PhotoQ failure to upload from FTP directory

Being new to all this, I’m not sure whether this is a PhotoQ or WordPress issue, so I’m posting it here. I would also post it on the PhotoQ forum, but they have not responded to repeated requests to register over the last two weeks (Manu, are you there?). I hope someone here can help.

I have developed a photoblog site to automatically receive and display webcam images using WordPress 2.9.2, the PhotoQ 1.8.3 plugin, and the iQ2 1.2.3 theme. Everything is beautiful except for uploading images from the directory on the server where the camera sends the them.

The issue is this: PhotoQ’s option to batch upload images from a directory on the server fails. Although set up to be triggered by a cron job, the upload fails even when initiated manually.

The manual process goes like this: On the PhotoQ post page, I choose Select Photos, then from the selection page choose Import from FTP Directory. I get a list of files in the FTP directory and fields to enter common info. I add info, check off the images I want, and press Import/Enter Info. At this point, if the single post process is an indicator, it should show the images being processed. Instead, it goes straight to the Save Batch Info page, and when that button is pressed, back to the PhotoQ post page saying that the queue is still empty – and in fact no files have been uploaded. There are no error messages anywhere in this process.

Some context details:
1) uploading manually one at a time using the single post option and selecting the image through the File Open dialog works fine.

2) the option to allow uploading from a directory has been enabled.

3) batch uploading has been switched both on and off: same result either way;

4) memory is not a problem – the files are small (640×480, 60-70k) and the number of files makes no difference.

5) the FTP upload directory has been correctly configured (PhotoQ can see the files);

6) the 4/12/10 patched version of PhotoQ.php has been installed;

7) the issue is exactly the same in my customized almost-ready-for-prime-time (except for this issue) hosted version of my site and in a minimal, stripped-down local version, which should eliminate both my theme customizations and my host as culprits. Host is Linux-based, local is Windows-based.

I’ve run out of ideas to check. Any direction would be very much appreciated.

Failing that, can anyone recommend another combination of add-ons that will support cron-triggered (or even visit-triggered) automatic posting and display of images from an ftp directory? (I also need auto thumbnails and archive management)