Default import mode in Settings
Choose the initial Session Media import mode (Copy or Link) under Settings → Journal. It is a starting choice for new imports, not a conversion of existing gallery items. Changing Copy/Link temporarily in the Journal does not change the application default. See Settings.
Purpose and ownership
The WIP gallery documents how an artwork develops. It accepts photographs and video clips, keeps a display name and notes for each item, and links every item to one working session. It is not an image editor or a video editor. A separate Final artwork image belongs to the artwork itself, not to a session.
A gallery item has its own media record, saved thumbnail, source-file location and optional notes. The thumbnail may still be visible when the original file is missing. Do not treat a visible thumbnail as proof that the original is available.
Gallery controls: Session / All and Tile / List
Two independent controls sit above the gallery:
| Control | Mode | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Session | Shows media belonging to the selected session; shows nothing if no session is selected. |
| Scope | All | Shows media from every session. The date beside each item is the date of its source session. |
| View | Tile | Displays three-column thumbnail cards with the name and session date below the image. Video and missing-file indicators appear on the thumbnail. |
| View | List | Displays horizontal rows with a thumbnail, indicators beside it, and the name and date on separate lines. |
Tile and List show the same items. Switching the view does not alter the current session, the media record, its notes or its storage mode. Switching between Session and All changes only which entries are visible; it does not duplicate or relocate them.
Even when All is selected, adding new WIP media requires a selected session. Removing an item in All mode removes it from its actual source session.
The gallery scrolls independently of the rest of Journal. The two view buttons are display controls, not image-import modes.
Adding photographs and video clips
- Select the working session in Sessions.
- In the WIP gallery’s Import mode, select Copy or Link.
- Click the gallery + button and select one or several files.
- Wait for the import/progress dialog to finish, or cancel if necessary.
- Select an imported item to edit its Name and Media notes, then Save Project.
Supported filename extensions:
| Images | Video clips |
|---|---|
| `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.png`, `.tif`, `.tiff`, `.bmp` | `.mp4`, `.mov`, `.m4v`, `.avi`, `.mkv`, `.wmv`, `.webm` |
The extensions determine which files ARS accepts for import; they do not guarantee that every damaged image or video codec can be opened. Video playback uses the Windows default application for that file type.
A new import is staged temporarily until the Journal is saved. The import mode applies only to the new files, not to existing gallery entries. Images and videos can coexist in the same session.
Copy versus Link
| Mode | Where the full-size original is kept | Portability |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | ARS stores a copy under <Project>_Assets/JournalMedia/Originals; your source file is left untouched. | Moves with the complete project directory, including _Assets. Large video copies make the project larger. |
| Link | The external original remains in its existing location; ARS records its absolute path. | Requires that external location to remain accessible, or that the link be repaired after moving files. |
Both modes store a generated thumbnail in <Project>_Assets/JournalMedia/Thumbnails. You may mix Copy and Link items in one Journal. Save As transfers project-owned media copies and thumbnails as needed but does not collect externally linked originals.
For a portable archive, Copy is usually more convenient. For large videos already maintained in a stable media folder, Link avoids an extra full-sized copy.
Names, dates and notes
Select a gallery item. The Name field below the gallery edits its display name; the Media notes area is for observations specific to that photograph or clip. Examples include lighting conditions, paint-layer appearance or a reminder about a detail visible in the photo.
- Changing Name does not rename, move or modify the original file on disk.
- The name must contain 1–260 characters after trimming surrounding spaces; it cannot be saved empty.
- The item’s name and notes remain the same in Session, All, Tile and List views.
- The date shown in the gallery comes from the associated session, not from the photograph’s file metadata.
- Saving the Journal preserves edited names and notes.
Image thumbnails are generated from photographs. Video thumbnails are neutral placeholders, with a play indicator rather than a frame extracted from the clip. The play indicator and the missing-file warning are 18 × 18 DIP in both Tile and List views; List places them next to the image so the thumbnail remains unobstructed.
