Portfolio 6 from Extensis saw the light of day at this week’s Macworld San Francisco.
The new version of the digital asset management (DAM) solution — which lets you share, organize, retrieve and distribute digital files — has added features for helping you publish or distribute files. The Collect & Publish feature automatically collects and catalogs files for CD distribution. It even lets users create a stand-alone browser application on the fly, according to Joseph Schorr, Portfolio product manager. By using the new Create Web Pages command, users can convert catalogs into Web pages based on one of several freely distributed templates that are professionally-designed, or users can create their own. Additionally, Portfolio works “seamlessly” with a user’s default e-mail program to send electronic images as E-mail attachments directly from Portfolio.
Portfolio 6’s FolderSync offers integration with the existing file system by linking Portfolio catalogs to actual folders on disk, keeping them synchronized. Floating palette brings the digital library of files directly into the creative environment with the goal of providing instant access to files from anywhere on the users system. Portfolio’s instant cataloging lets you select any file, folder or disk and instantly catalog it into the Portfolio system. The update, which sports a streamlined, revamped toolbar and other enhancements, adds a cataloging option that can rename files, add keywords, and fill in other field values on the fly as items are catalogued.
The new cataloging option copies or moves files into a new directory as they’re cataloged. With version 6, you can save and apply customized view attributes such as fonts, colors, and borders to any gallery. There’s also a new window that lets you add, append, replace or delete values from any field. A Custom QuickFind feature performs a find function across any user-defined combination of fields from within main catalog window.
The English version of Portfolio 6 will be available for download from the Extensis Web site next month at a suggested retail price starting at US$199.95 for the full product and $69.95 to $129.95 for upgrades from previous versions of Portfolio. Portfolio Server is available starting at a suggested retail price of $2,499.95, which includes five free copies of Portfolio 6 for the Mac. French, German and Japanese language product will be available in the first half of 2002. Portfolio 6 requires Mac 8.6 or higher.