This section will cover the following Topics:

1. Recommended Workflow for Auto Group Matching

2. Setting Up your .CSV Data for Auto Group Matching 

Auto Matching Groups for OPS Projects

Note: The instructions below do not apply to Mobile Device QR Code Auto Group Matching.

If your project requires Matching Individual Images to Groups or Classes, we recommend the following steps to ensure OPS will automatically match your Group/Class Photos to each child correctly.

Typically, the school or organization you are photographing will have the Grade, Homeroom, Teacher, or Team names already entered in the Excel file they give you before your shoot. It is important you identify which field name will be photographed for the project’s group images so you can plan accordingly. If the group names are not included as part of the data the school sends to you, we strongly recommend you ask the school for a new Excel File with the group information field included. Doing this ahead of time will save you  a lot of time and stress from having to match up your group photos manually after the shoot. 

Please note! In order to ensure your Individual & Group Images are matched correctly, it is extremely important for your Group Image Data to be included in your Project's School's Data before you upload any data to your Project. 

Important Note! Your Project’s Data can only be Imported once. If you need to add or correct your project’s data, we strongly recommend you reference our Appending Your Data instructions first. 

(Also Note for PrePay Credits/Deposits workflow accounts: If you are creating your own customer data by having your clients PrePay a Print or Package Deposit, you must Export the PrePay CSV file first before you can move-on to the step below on Adding Data. Please see our Prepay Credits/Deposits Workflow Instructions for more details.)

1. Recommended Workflow for Auto Group Matching

Recommended Workflow for Auto Group Matching

The sample school data below displays normal school shoot data with the Teacher’s Column being used for the Group Names. After shooting your group photos, you must re-name each Group Image file to the same as the file names you entered in the Group Image column in your .CSV file. In the example below the Teachers names (with a .jpg extension) were entered into the Group Image column, as a result you must rename your Group Image file names so that they match the names in your project's .CSV file. (Important! Each file must have a .jpg at the end.) 

In the data sample below, the School Project has been sorted by Teacher’s names. The Group file names are named the same as all the Teachers. Sorting and naming your Group’s in this manner will insure each child will be matched up with their group photo automatically by the lab when your orders are printed.

This method will also work if your school is using Grades or Home Rooms for their Group Photos. In the Group Name Field, simply re-name your Image files 005.jpg for grades or 0191.jpg for Home Rooms to get the same results. (Window & Mac users should always pad their number filenames with at least two zero so your files sort in the correct sequence, i.e., 001, 002, 003, etc. Projects with over 999 files should use three zeros i.e., 0001, 0002.)

(Note: If you are an inexperienced Excel user, check out this YouTube Video on Filling Down Column Data: Auto Fill Data.)

After you are finished including your Group Image files names to your School’s .CSV file, you can now proceed to the Adding Data to Your QR Code Project , located on your Project's Subjects Page > Subject Actions > Drop Down Arrow > Add / Merge Subject Data Only.

When you have completed uploading both your Individual and Group Image files, your project Subject Page will display both the individual and group files in the appropriate student galleries.

Congratulations, your Groups Files are Matched to Each Subject!