Author Topic: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!  (Read 175830 times)

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #30 on: July 15, 2009, 06:52:15 AM »
Bjorn,

Will it have versions?
Meaning you can put together orginal raw, picture for web, picture for print etc.

Well, Photo Mechanic isn't a RAW adjusting application so it has no way of making different versions of a RAW file.  But if you were to save out multiple versions of a file as a TIFF, JPEG, PSD, etc. and catalog them separately they would all be in the catalog.

Can you describe what it is that the usage pattern and final result that you're looking for?

-Kirk

Offline Bjorn

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #31 on: July 15, 2009, 07:15:27 AM »
With version I mean an easy way to show all the version I have made of the orginal picture .
Ex jpeg for web, jpeg for email,  for print etc
All of this version are made outside of the catalog, but stored inside the catalog.
So then I select to view the orginal picture I want to have the option to view the version I have made at the same time.




Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #32 on: July 15, 2009, 10:56:58 AM »
I think this would be a more than great option to save a lot of trouble. But also it is a teribly hard one as for everyone uses different schemes (if there is any system in it at all) for storing alternative versions.
Generally I use consistent filenames that apply to the DAM convention of never use the same filename in different occasions. But for me this is only true for my RAW originals. JPG versions of them keep the original filename and get JPG extention. I usually only store them in different folders but some people (some times even I) may rename it to call {fbas}_email or {fbas}_thumb.

But how would the PM catalog know from itself or by the user pointing out that an image is an alternative of another image? And how should it handle their relationship? And how many versions should be treated in how many ways? Different applications (image viewers), and even the OS may generate temporary files for images that should be handled as well. The user generates small res e-mail send versions, web previews, low res quick JPGs, mid and high res JPG versions for different uses, maybe TIFFs for printing. Just another version for one use, another for an exhibition and another for a portfolio. How to relate them to each other and how to discover, display, and manage their existing relationship.

I find it is a good but teribly hard question. I cannot tell what I would prefer to use to solve it but I am courious to find out.
Working on Mac, OSX, iOS and with some Canons.
Allways shooting RAW.

http://www.volgyiattila.com

Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #33 on: August 24, 2009, 03:41:29 PM »
With version I mean an easy way to show all the version I have made of the orginal picture .
Ex jpeg for web, jpeg for email,  for print etc
All of this version are made outside of the catalog, but stored inside the catalog.
So then I select to view the orginal picture I want to have the option to view the version I have made at the same time.

Maybe the key for this feature could be the basic DAM rule of unique file naming as to never have in your system the same file name twice (or if your catalog doesn't require this, something similar thinking still can help discover versions). Like if you have more than one image (with any extention, location, or size) they are considered to be different versions of the same image.

But one most important option would be for my life to have a handy IPTC tool to sync metadata between versions. I mean I have the original RAWs select some of them to develop in LR, PS or Aperture, then I discover some detail describing the image so I edit the caption, the head, the keywords....but I of course would like all versions to have the same metadata settings. It would be great if you could find out any good and easily useable interface for selecting different versions of an image and to check, edit and sync their IPTCs easily. And of course not only in the catalog but to have the infos written back into the files themselves (this is the part I have no real idea how Lightroom or Aperture manages their IPTC edits - and I never use them for this).
Working on Mac, OSX, iOS and with some Canons.
Allways shooting RAW.

http://www.volgyiattila.com

Offline edcatlett

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #34 on: September 26, 2009, 07:07:38 PM »
It seems like I've been hearing about PM cataloging in the works for about 2 years now.  I've been suffering though using Microsoft's mangling of iView.  I'm going to change but I can't wait forever for PM's cataloging as much as I love PM for ingesting and culling.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #35 on: September 26, 2009, 08:14:37 PM »
It seems like I've been hearing about PM cataloging in the works for about 2 years now.  I've been suffering though using Microsoft's mangling of iView.  I'm going to change but I can't wait forever for PM's cataloging as much as I love PM for ingesting and culling.

Two years ago we were talking about adding cataloging features.  This year we're working on them.  It is one of our highest priorities at the moment.

-Kirk

Offline Slowboat

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #36 on: September 30, 2009, 08:45:47 AM »
There are two key capabilities that would make cataloging in PM an huge win.  The first is fully supporting XMP metadata, by this I mean being able to read and write not only the currently defined XMP schemas but also custom XMP schemas.  XMP is a huge part of my workflow and how I desire to store metadata relating to an image.

The second capability would be image versioning support so that I can associate one or more derivatives to a single master image and have that master image displayed in the catalog. The ability to drill down from a master image and see all derived images is very helpful for someone that publishes to the web, different size prints, prints on different papers, or even derived digital negatives for alternative printing processes such as gum bichromate.

