Beta 4.5 III: Color Class/Star Rating and search function

[Juerg]

I just loaded 4.5III and have some questions:

1. Color Class/Star-Rating
Based on the new preference panel I should be able to select whether 'Ctrl'+'Number' changes color class or star rating. It seems that no matter what I select in preferences, it always changes color class.
Actually, if I select a picture and hit any 'number' on the key-pad (without pressing 'Ctrl' or 'Alt') it changes the color class.
On the other hand, changing star-rating using a short-cut ('Ctrl'+'number' or 'Alt'+'number' or 'number' only) it doesn't work. The only way I can change rating is using the drop down menu or clicking the desired star in the preview panel of the picture.

2. Multi folder search function
I was under the impression that I can search based on picture criterias (like rating, color class, rating, keywords etc.) across multiple folders, or more preceise, select one folder and automatically search trough the subfolders underneath. Either this function is still missing or I just can't access it/don't know how it works (I hope the later).

By the way, I run XP SP2.

Regards,
Archer

[Kirk Baker]

Archer,

I just loaded 4.5III and have some questions:

1. Color Class/Star-Rating
Based on the new preference panel I should be able to select whether 'Ctrl'+'Number' changes color class or star rating. It seems that no matter what I select in preferences, it always changes color class.
Actually, if I select a picture and hit any 'number' on the key-pad (without pressing 'Ctrl' or 'Alt') it changes the color class.
On the other hand, changing star-rating using a short-cut ('Ctrl'+'number' or 'Alt'+'number' or 'number' only) it doesn't work. The only way I can change rating is using the drop down menu or clicking the desired star in the preview panel of the picture.

Actually, that preference only controls whether *single* key shortcuts like 0, 1-8 or 0, 1-5 control Color Class on single photos or 5-star ratings on single photos.

So when you have a *single* photo selected and you have the preference set to color class, then pressing '1' (note no Ctrl or Alt) then the single photo will now have Color Class 1.  Ctrl-1 will still continue to set a group of photos to Color Class 1 and Alt-1 will continue to set a group of photos to 1-star.

Does that make sense now?

NOTE: I tried all of the Ctrl-0, 1-8 and Alt-0, 1-5 keyboard shortcuts and they worked exactly the way they're supposed to.

2. Multi folder search function
I was under the impression that I can search based on picture criterias (like rating, color class, rating, keywords etc.) across multiple folders, or more preceise, select one folder and automatically search trough the subfolders underneath. Either this function is still missing or I just can't access it/don't know how it works (I hope the later).

You need to open all of the folders you want to search into a *single* Contact Sheet tab.  You can do this by right-clicking on the parent folder and choosing "Open Folder and Subfolders in New Contact Sheet" from the Photo Mechanic submenu.  Then when you use Find or Find and Replace it will find across all photos in the Contact Sheet.

HTH,

-Kirk

[Juerg]

Kirk,

Actually, that preference only controls whether *single* key shortcuts like 0, 1-8 or 0, 1-5 control Color Class on single photos or 5-star ratings on single photos.

So when you have a *single* photo selected and you have the preference set to color class, then pressing '1' (note no Ctrl or Alt) then the single photo will now have Color Class 1.  Ctrl-1 will still continue to set a group of photos to Color Class 1 and Alt-1 will continue to set a group of photos to 1-star.

Does that make sense now?

NOTE: I tried all of the Ctrl-0, 1-8 and Alt-0, 1-5 keyboard shortcuts and they worked exactly the way they're supposed to.

OK, starts to make sense. I was looking at the function with a single photo selected, so that explains why Ctrl or Alt don't do anything. But now another question: with single photo selected and preference set to star rating, if I use the number keys in the top row of the keyboard, it changes the star rating. The same if I have selected color class in preferences, the number keys in the top row change the color class. So, far OK. But if I use the number keys in the num-block of the keyboard, it always changes only color class, no matter what the preference is. Can the num-block be included for this function. It's easier to use than the number keys of the main layout.

You need to open all of the folders you want to search into a *single* Contact Sheet tab.  You can do this by right-clicking on the parent folder and choosing "Open Folder and Subfolders in New Contact Sheet" from the Photo Mechanic submenu.  Then when you use Find or Find and Replace it will find across all photos in the Contact Sheet.

Thanks, I didn't know that (well guess 2 or 3 weeks aren't enough to learn the whole program). I there any physical limitation on how many pictures I can have in contact sheet? 100? 1000? 5000?
If I open a single contact sheet from a folder inlcuding sub-folders and safe as a favorite, does it update automatically if I add more pictures into one of the folders initially inlcuded to build the contact sheet?

Thanks,
Archer

[Kirk Baker]

Archer,

Actually, that preference only controls whether *single* key shortcuts like 0, 1-8 or 0, 1-5 control Color Class on single photos or 5-star ratings on single photos.

So when you have a *single* photo selected and you have the preference set to color class, then pressing '1' (note no Ctrl or Alt) then the single photo will now have Color Class 1.  Ctrl-1 will still continue to set a group of photos to Color Class 1 and Alt-1 will continue to set a group of photos to 1-star.

Does that make sense now?

NOTE: I tried all of the Ctrl-0, 1-8 and Alt-0, 1-5 keyboard shortcuts and they worked exactly the way they're supposed to.

OK, starts to make sense. I was looking at the function with a single photo selected, so that explains why Ctrl or Alt don't do anything. But now another question: with single photo selected and preference set to star rating, if I use the number keys in the top row of the keyboard, it changes the star rating. The same if I have selected color class in preferences, the number keys in the top row change the color class. So, far OK. But if I use the number keys in the num-block of the keyboard, it always changes only color class, no matter what the preference is. Can the num-block be included for this function. It's easier to use than the number keys of the main layout.

