Cannot find images using keyword search in PM

[myotis]

I am using PM 5 15077, on mountain Lion.

I am adding IPTC data using the "i" in the thumbnail to open the dialog box, adding some information in the caption and location fields, and pressing the Save&-> button to move onto the next images, before closing the dialog box.

I have the IPTC/XMP preferences set to "adobe"

If I shut down the IPTC dialog box and reopen it the keywords I have just added are still there.

BUT if I quicksearch or use Find, to look for these keywords, no images are found.

If I then move to Lightroom, and drill down the metatdata for the same folder of images I just keworded in PM, I can find the images in lightroom using the keywords.

Has anyone any dea what I am doing wrong in PM.

Thanks,

Graham

[Kevin M. Cox]

The search functionality of PM relies on OS X's built in Spotlight. Do you have the photos saved in a location that doesn't allow Spotlight indexing by chance?

[Luiz Muzzi]

Hi, Graham
Something similar happened to me. I had to reindex Spotlight. In my case I used the method described below and it worked just fine.
http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/17/rebuild-spotlight-index/
HTH,

-Luiz Muzzi

[myotis]

Thanks both,

Files are on the Mac hard drive, so should be findable, I am now rebuilding the spotlight index.

In 14 hours ! I will let you know if this has fixed the problem.

Cheers,

Graham

[myotis]

Unfortunately, rebuilding the spotlight index has made no difference.

There is obviously something bizarre going on, as I am finding two images from several years ago, with same location info that I am searching on, but none of the 13 that I added the same location to, over the weekend.

All  13 are being found in Lightroom.

Any other thoughts.

Thanks,

Graham

[Kirk Baker]

Graham,

Unfortunately, rebuilding the spotlight index has made no difference.

There is obviously something bizarre going on, as I am finding two images from several years ago, with same location info that I am searching on, but none of the 13 that I added the same location to, over the weekend.

All  13 are being found in Lightroom.

Any other thoughts.

If you perform a search with the Spotlight menu from the Finder, do your images show up as search results?

-Kirk

[myotis]

Hello Kirk,

The XMP files are found, but not the RW2 files in Finder

For the older image that PM is finding both the XMP and NEF files in Finder.

So I suspect here in lies a clue as to what is happening.

Thanks,

Graham

[Kirk Baker]

Graham,

The XMP files are found, but not the RW2 files in Finder

For the older image that PM is finding both the XMP and NEF files in Finder.

So I suspect here in lies a clue as to what is happening.

Spotlight doesn't associate XMP sidecar files with any particular image file type.  Embedding XMP into RAW files will solve this problem but cause you problems with Lightroom so we don't recommend it.

-Kirk

[myotis]

Hello Kirk,

So does that mean, if I have PM set up to integrate with Adobe (lightroom) I can't use the search tools in PM.

I had kind of assumed that PM would search the XMP files, which PM would associate with the associated Raw file.

Cheers,

Graham

[Kirk Baker]

Graham,

So does that mean, if I have PM set up to integrate with Adobe (lightroom) I can't use the search tools in PM.

Search would not work, but Find should (but you have to open the folder first).

I had kind of assumed that PM would search the XMP files, which PM would associate with the associated Raw file.

Photo Mechanic would have to guess which files may be present that match up with a given XMP file.  For instance if Spotlight tells PM that an XMP file contains your search terms, PM would have to start searching the folder containing the XMP file for a matching "owner" file.  It could be a CR2, NEF, ORF, RW2, ..., the list goes on for several dozen filename extensions that PM supports.  We could try doing that, but the performance isn't likely to be stellar since we would just have to query the filesystem for the existence of files.  Or we could get the entire directory contents and do our own lookups.  But at this time such a feature is not implemented.

-Kirk

[myotis]

Thanks Kirk,

I now follow what is going on, if I open a folder and subfolders, and then do a find, all the relevant images are selected.


Cheers,

Graham