Terian ID Creator v1.70 Released

Terian ID Creator v1.70 has just been released. You can download it from the official website here.

You may notice there has been a couple of interim releases since our last blog post, however these primarily contained bug fixes and backend changes so did not warrant a dedicated blog post.

Cropping Support:

The biggest feature of this release is support for cropping images to a 4:3 aspect ratio. With HDMI and 1080p (1920×1080) resolution output from cameras now being the norm, this 16:9 aspect ratio provides a lot of extra detail that may not be required for capturing identification photos.

Short of rotating the camera and capturing in a portrait mode (currently not supported by Terian IDC) it is difficult to zoom in on a person to frame a good identification image using 16:9 aspect ratio resolutions. This is where 4:3 cropping comes to the rescue, so you can go from something like this 1920×1080 (16:9) image…

To something like this 1440×1080 (4:3) image

You can see in the first image above, the blue cropping square which helps illustrate what part of the original image will remain in the cropped image.

To maximize the cropped image size you should match the vertical size to the original size (in this case 1080 pixels), and the horizontal size will be reduced to retain the 4:3 aspect ratio, however it is also possible to select a smaller cropping size if desired.

Renamed previous Image Crop Functionality:

Due to the introduction of proper cropping functionality the previous ‘Image Crop’ functionality has been renamed to ‘Image Border’ as this better represents what that function does.

The ‘Image Border’ function simply replaces the pixels on the edges of an image with white pixels, with each side being able to be set independently.

This feature was useful for analog video capture devices that would often include a couple lines of additional noise along the edges of the input image.

Indesign CC 2020 (v15.0.2) Support

This update also provides support for Indesign CC v15.0.2 (or Indesign CC 2020 as the shortcuts may refer to).

Next Up:

We are still evaluating the need to upgrade to a 64Bit executable, at this stage this is still lower on the priority list compared to other feature requests, however it is still being considered.

During development we had started to implement support for rotating the captured image (i.e. if you wanted to rotate your camera device and capture in portrait mode), however the capture framework we utilise did not correctly support this feature. We had worked with the vendor and an update was provided last week, however this still had some issues stopping us from implementing this feature. We continue to work with the vendor and hopefully we can implement this feature in a future version.

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Terian ID Creator v1.55 Released

Terian ID Creator v1.55 has just been released. You can download it from the official website here

Usability Issues:

This release has been in testing for a past few weeks, and primarily focuses on a few usability issues. One of those usability issues revolved around the Bartender integration (specifically the issue where Bartender would be hidden in the background), so now the system should be less frustrating to use with Bartender.

BarTender 2016 R?:

I have also corrected the naming convention used for BarTender. BarTender provides updates in the form of releases i.e. BarTender 2016 R7, BarTender 2016 R8. Technically these release updates are part of the same version family (i.e. Bartender 11.0).

However instead of including the release number in the name for the CPA Selection, it will now simply display the main version number as displayed in the about dialog.

Next Up:

We are in the process of migrating from Delphi RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo to RAD Studio 10.3 Rio. As part of this migration we are also ensuring all the components used within Terian ID Creator are also updated to the latest revisions, so there will be additional testing required to ensure no breaking changes are made. But from our initial testing, there doesn’t appear to be any major issues to overcome.

We are also in the process of evaluating the need to upgrade to a 64Bit executable, however this is only at the very early evaluation stages and we are hoping to get more feedback before committing additional resources.

Terian ID Creator v1.52 Released

Terian ID Creator v1.52 has just been released. You can download it from the official website here

Custom preferred capture video size overrides:

We now support selecting either 320×240 or 640×480 as custom capture resolution overrides in the event these specific 4:3 scale resolutions are not exposed by the device capture driver.

These lower resolutions while common in ID image processing are not always available with capture devices aimed more towards analog TV video capture. All the native resolutions exposed by the device driver are also still made available.

Indesign CC 2019 (v14.0.1) Support

With the recent release of Indesign CC v14.0.1 (or Indesign CC 2019 as the shortcuts may refer to), we can also confirm that v14.0.1 is supported since Terian ID Creator v1.51 (mentioned here).

The version numbers and release labeling have been slightly confusing from Adobe, with them alternating between using numerical version numbers and year based version numbers. For example v14.0 was released in October 2018, but was labelled Indesign CC 2018 (October Update), this labeling changed with the release of v14.0.1 in November 2018 to Indesign CC 2019.

