facial Recognition engine helps you to automatically detect faces on all your photos and tag them properly. This option doesn’t use any online services and can work behind your firewall.

Digital assets might contain a lot of metadata that Daminion can recognize automatically. For example, existing file/folder names, GPS information, camera EXIF data, image size, color profile, codecs, dominant colors, image orientations, etc.. Images from some photo stock services also contain a list of keywords that can be automatically imported by Daminion.

Multiple assets can be tagged by multiple tags. Batch tagging is optimized for keyboard, using short-cuts. Or you can tag them by drag and drop.

A list of recently assigned tags, tag presets, that can be assigned during the ingestion process or later, and a range of tag management commands.


Searches

Filtering your content is as easy as selecting one tag, then narrowing the search results by another tag, etc. Combine the search terms by AND/OR/NOT operands.

Type in keywords in the search box, then narrow your searches by additional tag criteria

Full text search allows you to search assets by their content (text documents). This feature is in progress.

Thumbnails can be generated automatically even for vector images (AI/EPS/DOC/INDD/SVG) or assigned manually via custom thumbnails.

Combine your search terms by AND/OR/NOT operands. For example: find furniture designs that contains Chairs OR Tables WITH steel OR wood material but NOT glass

Save your searches for future usage and use them as dynamic collections. If a new asset will meet the saved search criteria it will appear in this collection automatically.

Build complex searches by combining multiple tags with AND/OR/NOT operands and a lot of other commands (contains, starts, less than, etc.)

Daminion can detect full asset duplicates automatically and display them side by side so you can decide which one you need to leave. Metadata part of assets are ignored by detection algorithm

Daminion can find similar images, for example: resized, slightly cropped or adjusted versions of the same image

Find illegally used images in the Internet or similar designs

Several customizable views of your assets, like thumbnails, thumbnails with captions, detailed view, filmstrip view

Daminion automatically detects 3 dominant colors of each image and you can narrow your searches by image colors.


Workflow and collaboration

Multiple designers can collaborate with the same designs. Versioning helps to avoid document collisions and allows you to revert the best design when you need it.

Designers and marketers can collaborate without face-to-face meeting. Stages of asset development, email notifications, versioning and commenting assets. This feature is progress.

External access to locally installed Daminion Server can be provided by multiple ways: static IP, VPN (hardware or software based), installing Daminion Server on a corporate web-server or corporate cloud. Or integration with file sharing services like Dropbox or GDrive.

It is possible to configure login free guest access with read only access. This feature is configurable.


View

Daminion displays quality thumbnails of 100s of media files, including vector images, videos, and PDFs. With generic icons, you have to open documents one by one only to discover that you’ opened the wrong one!

Viewing large image formats like PSD or TIFF is very slow if your media library is stored on a shared file server or NAS and connected to the server PC across the network. Daminion can generate medium res or hi-res versions of such assets and store them on a server PC. This allows us to speed up the preview of large files up to 20x times faster!

All video formats can be previewed via web-client or desktop client

Compare multiple images at once per one screen to select the best asset version

View images as a table, thumbnails, or filmstrip view

See who changed, what assets and what was changed across asset versions.


Metadata

During asset ingestion a lot of information will be imported directly from the asset metadata and saves you a lot of time that is necessary for tagging them

You can quickly migrate your photo archives from standalone photo management programs like Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, Picasa, MediaPro/Extension/iView via XMP/IPTC metadata. Even hierarchical keywords of Lightroom and events from Media Pro will be imported.

Metadata can be saved to 100+ media formats as XMP or native metadata including images, video, vector images, camera RAW!, PDF, Office and audio formats

Once you have changed asset annotations they all can automatically sync back with asset metadata. Optionally, of course. This provides you with an extra level of data backup. Plus high level of data consistency between database and file levels.

Force reading or writing of metadata. Either manually or automatic. In both directions.

You can preview all kind of metadata inside all known media formats


Integrations

Right click on an asset and invoke your editing application directly from Daminion. An asset can be automatically checked out after opening it.

Integrate Daminion with CMS, ERP or eCommerce systems via Daminion API. Need a sample of API usage? Take a look at our web-client. It is completely built using Daminion API.

