Whirlpool

Need help converting the ipod ithmb files to normal images. A customer has lost their ipod and the only copy the photos they have is in the ipod cache on the computer, but despite dong a lot of looking the only software I have found that will do the job is MAC only. Does anyone know a windows equivalent of File Juicer?

echoone.com/filejuicer/ReadMe

Steve the (original) name pirate

www.vicman.net/downloads...Photo/37976.html

www.vicman.net/lib/backup-ipod-pics.htm

Surfboard writes...

www.vicman.net/downloads...Photo/37976.html

www.vicman.net/lib/backup-ipod-pics.htm

No, you haven't read the question properly. I have checked out all those apps, even downloaded some of them, they all require that the iPod to be present to download the photos from, none of them will open the photos from an existing iPod photo cache.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Steve writes...

Need help converting the ipod ithmb files to normal images.

Do you still have the "Photo Database" file?

I have no solution (I don't have an iPod) but I downloaded a iPod Photo Cache from the 'net. I noticed this structure:

Dir:
F00 (dir)
Tnnn.ithmb
Tnnn.ithmb
F01 (dir)
Tnnn.ithmb
Tnnn.ithmb

Photo Database (file)

I examined the "Photo Database" file and noticed references to Adobe PageMill 3.0. It also references the ithmb's in the "Fnn" directories. There are also tags "mhod" and "mhniL" in there too.

Hmmm... I wonder if there is a way to get the correlations to work...

Anywho writes...

Do you still have the "Photo Database" file?

Yes I have the entire cache with the same structure, however there seems no way to open them on a PC. I have looked the adobe software, that is also designed for downloading the images from the iPod and will only work if the iPod is attached. The entire photo cache is just over 2gb in size. I don't know what apple thought they were doing with this structure and format.

Steve the (original) name pirate

I notice the various software sees the iPod as, for example, H: with the structure as defined above located in a "Photos" directory. I might try and stick the stuff I have onto a USB drive and see if I can trick one of them into thinking it's a Pod.

I'm thinking the software would change the iPod to "Disk Mode". I'm also hoping that if the correct directory structure(s) is(are) present then one of them might be forgiving (or stupid) enough to get at the data.

Anyway, it's just a hypothesis at the moment and a bit of fun for me :)

Just an update...

I've been doing some experimenting with Photoshop CS2. I think I'm on to something here :) Here's what I did:

I changed the .ithmb extension to .raw and loaded the ithmb (raw) file into Photoshop. Photoshop then brings up the "Photoshop Raw Options" dialog. The settings I used for this are:

Dimensions
Width: 720
Height: 480

Channels
Count: 1
Depth: 16bits
Byte Order: IBM PC

Header
Size: 0

Now when you click OK, another dialog will come up mentioning Specified image is smaller than file; open anyway? - click OK.

If you're lucky, then the image should load but it will show two images; one on top of the other. The other problem is it might be only in black'n'white greyscale*. Also, the images come out stretched horizontally.

[ *edit: Ah! The greyscale problem is caused by the colour space interpretation. I need a program that will handle, or can specify, YUV 4:2:2 (I think) not RGB]

Perhaps you could upload an ithmb file that is known to be in colour for me so that I can experiment with a known colour source.

[edit2: From scouring the 'net, I've found that other possible Dimensions are 176x220, 130x88, 41x30 - the file size of the ithmb will give a clue to what is required]

Anywho writes...

[edit2: From scouring the 'net, I've found that other possible Dimensions are 176x220, 130x88, 41x30 - the file size of the ithmb will give a clue to what is required]

Interesting. Just for info the .ithmb store several different versions of the picture, a thumbnail version, another smaller version and a full sized version, so theseare probably the multiple images you are seeing. I will try converting one to .RAW and using my photo software.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Steve writes...

Just for info the .ithmb store several different versions of the picture, a thumbnail version, another smaller version and a full sized version, so theseare probably the multiple images you are seeing.

I just knew you were going to mention that :|

So far I think I've been using ithmb's with a single image... But I've managed to find something that will import the ithmb with the correct YUV colour space. It is called Imagemagick.

I had to change the .ithmb file extension to a .uyvy file extension. The command line I used to output to a PNG file is (all on one line with the source file in the same directory) :

convert -size 720x480 -depth 16 -sampling-factor 4:2:2 T114.uyvy Test.png

From these ithmbs I've been able to ascertain what the format of the (single picture) files are. I believe the two images I've been seeing, one on top of the other, are Apple's attempt to change the RAW format. The top and bottom images must be interleaved to create the correct image and corrects the viewing aspect. That's the reason the images looked stretched: the 720x480 images are split into 2 of 720x240 images.

Now I've just got to find a way to interleave these two images to create the correct picture. Then I'll move on to multi-image ithmbs...

[edit: Here's where I'm up to at the moment]

[edit2: Here's where the original file that I used is located]

Very good so far, a smiley face to you.

I managed to get some image output from my photo software but it wasn't anywhere near as good as yours, and ended up with 6 identical images, or two VERY squished images and half a picture of garbage. Will test your method now.

Steve the (original) name pirate

I'm still having trouble finding something that will split the picture into two pieces and then rejoin them by interleaving one line at a time from each of the pieces.

It's starting to look like I'll need to write some custom code. I was hoping to avoid that - been a while since I've done that. Still, I've been looking for challenge like this so I might just do it ;)

[edit: By the way, if you install the binary for Imagemagick, you may get what appears to be a failed install. It still seems to work though]

Anywho writes...

[edit: By the way, if you install the binary for Imagemagick, you may get what appears to be a failed install. It still seems to work though]

Worked fine on mine, but I used the X64 binary, it maybe an issue with the 32bit ninary only.

Steve the (original) name pirate

I don't know if this will help, but I was bored and started playing with the sample you are working with Anywho and found that it is made up of four different sized thumbnail? images.

