Import and Export

IMatch has been designed with an Open System approach in mind.

All the data in your IMatch database can be exported in multiple formats. This allows you to extract the data from your IMatch system if you decide to switch to another system at some point in the future. All core database export formats are documented in the IMatch user reference manual or the online help.

IMatch supports a wide variety of import and export formats to exchange data with other applications. Using the built-in scripting language, and the powerful object model of IMatch, you can import and export virtually all data formats.
IMatch already ships with customizable scripts to import data from many other image management systems.

Using scripting, you can control and automate all other Windows applications which support OLE or COM automation. This allows you to integrate IMatch completely in your workflow, or to use IMatch data in other applications.

IMatch itself uses UNICODE™ and XML to store its metadata. This allows IMatch to handle all sorts of data in a very flexible way, and to work with multibyte character sets used in Asia and other parts of the world.

Built-in Import and Export Features

IMatch ships with many built-in and ready-to-use import and export filters.

Text Formats

IMatch contains a powerful Text Export module that allows you to export the contents of your database in various text formats. The exporter supports ANSI, ASCII and UNICODETM, free field separators and record delimiters and gives you access to all image attributes and property sets in your database.

 Supports ASCII, ANSI and UNICODE™
 Free sort orders based on IMatch sort presets
 All image attributes accessible
 All property database contents accessible
 Free choice of field and record delimiters
 Optional escapement for textual data
 Recursive processing of folders
 Unlimited number of images

Pre-built Import Scripts

IMatch ships with a variety of pre-built scripts to import data from other image management systems. Either these scripts work right out of the box, or can be easily customized to your personal setup in the "other" system.

 ImageAXS Import Filter
 SmartPix Import Filter
 FotoTime XML Import
 Photo Recall Import
 Portfolio Import Filter
 ULead Photo Explorer Filter
 Generic Access Database Import Filter
 IPTC data to text file export filter
 ACDSee™ descript.ion export filter

The IMatch User Community is very active. You can download other scripts to import and or export data to and from other systems on the IMatch User Forum.

ACDSee™ Description File Import and Export

The well known image viewing application ACDSee allows you to add a simple description to each file in your collection. Many other application also support this simple but effective standard. IMatch also fully supports ACDSee description files and allows you to import these files into your database. Using the generic text export filter in IMatch, you create ACDSee description files from any part of your database.

XML Import and Export

The property database of IMatch is based on XML and allows to import and export property set definitions using a standardized XML document schema. You can easily publish your property database outline (optionally including the contents) to other IMatch users. You can also import the property set schemas defined by other users, customers, clients or standard organizations.
The IMatch property schema is well documented and standardized using an XML Document Type Definition (DTD). This allows other applications to export their data in a way that can easily be imported into an IMatch database - or vise versa.

Category Definition Import and Export

The category definitions of IMatch can also be imported and exported. You can export your category definition to a text document and promote it to other users or you can import the category definitions from clients, customers, friends or standard organizations.
It is even possible to include CRC information in such a file. In this case, IMatch can automatically assign the images in your existing database to the categories contained in the file.

Automating other Applications (OLE Automation)

The built-in scripting language fully supports the Windows OLE and Automation protocols. This allows you to control and automate other applications from within IMatch, for example, office products, imaging applications or other databases.

Generic File Import

The scripting language also contains support for reading and writing text and binary files. If you need to support applications with an uncommon format, scripting is the solution.

Import and Export of CRC and CSV files

CRC checksum files and the CSV file format are often used to enforce and validate the completeness of image series. IMatch directly imports CRC and CSV files and allows you to match the contents of these files with your database. A special result window shows you all images from the CRC/CSV file that are in your collection and also the images that are missing.
After the match has been done, you can create a new CRC/CSV file with the found or missing images to share it with other image collectors. Using the CRC/CSV export filter, you can easily create CRC/CSV files from your database or an image selection/category.