How to scan multiple frames (on one strip) using Vuescan?

[dpt2014]

I just purchased Vuescan Pro today after being frustrated with Canon's MP Navigator EX. The scans I was getting from the Canon software were fine, but I can't save any of them because of an "Insufficient memory" error! This seems to be a relatively common problem according to Google. While others have found solutions, I've had no such luck. And thus Vuescan.

Anyway, what I liked about the Canon software is that it would scan a strip of MF (6x6) and automatically crop all three (3) frames. This was great because I could press start, walk away to another task, and come back to three (3) complete scans. I can't figure out how to do that with Vuescan. I'm assuming the option, if available, is somewhere in the "Crop" tab.

Basically, I want to be able to scan multiple frames (all on the same strip) and save them as individual files with the touch of a single button ("Scan").

TIA!!

 

[funkydog]

Connect the scanner to the PC and power it up before you launch Vuescan, some options are not displayed otherwise. In the Input tab, select List from the drop down menu for Batch Scan. Enter 1-6 in the text entry field for Batch List. Set Auto Save to Scan. In the Output tab, set the default save directory and the filename masking. e.g. yourowninfohere_@. The _@ sets the timestamp and auto numbering of the successive scans.

 

[dpt2014]

Thank you for that response! But I still MUST be doing something wrong, because even after that I am only getting the bottom most frame scanned/saved.

This is driving me nuts. :/

Edit: so I decided to start over by going to File >> Default Options. Now when I'm in the input tab I don't even see the Batch Scan option???

Edit 2: Nevermind - I had to go to the second tab and set Crop to Multi-Crop. It's interesting that options in the "first" tab show up after options are set in latter tabs. The learning curve with Vuescan is no joke!

 

[dpt2014]

Here is what my Input, Crop, and Output tabs look like.

Input

Crop

Output

 

[dpt2014]

With the above settings, this is what happens when I press "Scan." As you can see, only the top frame now is outlined with dashed lines. As I understand it, only the frames outlined with dashed lines are scanned when pressing Scan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkXNWl4B-7g

When I mess with the different options in the Crop tab, the dashed outlines change...which leads me to believe it's a setting there that I'm missing.

 

[crispy12]

In the preview screen, make sure you press the forward/backward arrows on the bottom right of the screen to see the selection for frames 1, 2 and 3. Once the framing is correct, press scan.

 

[cabbiinc]

Also go to the Prefs tab and make sure that Animate Crop Box is checked. That will give you the marching ants on the crop of the frame that's active.

 

[dpt2014]

In the preview screen, make sure you press the forward/backward arrows on the bottom right of the screen to see the selection for frames 1, 2 and 3. Once the framing is correct, press scan.

I know what you are talking about, but after I hit Preview and it scans the entire strip, the bottom right only shows: 1) save 2) print 3) rotate left 4) rotate right 5) magnify

Also go to the Prefs tab and make sure that Animate Crop Box is checked. That will give you the marching ants on the crop of the frame that's active.

It's on. :/

 

[Mablo]

I just tried this with my 8800f and Vuescan. It worked very nicely.

My first impression is Vuescan gets a little bit more out of the negative than Canoscan. I used "Tmax 100", "D76 .55" preset for my Tri-x negatives.

 

[dpt2014]

My problem is not the quality of the scans. I'm trying to scan multiple frames on a single strip with "one" scan.

 

[dpt2014]

Not the kinda customer service that would make me a returning customer. The reply I got from Ed:

Hi Calvin,

You can probably do this with the "Crop | Multi crop" option.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick

Probably? PROBABLY? You wrote the software. Shouldn't you know?!

Anyway, I settled for the Scanning from Preview option and just cropping each frame after. Not as quick as Canon's software, but at least I can save my scans now (couldn't do that with Canon's software due to an error).

 

[Particular]

I think Ed is probably tired of getting mails from customers who don't read the manual, but vuescan can be confusing even after you do.

I watched your video, and just before it ends you start doing things right.
I prefer to use the Multi crop set to Custom. After you have done a preview, set the x and y for the number of frames (like you do in the video). The first frame will show the running selection lines which you can drag to resize around your image. Now if you hover over the frame, you should see a large #1. If you hover over your second frame, you should see a #2. when you click it will show the selection for frame 2 (you can also use the right arrow at the bottom). Vuescan will have copied the framing from 1 to frame 2. If this is correct (unlikely), then you can tick All frames, and use the same crop for all scans. More likely you will want to manually select each frame (make sure All frames is unticked.
Take note that the crop frame can extend outside the dividers (x and y). If your image crosses one of the dividers the trick is to grab the crop rectangle at the center, and slide the whole edge across the divider. If you try to drag the edge across the divider, vuescan will think that you are editing the frame on the other side, and it will switch to that one. This drove me bonkers until I understood what was happening.
When you have selected and adjusted all frames, select frame 1 again, because vuescan will scan the selected frame first.
In Input you can now select Batch scan All, to scan all frames, or use List to enter specific frames to scan.

I have adjusted the Crop size and Multi crop settings to correspond with my film holders, and saved them as a preset, so I am pretty much ready to go after doing one preview.
I hope this helps.

 

[Mablo]

My problem is not the quality of the scans. I'm trying to scan multiple frames on a single strip with "one" scan.

That's what I did by following _exactly_ the settings you showed above. I hadn't been able to do batch scanning before with Vuescan so I Thank You so much. I can see 'running ants' only around the first (upmost) image on the preview image (this is different from Canoscan) but Vuescan will nevertheless scan all three 6x6 negs separately.

 

[dpt2014]

???

That's strange as it is still not working for me. Would you do me a huge favor and show me what the settings you have for the rest of the tabs?

 

[dpt2014]

I think Ed is probably tired of getting mails from customers who don't read the manual, but vuescan can be confusing even after you do.

I watched your video, and just before it ends you start doing things right.
I prefer to use the Multi crop set to Custom. After you have done a preview, set the x and y for the number of frames (like you do in the video). The first frame will show the running selection lines which you can drag to resize around your image. Now if you hover over the frame, you should see a large #1. If you hover over your second frame, you should see a #2. when you click it will show the selection for frame 2 (you can also use the right arrow at the bottom). Vuescan will have copied the framing from 1 to frame 2. If this is correct (unlikely), then you can tick All frames, and use the same crop for all scans. More likely you will want to manually select each frame (make sure All frames is unticked.
Take note that the crop frame can extend outside the dividers (x and y). If your image crosses one of the dividers the trick is to grab the crop rectangle at the center, and slide the whole edge across the divider. If you try to drag the edge across the divider, vuescan will think that you are editing the frame on the other side, and it will switch to that one. This drove me bonkers until I understood what was happening.
When you have selected and adjusted all frames, select frame 1 again, because vuescan will scan the selected frame first.
In Input you can now select Batch scan All, to scan all frames, or use List to enter specific frames to scan.

I have adjusted the Crop size and Multi crop settings to correspond with my film holders, and saved them as a preset, so I am pretty much ready to go after doing one preview.
I hope this helps.

Yes! You, sir, are amazing. Thank you for your detailed response as I now have everything working as it should!

 

[Particular]

Yes! You, sir, are amazing. Thank you for your detailed response as I now have everything working as it should!

You are welcome. I'm happy you figured it out.