Author Topic: Default Arrangement in PM6 v PM5  (Read 1979 times)

Offline Josh Barber

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Default Arrangement in PM6 v PM5
« on: September 21, 2019, 08:39:05 PM »
A simple issue with the default arrangement is keeping me from using Photo Mechanic 6.

In PM5 when you select "Arrangement" as Sorting Method, prior to making any arrangements, the contact sheet sorts by ingested order.

In PM6 when you select "Arrangement" as Sorting Method, prior to making any arrangements, the contact sheet seems to sort by filename.

Having them sort by ingested order is very important to me because I have people sending to me via FTP from multiple cameras using one line per photographer. As such images are sent from the primary camera very frequently and the secondary or tertiary cameras are plugged in less frequently, meaning they are often sending images from the secondary cameras that were taken before the most recent images sent from the primary camera. Therefore if I am sorting by "Capture Time" and looking at only the newest images ingested, I miss images coming in delayed from secondary camera.

Using sequence number to my files on ingest because ingest number does not create a unique filename like a frame number does. I could add a sequence number in an unused field in the IPTC and then sort by that field's variable but it would mess up the sequence counter I use for output. Which is a solution, but I don't want a solution that hamstrings another function, though less important function, of the program.

Is there any variable that I can make a custom sort in PM6 that would sort by ingest order?

{modtimesort} doesn't work because it changes the order as I edit.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Default Arrangement in PM6 v PM5
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2019, 09:45:54 PM »
Josh,

A simple issue with the default arrangement is keeping me from using Photo Mechanic 6.

In PM5 when you select "Arrangement" as Sorting Method, prior to making any arrangements, the contact sheet sorts by ingested order.

In PM6 when you select "Arrangement" as Sorting Method, prior to making any arrangements, the contact sheet seems to sort by filename.

Having them sort by ingested order is very important to me because I have people sending to me via FTP from multiple cameras using one line per photographer. As such images are sent from the primary camera very frequently and the secondary or tertiary cameras are plugged in less frequently, meaning they are often sending images from the secondary cameras that were taken before the most recent images sent from the primary camera. Therefore if I am sorting by "Capture Time" and looking at only the newest images ingested, I miss images coming in delayed from secondary camera.

Using sequence number to my files on ingest because ingest number does not create a unique filename like a frame number does. I could add a sequence number in an unused field in the IPTC and then sort by that field's variable but it would mess up the sequence counter I use for output. Which is a solution, but I don't want a solution that hamstrings another function, though less important function, of the program.

Is there any variable that I can make a custom sort in PM6 that would sort by ingest order?

{modtimesort} doesn't work because it changes the order as I edit.

While I look into your problem to see what can be done, how about instead of switching to Arrangement sort order from Capture Time sort order, use the "Make Arrangement" command on the View menu?  It makes a snapshot of the current sort order and then enters Arrangement sort order mode.  You can then use drag and drop to refine your arranged order.

-Kirk