Skip to CITY Download Link.

'CITY' is simply one batch file. It can save plenty of time and effort when transferring files from your camera to your hard-drive.

UNLIKE software provided by most camera makers:
- NO installation is required.
- It is totally portable - it can even reside on the camera itself.
- It can be used with any camera brand.

CITY does NOT run background processes or services on your computer. It is a tiny file that will do what you want, when you ask for it, and nothing more.

- CITY's MAIN DISPLAY -

SCENARIO:

Most users of DIGITAL CAMERAS regularly transfer files from camera to hard-drive.

This can be done manually via 'drag and drop'; OR automatically via software supplied by the camera manufacturer.

PROBLEMS:

Surprisingly, manual 'drag and drop' file transfer and folder management is difficult for many novice computer users.

Automatic file-transfer software usually runs background processes (using system resources) so that it can detect when the camera is plugged in. It is usually limited to its 'own' camera, with file types and target addresses locked.

Such software must be installed on the user's computer.

SOLUTION:

The solution is this tiny batch file called CITY, which will run from any drive or folder on a Windows computer (even from the camera itself) WITHOUT installation!

MORE INFORMATION:

There are 5 (five) lines within the CITY batch file that require editing, so that it suits your system. Instructions below. After editing, double-click CITY to run it. It will offer the following OPTIONS:

• *MOVE* all files from camera to target folder, (DELETING them from the camera).
  For this option, a NEW 'TARGET FOLDER' will be created within your photo/movie storage area. The new folder will be named with the current date and time. Your camera's files will be moved into this new folder and deleted from the camera.
  
  
• *COPY* all files from camera to target folder, (LEAVING them on the camera as well).
  For this option, a NEW 'TARGET FOLDER' will be created within your photo/movie storage area. The new folder will be named with the current date and time. Your camera's files will be copied into this new folder and left on the camera as well.
  
  
• Create a *FOLDER* ONLY, (without moving/copying any files).
  For this option, a NEW 'TARGET FOLDER' will be created within your photo/movie storage area. The new folder will be named with the current date and time.
  
  
• *DELETE* all files from the camera, (without creating a folder OR copying anything).
  
  
• *ABORT/QUIT* to cancel and end.
  

Currently CITY will run only on Windows XP, but with some alterations it should adapt well to other Windows versions. If altered, I ask that it be labelled as being altered from the original CITY, and retain its link to this download page.

Originally I created a small batch file to quickly create a folder on my hard-drive and move images to it from my digital camera. Realising that many people could benefit from using it, I refined the concept and named it CITY - which stands for Camera Image Transfer utilitY.

Care has been taken in the design and assembly of CITY. HOWEVER, use it at your own risk, as you are responsible (not me) for any loss or damage resulting from your free use of CITY.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EDITING/SETTING UP CITY:

Right-click the batch file and choose 'Edit' from the contextual menu in Windows. Otherwise open it from a text editor. Scroll down to the editable area, as demonstrated in the green section below:

:: ############################################################
:: #### FOR NORMAL USE, EDIT ONLY THE 5 'SET' LINES BELOW: ####
:: Set your target drive & folder address
:: in the "speech marks":
set Target="D:\PhotoStorageFolder"
:: Set your camera drive letter & folder address
:: in the "speech marks":
set Camera="S:\DCIM\101MSDCF"
:: Set the EXACT file extensions that your camera
:: uses. The '*' character is a 'wildcard'
:: substitute for any/all file names:
set Image=*.JPG
set Movie=*.MPG
set Thumb=*.THM
:: ALL files could be easily included by using '*.*'
:: However, they are differentiated here
:: for a couple of good reasons:
:: - Other file types (eg: .exe .doc .txt etc)
:: can be stored in the camera's memory, and are
:: safe from accidental loss during move/copy
:: of the camera's native image, movie and
:: thumbnail files.
:: - Other options can be easily written
:: into this batch file. For example, movie and
:: image files could be moved to separate folders;
:: or only a certain type of file could be moved.
:: #### FOR NORMAL USE, EDIT ONLY THE 5 'SET' LINES ABOVE: ####
:: ############################################################

This is all self-explanatory. The sections marked here in red are to be edited in your CITY batch file. This is as simple as changing some text in a text document. If you do not understand what to do, you should abandon your use of CITY until someone can set it up for you. This page cannot serve as a batch file editing tutorial.

To see correct addresses on your computer, it can help to have the Address Bar visible in Windows Explorer. After opening Windows Explorer, go to:
View > Toolbars > Address Bar.

To see the correct file extensions, it can help to have file extensions visible in Windows Explorer. After opening Windows Explorer, go to:
Tools > Folder Options > View (tab) > UNTICK Hide Extensions... > OK.
After using this option to view the file extensions, I suggest that you hide them again. It's very easy for novices to delete file extensions if they're visible when manually renaming files.

