Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an inventory size limit?

No. You may add as much data as you wish to your inventory. You are only limited by the size of your hard disk. Remember, the more data and media files you store in CHI, the larger your inventory file will be.

How do I save my inventory?

Collectify Home Inventory automatically saves your changes as you work. Whenever you make changes in your inventory, such as adding a new object or importing an image, that information is immediately recorded to your computer's hard disk. Should your computer suddenly turn off (eg. due to a power failure), all of the changes you have made in your database will be saved, except perhaps for those made in the few seconds before the computer turned off.

Does my inventory automatically backup online?

We do not provide online storage for Collectify Home Inventory. See Links of Interest for possible storage websites.

Can I undo an action?

It is possible to recover data you have entered in an editor's field by using the Undo tool. Simply click on Edit in the menu bar, then Undo (or use the shortcut CTRL-Z). Keep in mind that you can only undo an action if you have not closed the editor - you cannot recover data you have deleted from a field after you have left the record.

What is the easiest method of data entry?

We suggest using either Quick Entry or Quick Image since they are the speediest methods of creating entries in Collectify Home Inventory. For more information, see Quick Entry and Quick Image.

How do I use my camera as a scanning device?

A digital camera offers a handy alternative to the traditional scanner. Versatile, the digital camera can work faster and provide quality equal to a scanned image. It is even preferential for capturing delicate and fragile originals. However, taking photos of documents requires skill and practice. Use the following tips to avoid some of the problems with digital images (bad lighting, out-of-focus text, distorted text lines, and missing resolution information):

1.   Lighting: Daylight is recommended. If taking photos in a room, make sure it is well-lit. Disable the flash - using flash for documents printed on glossy papers will create severe glare.

2.   Camera Positioning: Position the lens parallel to the plane of the document and direct it towards the center of the page. At full optical zoom, the distance between the camera and the document must be sufficient to fit the entire document into the frame - about 20 to 24 inches.

3.   Focus: If you use an auto-focus camera, focus the lens on the center of the page. Poor lighting may cause the auto focus to function incorrectly. Switch to manual focus if this occurs.

Why can't I open my report file?

To open a report for preview, you need a PDF application installed, such as Adobe Reader. Go to www.adobe.com to download their free software.