How do i open a .pi2 file for viewing.  The file is from portrait
innovations (a photographer) and I believe they are encrypted.  This
is not an atari format file.

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Clarification of Question by 330xi-ga on 04 Jan 2006 20:59 PST

The images I would like to open are images that I have purchased in
printed format, thus I am entitled to their use.

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Request for Question Clarification by palitoy-ga on 05 Jan 2006 07:03 PST

Hello 330xi-ga,

Have you tried using xnview?  This software claims to be able to read
and convert .pi2 files although without an example of one of these
files I cannot confirm this.

Xnview can be downloaded from here:
http://www.xnview.com/

Let me know if this solves your problem.

palitoy-ga

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Clarification of Question by 330xi-ga on 05 Jan 2006 10:22 PST

didnt work... the file type that it opens is the atari format file.

I have always relied on
http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=pi2&Search=Search
for esoteric extensions and they only mention pi2 with relation to the
Atari (I used to love my 520ST)...how do you KNOW it isn't an ATARI
file?
Perhaps is is a relatively common file type and Photographic
Innovations (pi) merely put pi2 as an extenstion to make it 'appear'
unreadable...have you tried changing it to all the normal suspects?

yes, i did try all the normal suspects, jpg, tif, gif, etc with no
luck.  even tried it with no ext and opening with photoshop, ie, ms
paint etc.  I know this is not an atari based file since it is an
image file that is hidden or encrypted within it.

Because you purchased the prints, that does not mean you hold the
copyright. The studio still holds the copyright to those photos. If
you really were entitled to their use, you would have a copyright
release form and a different version of the CD. You are able to print
small photos at home (between 3.5x5 and wallets depending upon your
printer and how much you crop) and post on the internet, email, use on
desktop, but that is all.

To do that you need to go into the folders that show up when you open
the disk - I believe the folder name is "pictures" but am not sure.

I have never heard of anyone "breaking" the encription code for the PI
program - the entire system took several years to create from the
ground up, therefore their program is the only one able to access the
full-size images if you wish to purchase more images.

rowan619...

Great info...

For further reference...what is the name of this 'ground up' program
that saves files in .pi2 format for professional photographers?

It is Portrait Innovations Software - only for company use.

Thanks again rowan619-ga

From the original question is sounded like the photographer himself
had a company called that...not that that was the name of the
software!!

Question of clarification now then for 330xi...

You state the following:

The images I would like to open are images that I have purchased in
printed format

Ok...so you bought the photos in printed form...how did you get the
disc? Are you supposed to have these photo's in digital form?  If yes,
the photographer should have provided you with a viewing program. Is
the photographer dead?  Are you looking to find the photographer?

I purchased the printed images from Portrait Innovations.  They also
supply you with a disc of low res images and the high res images are
stored as pi2 files which apparently we cannot open.  I was just
trying to open the image to use as a desktop wallpaper since the low
res images are too small.  Thanks for the info everybody.

It sounds like rowan619 works for Portrait Innovations.  If that's the
case, do you know if PI uses proprietary sofware to create their PI2
files or are the using some tweaked version of an existing program?

I am an employee of PI so I can answer your question.  When you put
the CD into your computer there should be two files: Images & Portrait
Innovations Files.  In the Images files are the low-res files that you
can open on your computer.  In the Portrait Innovations files are the
image files that are encrypted.  You cannot open these files on your
computer.  The only program that will open them is the program
Portrait Innovatoins uses in their studio.  On the CD you recieve are
all the pictures that were taken, including pictures you did not
purchase.  Even though you have purchased some of those pictures, PI
still holds the copyright and will not allow you to open the high-res
photos.  They do this so you will not take it somewhere else to get
them developed.   If you have gone to PI for the business package,
they will give you a CD with the high-res files of ONLY the images you
bought along with a copyright release form.  This is the only way you
can open the high-res images.

The only software that can open the high res images are company
property, and is only accessable to studio associates, managers,
corporate etc. Even though you purchased the printed sheets and got
the low res disc, the images are still the companies property.  You
should still probably be able to print off wallet sized pics although
they may be a little fuzzy. I also have never heard of anyone breaking
the encryption, and the company has been around since 00 or 01.