I use it a fair amount and haven't been having any noticeable problems of late. I used in on a commercial report last week and had 30+ comps, many with photos. It has been 10 years since I did any setup, so I can't recall, but it seems there were some settings about which camera to use. I think there might be a Total camera app or, in my case, iPad. Seems there was a choice to reduce photo size somewhere in there. That would be the primary reason for large file size, unless you are dumping a full work file in with the mobile upload. Here is an AI dump that might give you some places to start looking:
Yes, there are settings in a la mode's
TOTAL for Mobile (and the companion desktop software) that affect photo size, resolution, and overall file size. These settings help balance photo quality with the need for smaller report sizes, ensuring reports are not too large to send or submit via UAD/Mercury Network.
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Here are the key settings and tools:
1. In-App Camera Settings (Mobile Device)
Within the
TOTAL for Mobile app, you can toggle which camera tool is used to take photos:
- Device Native Camera: Uses your phone/tablet's default camera app, which may take higher-resolution photos.
- TOTAL for Mobile Camera: Often optimized to take photos that are better sized for appraisal reports.
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2. Desktop "Photo Settings" (Configuring Optimization)
You can configure how TOTAL handles photo optimization when you sync your mobile device to your desktop:
- Access: In desktop TOTAL, go to Tools > Configure Settings, then select Photos.
- Skip Optimization: You can set a threshold (e.g., 500KB) to skip optimization for smaller images, speeding up the process.
- Resolution (PPI): A slider allows you to adjust the Pixels Per Inch (Resolution) for your images. Lowering this reduces file size.
- Detail (Compression Quality): A slider determines the JPEG compression quality. A lower number makes the file size smaller but reduces image detail.
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3. The Image Optimizer (Post-Sync)
After syncing your mobile photos to the desktop, you can further refine them:
- Optimize Tool: Double-click any image to open the Image Optimizer.
- Compression/Quality Slider: Manually reduce the file size of individual photos.
- Resolution Slider: Further reduce the pixel dimensions of the image.
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4. Photo Import & Syncing
- Automatic Formatting: When syncing, TOTAL automatically formats images from your mobile device to fit the report pages.
- Quickpix Database: Only photos placed on specific pages (Subject, Interior, Comps) are imported into the Quickpix database.
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Key Takeaway: For the smallest file sizes, rely on the
TOTAL for Mobile Camera and ensure your
Desktop Photo Settings are configured to optimize images to a reasonable resolution (e.g., 1000x1000 pixels or lower) during the sync process.