Offline PhotoServices

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #37 on: October 01, 2009, 09:14:57 AM »
Hi I manage a photo library of 21000 slide images (scanned to digital files) plus another 10,000 digital format images.  I  am a professional photographer and use PM as my main editor, having dropped light Room because it was too slow and cumbersome.  I love PM and recommend it to people I meet.  It is well designed and well priced.  It is only poorly marketed, since so many people have never heard about it.  I learned about it from a professional photographer who worked in the News paper business and now for Nikon.  I have never looked back. 

Currently we use Portfolio (by Extensis) for our library, but it can not keep RAW files and JPG's together and once images are collected is EXTREMELY slow and problematic in looking through the photos for editing.  It is currently falling behind in updates and is expensive to own.  We are looking for something to replace it.

One feature I hope will be present is security levels for access.  Allowing our clients to search the library, collect and export without being able to edit, delete or touch the xmp and iptc data.  Currently Portfolio doesn't allow us to do this, so clients have to be given full access as an administrator.  Another feature would be to also include a field for the location of slides and prints that have been converted to digital files.

I am glad to hear that Camera Bits is working on this application, and if it works any way as well as PM you will have one happy camper.  I am glad to hear that it will work on a server based type of system.  Maybe the license will allow us to purchase the ability for our office staff to access the library from their own computers.

Anxiously awaiting
Alan Hood
Photo Services Manager
Wycliffe Bible translators Canada

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #38 on: October 01, 2009, 10:11:18 AM »
Alan,

Another feature would be to also include a field for the location of slides and prints that have been converted to digital files.

This last part: 'the location of slides and prints'.  Do you mean just a place to put a note to yourself as to where the slide or print is physically stored?

-Kirk

Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #39 on: October 02, 2009, 05:19:11 AM »
Alan,

Another feature would be to also include a field for the location of slides and prints that have been converted to digital files.

This last part: 'the location of slides and prints'.  Do you mean just a place to put a note to yourself as to where the slide or print is physically stored?

-Kirk

I find this idea good also with digital media telling on which path and or server, hard drive, or DVD it is stored.
Almost the same way as it is with analog slides and prints.
Working on Mac, OSX, iOS and with some Canons.
Allways shooting RAW.

http://www.volgyiattila.com

Offline donh

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #40 on: October 03, 2009, 01:08:30 AM »
I would also appreciate a cataloging feature as I have to use  a seperate application.

Offline Pavel

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #41 on: October 05, 2009, 10:14:35 AM »
Kirk ... I'd like to sign up to be a beta-tester!  8)

Offline rjp

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A preview feature like iPhoto mouse-over?
« Reply #42 on: October 05, 2009, 11:14:05 AM »
Anyone who's ever used iPhoto is familiar with the way Apple allows you to see previews of all the photos in a particular folder by simply sliding the mouse over the folder. It is a fantastic idea, probably the smartest browsing feature in existence, and to this date I've not seen any other application provide this functionality. Is it perhaps copy write protected? Would it be possible for the PM catalog to provide a similar preview feature?
« Last Edit: October 05, 2009, 11:17:12 AM by rjp »

Offline Hayo Baan

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #43 on: October 05, 2009, 12:02:19 PM »
Anyone who's ever used iPhoto is familiar with the way Apple allows you to see previews of all the photos in a particular folder by simply sliding the mouse over the folder. It is a fantastic idea, probably the smartest browsing feature in existence, and to this date I've not seen any other application provide this functionality. Is it perhaps copy write protected? Would it be possible for the PM catalog to provide a similar preview feature?

This indeed is a nice feature of iPhoto, same idea as cover flow (which for this purpose I would like even better; I find the the iPhoto preview previews a bit on the small side). But yes, I'm sure this functionality is copyrighted by Apple. If you're lucky, it is available as a library function on the Mac platform. This would potentially allow it to be used in PM (at least the mac version).

Cheers.
Hayo Baan - Photography
Web: www.hayobaan.nl

Offline rjp

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Re: if you want a catalog feature - speak up here!
« Reply #44 on: October 05, 2009, 12:16:00 PM »
Anyone who's ever used iPhoto is familiar with the way Apple allows you to see previews of all the photos in a particular folder by simply sliding the mouse over the folder. It is a fantastic idea, probably the smartest browsing feature in existence, and to this date I've not seen any other application provide this functionality. Is it perhaps copy write protected? Would it be possible for the PM catalog to provide a similar preview feature?

This indeed is a nice feature of iPhoto, same idea as cover flow (which for this purpose I would like even better; I find the the iPhoto preview previews a bit on the small side). But yes, I'm sure this functionality is copyrighted by Apple. If you're lucky, it is available as a library function on the Mac platform. This would potentially allow it to be used in PM (at least the mac version).

Cheers.

That's a great idea. Does anyone know if either the iPhoto preview browser or Apple Cover Flow are available as Apple library functions? Perhaps PM can provide these in the mac version like they did with the Apple RAW image processing option.