Image 1: img180.imageshack.us/img180/9986/1xu3.png
Open as RAW, 720x480, count=1, 16 bit, IBM PC, header=0

Image 2: img221.imageshack.us/img221/5664/2dh6.png
Open as RAW, 176x220, count=1, 16 bit, MAC, header=691200 (=720x480x16/8)

Image 3: img221.imageshack.us/img221/1683/3ib7.png
Open as RAW, 42x30, count=1, 16 bit, IBM PC, header=768640 (=691200 + 176x220x16/8)

Image 4: img221.imageshack.us/img221/9443/4be2.png
Open as RAW, 130x88, count=1, 16 bit, IBM PC, header=771160 (=768640 + 42x30x16/8)

My guess is that even in multi-image ithmbs there is never any header information (I haven't checked though) and all image data is stored sequentially with no spacing so recovering each successive image will require determining the dimensions and colour depth of the preceding images and therefore size, then ignoring that information.

I believe ancilliary information for the .ithmb files is actually stored in the file called "photo database" in the root folder of the "iPod photo cache". The "photo databse" has names and other information pertaining to the .ithmb files such as file and folder names and whether or not the pictures/folder have been synced with the PC/MAC.

In the iPod cache each .ithmb file is exactly the same size (794,040 bytes), which would indicate that the files are stored in some sort of either uncompressed or lossless compression format, more likely uncompressed. That fits in with my research that indicates that the large pictures are actually stored in a .tiff format.

emanresu writes...

nd all image data is stored sequentially with no spacing so recovering each successive image will require determining the dimensions and colour depth of the preceding images and therefore size, then ignoring that information.

Which makes this part relatively easy since every .ithmb should be storing the image data at exactly the same offset from the beginning of the file, analyse one and that will be the same for all of them.

Steve the (original) name pirate

emanresu writes...

I was bored and started playing with the sample you are working with Anywho and found that it is made up of four different sized thumbnail? images.

Excellent! Thank you! I thought it was just one thumbnail. That cuts down the workload a bit ;)

I see you got the colour space problem with Photoshop too. It's unfortunate that Photoshop doesn't have a 4:2:2 YUV format for RAW. I will run those examples you mention (dimensions) through ImageMagick and see if it gives the correct colour/image.

The only one that is bothering me (at the moment) is the 720x480 one - it is split into two halves and needs to be interleaved as I mentioned before. Each half looks the same, but there are subtle differences between them which makes me think it needs to be interleaved. Otherwise, I'd just stretch each half vertically and blend the two.

Thanks again matey :)

[edit: I can't get the colour or images in anything but 720x480 with ImageMagick :( ]

Just an update ;)

Using IrfanView for these settings:

Open RAW file:
Width: 176
Height: 220
Header: 691201 (Yep, that's right!)
16BPP : 5:6:5

-----

Open RAW file:
Width: 42
Height: 30
Header: 768640
16BPP : 5:6:5

-----

Open RAW file:
Width: 130
Height: 88
Header: 771160
16BPP : 5:6:5

-----

These will get you the colour thumbnails. Unfortunately, IrfanView doesn't have the correct YUV format (only 4:2:0 - need 4:2:2) and doesn't display the 720x480 image.

Also, because the 720x480 image is meant to be output to a T.V. the picture is an interlaced image using bottom/top format and in YUV 16bit 4:2:2. I still haven't found an easy way to interlace the image to create the correct view.

Another update :)

Anywho writes...

I still haven't found an easy way to interlace the image to create the correct view.

Well I couldn't find a program to do what I wanted, so I've made one. The program extracts the 720x480 image out of the .ithmb file, interlaces it, and outputs the result to a YUV 4:2:2 file. You still need ImageMagick to do the conversion to something more manageable (like PNG). It's still a little rough programming-wise at the moment but usable. See here for the result.

I'll do some more to the program so that it extracts all the images out of the .ithmb so that they can be converted with a combination of ImageMagick and IrfanView.

Anywho writes...

I'll do some more to the program so that it extracts all the images out of the .ithmb so that they can be converted with a combination of ImageMagick and IrfanView.

Done. The program now extracts all the images. An example would be:

iThmbConv T114.ithmb

which results in 4 files being produced:

T114_TV.yuv (T.V. image)
T114_FS.raw (Full Screen image in iPod terms)
T114_PB.raw (Photo Browser image)
T114_SP.raw (Slide show Preview Image)

Does anyone know of an "all-in-one" program, usable from the command line, that I can use to easily convert these files? That way I could program the extractor to call the conversion program and do everything automatically. The specs of the files are:

16bit-YUV 4:2:2 (RAW format)
16bit-RGB 5:6:5 (RAW format)

[edit: The YUV was converted in ImageMagick, the RAWs were done in IrfanView]

Anywho writes...

which results in 4 files being produced:

Brilliant, if it wasn't for that fact that I already gave you a smiley face I'd give you another.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Oh yes, the command line program you may be able to use is called Nconvert from here:

perso.orange.fr/pierre.g...en_nconvert.html

Steve writes...

Oh yes, the command line program you may be able to use is called Nconvert

LOL! I downloaded that this afternoon... I'll have to read the docs some more but a preliminary scan of the docs shows that I can't specify the colourspace for the RGB as 5:6:5. I also downloaded it's sister program, XnView, it shows the YUV perfectly.

I'll upload the extractor I made somewhere for you to have a play with it. It's a command-line program (win32). I just cobbled/brute-forced it together in reasonably portable 'C' (so Linux users might be interested in it to). If anyone wants the source code just whim me.

BBS...

OK... I uploaded it here.

I haven't tested for errors such as specifying a directory instead of an .ithmb file.

It might (or not) work with a fully qualified pathname and filename so it might only work in the same directory as the ithmb file.

The commandline is:

iThmbConv file.ithmb

The output files should end up in the same directory as the ithmb file. The maximum filename size is 256bytes.

