Author Topic: Builds between the Betas  (Read 11536 times)

Offline Kirk Baker

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Builds between the Betas
« on: September 06, 2019, 12:04:14 PM »
We'd like to have the ability to get more small features, refinements and fixes done and out to you all more quickly than the normal three week beta schedule, so we're going to start an experiment and see how it works out.  Participation is completely optional and these builds between the betas won't have full Q/A testing, an updated readme, and usually their focus will be on a single feature.

These builds won't show up when checking for updates (we don't want to overwhelm those who don't want to live on the edge).

To start this off, here is a build that contains some Filtering refinements:

https://www.camerabits.com/download/PhotoMechanicPlusR3663_a6e18bc8.dmg
https://www.camerabits.com/download/PMPlusSetupR3663_a6e18bc8.msi

The Filter system has some new UI elements:

The "New" button which starts the Filter stack over again (or creates one for the first time).
The "Clear" button which removes all of the selections in the current Filter stack but without removing any of the Filters.
A "*" button that will eventually be a Snapshot button (it is currently non-functional)

When a new Filter stack is started or when no rows in any Filter are selected, the Filter tab will show "all" images in the Catalog(s) that are selected for searching.  Each selection you make in your Filters will then show only the items that continue to meet your criteria.  We feel that this is a more orthogonal way to present the Filter system.  You start with everything and you filter in what you want to see, and eventually you get a narrow set of results that match what you're looking for.  Deselect some rows and you get more images, deselect all rows (either by deselecting one-by-one or all with the 'Clear' button) and you get back to "all" images.

Please try it out and let us know what you think and please report any problems you find with it or any other part of the application.

Thanks,

-Kirk

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2019, 05:14:16 PM »
This build fixes the Filter 'New' button not creating a Filter result tab showing all images.  In addition, the following changes and improvements have been made:

1) QuickSearch has been moved into its own tab where we expect to add an advanced search feature as well.
2) Browse is now the opposite of Filtering in the respect that when nothing is selected in the Browse tree, no images will be in the Browse result tab.  Conversely, when no Filter rows are selected, all images will be shown in its Filter result tab.
3) Browse and Filter results now appear in their own single tab.  Collections now appear in their own result tabs, one unique tab per each unique tree hierarchy.
4) The Catalog chooser matrix is now separate from Quick Search, applies equally to all Catalog feature, has been named "Active Catalogs", and now appears at the top of the Organizer.

Unimplemented but planned is an option to have the Organizer display the feature (Browse/Filter/Search/Collections) when one of the corresponding contact sheet result tabs is activated.

https://www.camerabits.com/download/PhotoMechanicPlusR3677_3be058e1.dmg
https://www.camerabits.com/download/PMPlusSetupR3677_3be058e1.msi

Thank you to those of you who have downloaded the Builds between the Betas and have given feedback or have reported issues.  It is much appreciated by our team.

-Kirk

Offline Soizic

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2019, 09:49:12 PM »
Thanks, build 3677 is really pleasant for SEARCH and FILTER. (Mojave)
Soizic (France)
MacBook Pro M1,Ventura, PM+ à jour, deepl translator

Offline mbrakes

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2019, 12:22:32 AM »
The above builds are no longer accessible (I'm just getting "Sorry, but this page is missing" when clicking the above links) and I can see no other new sticky post referring to new beta downloads. My latest PM Plus version is now telling me it has expired. Does this mean the betas have now reached "end of the road" and no more betas will be released until the full retail alpha version, or is this just a glitch...?

Offline mbrakes

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2019, 12:27:42 AM »
I'll reply to my own post, as I just found the download under PM>Announcements. Had forgotten that was where I found them in the first place.

