Missing Photo Pane
Problem: The photo pane has been dragged off of the screen. This can happen by actually dragging it with the mouse by accident or
Fix:
Go to the top menu.
Click View > Default Pane Layout
Photos Won't Drag and Drop Into Forms
Problem: When attempting to drag photos from the picture pane into your PDF Forms, the photo square doesn't allow you to drop the photos into the photo slot. This can mean that your current display settings are 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 Photo Pane
Problem: Inserting a photo into the report from the photo pane into your report results in a completely black square rather than the photo. There are a few possible causes with their own steps to resolve listed below:
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
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 future images:
On an iOS device, go to Settings > Camera > Formats, and choose Most Compatible to save future photos as JPG.
On Android, open the Android Camera App and click the Settings gear icon. Then look for the photo format setting and set the photo format to JPG or Most compatible. The wording and location of the setting will vary depending on your device.
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
3. Photos on an SD Card or External Drive
HomeGauge may have trouble accessing photos directly from SD cards, cameras or any other external drives.
Fix:
Copy the photos to your computer’s local hard drive. Restart HomeGauge, then click the Browse Icon on the Photo pane and select the new folder location.
Pictures do not show up in Photo Pane after Selecting Folder
Problem: A folder was selected and it shows that there are a number of photos in the folder but they do not show up in the photo pane. This happens due to your Photo Pane Settings.
Fix:
Click the notepad icon in the Photo Pane to open the Photo pane Options.
In the Show Only Pictures In Folder From dropdown, choose Show All
Click OK
Old Report Photos Showing in a New Report
Problem: Photos from a previous report are appearing in a newly created report. This is caused by duplicated file names from your camera.
Fix 1:
First, copy all camera photos to your computer. This will rename them.
Point the Photo Pane to the new photo folder on your computer.
Fix 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 photo 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 Desktop version 5.1 or earlier, you will need to install QuickTime Video Player to enable video playback.