[davemchine]

I have assigned pictures to most of my contacts in address book and then synced to my iPhone. When someone calls me I see their name but I don't see their picture though. Anybody know how to enable this? I thought it was impossible until I saw this picture on a digg article.

[subego]

Hmm... I get a tiny picture next to their name.

[Spheric Harlot]

The tiny image is the one synced from the computer.

If you assign a photo directly on the iPhone, it will be full-screen, as shown above.

Yes, it's kind of ****ed up. But there you have it.

[davemchine]

I wonder why apple decided to handle the picture differently depending on the source? It would be nice to have the option to show the address book pictures in large size. I guess that's another part of doing things "apple's way."

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by davemchine 

I wonder why apple decided to handle the picture differently depending on the source? I guess that's another part of doing things "apple's way."

It is not about doing things "apple's way." [sic]

Knowing all the parameters (especially pixel dimensions and JPEG compression) of the iPhone's image file it is trivial for Aperture to optimize the image file for the iP display pixel dimensions. Not so with a random pic from any random camera, so it makes sense to instead create a reference to the random-dimensioned random-quality imported image file.

-Allen

[davemchine]

I don't think I'm smoking what your smoking brother. I couldn't understand anything you wrote. :-)

Seriously though. If an image fits in an address book entry I'm pretty sure it will fit the iPhone's screen. If the resolution was too low then I would understand but that doesn't appear to be the case as there are many threads on other forums discussing address books bloated size due to pictures. Maybe you can shed more (coherent) light on the subject.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by SierraDragon 

Knowing all the parameters (especially pixel dimensions and JPEG compression) of the iPhone's image file it is trivial for Aperture to optimize the image file for the iP display pixel dimensions. Not so with a random pic from any random camera, so it makes sense to instead create a reference to the random-dimensioned random-quality imported image file.

Hurglblargh. But if you vectorize and de-rasterize prior to bitmap-accurate transmogrification into noise-dithered embiggening algorithmic resizers, the photonic accuracy is comparable to results generated by particle motivators and Aperture filters.

In fact, you can import ANY image into a contact on the iPhone itself, resize it, and it will display full-screen in all its pixellated, soft-aliased glory.

Look, the ONLY technically correct answer can be formulated completely devoid of all the tangential technical mumbo-jumbo you posted:


This currently isn't done because the Mac Address Book doesn't generate the appropriate image size when you import a graphic into a contact.


That's it.

(Please don't take this personally; I was having WAAAY too much fun Trekkieing the topic above. )

[davemchine]

I'm continuing to look at this issue to try and understand what is going on. What I have learned is that the address book and pictures are kept in two locations.

The address book is at:
/Users/myname/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/481DF396-4CA1-4062-AC11-10C419988304/AddressBook-v22.abcddb

The pictures are at:
/Users/myname/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/481DF396-4CA1-4062-AC11-10C419988304/Images/

Now that crazy directory name of "481DF396-4CA1-4062-AC11-10C419988304" has a near twin in the same Sources directory. I believe one is the iCloud data and one is the local data and that address book attempts to keep them in sync.

All of the pictures that I added to address book, a long time ago, are very small in size. I didn't find anything over 218x218 pixels. I added a picture today and it was 770x770 (after the import). So the address book of the past must have shrunk images and the current address book retains a larger size image.

After importing the new picture I observed that the picture was populated across all my computers and iOS devices correctly. Then I had that contact call my cell phone and...the old picture was displayed in the small size. Where it is even getting the small picture from at this point is beyond me as it does not show up in the address book any longer.

I also tried taking a picture of myself using my phone, assigning that picture to my contact on the phone's address book, and the picture did NOT populate back to my computers or iOS devices but it did populate to iCloud.com!!!!! On the computer it created a zero length file instead.

So there's a bunch of little bits and pieces of information but no solution or complete answer to how apple is handling pictures in the address book.

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by davemchine 

I don't think I'm smoking what your smoking brother. I couldn't understand anything you wrote. :-)

Sorry. One example:

Image dimensions come from different cameras in various standard proportions: 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, etc. With an image direct from the iPhone the image naturally fits the 3:2 iPhone display. Other image proportions would need cropping, squashing and/or adding borders. Such an automated image editing process to random-sized image files often ends up ugly.

In any event automated evaluating and editing of random images to suit the full display is a step that Apple chose not to do. It makes sense to me.

-Allen