It is only for 4G iPod ithmbs (794,040 bytes).

Tell me how you go ;)

Anywho writes...

It's a command-line program (win32).

Got a 64 bit version? LOL, just joking, look forward to trying it out.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Oh yes, here's another command line utilty for converting images:

www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php

Steve the (original) name pirate

I don't believe it! There's not a program out there I can find that will do the proper conversion for the format of those RAW (RGB 16bit 5:6:5) files from a command line. I thought IrfanView would do it, but it only does it from it's GUI - you can't specify the format from the command-line. :(

Looks like I'll have to do some more programming and convert the colourspace of those RAW files to YUV so that either ImageMagick or XnView can be used. I'll have a go after work tomorrow. ;)

Anywho writes...

Looks like I'll have to do some more programming and convert the colourspace of those RAW files to YUV

I'll output 24bit .bmp files...

Well I've practically finished the program. It extracts all the images out of a (4G) ithmb file and spits out PPM (Portable Pixel Map) files for each image the ithmb file contains. If you want it, or the 'C' source code, post a reply here or whim me ;)

Anywho writes...

If you want it, or the 'C' source code, post a reply here or whim me ;)

You're a genius, would love it. Would you be averse to it being released publicly? During my hunt for one previouisly al I came across on forums were people complaining about not being able to do it on PC.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Steve writes...

would love it.

I've uploaded it here.

(Do you know of any other fileshare (free) services? quicksharing.com can be really slow sometimes)

Would you be averse to it being released publicly?

No, I don't mind ;) I'll clean it up some more though with a couple of needed features before I release it widely (including source code). It also wouldn't take much to port to other OS's.

During my hunt for one previouisly al I came across on forums were people complaining about not being able to do it on PC.

Yeah, I noticed that too.

[edit: Fixed URL]

Anywho writes...

(Do you know of any other fileshare (free) services? quicksharing.com can be really slow sometimes)

Rapidshare is very popular and usually always quite fast, megaupload is popular but very slow sometimes, there are a few otheres but they are the major players.

Steve the (original) name pirate

P.S. tested and ran perfectly

So -

I stumbled on to your forum you got going, I got a similar problem.... I got the .ithmb files and had a hard drive crash on my laptop, thinking the photos were lost, then i remembered the back up from my ipod... so here i am. i got a bit lost in all the code that was posted, if steve could give a bit more of a simple summary of what you did to recover the files to the original format, what program worked.. that would be much appreciated - sounds like that might not exist though, and if you are going public with a program that would do so, thats very good news! Thanks for your time-

pauL

paulprovidence writes...

if steve could give a bit more of a simple summary of what you did to recover the files to the original format, what program worked.. that would be much appreciated

The program is linked several posts above, here it is again, expanded to make it easier.

s3.quicksharing.com/v/46...hmbConv.exe.html

It's a command line program. Copy it into the folder the .ithmb files are that you want to convert. It's a command line program, so go to start/run/ and type "cmd" (without the quotes) and press ok, you will see a black window with some text and a spot at the end to type.

Browse to the folder where the .ithmbs files are (to make it easy copy them to a folder in C: called thumbs, so the folder will be C:\thumbs)

At the Command Prompt type "cd.." (no quotes again) this will move you back up the command line until you only see C:\ Assuming you have placed the .ithmbs i n the folder suggested, no type "cd thumbs" (not the quotes etc), you should then see C:\thumbs to inidcate you are in the correct folder. Now type "ithmbconv t4284.ithmb" (no quotes and replace t4384.ithmb with the name of a ithmb file in your folder.)

You should then get 4 files ending in .ppm, they should open in most paint programs (at least they opened directly in Paint Shop Pro).

Yes doing it this was is a 1 at a time process, but being a command line program it can later be integrated into other packages to provide a method of batch processing for conversion, and as mentioned Anywho is still working on it.

if steve could give a bit more of a simple summary

OK not a simple summary for many people not used to the command line, but it does work.

Steve the (original) name pirate

right on --

it works! thanks for the help, it had been awhile since i did the command line stuff, thanks for breaking it down a bit, i appreciate it.

pauL

It should work OK with a full file path and file name, but not with wildcards on a command line. Should be OK in batch files.

I'll have a go at making it so that if you specify a directory instead of an ithmb, then it will extract all the ithmbs in the subdirectories as well.

I've made another version...

This one does recursive directories and handles 5G ithmbs as well. Source code (in C) is also included in the rar file.

Examples:

Convert all suitable ithmb files found in the absolute directory
"C:\Tmp\stor\iPod Photo Cache" and also in any subdirectories:

iThmbConv.exe "C:\Tmp\stor\iPod Photo Cache"

Convert all suitable ithmb files found in this relative directory
and also in any subdirectories:

iThmbConv.exe "stor\iPod Photo Cache"

Convert a specific file:

iThmbConv.exe F00\T114.ithmb

Have fun :)

Anywho writes...

Have fun :)

Excellent, what can I say, after a few minutes of watching it extract I ended up with a ipod photo cache containing a total of just over 15,000 files/folders, take away the folders and the original ithmbs gives me just over 12,000 pictures, so 3,000 unique images in 4 differnt sizes!

Wonderful stuff.

Steve the (original) name pirate

I am trying to convert some of my backed up photos from my iPod Video 5G and am having difficulty.

The application is telling me that the ithmb files are not the correct size. Is there some test data that converts correctly that I can use to debug what the application is doing?

If you want me to send you one of my files or if you have some sample ithmb files that I can use let me know.. ebbergemann@yahoo.com

Welcome to Whirlpool :)

jumper220 writes...

I am trying to convert some of my backed up photos from my iPod Video 5G and am having difficulty.

What is the exact size of your 5G Photo iThmb file? It must be 871780 bytes for the program to accept it. The size of the ithmb file is how the program differentiates between the versions (because there's no identifiers in the ithmbs).