It is kind of counterintuitive that you have to look for Plus version updates under the PM regular version announcements, but thappy to see it still being available nevertheless  :) :

http://forums.camerabits.com/index.php?topic=12852.0


Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2019, 08:34:52 AM »
New Beta 13 build 4155:

macOS:
https://www.camerabits.com/download/PhotoMechanicPlusR4155.dmg

Windows:
https://www.camerabits.com/download/PMPlusSetupR4155.msi

Issues addressed:

Both:
 • Reverted: Fixed: Wrong date after loading an IPTC template.  The change caused unintended behavior.
 • Hierarchical Keywords in Filter/Browse not producing correct number of photos.
 • Fixed: Allow users to add Lightroom as editor, shows warning and suggests a workaround.
 • Fixed: Open Folder and Subfolders Replacing Contact Sheet not working correctly, always opens new tab.

macOS:
 • Fixed: macOS Catalina:Ingesting to folder with special characters shows only 1st image on contact sheet until manual refresh.
 • Fixed: ExFAT drives with locked files are not erased after ingest.
 • Fixed: ExFAT drives do not refresh contents when folder is collapsed then expanded in the Navigator and Favorites.

Windows:
 • Added: Send Photos via Email - SMTP From field is separate from the login username.
 • Fixed: Erase after Ingest now reports success correctly.

NEW: [EXPERIMENTAL]

In the Persons Shown field in the Metadata (IPTC) Info dialog, on the list menu (popup menu to the right of the text field) there is a new section that will appear that tracks your recent changes to the Persons Shown field.  This is useful when you're going through a set of images and the persons in the images are changing but there are similarities between images.  Instead of adding one person at a time, you can look at this 'recents list' to see if one of the edits you made earlier matches the image that you're working on now.  If so, select that item and it will be pasted into the field.  I have found this to accelerate the process significantly.  This feature can be added to other fields easily, but I want your feedback before we adopt it permanently.

-Kirk

Offline Rob Gray photographer

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2020, 12:01:01 PM »
Kirk,
Just got on board with the beta, apologies for my lateness, but have been trialling today, can the remember function that you are testing in Persons shown, PLEASE make the final version, (and add it to PM6 !!)

No bugs yet and i will keep testing

Ty once again for an amazing piece of software

Rob

Offline Armin M. Küstenbrück

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2020, 02:04:59 PM »
Hi Kirk,
may it be possible, that the provided links to the current beta versions of Photo Mechanic Plus don't work anymore?
I always receive the error "Page not found" when I click on the link!
Greetings from Germany!
Best regards,
Armin

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2020, 03:39:42 PM »
Armin,

may it be possible, that the provided links to the current beta versions of Photo Mechanic Plus don't work anymore?
I always receive the error "Page not found" when I click on the link!

Those other builds have already expired (they would refuse to run even if you were able to download and install them) and have been removed.

Here is the announcement for the current beta: http://forums.camerabits.com/index.php?topic=13210.0

-Kirk

Offline Armin M. Küstenbrück

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2020, 03:19:54 PM »
Thanks!

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Builds between the Betas
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2020, 06:38:00 PM »
New build for Beta 17:

macOS:
https://www.camerabits.com/download/PhotoMechanicPlusR4666_66ab2293.dmg

Windows:
https://www.camerabits.com/download/PMPlusSetupR4666_66ab2293.msi

Improvements:

Fixed a sorting issue where the default sort type would not be produced.  Users would have to choose the sort type from the popup menu to see the correct order.

Added Catalog preferences:

1) Sort Keywords with hierarchical priority -- when set, keywords that are hierarchical are sorted alphabetically before the flat alphabetically sorted keywords.
2) Find as you type -- when set, the find field in the Keywords filter highlights/expands everything that matches.  When clear, the field waits for you to press enter before finding.
3) When double-clicking a Collection:
  [Open only the Collection]
  [Open the Collection and its sub-Collections]
You can toggle the sense of this preference by holding down the Modifier key (Option on macOS, Shift on Windows) while double-clicking a Collection.

Improved speed of re-indexing significantly

Added new contextual option to "Reveal in context" (macOS) or "Open in context" (Windows) that will open the folder containing the image (if it is locally available) as a Contact Sheet and select the item, scrolling it into view.  This is useful for when you want to see where an image came from and possibly add more of its neighbors or derivative works to the catalog.

This build has not been fully vetted, but we think you'll like it.  If you have any problems with it, please let us know.  If the problem is significant, reinstall the official Beta 17 build.  http://forums.camerabits.com/index.php?topic=13274.0

Thanks,

-Kirk