Dummy pictures are pictures containing text that may later be replaced by a real image. This way it is possible to create a fully searchable digital archive even if the images themselves are located in a traditional picture archive. The text in the dummy images can for example contain information about where the original image is stored. At a later stage FotoStation can be used to merge the text in the dummy image with the real image file.
To create a dummy image, open the File menu and choose New, then Dummy picture. Choose a folder for saving the dummy picture in and a file name. (FotoStation will suggest a file name automatically.) The text editor is opened, and you may caption the dummy picture. Naturally you may also open a previously saved IPTC file by opening the File menu in the text editor and then choosing Open template, or pick a template in the Templates menu. Clicking on the OK button in the text editor lets you create a new dummy picture, apply text to it and so on. Click on the Cancel button to stop making more dummy pictures.
Tip: Dummy pictures can also be created automatically when importing text records from a file or a database. This way, you can create a fully searchable text archive and merge the dummy pictures with the original files later, provided that the dummy pictures are given the same name as the original file. When exporting text records from an archive in the first place, the file name can be included (it is included by default when using the FotoWare standard format), meaning that dummy files will automatically be given the same name as the files from which their metadata originates. This makes it very easy to merge the dummy files with their original files later.
To merge the dummy with a real image and transfer the text from the dummy to the real one, right-click the dummy thumbnail and choose Replace this dummy picture with image file. Then select the image file with which you wish to merge the dummy. A dialog box appears, presenting the following choices:
Use file name from: Choose whether the new file should be named after the dummy or the file with which you are merging it.
Use location from: Choose where to store the new image. You may choose between storing it in the folder where the dummy image is located, or in the folder of the selected image file.
Use file date from: Choose between preserving the file date of the dummy or the selected image file.
Text handling: Either add the dummy text to the existing text in the image, or replace the existing text with the dummy text.
Delete the selected file after the replace operation: If this box is checked, FotoStation merges the dummy and the selected file into a new file and deletes the originals. Otherwise, the original selected image will remain unchanged. Either way, the dummy is removed.
Apply to all selected. Use same source folder and settings: This option applies only if you have selected many dummy images in your archive. Then, selecting this option makes FotoStation assume that all the files with which to merge the dummy files are located in the same folder. For this feature to work correctly, the dummy images must have the same name as the file with which its text is merged.