Also, are you trying it on the specific file or scanning a directory?

The program tells you which files it is converting, but it will also tell you the files it is not converting. If scanning a directory, then it might be finding other ithmbs that are not Photo ithmbs (video, cover art, etc.) - those files it does not handle.

If you want me to send you one of my files

That could be handy for me to figure out what's different about your file(s). If you tell me the size of the file(s), then I might be able to determine what they are anyway ;)

if you have some sample ithmb files that I can use let me know

I used Google to find some because I don't have an iPod. They are usually located in the sub-directories named F00 to F50 of an iPod Photo Cache directory.

[edit: Here's a 5G ithmb photo file ]

Hey guy
The information here has been really helpful but i still have a problem.
The program does not open my files because of the size different.
My files range from 12,768kb - 512,352kb. Could someone help me with
opening these files pls.

Thanks a million.

P.S I can see the photos on my iPod but when I hook my iPod up to my PC
and try to explore it all i can see is the ithmb files, even if I un-hide the system files.

Thanks again.

IslandBoy_E-Rock writes...

My files range from 12,768kb - 512,352kb. Could someone help me with
opening these files pls.


Hey, welcome to Whirlpool :)

Please post these files somewhere so that I can look at them - to see what they are and if I can decode them.

Also, what exactly are these files supposed to be?

The trouble with the iPod files is that the .ithmb extension is used for more than one type of file. They could be Photos, Videos, CD Covers - anything iTunes can feed it. Without interrogating the iPod database, generally the only way to differentiate them is by their sizes (except videos), sometimes their names, or else the name prefixes or directories.

P.S I can see the photos on my iPod but when I hook my iPod up to my PC
and try to explore it all i can see is the ithmb files, even if I un-hide the system files.

Yep. Windows doesn't have a decoder for ithmb files, so you'll see them just as plain files.

By the way, just to be clear...

The ithmbconv.exe program simply converts 4G/5G iPod iPhoto files to 24bit-Portable Pixel Map (PPM) files so that they can be viewed in most Windows image viewers.

The ithmb files should ideally be on your computer (i.e: the backup you made). And the resultant 4 PPM files should end up on your computer too. I don't think you should use this program from within the iPod environment (e.g: Don't use the directory directly from the iPod's HD - use a copy of it on your computer)

The photo ithmb file sizes are exactly bytes (4G) 794,040 bytes or (5G) 871780 bytes. If they are any other size, then they are something else... Feel free to post them somewhere and give me some details about the file (what type, what to see, etc.) on this thread.

:)

Hi,

I'm new to this form but am experiencing same problem as IslandBoy_E-Rock

I'd be happy to post files if you have any idea where I can post files of that size...

When I look at the thumbs folder these are the files that I see (numbers on the left are the size in bytes):

39,879,840 F1015_1.ithmb
524,620,800 F1019_1.ithmb
524,620,800 F1019_2.ithmb
55,520,000 F1019_3.ithmb
267,724,800 F1024_1.ithmb
7,146,300 F1036_1.ithmb

Will appreciate any help possible as the ipod is lost and this is my only chance to retrieve the lost photos.

Thanks,
Vaz

vaz writes...

When I look at the thumbs folder these are the files that I see (numbers on the left are the size in bytes):

39,879,840 F1015_1.ithmb
524,620,800 F1019_1.ithmb
524,620,800 F1019_2.ithmb
55,520,000 F1019_3.ithmb
267,724,800 F1024_1.ithmb
7,146,300 F1036_1.ithmb

Hi! Welcome to WP :)

Quoted from this forum's thread:

F1015: This file contains what I believe to be the pictures used for the slideshow browser display (the centre image that is shown on your iPod screen when displaying slideshows on a TV). Each image in this thumbnail collection is 22,800 bytes in size, making it smaller than the full iPod screen, but larger than the average thumbnail. 130x88 seems to be the only resolution that makes sense for these images.

F1019: If you have even a moderate-sized photo collection (more than 759 photos), there will actually be more than one of these files. The ITHMB file format seems to cap off at around 500Mb, at which point a new file is created. They are numbered sequentially (ie, F1019_1, F1019_2, etc). (The same would apply to the other files above as well, but they wouldn't need to be split off until you reached at least 6000+ photos).

These files contain the images resized for TV display. As best as I can determine, these are used for both NTSC and PAL (contrary to my previous speculations). The resolution appears to be 720x480, which would make sense since this would make it compatible with both D-1 NTSC and basic PAL formats.


F1024: This file contains the images for the full-screen display. They are 320x240 16-bit bitmaps, equal to the resolution of the 5G iPod screen. Each image takes up 153,600 bytes.

F1036: The file contains the images for the thumbnail display (photo browser on the iPod screen). They are slightly higher-resolution than they were on the 4G, again due to the larger screen. The only resolution that seems to make sense for these is 50 x 41.

Judging by the sizes of those files and the description above, they are the actual cache for the iPod.

F1015 @ 130x88x2= 22880 bytes
39,879,840/22,880= 1743 Slide Show pics

F1019_1(2) @ 720x480x2= 691200 bytes each
524,620,800/691,200= 759 TV Screen pics

F1019_3 @ 720x480x2= 691200 bytes each
55,520,000/691,200= 80.32407 TV Screen pics
(and something else???)

F1024 @ 320x240x2=153600 bytes each
267,724,800/153,600= 1743 Full Screen pics

F1036 @ 50x41x2= 4100 bytes each
7,146,300/4,100= 1743 Thumbnail pics

Given the above info, you should be able to split the various Fnnnn_n files by their picture byte sizes and feed the individual files into ithmbconv.exe...

F1019_3.ithmb is a strange one. It is obviously the "overflow" from the previous two, but I can't imagine why there is a remainder in the calculation. This is one I may need to see if that byte size is correct! Doing the math though seems to suggest you're missing ~140 pics if the other files are the various sized replicas of the original TV-screen-sized files :|

If I get enough time this week, I'll add the code to ithmbconv.exe and go from there (I've never coded for .5GB sized files - I wonder what's gonna happen :| ).