Opening an image: preview navigation
Double-click a photograph in either view. ARS opens its image preview dialog and builds Previous/Next navigation from the photographs in the currently displayed gallery scope. Video entries are skipped in that navigation.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Previous / Next, ← / → | Move between the available photographs in the current gallery view. |
| Fit or F | Fit the photograph in the window without enlarging a small image beyond its decoded size. |
| 1:1 or 1 | Display one decoded image pixel at one display pixel. |
| Zoom In / Zoom Out, + / −, mouse wheel | Change magnification; mouse-wheel zoom follows the pointer. |
| Drag using the left mouse button | Pan while zoomed in. |
| Column 1 Value 6 | Close the preview. |
This Journal preview is not a physical-size 1:1 ruler. Unlike Studio and Viewer, Journal photographs do not have assigned canvas measurements. Use Studio or Viewer with a calibrated display for physical measurement.
For exceptionally large images, the preview decoder limits the longer image dimension to 8192 pixels. A Reduced preview resolution message indicates that 1:1 refers to the decoded preview, not necessarily every pixel of the full original.
If an original image cannot be accessed or decoded but the stored thumbnail exists, the dialog can fall back to Thumbnail only. The thumbnail does not replace the lost original or restore full detail.
Opening a video
Double-click a video item to open its original file in the default Windows player. ARS does not provide video playback controls or editing. If the file is missing, the application warns you; the gallery record and thumbnail may remain visible.
Missing-file warning, Relink and Restore
A warning triangle appears when Journal determines that an original media file is missing. It is visible directly on the tile or beside the thumbnail in List view. Hovering over the warning explains whether a linked external file or a project-owned copy is missing.
Journal checks file availability when rebuilding the gallery and when the pointer enters a media card. It does not continuously watch the filesystem: if a file is moved while Journal is open, the indicator may update when you move the pointer over its entry or the gallery refreshes.
Right-click the relevant media item for its context menu:
| Storage mode | Command | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Link | Relink… | Select the relocated original. ARS changes the stored external path without creating a new media record. |
| Copy | Restore missing file… | Select the original source file so ARS can restore the missing project-owned copy to its recorded location under `Assets`. |
Relink: select a file of the appropriate image/video type. The display name, notes and session association stay unchanged. Save the Journal to preserve the new linked path. Relinking is intended to locate the same file, not to replace an artwork image with unrelated content. ARS checks the media type by filename extension; it does not prove file identity using a checksum.
Restore missing file: offered for Copy media. The command is enabled only when the project-owned original is missing. Select a file with the original extension. ARS restores it to the existing project asset path and can recreate a missing thumbnail. The media record is kept; a successful restore repairs the files directly without requiring a separate Journal save. ARS does not overwrite an existing project original through this command.
A stored thumbnail may look correct even when the chosen replacement is not the original photograph. Check the result in the image preview after Relink or Restore. Cancelling either file picker leaves the previous record in place.
Removing media
Select the item in Session or All and click the gallery − button. This removes the media attachment and its notes from the source session; it does not delete the catalog of artwork materials or the external Link original.
For a previously saved Copy item, ARS may clean up the project-owned original and thumbnail when the changed Journal is successfully saved to the same project. An unsaved staged import is discarded when removed. The current gallery does not display an additional per-item removal confirmation.
Troubleshooting and moving a project
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Add is disabled | Select a session and wait until any active import has completed. |
| A thumbnail is shown but opening fails | Check the warning; use Relink… for Link or Restore missing file… for a missing Copy original. |
| Relink is unavailable | The item may be Copy rather than Link. Use the storage-specific command. |
| Restore is disabled | The project-owned original already exists, or importing is in progress. Restore does not replace a healthy file. |
| Import fails | Check file access, supported extension and decodability. An unsuccessful multi-file import is not partially attached to the session. |
| A project was moved | Copy the entire project folder, including `.arsjournal` and `_Assets/JournalMedia`. External Link originals require their own backup or relocation/relinking. |
Remember: Studio’s Collect Project Assets does not collect external files linked from Journal. Saving the main `.arsproj` file alone is not a media backup.