Quickly access to all your digital assets directly within your Creative Cloud applications, and then quickly add them to your designs.


Reliability and Security

Daminion has been used as a trusted DAM system in 750+ organizations since 2003.

PostgreSQL is an open-source, widely adopted database solution used by millions of companies around the world. It is stable, fast, and reliable. It is used by Daminion as well.

Access to the library is protected on multiple layers: on functionality level by user roles. Additionally on a tag, file, folder, catalog and server levels.

Track who imported, what assets and for what purposes they were used. For example you can see in what publications was used an asset. You can also see what clients received a certain image.

Once you have changed asset annotations they all can be automatically synced back with asset metadata. Optionally, of course. This provides you with an extra level of data backup. Plus high level of data consistency between database and file levels.

Protect your company against unintended license violations – like accidentally using a picture whose license has expired, for example – you can tag your pictures in Daminion with a special license expiration date.

You can define who can see assets in a certain folder. This also can be integrated with Active Directory and synced automatically

Index up to 20 millions of assets per one database. Unlimited number of databases is supported

Configure access permission from an easy to use administration panel or bind Active Directory security and map it to Daminion user roles.

Configure and assign roles directly via admin panel or web-client. Bind Active Directory security and map it to Daminion user roles.

Active Directory users and groups can be mapped to Daminion users and roles automatically. Active Directory permission for folders also can be synced with Daminion folders.

Backup your database manually or schedule automatic backups

Version control permits from overriding existing document version and asset duplicates


Media Library Consistency

Daminion’s file watching service monitors external file system events and keeps your catalog synced with your file system.

Assets can be relinked with external files manually

Folders can be relinked with external files manually. If an IP address or name of your file server was changed you can relink data in Daminion accordingly.

Protect your media archive by user roles. Granting read only access for some users prevents your data from losses or accidental screw-ups.

A well written taxonomy is a key that assets can be found quickly when you need them. You can lock some tags from editing but allow users to assign or remove them from assets

Only files that are approved by moderators or with a properly assigned tags will be included into the catalog

Tags that are imported from file metadata can be marked as unapproved unless a moderator will approve them. Plus taxonomy or individual tag editing can be locked for non-moderator users.


Export

Select an export presets during the export with the ability to resize file on-the-fly, apply a watermark, and change the file format

Make PDF contact sheets with captions below thumbnails

If you need to get your metadata out of Daminion you can easily do so by exporting the data to a CSV file.

A sample of emailing images: Select images, select downsizing preset and click Export button that will invoke GMail or your local email client. You can also optionally exclude tags from the export, include your company copyrights into the image metadata and apply the company logo as a watermark. All these things will be applied automatically.

Large files can be shared with others by links without file size limitations like in email clients or messengers.


Platform/Deployment

Daminion Cloud is an easy way to access your data from anywhere, and super easy deployment. No IT staff is required. Daminion Local (on-premises version) – all your data is behind your corporate firewall, zero storage costs, fast access to your data.

Web-Client (Windows, Mac, Mobile friendly) and Desktop Clients (Windows only)

On premises version can be installed locally on your corporate web or local server and works behind your company firewall. And you don’t need to pay for storage space subscription. Ideal for storing and managing secure assets.

Installation of Daminion Server usually takes 10-30 mins and is maximally automated. A lot of things are installed and configured automatically during the installation

Daminion Web client doesn’t require automatic updates. Daminion Desktop clients need to be installed once. All further updates are automatic. Only the server part must be updated.

From the very beginning Daminion team is focused on a clean and easy to use interface with minimal visual elements.

Admins can setup default UI setting, like a predefined set of filter tags and captions

Daminion Server admin panel’s dashboard allows you to see Daminion server status and health

If a company has multiple geographically dispersed offices they can install Daminion Server on the main office and access them from all other offices. And image libraries can be replicated between all offices while the database/catalog is stored on the main office.

Brand your interface with your corporate logotype and corporate colors

Granular access permissions allows you to give a controlled access to external contractors or clients for some of your assets

A special maintenance command to run optimization of your PostgreSQL database structure and improves its performance.