Hey Anywho,

Thanks for the quick reply WP is on my bookmarks now :)

Using a HEX editor I took the first 22,880 bytes off F1015.ithmb and tried to feed to the ithmbconv.exe but it seems to be expecting different file sizes

I also tried creating a 871,870 Bytes file from F1019_1.ithmb and it still doesn't work.

Am I missing anything?

I got the result shown below:

- iThmbConv\Release>iThmbConv.exe­ "c:\media\photos_from_ipod\Photos\­ test"
Size of file is incorrect: 22880 bytes.
- Expecting 794040 bytes for 4G iPod ithmb files,
- or 871780 bytes for 5G iPod ithmb files.
Size of file is incorrect: 871870 bytes.
- Expecting 794040 bytes for 4G iPod ithmb files,
- or 871780 bytes for 5G iPod ithmb files.

Thanks,
Vaz

vaz writes...

- iThmbConv\Release>iThmbConv.exe­ "c:\media\photos_from_ipod\Photos\­ test"
Size of file is incorrect: 22880 bytes.
- Expecting 794040 bytes for 4G iPod ithmb files,
- or 871780 bytes for 5G iPod ithmb files.


Pah! That was dumb of me to suggest that you could feed any correct size file into it... Of course, it is looking for only one type of ithmb file. The ones we're talking about a page or two back are from iPod Photo Cache directories of a specific type (they have 4 pics of different sizes combined into the one ithmb file).

However:

Size of file is incorrect: 871870 bytes.
- Expecting 794040 bytes for 4G iPod ithmb files,
- or 871780 bytes for 5G iPod ithmb files.


The F1019_1(2,3).ithmb has the 720x480 sized pics. known as the TV size (for output to TV's). If you extract the first 871780 bytes (not the 871870 bytes you used) and feed that 871780 bytes into the ithmbconv.exe (don't forget the .ithmb extension on your file), then you should get 4 PPM files. The file with the "_TV.ppm" added to it's name should be displayable in most Image Editor programs. The other 3 ppm's will contain garbage.

I'll get time with the source code on Friday/Saturday and hopefully have a result (executable) by Sunday. I'll be "flying blind" though because I don't have any large iPod files to experiment with, so it'll be hit or miss as to whether my idea(s) will work.

Again, my apologies and I hope that clears up the confusion on my behalf.

Hi Anywho,

I really appreciate all your help - I looked at the code and its impressive, I was planning to fix it to accept different file sizes myself, but before that I did another scan of the web.

I found this application: ipodcopy available from: www.wideanglesoftware.com/ipodcopy

It costs money but you can download a trial version for free and use it to save images from your ipod to your PC. I had to copy my "Photos" library onto an ipod in order to use it.

It re-created the original photo library I synced with my library way back when - saving all the images as JPG images with size 650X480.

Again, thanks for your help - I'll keep on looking at posts on this forum and see maybe I can pay this forward.

Vaz

vaz writes...

I really appreciate all your help

You're welcome :)

I had to copy my "Photos" library onto an ipod in order to use it.

Ah yes. This is what I'm trying to avoid (using an iPod). I'm coming from the angle that you don't have access to the iPod (stolen, broken, AWOL, etc.) and the only thing left is your backup.

I don't mind extending ithmbconv.exe, but I do see many potential (programming) problems with the method I'm using. So I'll only extend it as needs be and provided the solution is likely to be pretty much straightforward. The proper solution would use the database file index(es) and info to the various files but that is way more than I want to do with this program... Besides, what if the db is corrupt?

It re-created the original photo library I synced with my library way back when - saving all the images as JPG images with size 650X480.

Excellent. There's a couple of other prog's. like that too - Tansee's contribution seemingly the most dominant. Strange that the resolution of iPodCopy is 650x480 though. I wonder what the reason is for that :|

Why not just borrow someone else's ipod put the files on it and extract the photo's from it :S

MinistryofSound writes...

Why not just borrow someone else's ipod put the files on it and extract the photo's from it :S

I'd probably prefer this method too. Especially after looking at the strange goings-on in those ithmb file formats!

Nobody wanted to lend me their iPod in my circle of friends though (pikers :|). Wanna lend me yours? ;)

edit: Also, this program might come in handy when the database file might be corrupted enough to stop the proper use of the indexes and info it contains (or it's lost).

I have a 5.5g ipod. I was dissapointed in how big the image files are on the ipod. I've figured out a method to solve this by removing the TV image. Sync your photos with all folders in your \my pictures\ folder. Just put any imagse you don't want synced in another folder.

After syncing your images, copy the file \iPod_Control\iTunes\iTunesPrefs to another spot on your ipod. Then change your ipod settings to no longer sync images, but leave the current images on the ipod. Save the settings to the ipod. Close itunes. Then move the move the file(s) \Photos\Thumbs\F1019_<number>­ .ithmb off of the ipod and onto a backup location on your hard drive. Then, then you no longer have the TV version of the image, but the size on the ipod is 5x smaller. Use itunes as normal with lots of extra space on your ipod :)

If you want to change the photos on your ipod: Have itunes closed. Have all the images you want including the changes in your \my pictures\ folder. Move the .ithmb images back onto the ipod and put back the backup iTunesPrefs file, overwriting the one that is there. If your using this method to store extra songs and max out the capacity, then temporarily move some music/video folders onto your hard drive to make room for the ithmb files. This will only work if you have manual syncing of your music library. Then load up itunes again. Then go back to the second paragraph I wrote in order to rinse and repeat as they say on the internet.

Moofar writes...

I have a 5.5g ipod. I was dissapointed in how big the image files...

