Canto Software has released a new, free upgrade for Cumulus 5, its Media Asset Management (MAM) application that lets a single user find assets located on hard drives or network volumes.
Cumulus lets you view a variety of files (including TIFF, JPEG, PDF, AVI) without having to launch the original application. It uses a data base engine optimized to search file information such as file type, resolution and descriptive data that’s automatically captured during the cataloging process.
Cumulus offers drag & drop support and direct import to most publishing and image editing applications such as QuarkXpress, Macromedia Freehand, Corel Draw and Adobe Photoshop. You can automatically store asset information about each file, including resolution, file type, modification date, etc. All text is searchable.
The new version, which bears the somewhat awkward number of 5.0.10, supports further file formats, reads more metadata and offers improved performance and stability, according to the folks at Canto. And, for the first time, Cumulus supports the MPEG-2 video format, integrates the previously optional MP3 support and offers a variety of optimized filters for better handling of different file types and new program versions such as FreeHand. At the same time, metadata reading, particularly EXIF and IPTC, has been improved. Canto said.
The Cumulus 5 Browser Option, which offers users a way to publish their assets royalty-free on CDs and DVDs, has also been updated to version 5.0.10.
With the AXR functionality for automatic location of cross-references offered in the Enterprise Edition, now Freehand and InDesign files are supported in addition to Illustrator EPS files. Performance improvements have been implemented on the login of a Mac OS Client to the Cumulus Server, as well as on cataloging AFP volume on Windows platforms and on using the Vault Option. A complete list of all extensions and improvements in Cumulus 5.0.10 can be found at the Canto Web site.
The Cumulus 5.0.10 single user edition and the client version of the Workgroup and Enterprise Editions support Mac OS X Server version 2.0 in the Classic Mode.” Canto said that a Carbon version of the Cumulus Workgroup Server for native support of Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 2.0 would soon be available.