So we just want to confirm Indesign CC 2019 is indeed also supported since Terian ID Creator v1.51.

Terian ID Creator v1.51 Released

Terian ID Creator v1.51 has just been released. You can download it from the official website here

Bartender Support:

We now support Bartender 2016 R7 as an alternative Card Printing Application (CPA) to Adobe Indesign. Terian ID Creator will still use its own database backend, with Bartender purely being used as a printing system.

Indesign CC v14.0 Support

This update also provides support for the October 2018 (v14.0) of Adobe Indesign CC.

Terian ID Creator v1.50 Released

Much later than hoped, I have released Terian ID Creator v1.50. You can download it from the official website here

Significant Update:

As can be seen from the about dialog, this is a significant update. The significance of the changes meant a jump in version to v1.50 was justified rather than a bump to v1.35 as discussed in the previous blog entry. While there are no additional major changes from those previously discussed, there have been numerous updates that combine to make for a more user friendly experience.

Additional Image Support:

The system now supports three placeholders for images associated with card designs. An example where this might be beneficial is if you require a photo of the card holder, a signature image, and some other image such as a custom QR Code image.

This change required significant alterations to the forms, however we retained the same level of flexibility with three images as we previously had with two. In fact with the minor updates to functions like the photo picker, it is now even easier to maintain cards and designs with multiple images.

Mifare Encoding:

We now support Mifare Encoding by integrating with specialised SDKs provided by security vendors. This will require a customized SDK from your security vendor that is compatible with Terian ID Creator. This feature is client specific and may not be available to all users, however if you wish to get in touch we can talk with your security vendor to see if they can provide a compatible SDK.

UI Updates:

To help usability with high resolution and DPI screens we have increased the default font size 20% and also changed from ‘Tahoma’ to ‘Segoe UI’ as the primary font set. This has required many of the forms to be enlarged and adjusted to ensure everything fits correctly. The good news is that these changes translate well to high DPI screens and allow for a more comfortable UI experience, especially when using a touch interface.

Windows 7, no longer supported:

Unfortunately as this version (v1.50) we no longer support Terian ID Creator running on Windows 7. With Microsoft having ended mainstream support for Windows 7 service pack 1 on 13th January 2015, we feel our limited support and testing resources are better directed to more current platforms. While Terian ID Creator may continue to work on Windows 7, we do not test or support it on that platform and recommend where possible users upgrade to Windows 10.

Going Forward:

This version brings some fantastic usability tweaks which we will continue to monitor feedback for, and provide updates accordingly. However we are currently investigating integrating support for additional Card Printing Applications (CPAs). Hopefully we’ll have some exciting news in the near future that might allow for an alternative printing system to using Adobe InDesign.

So fingers crossed you’ll hear from us soon.

Terian ID Creator v1.35 in Testing

Following on from the point release 1.31 of Terian ID Creator we have been working closely with one of our clients and have been testing the next version of Terian ID Creator (v1.35).

Additional Image Support:

The major change of the upcoming version is support for an additional image linked to a card, with the new system allowing for 3 images to be linked. This allows a card to potentially support a photo image, a signature image and a QR Code image (or other image). This change has required a significant alteration to the forms and sizes of images displayed on the data input forms.

UI Changes:

In addition to the changes required to support an additional image we have also made some tweaks to the UI and increased the size of many form elements. We have increased the default size of form fonts from size 10 to size 12, and also changed from ‘Tahoma’ to ‘Segoe UI’ as the primary font set. The font size increase has required many forms to be enlarged to ensure everything fits correctly. The good news is that these changes translate well to high DPI screens allowing for a more comfortable UI experience.

Logon Dialog with ‘Tahoma’ size 10 font:

Logon Dialog with ‘Segoe UI’ size 12 font:

Mifare Encoding:

We now support Mifare Encoding by integrating with specialised SDKs provided by security vendors. This will require a customized SDK from your security vendor that is compatible with Terian ID Creator. This feature is client specific and may not be available to all users, however if you wish to get in touch we can talk with your security vendor to see if they can provide a compatible SDK.

Release Date:

The UI changes are quite significant, and coupled with the introduction of support for an additional image there is quite a bit of work to do before release. At this stage a rough estimate is that we are looking early in the new year before the official release.

Terian ID Creator v1.31 Released

Terian ID Creator v1.31 has just been released. You can download it from the official website here

This is a minor update that provides support for Adobe Indesign CC 2018.

