Field Preprocessing Workflow

Note: Storage Paths

• Short-Term Storage:

  • Downloaded images are stored temporarily at:

    /home/psa_images/temp_data/field_data/

• Long-Term Storage:

  • Images are transferred to long-term storage at:

    /mnt/research-projects/r/raatwell/longterm_images3/field-batches

1. Connect to Sunny

• SSH into Sunny and navigate to the following directory:

  /home/psa_images/field_tools

2. Download New Image Batch

• To download a new batch from the Azure field-batches blob container, run the following command:

  • Example:

• The batch will be saved in:

3. Open RawTherapee

• Run RawTherapee using the command:

• In the file browser, navigate to the newly downloaded batch and browse the images.

4. Apply Processing Profile

• Select Representative Color Checker Image:

  • Click on the color checker image to expand it.

• Load Profile:

  • Apply a pre-made profile by right-clicking the selected image:

    • Right-click → Apply → My Profile

  • Alternatively, if right-click isn’t available, use the Folder icon in the Processing Profiles tool pane.

Open

right-click folder to find profiles

• Profiles Path:

  • Profiles should be stored in your local private user space:

  • If saving to this path doesn’t work, use the following alternative path:

• Choose Appropriate Profile:

  • Pick a profile most similar to the site name and around the same date if you can. Alternatively, you can use a profile from any batch as long as it matches the site name and is close to the date.

• Adjust White Balance & Exposure:

  • After the profile is loaded, adjust white balance using the "Color" icon:

    • Pick a light or dark gray area (avoid black, white, or very light gray) for white balancing.

  • Adjust exposure compensation if needed.

Open

Use the “Pick” tool to adjust the white balance by selecting a medium-dark (circled in red) or dark gray (right of the circled square) color square .

• Save Profile:

  • Save the updated profile with the name of the current batch.

5. Batch Apply the Profile

• Apply Profile to Entire Batch:

  • Navigate back to the File Browser tab

  • Apply the new profile to all the images

    • Ctrl + A → Right-click → Apply Processing Profile Operations → Apply → My Profiles → Select your saved profile.

  • If "My Profiles" doesn’t appear, try saving the profile in RawTherapee-AppImage (refer to Profile Paths in step 4).

• Review and Adjust:

  • Scroll through the images to check for exposure consistency.

  • For any overexposed images that persist:

    • Shift + Click or Ctrl + Click to select multiple images.

    • Adjust exposure compensation using the Exposure icon.

6. Preprocessing the Images

• Clear Unwanted Profiles:

  • For images not worth saving, clear the profile:
    Right-click → Processing Profile Operations → Apply → Clear.

  • This ensures that no JPEGs are created for those images.

• Process Subfolders:

  • Ensure both subfolders (01 and 02) are processed. Once both are profiled, run the preprocessing pipeline:

  • Example: