Watch Mode was designed for the heavy-duty users, who do not have the time to launch ELAN Converter™ and set up a job every time they have a directory to convert. In Watch Mode the software automatically monitors the specified folders and automatically converts files showing up there.

In Watch Mode, ELAN Converter™ only has one tab on the main screen. Yes, that is right, there is no Settings tab, because the settings can be configured for each directory individually.

Like in Batch Mode, you can still browse your images in Watch Mode. However, you can not add individual images to the Watch Selection List, which contains a list of directories to be monitored. While in Batch Mode the Batch Selection List is white, the Watch Selection List is colored yellow, to emphasize the fact that this is for directories only. You can only select directories, because in Watch Mode ELAN Converter™ monitors directories and automatically converts all images showing up in the watch folder.

You will understand Watch better if you think of it as a monitored batch. You select directories that ELAN Converter™ is constantly monitoring for arriving files. Each directory works like an independent batch, having their own settings. Although it is enough to set up one directory, nothing stops you from setting up multiple watches, each with its own options. For example, C:\Fax is set up for incoming faxes. C:\Invoices can be set up for converting invoices. Finally, C:\Server can be set up as a general purpose conversion server - whenever an employee of your company copies or moves a file to that directory, it will be converted into PDF right away.

In Watch Mode, you set up all the options by double clicking a directory in the Watch Selection List at the lower part of the screen. A dialog box will pop up, where you can adjust your settings. The settings include the same options as you have in Batch Mode, plus more.

The only Watch setting that you do not have in Batch Mode is the Trigger. The Trigger determines what event should finish the monitoring phase and initiate the conversion. You have two options:

Note that in Watch Mode ELAN Converter™ can only work on one watch folder at a time. If the program is busy converting one folder, it can not start the conversion of another folder before the current one is completed. It can, however, monitor several folders at the same time. The first folder where a trigger event occurs will be converted first.