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Helpful Hints for Creating a Command Line

NOTE: You can find two simple batch (*.bat) files for quick and easy usage from the Start\All Programs\Convert Image\Example Batch Files. These will work without modification provided you installed in the default folder. One batch file is for 32 bit, the other for 64 bit operating systems.

 

HINT 1: It is highly suggested you first attempt your task with the Graphical User Interface prior to attempting to create an equivalent command line. Reasons for this are:

HINT 2: It is highly encouraged that at least during the initial creation of the command line that you use the Verbose (/V) switch to see what the status of your conversion is and get any error messages. /V shows you a message telling you how the command line went. If you are not getting any message at all while using the /V switch, then see hint 3below, as you are probably not even executing the program. If you prefer a log file instead of a pop up message box, use /L{LogFilePath} instead of /V.

 

HINT 3: If you see the following error:

"ConvertImage is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file."

It is because the operating system can't locate ConvertImage.exe. Do one of the following to resolve this error:

 

A) (Preferred method) Specify the full path to the executable. For example:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Softinterface, Inc\Convert Image\ConvertImage.EXE" /J"D:\My Jobs\AcctBatch.SII"

 

Alternatively if using a batch file you might try something like this:

set CI="C:\Program Files (x86)\Softinterface, Inc\Convert Image\ConvertImage.EXE" "

%CI% /J"D:\My Conversion Job Files\AcctBatch.SII"

 

Note: If you are using a 32 bit operating system swap "Program Files (x86)" with "Program Files" from the above examples.

 

B) Set the path operating system variable to the location of ConvertImage.EXE.

Also, it is suggested you use fully qualified paths for any files you specify. You can however specify the current folder by using ".\" syntax. Use double quotes around the input and output files (/S and /T) if they are long file names.

 

NOTE: Copying ConvertImage.EXE from the installation folder to some other folder is not likely to work well, so instead try one of the methods above.

 

HINT 4: Command switches are case sensitive, therefore /F is completely different from /f.

 

HINT 5: You do not need to specify the /F or the /C switch if your input (/S)and output files (/T) use standard file extensions. That is, if your JPG files are named myfiles.jpg and not myJeg.BMP then you do not have to specify the /F and /C. However, if your JPG files are named MyJPeg.BMP then you MUST specify the /F and /C switches.

 

HINT 6: You may use the following to specify a user independent path to files:

Path

Typical Interpretation

%USERPROFILE% or %HOMEPATH%

 C:\Users\UserName
%APPDATA% C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming
%LOCALAPPDATA% C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local
%MYDOCUMENTS% C:\Users\UserName\Documents

 

For example:

ConvertImage.EXE /S"%AppData%\in\Coffee.jpg" /T"%MyDocuments%\Out\creamp.png" /C8 /F1  /V

 

HINT 7: Windows Vista, Windows 7 and newer: These operating systems use a feature called User Account Control (UAC) to safeguard your computer. If you have UAC enabled and you are specifying an output folder that is protected, the files will be created in the %localappdata%\VirtualStore\ folder. To find the output files type in:

%localappdata%\VirtualStore\

in Windows Explorer. If you think UAC is having an effect on the command line you can quickly change the name of the program in your command line from ConvertImage.EXE to ConvertImage.Admin.EXE. Doing this will enable a prompt to elevate security before the command line is fully executed.

 

See Also:

Helpful Hints for Creating a Command Line

Command Line Examples

Specifying a Conversion Job File

Specifying a Conversion Task

All Command Line Switches

Image Conversion File Type Constants