PDF extract using Imagemagick 'convert'?

Okay, I modified imagefield_zip.module to do the following:

- allow PDF to be uploaded (instead of zip)
- run the pdf through ghostscript to extract the pages (instead of unzip)
- run each extracted page through imagemagick to rescale and correct antialiasing (added)

My content type page template is written to display a flash FlipBook swf that reads an config.xml file for what images to display. The path to the config file just points to a page view with the node argument built into the path. I created a view with a wildcard path 'nid' argument that uses Views Datasource to produce the XML. I styled the xml view to format exactly as PageFlip expects it and everything is working. User creates a 'magazine' content, names it and save it, under Imagefield Zip tab uploads a PDF. A few seconds (or minutes) later they are looking at the same pdf and flipping through it as if it was a magazine in front of them. yep I used the pending patch to just place Upload Zip into the tabs :P

The problem I'm running into is upload/processing time and no indication of progress. I've uploaded 100 page magazine pdfs and it does just fine, only the user sits there thinking it's frozen for a few minutes. I can look at the tmp files and progress but I have no way of displaying that to the screen.

Just looking for some input.. who thinks this 'module'/'workflow'/whatever would be helpful, and what should be the next step? I know Imagefield Zip would benefit from a progress bar, but for this mod I believe it's necessary. Thanks for any input and help on this!

elizzle

http://api.drupal.org/api/group/batch

maybe an upload progress indicator isn't necessary, but what about something like in ImageField Import module, it creates the job as a batch and uses drupal built in batch api to show progress. Just throwing out some ideas.