AI Photo Trainer PhotoRater

First-Time Setup

Complete the initial setup process to download AI models and configure the application for your first use.

Initial Launch

When you launch the AI Photo Trainer for the first time, the application performs several initialization tasks:

  1. First Startup (takes 10-15 seconds)

    • Application creates the local database
    • Initializes default settings and thresholds
    • Checks for installed AI models

    [IMAGE: First Launch - Database Creation]

    App showing initial setup progress

    First-time launch creating database

  2. Model Download Prompt

    • You'll see a message: "AI models not found. Download now?"
    • Click "Download Models" to proceed with the download
    • OR click "Later" to download manually from Settings later

    [IMAGE: AI Models Download Prompt]

    Modal asking to download models

    AI models download confirmation dialog

Important: The application cannot analyze photos without the AI models. We recommend downloading them immediately during first-time setup.

Downloading AI Models

The AI Photo Trainer uses machine learning models to analyze photo quality. These models must be downloaded once during initial setup.

Required Models

Total Size: ~1.92 GB (1.4 GB ML models + 520 MB PhotoRater AI)

The application downloads two sets of models during initial setup:

ML Detection Models (~1.4 GB)

  • Face Landmark Detection (~29 MB) - Facial landmarks for pose analysis
  • Glasses Detection (~147 MB) - Detects presence and type of eyewear
  • Glare Detection (algorithmic) - Identifies reflections and lighting issues
  • Eye Contact Detection (~34 MB) - Analyzes eye state and gaze direction
  • Smile Detection (~52 MB) - Evaluates smile presence and naturalness
  • Quality Analysis (~89 MB) - Assesses overall photo quality (sharpness, exposure, composition)

PhotoRater AI (~520 MB)

  • Main Model (~417 MB) - Language model for feedback generation
  • Vision Encoder (~104 MB) - Image feature extraction and analysis

No GPU Required: PhotoRater AI works on all systems. CPU-only systems process AI feedback in 10-30 seconds per image. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, it's automatically detected for 4-12× speedup (2-3 seconds per image).

Download Process

  1. Click the "Download Models" button in the prompt
  2. Authorize with Google Drive (opens browser for OAuth authentication)
  3. Grant read-only access to specific model files when prompted
  4. Wait for parallel downloads to complete:
    • Fast internet (50+ Mbps): 2-4 minutes
    • Medium internet (10-50 Mbps): 5-10 minutes
    • Slow internet (< 10 Mbps): 10-20 minutes
  5. Models install automatically to %LOCALAPPDATA%\AI Photo Training\models\
  6. File integrity validated (MD5 checksum verification)

[IMAGE: Model Download Progress]

Progress bar showing model downloads

AI models downloading from Google Drive

Download Progress: The application displays a progress bar showing the current model being downloaded, percentage complete, and estimated time remaining.

If Download Fails

If the model download fails or is interrupted:

  1. Check your internet connection is stable
  2. Try downloading again from Settings → Model Manager
  3. Ensure you have at least 2 GB of free disk space
  4. Check firewall settings aren't blocking Google Drive access
  5. Contact support if repeated failures occur

Troubleshooting: If you experience persistent download issues, see the Models Won't Download troubleshooting guide.

Initial Configuration

After downloading the AI models, you can optionally configure the application to match your workflow:

Recommended Setup Steps

  1. Log In with Your PIN

    • Enter the 6-digit PIN provided by your administrator
    • Your photographer profile downloads automatically, including your assigned skill level
    • Skill level (Trainee, Intermediate, or Advanced) controls the detail level of AI feedback you'll see
    • Your skill level is displayed in the top bar and sidebar - see Skill Levels to learn how it affects feedback

  2. Set Pose Profile (optional)

    • Default profile: Traditional Portrait
    • Change from the Images view dropdown if you need a different style
    • See Pose Profile Selector for details on the 4 available profiles

  3. Configure Hot Folder (optional)

    • Enable automatic monitoring of a folder for new images
    • Photos are automatically analyzed when added to the hot folder
    • See Hot Folder Monitoring for setup instructions

  4. Review Settings (optional)

    • Customize quality thresholds to match your standards
    • Adjust insight sensitivity levels
    • Configure pose profile scoring weights
    • See Settings & Thresholds for detailed configuration options

Ready to Go: Once the AI models are downloaded, you're ready to start rating photos! The default settings work well for most photographers, so you can begin immediately and adjust settings later as needed.

Next Steps

Now that setup is complete, learn how to use the core features: