SA – SAM Image Consolidator

Version 1.5.5 · Station Admin

This utility helps SAM Broadcaster users reduce duplicate album art by consolidating song-level image references into one image per album, with backup-first safety and one-click restore support.

Station Admin reliability standard: when database access or file locations are required, Station Admin products are designed to auto-detect expected settings first and provide a clear manual fallback when you choose to allow local detection.

Thank you for using Station Admin products. Enjoy!

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Privacy & local setup (SAM XML scan)

On first launch, the Windows app asks whether it may scan this computer for SAM Broadcaster configuration files (SAM.Core.xml / SAMBC.core.xml) in common installation paths.

If you allow the scan

  • The app reads database connection fields and picture-folder paths from that file only so it can connect to your database and locate your images—the same values you could enter manually.
  • Parsing runs only on your PC. Values are kept in memory and in a small local file next to the executable (desktop_ui_settings.json). They are not harvested and exposed by this scanning feature, nor sent to Station Admin or third parties.
  • Secrets in the XML (for example the database password) are used only so the app can open a database session from your machine. They are not transmitted elsewhere by this feature.

If you decline

The app does not read SAM XML for setup. Enter database credentials and picture-folder paths in Database & picture folders, click Save settings, then open the Work tab and run Diagnose. Values are stored in desktop_ui_settings.json next to the executable.

After setup

Use the Connect tab: Use Automatic SAM File Setup, Manual Setup, Privacy, or About. Open Privacy (Connect strip or Work tab footer) for full wording. When manual setup is on, use Database & picture folders and Save settings. Optional Check for updates reads a small update-manifest JSON from Station Admin and does not send your database credentials.

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Download (Windows)

Use the Free Download button below to get SAM-Image-Consolidator.exe. You can optionally subscribe to product updates (no spam).

Primary distribution is a single installer-less executable: SAM-Image-Consolidator.exe. The in-app Check for updates feature may also reference a hosted build URL on stationadmin.com.

64-bit Windows. No Python installation is required for the packaged app. Place the .exe in a folder where you want image_backups and logs to appear—those folders are created beside the executable.

Windows download notice: Your browser or Windows may warn that SAM-Image-Consolidator.exe is uncommon. This file is built and distributed by Station Admin. Choose Keep if your browser asks, then More info → Run anyway if SmartScreen appears when you run the app.

Email on download: The free download form may ask for your email so we can deliver the file. You can optionally check a box to receive occasional new-release and product-update emails—we do not spam, we do not sell your address, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

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Quick Setup

  1. Launch SA – SAM Image Consolidator (double-click SAM-Image-Consolidator.exe when using the Windows build) and answer the local SAM XML scan question on first run; you can change this later on the Connect tab with Use Automatic SAM File Setup or Manual Setup. If you declined the scan, fill Database & picture folders on Connect, click Save settings, then open the Work tab and run Diagnose.
  2. Open the Work tab and click Diagnose to verify config source, database connection, picture folder, and backup folder access.
  3. Click Preview to see how many albums are eligible and how many are ready to process.
  4. Click Run Consolidation and confirm the prompt.
  5. If needed, click Restore Backup and select a timestamped folder under image_backups (next to the executable for the packaged app).

Tip: Start every session with Diagnose and Preview. Preview does not modify files or database rows.

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How It Works

  • Targets eligible rows in songlist where songtype = S and picture names start with az.
  • Groups tracks by artist + album, then plans one shared image filename for each album group.
  • Consolidates image files so one final image is used per album (with collision-safe naming when needed).
  • Updates each affected track row to point to the consolidated image name.
  • Commits per album and logs errors without stopping all remaining albums.

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Work tab: Diagnose · Preview · Run · Restore

Diagnose

  • Confirms database connection and folder availability.
  • Shows current eligible album count before any changes.

Preview

  • Shows album counts for ready, missing-image, and filename-collision scenarios.
  • Provides a sample list of albums and planned target filenames.

Run Consolidation

  • Creates a restore-capable backup first.
  • Processes each album and updates matching database rows.
  • Reports initial images, removed images, current images, processed songs/albums, and timing metrics.

Restore Backup

  • Restores original az_ images from the backup zip.
  • Restores affected song rows to their original picture values.
  • Removes consolidated images created during run when no rows still reference them.

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Backups and Restore Files

Each consolidation run creates a timestamped folder under image_backups beside SAM-Image-Consolidator.exe. Each timestamped folder contains:

  • complete_database_backup.sql – full database backup
  • original_az_images.zip – original image files needed for restore
  • run_report.json – row-level restore mapping
  • backup_manifest.json – run metadata

A zip copy of the backup folder is also produced for easier transfer/storage.

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Safety and Recovery

  • Run and Restore require explicit user confirmation.
  • Preview-first workflow helps identify missing files before any write actions.
  • Backup path write access is verified before processing starts.
  • Filename collisions are handled safely (for example, suffixes like _2, _3).
  • Local SAM XML scanning is opt-in (first-run prompt plus Connect tab choices). Nothing from that scan is harvested and exposed by that feature; see Privacy & local setup.

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FAQ

Will this touch every song row?

No. It targets rows that match the consolidation rules (song type and image naming criteria).

Can I undo a run?

Yes. Use Restore Backup and select the backup folder created by that run.

Are my database credentials harvested or exposed?

No. The optional SAM XML scan reads credentials only on your PC to prefill local setup; that feature does not harvest or expose them to Station Admin or third parties. Update checks use an update-manifest JSON on Station Admin only. See Privacy & local setup.

Where do I see errors?

The app Results panel shows high-level results; detailed runtime logging is written to logs/standalone.log inside a logs folder next to SAM-Image-Consolidator.exe.

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Support

Another free utility from StationAdmin.Com.