Welcome to Whirlpool... Excellent first post :)

In case anyone was wondering, Moofar has a use for an iPod that I never even considered - Moofar uses an iPod as a book. Moofar takes a photo of a page of notes (for Uni) with a camera, breaks them down into useful sizes (using Moofar's custom software) and put's the pics on to an iPod so that they can be read as needed. Whim Moofar for more details...

I was going to put another version of iThmbConv.exe here today (for the big 1/2 GB files), but I'm a little stuck in some implementation details and other stuff (I knew it would happen :|). I'll try get it done in the next couple of days though (work commitments permitting).

I'd like to Promote the use of this Resource to YAMIPOD.

YamiPod is an excellent one file, small, iPod Manager, but it lacks Photo support. So its not complete.

I'd like to offer my help for this software. I'll be reviewing the code, and i can support with Files .ithmb from my iPod Nano 2G and my iPod Nano 1G.
Tell me, where i can send you this files.

My objetive.... use this as a Module that works with YamiPod, and complete the artwork of that simple beautifull program.

kIERO writes...

I'd like to offer my help for this software. I'll be reviewing the code, and i can support with Files .ithmb from my iPod Nano 2G and my iPod Nano 1G.
Tell me, where i can send you this files.

Hi kIERO, welcome to Whirlpool :)

I have actually modified iThmbConv a while back (not released yet) to include ithmb images for the 1G and 2G Nano, so you are in luck there too! If you have a look at the source code of iThmbConv you'll see that it does no more than split the iThmb where required and do the conversion from 16bit to 24bit and then to PPM. The main info you need is to know the format for the iThmb in question and if the image needs to have it's bytes swapped MSB<->LSB. The post by jhollington from this forum was helpful in determining the format.

The details of how to contact me directly are contained in the Readme.txt file in the rar file. The link to my recent release is here but does not contain the 1/2G Nano code. Contact me directly if you want the source code for that too ;)

Hey Hey - Just got myself into the biggest mess. Now I've got my iPod photo's in ithmb format on my computer and can't put them back onto the ipod. I don't need to view them on my PC. I only want to put them back onto the iPod. Thanks ahead for your assistance.
John

Oh, by the way, It's from a 40gig iPod (if that makes any difference) and also I've tried those programs that you invented and it won't open. It just flashes with the run screen but that's it. Can only see it for a second. Again, Thanks in advance.
John

Doyle888 writes...

Hey Hey - Just got myself into the biggest mess...

Welcome to WP :)

Yes you have ;)

I don't have an iPod so I cannot really guide you without probably making your mess into cesspool. Making a copy of the entire directory structure (in case something goes wrong), what does iTunes try to do when it syncs with the iPod?

I've tried those programs that you invented and it won't open. It just flashes with the run screen but that's it. Can only see it for a second.

It's a console program which needs to be run from a command prompt. Double-clicking it won't work. The info is in the ReadMe.txt file in the archive.

Plz can u post a link for the ithmbconvert.exe with the 1gb and 2gb nano support? Fantastic work btw

onehungup writes...

Plz can u post a link for the ithmbconvert.exe with the 1gb and 2gb nano support?

Yep... Here 'tis :)

I have a similar problem. My hard drive crashed and all I have left is the ipod. I saved all my music, but how can I save the photos? I copied the .ithmb files on another hard drive, but can't find anything to convert them. Or is there an easier way? I still have the ipod and it still has all the photos on it. What are my options? What do I do?

etwwtdm writes...

I copied the .ithmb files on another hard drive, but can't find anything to convert them.

What is the exact file size (in bytes) of each of the ithmb files?

What generation iPod is it?

I still have the ipod and it still has all the photos on it. What are my options? What do I do?

From what I've read about the iPod, you need to use iTunes and backup everything to a PC that supports iTunes.

Hey all,

I completely new to the iPod scene and have yet to find one, and have some pretty advanced knowledge on fixing computers, etc.

I have a client who lost his entire HDD and wants to recover the pictures he had synched on his iPod. I followed some of the steps written on this forum using the ithmbconv software and was able to extract the files to .PPM files.

I copied over the entire "Photos" directory to my c:\temp\thumbs directory, ran the conversion on all the .ithmb files, here is what I got:
- ithmbconv.exe F1015_1.ithmb (57, 714kb) extracted 4 files; F1015_1_FS.ppm (114kb), F1015_1_PB.ppm (4kb), F1015_1_SP.ppm (34k), F1015_1_TV.ppm (1,013kb)

I did the command line to each of the files and received several .PPm files. I opened them up with GIMP and noticed a handful of pictures that appeared, but not nearly as much as he actually had.

Can anyone enlighten me on what I should do to view or try and get all the files out of the ithmb files?

Thanks (i hope this is enough information for now)

Hi, welcome to Whirlpool :)

[edit: Ah! Now I think I know what you are talking about... It is actually a Photo Library ithmb file you are trying to extract (as opposed to a Photo ithmb file). Bad news - ithmbconv doesn't handle Photo Library files yet. I was going to implement it, but then the person that needed it found a solution anyway (using another iPod I believe). If you really, really need it, then let me know. ]

The 4 images that ithmbconv extracts are what is contained in a Photo ithmb file but are converted to PPM format so that any OS and image program should be able to usefully use the images. Each image is a unique size of the original and is used for different functions within the iPod...

TV = Televison output size suitable for TV's.
FS = iPod's Full Screen size.
PB = iPod's Picture Browser size.
SP = iPod's Slideshow Picture size.

Remember, the ithmb itself contains the above images for each Photo.

How many ithmb files are in the iPod Photo Cache directory?

What are their sizes (in bytes)?

Are they all the same size?

Which version of iThmbConv.exe did you use (the link to where you got it from)?

If known, what is the generation number (1,2,4,5) of the iPod that was used?

Do you have a link to where I might be able to see or download these files?

Can you link to a directory listing of the ithmb files that you have on your hard drive (preferably with file sizes in bytes)?

