SmugVault is an added service to your SmugMug account that lets you store almost anything for next to nothing.  Including files not normally supported by SmugMug.  Read all about it here and here.

This wiki page is for the nitty gritty details of how we handle different scenarios when you add files via one of our uploaders (in other words, use the "Add Photos" button), via the "Add Archives" photo tool, and via the "Replace" photo tool.  As more questions come in, we'll keep updating this page, so check back often.

Adding files via our regular uploaders

First thing to know: you don't have to do anything special. Just make sure you have a SmugVault and then add any files you'd like to our uploader (less than 512 mb in size, each). 

Behind-the-scenes action: We'll check each file to determine if it's a JPEG, PNG, GIF or video file+ within our generous limits.  If it is, we'll treat it like we normally do.

If it's  a larger++ file, or a different file type, and you have a SmugVault, here's what happens:

• We store the original, unmodified file in your SmugVault.
• We check to see if the filename (excluding the extension) matches another file in the gallery. If so, we'll "bundle" them so they appear as a single image.  This means you might see a jpeg in your gallery with a RAW image and a PSD file bundled with it.  If there's no match, the file will stand on its own.
• If we don't find a match with a file that already has a visual display, we can try to make a display copy of the file you just uploaded.   It's an option you can enable in your control panel, and is usually doable when you're adding a RAW, TIFF, or BMP.  The display will be a JPEG up to 1600 pixels on a side.
• If the file doesn't match and we don't or can't render a display JPEG from it, the file will be represented in the gallery by a SmugVault default image.
• Make sure you don't add any errant periods in your filenames.  "My.photo1.jpg" We have to assume the file type there is unknown or "photo1.jpg" rather than just "jpg".

+For video files, if you are a Standard subscriber, we'll put the file straight into your vault. If you're a Power or Professional subscriber, we'll render the video for display, and optionally add the untouched original to your SmugVault.

++For JPEGs larger than SmugMug's regularly allowed sizes, we will store the original in your vault and automatically render a file for you within our limits to use in your gallery for display and (depending on your gallery settings) printing.

Adding files to your SmugVault via the "Add Archives" photo tool

If you have a SmugVault, you'll be able to select this tool from the Photo Tools Menu, located underneath any image in your gallery. The tool allows you to add images from your computer that you'd like "bundled" with the image you were looking at when selected the tool.

• TIP: Got lots of Archives to associate with one file?  Zip 'em and upload the zip file.

Using the "Replace" photo tool when you have a SmugVault

• Only replace like for like files - so, 1234.cr2 with a cr2 file, 5678.tif with a tif file, etc.
• If you have 5678.tif and you want to replace that with say, 5678.psd, you'd actually want to just Add Archive the 5678.psd and then go to your SmugVault in your control panel and then delete 5678.tif

Why is there a 512mb file size limit?

• Our current server infrastructure was built with photo and short video processing in mind.  We need to upgrade some of our clusters to support larger files, and hope to someday support files as large as 5GB.
  

Canceling Your SmugVault

• When you cancel your SmugVault, the files are no longer accessible via SmugMug or Amazon
• If you cancel your account at SmugMug, your SmugVault files are no longer accessible to you, via SmugMug or Amazon. You'll want to ensure you have local copies before doing so.  There is no access to your SmugVault items via your Amazon account.
• If you order a Backup CD/DVD from SmugMug, they currently do NOT include your SmugVault items.  We'd like to add that one day.
• It's also our intention to have the API support retrieval from SmugVault, so that things like SmugDav and AlbumFetcher could be used to retrieve your Vault items.

SmugVault Use Cases

• Priceless photos forever. There are some photos that you simply can't bear to lose. Storing the RAW files on just your home computer keeps you awake at night, but you don't want to just dump 5,000 RAW files onto some cloud storage and try to remember which ones are which by filenames alone. You want visual browsing and you want them integrated directly into SmugMug right alongside your JPEGs.

• Temporary storage to permanent.  Maybe you are shooting a wedding.  Shoot in RAW, and then put them on your computer.  But editing them may take weeks.  Do you leave the RAWs only on a single computer before you'veedited them and produced JPEGs to put on SmugMug?  Best not to, and unless you want to manage a lot of local storage, SmugVault to the rescue!  Once the finals are edited, you can delete the trash, keep the selects in the vault for future.  Years later, when the B&G come back and say "we'd like more," you have an easy, visual way to get right back to those archives. 

• Visual browsing and visual archival records.  Associate your RAWs and Layered PSDs with your JPGs on SmugMug.  Whenever you want to go back and reprocess, improve, or remake a shot,  you've got the digital negatives (RAWs) and the Photoshop work-in-process at your fingertips.

• Original video storage. Got priceless HD videos?  SmugMug does a great job making them viewable in HD on the Web, but has to lower the bitrate in order to do it. Well, what happens in 10 years when the full video at original bitrate can easily be displayed on the Web? With SmugVault, retrieve those original video files, whenever you need them.

• Contracts. A pro photographer has contracts for each event he/she does. So the Pro stores the PDF right in the gallery with the photos from the event.  SmugVault allows you to bundle any sort of file with your photos in a gallery. 

Compared to other archiving services (non-SmugMug).....

Carbonite

With Carbonite, you do get unlimited storage for $50 per year.

• You pick folders on your PC (not mac) that you want to keep backed up and it will auto back them up for you
• You can't navigate easily to your backed up photos
• You have to maintain those folders on your computer, and if you delete the folder you lose the backup as well (in 30 days)
• If you uninstall the software you lose the backup (in 30 days)
• If for whatever reason your computer stops communicating with Carbonite you can lose your backup (in 30 days)

Photographer and SmugMug Sorcerer Sam Nichols: "I would classify Carbonite as a 'stick files here and forget about them' kind of place 'deep cold storage', ie you put stuff there so that if your house blew up you could get them back (if you do so in 30 days), its purely disaster recovery.  Smugvault is more of an evolving archive with a photographer in mind:  You put photos and related media there for safe keeping so that you can browse it later, from anywhere any time regardless of the state of your computer or what computer you're on.  Like browsing through a secure photo archive (did I mention browsing?).

Carbonite -> For the guy worried about losing everything on one computer and wants the ability to retrieve it ALL AT ONCE some day in the future (w/in 30 days of loss)
SmugVault -> For the guy wanting to preserve their photos and media where you can browse and update your media IN LINE with how you and other people navigate it.   SmugVault can be used any time, any where, on any platform and by anyone that you authorize.