I'll look into adding that functionality.

You need to open all of the folders you want to search into a *single* Contact Sheet tab.  You can do this by right-clicking on the parent folder and choosing "Open Folder and Subfolders in New Contact Sheet" from the Photo Mechanic submenu.  Then when you use Find or Find and Replace it will find across all photos in the Contact Sheet.

Thanks, I didn't know that (well guess 2 or 3 weeks aren't enough to learn the whole program). I there any physical limitation on how many pictures I can have in contact sheet? 100? 1000? 5000?
If I open a single contact sheet from a folder inlcuding sub-folders and safe as a favorite, does it update automatically if I add more pictures into one of the folders initially inlcuded to build the contact sheet?

Yes.  When the contact sheet rescans, it will pickup any new items.
There is no hard-coded limitation to how many photos a contact sheet may contain, but your available system resources will determine the limit anyway.

HTH,

-Kirk

[Juerg]

Kirk,

I now understand how to create a contact sheet with pictures of several sub-folder and then use the find criterias to find specific pictures within the contact sheet.

But is there a way to find pictures in a folder or even on a harddrive with a multitude of folders and sub=folders based on lets say keyword or locations, and then build a contact sheet based on the find results of this search.

Example: I have all my pictures on dive X and organized in folders by year, and within the year in subfolders by assignment, and within that more sub-folders by date for example. Lets just say there are 15000 pictures in total on drive X and all of them are keyworded. I now want only to have a contact sheet of all pictures on drive X that contain the keyword 'flowers'.

How can I create that contact sheet with all these 'flower' pictures without creating first a contact sheet of the entire drive X?

Thanks,
Archer

[Kirk Baker]

Archer,

I now understand how to create a contact sheet with pictures of several sub-folder and then use the find criterias to find specific pictures within the contact sheet.

But is there a way to find pictures in a folder or even on a harddrive with a multitude of folders and sub=folders based on lets say keyword or locations, and then build a contact sheet based on the find results of this search.

Example: I have all my pictures on dive X and organized in folders by year, and within the year in subfolders by assignment, and within that more sub-folders by date for example. Lets just say there are 15000 pictures in total on drive X and all of them are keyworded. I now want only to have a contact sheet of all pictures on drive X that contain the keyword 'flowers'.

How can I create that contact sheet with all these 'flower' pictures without creating first a contact sheet of the entire drive X?

Photo Mechanic on Windows does not have such a feature.  Photo Mechanic on Mac OS X does have that feature thanks to our use of Apple's Spotlight technology.

-Kirk

[Juerg]

Photo Mechanic on Windows does not have such a feature.  Photo Mechanic on Mac OS X does have that feature thanks to our use of Apple's Spotlight technology.

-Kirk

Kirk,

Is there a plan to implement something like that for the windows OS?

I have no idea what Apple's Spotlight is, but somehow I am thinking it should not be too difficult to add a function search to PM based on IPTC and/or XMP information embeded in the file (but of course I have no experience at all and probably think of it in way too easy terms, in any case I don't want to sound arrogant or offend anyone).

Anyway, this search function is at the moment the only reason that I still have Adobe Bridge (well, and the IMHO easier file rename functionality).

Thanks,
Archer

[Juerg]

Photo Mechanic on Windows does not have such a feature.  Photo Mechanic on Mac OS X does have that feature thanks to our use of Apple's Spotlight technology.

-Kirk

Kirk,

I looked up the Apple Spotlight technology. I'm no computer expert, so I may have missunderstood it, but to me it seems like Spotlight is basically a desktop search software (integrated in the OS I believe), or am I totally wrong? (wouldn't be the first time).

I assume that it doesn't work on PC's (as it's part of the Mac OS), but if it's a destop search software, could you use for the windows system something like google desktop search (or other programs that are out there)? Of course, i'm not sure whether they are as open for other software manufacturers to use their search engines (something it seems Apple is actually promoting) or if their functionality is enouhg for this application.

As I said, being able to build a contact sheet based on an metadata field search (be keywords, location etc.) across several folders would be the only thing I can think of to use PM as the sole centerpoint of my workflow (no more Bridge, no photo-management programs with corupted database etc.).

Thanks
Archer

[Kirk Baker]

Archer,

Photo Mechanic on Windows does not have such a feature.  Photo Mechanic on Mac OS X does have that feature thanks to our use of Apple's Spotlight technology.

I looked up the Apple Spotlight technology. I'm no computer expert, so I may have missunderstood it, but to me it seems like Spotlight is basically a desktop search software (integrated in the OS I believe), or am I totally wrong? (wouldn't be the first time).

Yes, you're right, but it includes an API so that programs like Photo Mechanic can use it directly and tightly integrate it into their application.

I assume that it doesn't work on PC's (as it's part of the Mac OS), but if it's a desktop search software, could you use for the windows system something like google desktop search (or other programs that are out there)? Of course, i'm not sure whether they are as open for other software manufacturers to use their search engines (something it seems Apple is actually promoting) or if their functionality is enough for this application.

We already get negative feedback for using QuickTime to view PSD files on Windows.  I don't think it would sit too well if we also required you to install Google Desktop Search.

As I said, being able to build a contact sheet based on an metadata field search (be keywords, location etc.) across several folders would be the only thing I can think of to use PM as the sole centerpoint of my workflow (no more Bridge, no photo-management programs with corupted database etc.).

Hmm, well using a database is how things like Spotlight and Google Desktop Search work.

-Kirk