This a copy/paste of the <dir> command I did in the directory I have the ithmb files in:

07/03/2007 01:10 PM 59,099,040 F1015_1.ithmb
26/12/2006 12:33 PM 524,620,800 F1019_1.ithmb
26/12/2006 12:35 PM 524,620,800 F1019_2.ithmb
26/12/2006 12:36 PM 524,620,800 F1019_3.ithmb
07/03/2007 01:10 PM 211,507,200 F1019_4.ithmb
07/03/2007 01:10 PM 396,748,800 F1024_1.ithmb
07/03/2007 01:10 PM 10,590,300 F1036_1.ithmb
16/04/2007 12:54 PM 53,248 iThmbConv.exe

The following is a complete list of ALL the files I was able to convert into .PPM from the ithmb files:

16/04/2007 12:58 PM 116,200 F1015_1_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 12:58 PM 3,818 F1015_1_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 12:58 PM 34,359 F1015_1_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 12:58 PM 1,036,840 F1015_1_TV.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 116,200 F1019_1_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 3,818 F1019_1_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 34,359 F1019_1_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 1,036,840 F1019_1_TV.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 116,200 F1019_2_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 3,818 F1019_2_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 34,359 F1019_2_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 1,036,840 F1019_2_TV.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 116,200 F1019_3_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 3,818 F1019_3_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 34,359 F1019_3_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 1,036,840 F1019_3_TV.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 116,200 F1019_4_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 3,818 F1019_4_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 34,359 F1019_4_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 01:02 PM 1,036,840 F1019_4_TV.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 116,200 F1024_1_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 3,818 F1024_1_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 34,359 F1024_1_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 1,036,840 F1024_1_TV.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 116,200 F1036_1_FS.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 3,818 F1036_1_PB.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 34,359 F1036_1_SP.ppm
16/04/2007 01:03 PM 1,036,840 F1036_1_TV.ppm

This is a <dir> of the actual file called "Photo Database" (no file extension):

07/03/2007 01:10 PM 2,474,364 Photo Database

Obviously, the first part of each file is the date/time and the next set is the file size in bytes. Afterwards is the filename.ext

Thanks for any help.

I want the pictures that are contained within these files ( I see two of them in GIMP, but I know there are more) to copy over to a directory on his PC (my client) so he can at least have those pictures back..since he lost everything on his HDD.

His iPod works fine, and now so does his PC.

Thanks for the help and quick response.

machstem writes...

I want the pictures that are contained within these files ( I see two of them in GIMP, but I know there are more) to copy over to a directory on his PC (my client) so he can at least have those pictures back

Yep, those files you have are the Photo Library files. I'll need to implement the code in iThmbConv to handle these type of files. I've got a bit of spare time in the next couple of days so I'll have a go.

In the meantime, you might want to put a post in the Whirlpool IPod forum and ask the people with more experience on iPods about how to resurrect those files you have on your hard drive. I have a feeling you might need that iPod to do it, but we'll see ;)

Thanks a whole lot.

He has his iPod and lives out of town (more-so a friend than a client) and I was hoping I'd be able to have something for him before he gets back..hehehe

There is some talent here I cannot even touch, it's good to know some people are willing to help as much as you have already.

Thanks again for all the help and advice, I'll definitely take you up on that updated software. :)

machstem writes...

Thanks again for all the help and advice

You're welcome ;)

There is some info back on page 3 of this thread relating to how those files you have are actually formatted.

Essentially, what my program will do is break (split) those files up into the individual images and then convert them to PPM. You can do this yourself if you have a file-splitter program (split the files using the image-byte-sizes) and then use a file converter to convert the RAW images (more info earlier in the thread) into something an Image manipulation program can use.

Anyway, keep looking in this thread and I'll post a link to my updated program when I need you to test it :)

machstem writes...

This a copy/paste of the <dir> command I did in the directory I have the ithmb files in...

Just an update... I've done the calculations on the file sizes of the ithmb files you have:

F1015_1 = 2583 images

F1019_1 = 759 images
F1019_2 = 759 images
F1019_3 = 759 images
F1019_4 = 306 images
F1019_^ = 2583 images

F1024_1 = 2583 images

F1036_1 = 2583 images

Going by the above filenames, you have the files from a 5G iPod. The calculations seem to be spot on, so I'd say the files are likely to be complete (unless corrupted).

If all goes well, then you may be in luck and should get 2583 images each with the following names (where n = image number) and dimensions:

F1015_n_SP: 130x88
F1019_n_TV: 720x480
F1024_n_FS: 320x240
F1036_n_PB: 50x41

I'm in Windows now and about to start coding it all up ;)

Well, this iPod was actually a 30gb iPod, one of the later generations. He does have videos on it as well, I'm not sure where they store themselves, if as an example they store themselves into the "Photos" directory?

Man, again, I wish I had the talent you have when it comes to this kind of stuff. Great work.

It's me again...

Here's the updated iThmbConv.exe

[edit: I've put it here as well in case that site is slow/broken]

I've only tested it against a "forged" F1019_1.ithmb (TV size - 720x480) file. Because I don't have an iPod and couldn't find any suitable iThmb libraries on the 'net, I had to create one by joining 2 raw YUV-16bit files together to create a pseudo-Photo-Library. Hopefully it is what I expect the iPod PhotoLibrary iThmb to be :|

The other iThmb types:

F1015_1.ithmb
F1024_1.ithmb
F1036_1.ithmb

have not been tested at all (I need to create/find a suitable photo library ithmb) but, in theory, should work. Please test and post back any anomalies.

Let me know how you go ;)

[edit: While I think of it, be careful because there is no file space checking. Make sure you have enough room on your hard drive for the conversion(s). ]

Awesome! :)

I will be taking a look tomorrow and keep you posted.

Thanks again..again.. :)

So, it started extracting all the photos, but I think there may be some sort of bug since after a little while it was extracting the same file over and over again, I had to stop it. I could see the pictures though, which is quite the accomplishment.

