PDF Thumbnail on IMatch Anywhere

[pumin]

Hello,

Please suggest as PDF thumbnails is not showing on IMatch Anywhere.

To reproduce.

1. Fresh install Windows 7 x64
2. Install Acrobat Reader DC (latest version 2017.009.20044 as of today )
3. Open Acrobat Reader DC, and go to Preferences/General/Enable PDF thumbnail preview in Windows Explorer.  Now thumbnails show on Window Explorer.
4. Install Imatch, and add some PDF files.  Thumbnails show fine.  In this example there are 3 files, attached file "1.png"

5. Install Imatch Anywhere, and all 3 thumbnails are all black/grey, attached file "2.png"


Best Regards,
Pumin

[Mario]

Note: Please don't use an external service to include images in your post. This will prevent many users from seeing the files and also allow 3rd parties like Dropbox to track and monitor users who just try to help you by looking at your files. Always use the "attach" command (look below the editor) post to append images and files.

IMatch WebServices is a service and may be unable to use the Windows functions required to produce PDF files. This may be a security issue on your system, an installation issue (maybe the Acrobar component required by Windows to render PDF thumbnails is not accessible for the user under which you run IMWS). Do you use the default "local service" account to run IMWS or do you have configured it to run under a user account?

If this is an isolated problem only happening for PDF files, the problem is most likely a security / access privilege issue related to the user account under which you run the IMatch Anywhere or your specific system configuration. Not everything that works for normal user accounts (or the account you have installed Acrobat Reader under) will work for the local system account IMWS runs under.

Another issue may be that Acrobat detects that it is used in a 'server' content, which is not allowed by the license agreement. It may just block generating thumbnails in that case. Adobe is very strict, they want to tell their server products instead...

Did you retain the log file (see the IMatch Anywhere help for details) from that session? It may contain log entries about error messages or warnings returned by Windows when IMWS tries to create the PDF thumbnails. If not, just add a new folder with PDF files to your database and then look at the folder in IMatch Anywhere WebViewer. This should add the error messages to the log file. Then ZIP and attach the log file to your post (not to some 3rd party web site) so we can have a look. Maybe we can find something out.

[pumin]

Thank you Mario. 

I tested further, here's some information.

- I login as Administration on Windows 7, and double click on "IMatch webservices controller" icon.  Everything leaves as default.
- I checked services, and it shows "Log on as Local System", as in attached file.
- When I add a new "3.pdf" file in IMatch5, pop up says "WIC codec required" and I just click ok.  However, it misses codec, it creates PDF thumbnails fine and save in preview cache folder. IMATCH5_LOG file says

04.22 17:35:02+ 2808 [0A44] 01  W> WIC Codec missing: C:\Users\admin\Desktop\New folder\3.pdf  'IMEngineUpdateQueue.cpp(443)'
04.22 17:35:04+ 2043 [0A54] 02  I> C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch5\previewcache\CD8A784E-5142-4CC9-B16E-45C2C7CB2EC6\3\3.jpg loaded in 47ms. Result: 2

- Since IMatch5 successfully creates thumbnails, why won't IMatch webservice display these cache files on browser?
- When I open IMatch webservice, IMATCH_WSC_LOG file says  "No codec for: PDF"

04.22 17:37:53+    0 [0600] 02  I>      No codec for: 7Z,AFDESIGN,AFPHOTO,AQUAS,AUDIO,AWD,AZW,CALS,CAM,CAPONEEIP,CGM,CODE,COR,CRW,DCR,DCX,DJVU,DNG,DPX,DXF,EPS,EPUB,FAX,FITS,FLAC,FLASH,FPIX,GIMP,GOOSU,GZIP,HASSL,IFF,INDESIGN,JBIG,JPEG 2000,LEAF,LEICA,LTCMP,LYTRO,MAMIY,MBM,MCI,MOBI,MP3,MPO,MRF,MRSID,NEF,NRW,ODF,OFFICE,ORF,PAGEM,PANA,PBM,PCX,PDF

Best Regards,
Pumin

[Mario]

IMatch runs as a normal application, under your user account.
Since you have no PDF WIC codec installed, IMatch tries to create a thumbnail via Windows functions. And Windows most likely uses the shell extension installed by Acrobat Reader.
IMatch prefers WIC codecs because the Acrobat shell extension causes problems often. From crashing to allocating several gigabytes of memory for certain PDF files to refusing to work for others.
The "codec missing" is a generic warning that is shown once when IMatch first encounters a file for which a WIC codec is required or preferred.

IMWS runs as a service under the "local system" account. It uses its own cache - because it is independent from IMatch, uses multiple cache images per file (IMatch only one) and it can be installed on computers where IMatch is not installed.

IMWS may be unable to extract thumbnails because a) Windows does not support this for services, b) it does not support this when IMWS runs under the local system account, Acrobat detects that it is used in "server context" and refuses to extract the thumbnail (Adobe has separate and very expensive server versions of Acrobat) or a combination thereof...

I would need a ZIPpped copy of the IMWS log file (IMATCH_WEBSERVICE_LOG.TXT) from a session where you tried to create thumbnails from PDF files. This will show is if and which error messages come back from Windows when IMWS tries to create a thumbnail.

[pumin]

Thanks again for explanation. 

Attached is IMATCH_WEBSERVICE_LOG.zip.    IMWS doesn't create  thumbnails (greyed out) or creates as pdf icon for some files.

*****

After I install Fastpictureviewer WIC codec,  attached log file is LogfilesAferInstallWIC.zip
Please note after install WIC codec,
-  Adobe Read DC stops creating PDF thumbnails under Windows Explorer.
-  IM5 creates thumbnails from 1st page of PDF fine.
-  IMWS still creates thumbnails as pdf icon.