Most schools will receive their portrait images files accompanied by a database file. The database file includes information about the people in the photos - their first and last names, their grade, homeroom, teacher, their job role, and other important info that can be used to sort and label the portrait pages. The most common format for the portrait package is the PSPA format (Professional School Photographers' Association).
The portrait images and database are imported into Memento Yearbook using the tools under the Manage Portraits option. Watch the following tutorial video below for an overview of the import procedure and how to edit the database information, or continue reading below to learn more.
Importing your portrait database
To begin importing your portrait package, click on Manage Portraits.
Next, at the prompt, check out your book. Note that your team members cannot edit pages until the book is checked back in.
Click on Import People on the top menu.
To import your database file, click the Upload PSPA Index button.
Navigate to your portrait package (local computer, USB, CD or DVD, as applicable). Locate the index.txt file, which is usually located next to the folders holding the portrait images.
Select the index.txt file, then Open the the file to upload it.
When the index has been imported, the data linked to your photos is presented in table format, ready to review.
The top row of your portrait database will display column names - verify that these match the information underneath them. For instance, ensure that the homeroom teachers' names aren't under the Grade column, or that First and Last names aren't reversed. It's important to get this information right, because it cannot be changed after import.
If the data in the columns is mismatched to the labels above them, click on the V on the column label to correct it. For instance, if classroom teachers' names appear under a column named Grade, change the label from Grade to Teacher Name.
If certain columns contain unnecessary information (eg. random codes), set the column to be ignored. This reduces clutter in your database.
When you are satisfied with the column headers, click on Import People at the top of the page. The database will now be imported into your book.
Importing your portrait photos
After importing your database, a warning will appear to remind you to associate photos to your database. To upload the portrait images associated to the data file, click on Import Photos.
Click on the upload icon to navigate to the folder(s) on your system which hold the portraits. Multi-select all images (Ctrl-A on Windows, Cmd-A on Mac) to add all files within a folder at once. You can also drag the photos (one folder at a time, if applicable) to the upload icon.
The images will begin uploading immediately.
After uploading, click on View Portraits to see your Portrait database, complete with photos and associated information.
Should you have a second portrait package, you can import it so it will be added to your first import.
Should you need to replace the entire database, manually delete all records.
Next step: Assign roles to your portraits.
Having problems importing? Consult the Portrait import troubleshooting article.