I'll try and give you more details once I can browse all the files and see where the files started repeating themselves.

Please stand by...

So, all the pictures extracted from one file into FS 320x240

Is this the highest resolution I can output them to, as in their original size? Should I extract them from a specific file? i.e. ithmb file

Either way, this is a great accomplishment. The only bug I've noticed so far is that it continues to extract once it hits the last file it sees, and ouputs it over and over again.

Is there a way to see thumbnails of .PPM files from Windows Explorer? Some form of addon? It would be easier than to sort one by one (over 2400 photos!)

Thanks again, and GREAT work...

EDIT: I was writing this on the go earlier, but to try and explain myself better, here goes: your converter works great. it converted all the pictures to .PPM and I'm pretty sure to have gotten all of them. However, I noticed it kelpt going past 2500 new files and realized, after having opened them up in GIMP, that it was continuously making the last picture over and over again.

My question regarding the resolution was asking whether or not the original file could be recovered with its original size? I'm not sure if the iPod keeps the files in tact before compressing them to the format it uses to display. i.e. TV, FS, etc

Thanks

FOLLOW-UP: I ran the conversion tool on the other 500mb+ files and realized they were the larger resolution pics, simply divided amongst volumes.

Each "large" file contained approximately 700 photos until it reached its file limit..I think :) The TV resolution gave it away ;)

I didn't get the continuous loop from those ones though, only the file with the 320x240 resolution. I don't think I got it with the "thumbnail" fleset either.

You've done great work, friend. Now, can you add a filetype conversion tool in your little software? Something that can convert the files from .PPM to .JPG without the need to select and "save as" each of them manually? I've done the conversion for several already, but considering he has over 2500 pictures, you can imagine how time consuming that could be.

Either way, you've done more than I was expecting. I was actuall coming on these forums to see if anyone had solved the dilemma, and it seems you have.

Thanks again!

machstem writes...

Each "large" file contained approximately 700 photos until it reached its file limit..I think :) The TV resolution gave it away ;)

This iThmb size (720x480) is the main one I concentrated on because the others are just virtually smaller sizes of that. At least with this size, you can ignore the rest and use a batch program (like Irfanview) to convert them to a smaller size.

I didn't get the continuous loop from those ones though, only the file with the 320x240 resolution.

Hmmm... I'll have a look at that - seems strange, but I'll look none the less ;)

Did the actual pics convert properly or were they odd looking (corrupted, black'n'white, etc.)?

Now, can you add a filetype conversion tool in your little software? Something that can convert the files from .PPM to .JPG without the need to select and "save as" each of them manually?

I have a solution for that... Well, IrfanView does - it can batch convert those PPM files to JPEG for you!

I didn't bother to output JPEG for one reason only. The PPM format is so basic that if the data gets corrupted, you can literally rebuild the file in a paint program. You'll see corruption in the picture, but usually it doesn't extend to the whole picture. JPEGs, once corrupted, are much harder to fix (plus, it's a lossy format). Remember the trauma of thinking you've lost the photos once? ;)

I will extend iThmbConv to cover the other types of iThmb but I need iThmb files to work with. At the moment I don't have an iPod so I'm flying blind, so to speak, with converting these files. Eventually, I guess, I'll make it into a viewer with selectable output formats. At the moment though, because I want to support Linux too, I am deciding on which programming language to use (currently 'C').

Phew, glad it worked for you :)

OK, I think I understand what you meant earlier. So here's a small follow-up on what I did:

- When I first tried the conversion, I tried it on the .ithmb file which contained the "FS" as part of the filename. This resolution was the 320x240. This is the file with which the conversion was doing an infinite loop (or what seemed to be infinite; over 12,000 files before I stopped it). All the files were perfectly clear, just at a lower resolution.

- When I did the conversion on the bigger files which contained the "TV" filenames it ended at the last file without going through a loop. This conversion worked flawlessly.

As for the .PPM to .JPG, that makes sense. I'm not the most literate when it comes down to specifics, but I'm aware of the difference between RAW format and compressed. The fact remains that the program you wrote works great and I appreciate all the effort you put into it.

As for the batch converters, thanks for the input. I have several .TGA files (in-game screenshots) in high res that need conversion, this ifranview will be great. Thanks for the link.

If I could send you some of mine, I would but I to have no iPod. :) And these pictures are those for a client. You've helped two people! hehe

I've learned a lot from this thread and other threads and am really impressed with the overall community here.

I'm glad to have made your acquaintance.

Thanks again

machstem writes...

- When I did the conversion on the bigger files which contained the "TV" filenames it ended at the last file without going through a loop. This conversion worked flawlessly.

I see... It's just the "FS" ithmb files it's going silly on. No problems - I'll get back to you here. I'll try an make another "fake" FS ithmb and see what happens ;)

I'm glad to have made your acquaintance.

Likewise! Your help is much appreciated too, especially the "beta" testing ;)

OK... Here's an update to try ;)

Hopefully this one is more accurate in detecting the number of images in a iPod Photo Library iThmb file.

Please post back whether it works (or I've totally screwed it up (again)) :)

machstem with those ithmb files you have, make sure you get exactly the number of images as I posted above.

Roger that. I'll attempt it today, if not then at some point this week before Friday.

Please stand by...

For those that are whimming me about the previous links being dead (read your answered whims!)...

The newer version, which can extract 640x480 images from some iPhone ithmbs, is available here (no source code):

rapidshare.com/files/475...hmbConv.exe.html

If you want the source code for that one, just whim me and I'll pack it in a zip file and put it on the web somewhere.

The older, previous version with source code (no iPhone support) is available here:

rapidshare.com/files/46752814/ithmbconv.zip

If you have any questions, the thread appears like it is going to continue on from here:

forum-replies.cfm?t=766256&p=2#r30