IF you get an error message when trying to run CITY:

• the correct addressing of your camera and/or target storage area has not been edited properly into CITY, or
• your camera is not connected or is not accessible for some reason, or
• the target storage drive/folder is not connected or is not accessible for some reason.

- A SAMPLE ERROR MESSAGE -

CITY works on the assumption that your camera will always have the same drive letter assigned to it by the computer you're transferring the images to. Personally, I allocate 'S' to my Sony digital camera (S for 'Sony'), and I ensure that no other device ever grabs that letter.

TO ASSIGN A SPECIFIC DRIVE LETTER TO A DRIVE IN WINDOWS XP:

• Open 'Computer Management' by one of the following means -
  Start > Run > compmgmt.msc > OK.
  - or -
  Right-click the 'My Computer' icon on the desktop, then choose 'Manage'.
  
• Once the 'Computer Management' window is open, navigate to 'Disk Management'. This will display each drive on your computer.
  
• Right-click the graphical representation of your camera's drive. Choose 'Change Drive Letter...' and change it to one that's quite deep into the alphabet, and is not likely to used by any other device.

NO NASTY BUSINESS:

Obviously, CITY has NO adware, NO spyware, NO malware, NO viruses (virii) and NO nasties at all. The design and assembly of CITY is visible for all to see.

CITY will not hog your system resources. It will only run when you tell it to.

CITY is free, and can be re-distributed freely.

I simply ask that it retain its link to this download page.

DOWNLOAD:

DRAG-AND-DROP ZIP-AND-SEND GMAILER:

I created this DRAG-AND-DROP ZIP-AND-SEND GMAILER to work as a 'stand-alone' utility. This means that it will run 'live' from the root of a CD on ANY local CD-ROM drive. (Obviously, a CD is 'read-only' media.) Importantly, it can also run directly from the memory of a camera, MP3 player, a USB flash-drive, etc.

With the DRAG-AND-DROP ZIP-AND-SEND GMAILER, there is NO installation of any software on the computer! This emailer is extremely portable and versatile. It can be taken with you and safely used from practically ANY Windows computer that is connected to the internet!

I used only clean, safe freeware components in this system, so that it can be distributed freely without any concerns for security or licensing.

D&D Z&S GMAILER - Setup Instructions text file.

D&D Z&S GMAILER - self-extracting ZIP file for setting up. (1.5mb)

Screenshots of DRAG-AND-DROP ZIP-AND-SEND GMAILER in action:

BURN-ISO-EASILY:
A very easy way to distribute ISO files for burning to CD/DVD

If you need to disribute an ISO file for burning to CD/DVD by the end user, this can really help.

Some end users do not have ISO burning software. Some end users are not very 'computer literate', and/or cannot set up their burning software.

This system uses the simple BurnCDCC from TerabyteUnlimited.com, which is already VERY EASY to use. However, the 'RunThisFileToBurnTheDisk' batch file is designed to make things EXTREMELY EASY for a non-computer-literate end user.

Simply rename your ISO file as image.iso and place it in the folder, overwriting the dummy file supplied there. Then ZIP the package, ready for distribution.

Your instructions to the non-computer-literate end user would be something like:
1) Download the .EXE file.
2) Run (double-click) the .EXE file to unzip the package.
3) Run (double-click) the file called 'RunThisFileToBurnTheDisk'.

This batch file has all the settings in place for extremely easy ISO burning.

Burn-ISO-Easily ReadMe file.

Burn-ISO-Easily Self-extracting ZIP file containing my Burn-ISO setup.

- The window that greets you when using Burn-ISO-Easily -

PHOTO RESIZE - Extremely user-friendly digital image shrinker:

PhotoResize is a very clever little 'stand-alone' JPEG-shrinking program, made by RealWorld Graphics. It is freeware, and is available from www.rw-designer.com.

Using PhotoResize will NOT change or delete your original image files. It will make a smaller version (in the same folder as the original) with the same name as the original, except that there will be a number added to the filename to state the size in pixels.

Being a portable 'stand-alone' application, PhotoResize does NOT 'install' on your computer like larger applications, and no registry entries are created/changed by it.

I made this SETUP PACKAGE for use on Windows XP. It simply copies the PhotoResize file to the root of C drive, and places handy pre-made shortcuts in your 'Send To' folder. (See below). Although that sounds quick and easy to do, many novice computer users have trouble with such actions, and this is why this setup package has been created.

PhotoResize - ReadMe file for my PhotoResize setup system.

PhotoResize - Self-extracting ZIP file containing my PhotoResize setup system.

PhotoResize Homepage.

- If PhotoResize is set up using my setup system, this is how it can be used -

OTHER VERY HANDY SOFTWARE FOR DIGITAL CAMERA USERS (FREE):

FastStone FastStone Photo Resizer - also does batch file renaming.

All FastStone downloads - including Image Viewer and 'Portable' versions.

AntRenamer - a batch file renamer from Belgium.

WildRename - another batch file renamer.