Batch Processing

Batch Processing

Process multiple images at once with ImageChunker’s efficient batch system.

Adding Images to the Queue

Drag and Drop

1. Select multiple images in Finder
2. Drag them onto the ImageChunker window
3. They’re added to the batch queue

Folder Import

1. Go to File → Add Folder (⌘⇧O)
2. Select a folder containing images
3. All supported images are added

Finder Extension

1. Select multiple images in Finder
2. Right-click → Chunk with ImageChunker
3. All selected images are queued

The Batch Queue

The batch panel shows:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Batch Queue (5 images)            [▶][✕]│
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ● photo_001.jpg     Processing...    ⟳ │
│ ○ photo_002.jpg     Pending          ○ │
│ ○ photo_003.jpg     Pending          ○ │
│ ✓ screenshot.png    Complete    12 ch. │
│ ✓ panorama.jpg      Complete     8 ch. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Progress: 40% │ ETA: 2:30 │ Memory: 45% │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Queue Controls

• ▶ Start/Pause: Begin or pause processing
• ✕ Clear: Remove all pending items
• ↑↓ Reorder: Drag items to change order

Item Status

Icon	Status	Description
○	Pending	Waiting to process
⟳	Processing	Currently chunking
✓	Complete	Successfully finished
✗	Failed	Error occurred

Processing Modes

Sequential Processing

Process one image at a time:

• Pros: Lower memory usage, predictable
• Cons: Slower overall
• Best for: Large images, limited RAM

Parallel Processing

Process multiple images simultaneously:

• Pros: Faster overall throughput
• Cons: Higher memory usage
• Best for: Many small images, ample RAM

Configure in Settings → Processing → Parallelism

Batch Settings

Apply settings to all queued images:

Uniform Settings

1. Configure chunking before adding images
2. All images use the same settings
3. Good for consistent output

Per-Image Settings

1. Add images to queue
2. Select an image
3. Adjust settings for that image only

Output Organization

Choose how chunks are organized:

Subfolder Per Image

output/
├── photo_001_chunks/
│   ├── photo_001_001.jpg
│   ├── photo_001_002.jpg
│   └── photo_001_003.jpg
├── photo_002_chunks/
│   └── ...

Flat Output

output/
├── photo_001_001.jpg
├── photo_001_002.jpg
├── photo_002_001.jpg
├── photo_002_002.jpg
└── ...

Preserve Structure

Mirrors input folder hierarchy:

input/                    output/
├── vacation/        →   ├── vacation/
│   ├── day1.jpg         │   ├── day1_001.jpg
│   └── day2.jpg         │   └── day2_001.jpg
└── work/            →   └── work/
    └── screenshot.png       └── screenshot_001.png

Progress Tracking

Overall Progress

• Percentage of total images processed
• Estimated time remaining
• Memory usage indicator

Per-Image Progress

• Current processing stage
• Chunk count so far
• Time elapsed

Memory Management

ImageChunker monitors memory usage:

• Green: Plenty of memory available
• Yellow: Memory getting low
• Red: Memory pressure, may slow down

If memory is high:

1. Pause processing
2. Close other applications
3. Switch to Sequential mode
4. Resume processing

Error Handling

Common Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
File not found	Image moved/deleted	Re-add the image
Permission denied	No file access	Grant folder access
Out of memory	Image too large	Use Sequential mode
Unsupported format	Unknown file type	Convert to PNG/JPEG

Retry Failed Items

1. Failed items remain in queue with ✗ icon
2. Fix the underlying issue
3. Right-click → Retry

Skip and Continue

To skip problematic files:

1. Right-click the failed item
2. Select Remove from Queue
3. Processing continues with remaining items

Performance Tips

For Speed

1. Use Parallel processing mode
2. Process smaller images together
3. Close other applications
4. Use SSD storage for output

For Large Images

1. Use Sequential processing
2. Enable Memory Limit in settings
3. Process in smaller batches
4. Monitor the memory indicator

For Best Quality

1. Use Smart Chunking mode
2. Set appropriate sensitivity per image type
3. Review results after batch completes
4. Re-process any unsatisfactory results

Automation

Command Line (Future)

# Process folder with default settings
imagechunker batch ~/images/ --output ~/chunks/

# Custom settings
imagechunker batch ~/images/ \
  --mode smart \
  --chunk-size 1080 \
  --format jpeg \
  --quality 90

Folder Actions

Set up Automator folder actions to automatically process images dropped into a folder.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
⌘⇧O	Add folder to queue
⌘⌫	Remove selected from queue
Space	Start/Pause processing
⌘.	Cancel current operation