Emergency file import using the CCK and Goodreader

Question

Emergency file import using the CCK and Goodreader

Every found yourself with a need to import data from a friend who does not have iTunes or WiFi access (work college or customer)?

If you have the CCK and an SD Card it is possible to get the friend to save the data to the SD Card and then "import" it to Goodreader. One extra "helper" App is also required, but it is free.

Required.

Camera Connection Kit.

Access to an SD Card.

Goodreader (other Apps may work, but I know Goodreader does)

i-Flashdrive (free from the App center)

How to.

1. Create a folder on the SD Card root directory called "DCIM"

2. Create a folder inside the DCIM folder called "100APPLE" (/DCIM/100APPLE)

3. Zip your file(s) and copy the zip file to the 100APPLE directory on the SD Card.

4. Rename the zip file as "DSC_9999.NEF" (exactly, the extension NEF is used for Nikon raw files and will be imported by the iPad as a photo).

5. Insert the card and connect the CCK. Import the "photo" to the iPad camera roll. Remove the CCK (return the SD Card?)

6. Exit the Photo app, open i-Flashdrive. Select Local storage and press the "+" button at the bottom left to import. Import from the "Library" the "last import" photo which will be the false NEF file.

7. Select the photo in I-Flashdrive (it will not display) then press the action button in the top right corner and select the "Open in..." and Goodreader.

8. Goodreader will open. It still can not display the photo which will now have a big complex file name.

9. Use Goodreader file manager to rename the file to something like "file.zip". Confirm the extension change when asked.

10. Finally. Use Goodreader to unzip the file(s).

Done. Read away using Goodreader (I love Goodreader).

The key issue here is to use a file format which the iPad recognises as a photo, but does not know how to display. The NEF seems to work, but I have also used AVI format as iPad believes it is a non compatible video file.

Then you just need to move the file to Goodreader, rename it and unzip.

Messy, and un-neccessary, but it works without any other suport.

iPad, iOS 4.2

Posted on Oct 22, 2011 1:19 AM

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Answer 1

Fred-M-

Level 4

2,397 points

Oct 24, 2011 11:12 AM in response to angusfromlyndoch

Angus-

I tried this using a nearly-full 4 GB thumb drive. I zipped 4 random files into a single package and used your NEF filename. There were some minor differences between your procedure and what I saw, but it worked like a charm!

Researching i-Flashdrive, I see it is a product that appears to be a USB thumb drive that has an iOS connector at the other end. I wonder if using a USB thumb drive with Apple's Camera Connection Kit provides the same function when used with the App?

Fred

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Answer 2

Oct 24, 2011 3:22 PM in response to Fred-M-

Hi Fred,

Great to here it worked as well for you.The iFlashDrive adapter uses a custom chip dual connector USB/Apple 30 Pin setup. The free App does not recognise the CCK or any drives plugged in to it.

I have tried USB thumb drives with the CCK. If you can connect (most thumb drives draw too much power and the iPad won't connect) you only get the basic camera functions as per the SD card. This is how the USB connector is used on the CCK, with a USB cable from the camera.

That said, the DCIM folder trick works fine on compatible thumb drives.

One "work around" for thumb drives which I have verified, is to use a powered (mains power adaptor) USB Hub. Plug the master in to the CCK connector and the thumb drive in to the hub. Ignore the "USB Device not supported" message.

Known limits for the CCK.

Only the DCIM folder, typically only 3 digit + 5 alpha folder names (eg: 100APPLE). Typically only "photo" file names with 8 characters. (like a camera)

The disk must be formated as FAT or FAT32 (NTFS is not supported).

The power draw must be less than 20ma unless a USB hub is used. That is why I used the SD card, but a battery powed USB hub can be used if you can find/make one.

NO File writing or copying to the card!

A pity really as file "writes" are obviously physically possible. The CCK does allow you to delete photos from the card or camera. But Apple have locked all this away.

Regards.

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