This section will cover the following Topics:

1. Do’s and Don’ts when appending your OPS data

2. Recommended Workflow for Auto Group Matching

3. Importing/Merging your Group Image Files 

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 recommend you ask the school for a new Excel File with the group information field included. Doing this ahead of time will save you time and stress from having to match up your group photos manually after the shoot. 

A note about appending your OPS Data

The Group Matching instructions below require you to append your existing project data in OPS. It’s extremely important for you to follow the instructions below to ensure your project does not become corrupted with duplicate data. 

1. Do’s and Don’ts when appending your OPS data

• When adding data to your project (such as Group Image file names) you should limit using the existing OPS project data fields to Ticket Code or Student Password and Group Name such as Teacher, Homeroom, Grade or Team if you’re working with a Sports Project, plus the group image column containing the .jpg file name. 
• Never upload your appending data without the OPS’s ticket code or student password included in your new data. The only exception to this rule would be if you are adding a new student’s name that was not included in the original posted data. 
• Flow Users: A Ticket code is still needed for new subjects if your ticket codes were generated in Flow.

2. 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, we recommend you re-name your Group files the same as the Teacher’s name along with a .JPG (Important! Each file must have a .jpg at the end.) 

As you can see 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.

Note: The method above will also work if your school is using Grades or Home Rooms for their Group Photos. In the Group Image Field, simply re-name your files 001.jpg, 002.jpg etc., for each grade or 0191.jpg for Home Rooms to get the same results. (Window users should always pad their number filenames with at least two zero so your files sort in the correct sequence.) 

(Note: Inexperienced Excel users should check out this YouTube Video on Filling Down Columns: Auto Fill Data.)

When you are finished adding your Group Image files names, simply Import and Merge your New School Data file with your group images. (See details below.)

3. Importing/Merging your Group Image Files 

After you have append your new school data for group image matching, simply click on the Subject Actions button and upload your New Data File* with the Group Image Names, and then upload the newly named Group Images. *Note: Your new “append” data file should contain the same information as the original file you used for the project. It's CRITICAL your appended .csv data file contains the Original Ticket Code column and data.  (The only change to the data file should be the addition of the Group Images .jpg Files Names.) 

Now go to the Subjects Page, click on the Subjects Actions link and then select the Add / Merge Subject Data Only line to add your appended .csv file to your project.

After uploading your appended data, the next step is to upload all your group image files. Simple login into Subjects Action button once again and this time select the Add / Merge Image File Names Only. Follow the same steps you took in uploading your individual files to upload your Group image files.

When both your new data and group image files are posted, your project Subject Page will display both the individual and group files in the appropriate student galleries.

Congratulations, your Groups Files are now matched to each subject!

Proceed to Auto Crop Images in OrderPix from the Subject Actions menu

(See Auto Crop Instructions for Details)