Successful use of NI, especially in batch mode, requires good pre stored profiles. However, a reasonable aim would be to cover ten shutter speeds for each iso - in my case 40 images. Processing these is tedious, and it is easy to miss a step - if the phone rings you might forget to save copy the Exif data, or to do the fine tuning. There is nothing the user can see to show that the profile is defective.
I think there is scope for considerable improvement in the profile building process which involves fairly simple programming - not high tech math stuff.
Basically we need a macro which goes through all the steps of building a series of profiles from the profile target images in a folder.
You pick the first image in the folder, and click the profile building button.
The macro then takes over, opens it in NI, shows the EXIF data, prompts the user to mark off the central section to make the rough profile.
Without further prompting it then auto fine tunes, copies the EXIF data to the profile, and opens the save dialog.
The save dialog should compose the filename for the user by offering these boxes already completed with bits taken from the EXIF data
Device code, such as mA1 for Minolta A1 - the user could choose this the first time
1/ ISO
2/ Shutter speed in tenths of milliseconds.
3/ White balance
4/ Any other pieces NI staff think are important
5/ Extra characters chosen by the user to make the filename unique
Your macro would compose a filename from these and offer it as the filename. The user would just hit return to use that name, or modify it first.
Then the macro picka the next file in the folder.
This would require a separate button for profile building, so that the controls used in processing working images do not cause confusion. I think with this more users would store a decent set of profiles, and they would be even happier with NI.
