FEATURE: Off-site storage of images?

Lyle Neff · Post by **Lyle Neff** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:24 pm

Hello,

I was wondering whether there are any plans for IMSLP to offer the possibility of storing raw image files (TIFF, etc.) of scanned scores that contributors have uploaded in PDF format. This would be off of the main site, not accessible to the general user.

I'm asking about this not so much to free up storage space on my own computer drives, but to make it possible for other user-members to improve existing uploads if they have the time and better software for positioning, compression, etc. (better than what the original uploader, e.g., me, might have).

For instance, until just a few weeks ago, I was submitting PDFs which, albeit based on images originally scanned at 300 dpi, are actually of lesser size than that, due to my own ignorance about the capabilities and use of my software. I think I still have all the original scanned images, but I'd rather be adding more new works to IMSLP right now than re-creating the old PDFs.

Just an idea. (And I'm aware that additional equipment would be needed to store these things.)

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 5:06 am

Hi, I assume that these files are the raw, uncompressed scans of music in TIFF, GIF etc. format, and not the final PDF format?

Post by **Carolus** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:56 am

That's not a bad idea. With 1 TB hard drives getting as relatively cheap as they are, I could see the utility of setting up an FTP server where such items could be stored.

Lyle Neff · Post by **Lyle Neff** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:04 am

Vivaldi, I'm talking about the raw image files, before any cropping, cleaning up, re-saving, etc. is done to them to make the PDF.

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:11 pm

I see. Like Carolus said, it's a good idea. It can also serve as a backup system as well.

Lyle Neff · Post by **Lyle Neff** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 4:52 pm

Now that I think of it, such a repository would be useful for a kind of cooperative "assembly line" or relay process for getting scores up online. That is, contributors who have good scanning equipment available but not good image-editing software (e.g., moi) could contribute the raw scans; those who have good image-editing capabilities could edit the scanned images. Either could turn the edited images into PDFs and upload to IMSLP.

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:21 am

I see what you mean. Too often there are people who have good scanning devices but poor editing software, and vice-versa. So this repository would solve this problem.

Post by **imslp** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 3:07 am

One way is to imitate what NMA does with their scans. Essentially, all their scans are stored in their original format, to be converted into PDF files in any way that the user specifies.

I can see major benefits to this, especially that PDF processing is quite painless on the server side. However, this is not the easiest thing to set up just because the current system works against such a feature. However, this is definitely a feature that we can have sometime in the future (maybe even relatively near future?). We just have to decide where to draw the line (i.e. whether we are to use this archive purely for the purpose of other people converting the images to PDF by themselves, or do we want to integrate it into IMSLP in a way similar to the NMA, so that people can request on IMSLP how the PDF files are to be created [ex. resolution, page range, etc.]).

Lyle Neff · Post by **Lyle Neff** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:52 am

I'd prefer the former: to keep the images on the side, not for the PDFs to be designed to order. Access to them should be limited to the specific uploaders and to users who have good image-editing software and the time to edit.

Also, because the images would be precious as they are, they shouldn't be allowed to be replaced except by better quality images.

Post by **Leonard Vertighel** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 3:48 pm

Lyle Neff wrote:Access to them should be limited to the specific uploaders and to users who have good image-editing software and the time to edit.

Why?

Lyle Neff · Post by **Lyle Neff** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:15 pm

Leonard Vertighel wrote:
Lyle Neff wrote:Access to them should be limited to the specific uploaders and to users who have good image-editing software and the time to edit.
Why?

There wouldn't be any reason to keep it offsite if anyone and everyone could get at them.

Post by **Leonard Vertighel** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:02 pm

Lyle Neff wrote:There wouldn't be any reason to keep it offsite if anyone and everyone could get at them.

Then let me ask, why keep it offsite?

Lyle Neff · Post by **Lyle Neff** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:52 pm

Leonard Vertighel wrote:
Lyle Neff wrote:There wouldn't be any reason to keep it offsite if anyone and everyone could get at them.
Then let me ask, why keep it offsite?

Because the repository that IMSLP represents is the PDFs of scanned and cleaned-up scores.

Post by **Leonard Vertighel** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:24 pm

Lyle Neff wrote: Because the repository that IMSLP represents is the PDFs of scanned and cleaned-up scores.

Frankly, to me this doesn't seem like a valid reason for restricting access to other file types (no matter where they will ultimately be stored). Personally, I'm opposed to restricting access to any available material, unless there is a compelling (legal, technical...) reason for doing so.

ras1 · Post by **ras1** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:23 pm

I think part of the idea might be that we could put scores that need to have logos removed there. So, not all the materials would necessarily be PD.