Terian ID Creator Support for Indesign CC 2018 in Testing

With the release of Adobe Indesign CC 2018 this week, we are testing an update to provide support for this version which we hope to roll out soon.

Currently the latest version of Adobe CC supported by Terian ID Creator is 2017.1 (or v12.1) that was released on 14/April/2017. The default installation process for CC 2018 will remove previous versions of Adobe CC. If the previous version is removed, you will receive an alert similar to the following when logging into Terian ID Creator.

You can avoid this alert and retain functionality by unchecking the remove previous versions option in the advanced options of the installation. If you have already updated and removed the previous version you will need to re-install an older version until the CC 2018 Compatibility update we are testing is released.

Terian ID Creator v1.30 Released

After a slightly extended testing process I have released Terian ID Creator v1.30. You can download it from the official website here

Major Change:

As described in a previous post this version includes a major change, with the internal data access framework migrated from the venerable dbExpress (DBX) library to FireDAC.

I have also updated the data access layer to support both the Microsoft ODBC Driver 13.1 for SQL Server and the SQL Server 2012 Native Client. The recommended access layer is the ODBC driver (which will be installed as part of the installation process if it is not already present), however the SQL Server 2012 Native Client can be downloaded and installed separately if you prefer to use that.

The SQL Server 2012 Native Client can be downloaded from the Microsoft SQL 2012 Feature Pack download page here, with the Native Client download links found part way down the page.

Database Support:

Officially Terian ID Creator will only support SQL Server 2012, 2014, and 2016. Other versions may work, however we do not currently provide support for them.

Operating System Support:

Support for versions of Windows prior to 7 have been dropped. The following operating systems are supported in v1.30:

• Microsoft Windows 7
• Microsoft Windows 8
• Microsoft Windows 8.1
• Microsoft Windows 10

Similarly to the database server support, other versions of Windows may work, however we do not currently provide support for them. Our recommendation is to use Windows 10.

Removed App Analytics:

Collection of anonymous application usage data for the purpose of App Analytics has been removed.

Previously the first time Terian ID Creator was started a privacy notice was displayed informing the user we collect anonymous usage data.

The following information was tracked:

• Terian ID Creator version number
• Operating System version number
• Application start count and dates
• Form Navigation
• Exception Error Reports

The Following information was NOT tracked:

• Usernames
• Client Details
• Card Type Details including configuration and data

As of v1.30 we no longer track any information via App Analytics.

Going Forward:

This update provides a good forward move for operating support and database support, sadly we do see the end of support for Windows XP however given that Microsoft dropped support for XP over 3 years ago (April 8th 2014) it was becoming increasingly more difficult to continue to provide legacy support while implementing additional improvements.

If you have any issues/thoughts/comments please feel free to get in touch.

Terian ID Creator v1.30 in Testing

For the past couple of weeks we have been testing some major changes to the underlying database access framework that Terian ID Creator uses.

This is a considerable update and the information below may be subject to change.

Overhaul Driver:

The primary driver (pardon the pun) behind this change has been to migrate to FireDAC as it is intended to become the replacement for the venerable dbExpress (DBX) data access library which in time will most likely become deprecated. The secondary driver was the desire to remove the SQL Server 2008 R2 Native Client prerequisite, as having an almost 10 year old application installation as a prerequisite is not necessarily the best look when installing software.

So we have updated the native client prerequisite to SQL Server 2012 Native Client, which is the latest available from Microsoft with their future support moving towards the ODBC Driver which supports a more diverse set of operating systems.

Database Support:

The plan at this stage is for Terian ID Creator to support both the SQL Server 2012 Native Client and the newer Microsoft ODBC Driver 13 for SQL Server. This will provide support for the following versions of SQL Server:

• SQL Server 2008
• SQL Server 2008 R2
• SQL Server 2012
• SQL Server 2014
• SQL Server 2016

Officially Terian ID Creator will only support SQL Server 2012, 2014, and 2016. Other versions may work, however they will not be tested or supported.

Operating System Support:

The change to the data access drivers also in turn means support for versions of Windows prior to 7 have also been dropped. The following operating systems will be supported in v1.30:

• Microsoft Windows 7
• Microsoft Windows 7 SP1
• Microsoft Windows 8
• Microsoft Windows 8.1
• Microsoft Windows 10

Similarly to the database server support, other versions of Windows may work, however they will not be tested or supported.

We are very early in the testing phase, and it is likely some additional changes will be made in turn leading to more testing, so we have no expected release date, however as we progress we will keep you updated.