Getting Your Photos into Media Center

Typically, plugging in your camera or a media card will produce the same result: opening a pop-up window that offers you various action choices (see Figure 17.7). This gives you a variety of ways to access your photos and make them available to your Media Center's software applications.

Figure 17.7. This pop-up window allows you to choose which action to take when a camera or removable memory card is recognized by the Media Center PC.

These are the choices:

• Copy Pictures to a Folder on My Computer Using Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard

• View a Slideshow of Images Using Windows Picture and Fax Viewer

• Print the Pictures Using Photo Printing Wizard

• Open and Edit the Pictures Using Microsoft Picture It! Photo 7.0

• View Pictures in Media Center Using Media Center

• Open Folder to View Files Using Windows Explorer

• Take No Action

The option to open and edit pictures using Microsoft Picture It! appears only if you have downloaded the free software from Microsoft's Web site. Details on using the photo editing application are discussed in Chapter 20, "Customizing the My Pictures Experience with Microsoft Picture It!"

To open your photos directly using Media Center's My Pictures interface, select the Using Media Center option.

Now you're looking at the photos stored in your camera or on your removable media card using the Media Center My Pictures interface (see Figure 17.8). You have several options at your disposal for viewing, sorting, and navigating to other places where My Pictures typically looks for photos.

Figure 17.8. Selecting the View Pictures in Media Center Using Media Center option is the quickest way to open your photos using the My Pictures interface.

tip

Many digital cameras automatically format removable media cards using a file structure that you may not recognize when Media Center initially opens and allows you to view the contents of the card. If you at first see a file folder as opposed to your actual photos, try double-clicking on the folder until you find where the pictures are stored.

Storing Your Photos

We'll go into detail about the cool things you can do with your photos using the My Pictures interface in subsequent chapters. First let's talk about something you can't do while using My Pictures: store your photos. If you ever want to view these photos in My Pictures a second time, you will need to store them in a file folder where My Pictures will look for them. There are two to chose from: the My Pictures folder and the Shared Pictures folder. (The Other Media tab will look for photos stored on removable media.)

The idea behind these two default folders for use with the My Pictures interface is that each user on the Media Center System has her own My Pictures folder that only she can access, and she can choose to share pictures with other users by storing them in the Shared Pictures folder.

tip

The selection screen in the Scanner and Camera Wizard also shows you buttons to rotate photos 90 degrees to the right or left, or to view the properties of a particular image.

The easiest way to store your photos in one of these folders for later viewing in Media Center's My Pictures interface is to go back to where you attached the camera or inserted your media card. This time, instead of choosing the option to open them using Media Center, choose the option Copy Pictures to a Folder on My Computer Using Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard.

Using the Scanner and Camera Wizard

When the Scanner and Camera Wizard launches, it will display an opening screen to advise you of its purpose. Click Next to view a catalog of your photos (see Figure 17.9). Now place a check mark next to the photos you want to transfer.

Figure 17.9. The wizard automatically selects all the photos to be transferred. You can click on a photo to remove it from the list.

When you have selected the photos you want to store on your hard drive, click Next. The following screen (see Figure 17.10) allows you to choose a folder and subfolder to store the photos in. Choose the default location ”the My Pictures directory ”or use the drop-down box to select Shared Pictures, the other directory to which the My Pictures interface in Media Center has access. Checking the box to automatically delete the transferred files from your media card is a handy way to perform a little routine housekeeping, keeping your media cards uncluttered and ready for your next photo shoot.

Figure 17.10. This wizard screen allows you to automatically delete files from your media card after they have been transferred to your PC.

After you select Next, the wizard will perform the file transfers as you requested . The final screen gives you the following three options:

• Publish These Pictures to a Web Site

• Order Prints of These Pictures from a Photo Printing Web Site

• Nothing. I'm Finished Working with These Pictures

Choose the last option and click Next. A summary screen will be displayed. Click Finish.

The Absolute Minimum

Now you're ready to return to the My Pictures interface from the Media Center main menu, and begin viewing and sharing your photos using the extremely easy and accessible tools that My Pictures places at your disposal. But first, remember these points:

• The first step is to load your digital photos onto your Media Center PC. This can be accomplished by establishing a direct connection between your camera and the PC, or by removing the media card from your digital camera and accessing it from the PC using a media card reader.

• Most digital cameras come with a USB cord for establishing a simple and stable connection with your PC for transferring files.

• Your Media PC may or may not come equipped with a built-in card reader that supports the type of memory card your camera uses. If it doesn't, you can pick up an inexpensive external card reader at most electronics and computer stores.

• After the connection is established, your Media Center will provide you with several options for transferring, manipulating, or simply viewing your photos. One option is to open them directly using Media Center.

• Media Center's My Pictures photo viewing interface does not allow you to store photos. You may want to open your photos initially using the Scanner and Camera Wizard so that you can tuck the photos away on the hard drive of your PC for future reference.

• If you want your photos to be available from within My Pictures the next time you start Media Center, you need to save the shots in a directory that Media Center recognizes: My Pictures or Shared Pictures.