Having trouble with photos, video, or voice-to-text in HomeGauge’s Desktop Report Writer? Here's a breakdown of the most common issues—plus how to fix them.
Can't Find the Filmstrip
Problem: The filmstrip (photo preview bar) is missing.
Fix:
Go to the top menu.
Click View > Default Pane Layout
Photos Won't Drag and Drop Into Forms
Cause: Your display settings may be incompatible with Desktop Report Writer.
Find the HomeGauge 5 icon on your desktop
Right-click it and select Properties
Click the Compatibility tab
Click Change high DPI settings
Check the box for Override high DPI scaling behavior.
In the dropdown, choose System
Click OK, then Apply
Photos Appear Black When Dragged from Filmstrip
Possible Causes & Solutions:
1. Live Photos (iOS)
Apple’s Live Photo mode creates a video clip with each photo, which can confuse the software.
Fix:
Check the photo folder for .MOV or video files.
Remove video clips, leaving only .JPG or .PNG images.
Re-open HomeGauge and drag the photos again.
Here is an article on how to disable Live Photo mode on your iOS device: Live Photos with your iOS camera - Apple Support
2. HEIC Format (iOS)
HEIC (High-Efficiency Image Coding) is a format designed to save storage space on modern devices, but it is not supported by HomeGauge. Photos in this format will not be displayed or available for import in the software, necessitating their conversion to a supported format like JPG.
Confirming the File Format
Open the folder containing your photos on your computer.
Check the file type for each photo. HEIC files will have the ".heic" extension.
Fix for current images:
Convert images to .JPG using:
Using Online Conversion Tools: Upload your HEIC files to an online converter and download the converted JPG files.
Using Built-In Software (Windows):
Open the photo in the Photos app.
Click on "Save As" and choose JPG as the file format.
Using Built-In Software (Mac):
Open the photo in Preview.
Go to "File" > "Export" and select JPG as the format.
MS Paint: Open a single image, click File > Save As > JPEG picture
Fix for future images:
On your iOS device, go to Settings > Camera > Formats, and choose Most Compatible to save future photos as JPG.
3. Photos on an SD Card
HomeGauge may have trouble accessing photos directly from SD cards or cameras.
Fix:
Copy the photos to your computer’s hard drive. Then restart HomeGauge and point the filmstrip to the new location.
Can't See Pictures in a Selected Folder
Click the notepad icon in the Picture Pane to open the Picture Folder Options.
In the Show Only Pictures In Folder From dropdown, choose Show All
Click OK
Old Report Photos Showing in a New Report
Cause: Duplicate file names from your camera are reusing old photos.
Fix Option 1:
First, copy all camera photos to your computer. This renames them.
Point the filmstrip to the new folder.
Fix Option 2:
After adding your photos, go to Report > Show Photo Locker.
Press Ctrl + A to select all photos.
Right-click > Rename, then assign a unique name.
Close the locker and go to Print Preview.
Strip Existing Audio Not Working
Cause: No selection was made on the video timeline.
Fix:
Click Edit Photo to open the video editor.
Use Set Start and Set End to create a selection on the timeline.
Check Strip Existing Audio, then click OK.
If trimming isn’t needed, just click Set Start, check the box, and click OK.
Videos Show a Red X or Don't Play
Recommended Fix:
Update to the latest version of HomeGauge 5. You can do that by following the instructions in this article, Desktop Report Writer: Software Updates.
Alternate Fix:
If you're using HomeGauge 5.1, install QuickTime to enable video playback.