Where is the catalog?

[DavidHoffmanuk]

I'm just trying the PM6+ beta for the first time. I'm importing about 100k Nikon NEF files into a new catalog that I've named 'Raw Files'.

It took about 3 hours to get as far as finishing the "catalog metadata gathering' stage which seems reasonable. But then, as it was going through the 'catalog image preview generation', it slowed to 0.1/sec which was >4 days (screenshot attached). Later it slowed to 0 and offered a hopeful 10+ days. I quit and restarted, then repeated the scan to catalog operation and it seemed to complete OK in about 30 minutes.

I now have a folder named 'Raw Files', just under 2 GB containing 6 files starting 'catalog.' and a folder named 'proxies' containing 2 'cache' files and 98 folders, each containing 1 medium size jpg. That seems odd for more than 100k files. What I don't have is a catalog! I can't find one and I can't see a menu item that leads to one.

Is what I now have what I should expect and where is the catalog?

Mac, 10.12.6, apps on a reasonable SSD, the image files are on a WD 3GB internal drive and the catalog on another similar internal drive. All have plenty of free space.

TIA
David

[Kirk Baker]

David,

Please take a look at the ReadMe.pdf file.  Below all of the release notes is a Getting Started guide that points out the various UI elements of Photo Mechanic Plus.  Search for UI Overview to get there straight away.  There is a whole new set of UI elements we call the Organizer.  You can get to it by the two tabs near the top left of the main window.  The right-side tab switches to the Organizer and the left-side tab switches to the Favorites/Navigator.

HTH,

-Kirk

[DavidHoffmanuk]

Thanks for the quick reply Kirk.

I have no window, no ui. I seem to have a catalog but no way of making it show up.

I'd seen the UI Overview in the pdf and expected something like that to open when I began the 'scan to catalog' - as with an ingest from a card. When nothing happened I assumed it must be because it's still beta and would open at some point - but no. I had the catalog status window open and it showed the various tasks completing but I have no browser type window.

I deleted yesterday's catalog and made a new one today with just a few hundred files. Same thing. I see it shown in the Catalog Management panel. I tried  the 'locate existing catalog' button but that is for me to find it with. At some point (haven't been able to repeat) I got this error:
 ***********************************************************
Unable to open catalog:

open_catalog failed: ["open_catalog: RuntimeError/existing catalog not found: \"/Volumes/Perky/Raw files to burn/200216 Come Hell Or High Water/catalog.pmdb\" attrs={\"create\"=>false, \"delete_existing\"=>false, \"machine_uuid\"=>\"9a174476-fe6a-4cd0-6721-1b26e4fd1691\", \"chan_idx\"=>0}"]
 ***********************************************************

The path in that error is to where the files I set PM to scan are. The catalog should be on a different drive and is shown as being there in the management panel. When I look I see a folder named as my new catalog with these inside:
proxies ƒ
catalog_undo.pmdb
catalog_undo.pmdb-shm
catalog_undo.pmdb-wal
catalog.pmdb
catalog.pmdb-shm
catalog.pmdb-wal

I don't think that I can do anything useful with them.

Any suggestions.

Thanks
David

[Kirk Baker]

David,

I have no window, no ui. I seem to have a catalog but no way of making it show up.

You probably have your General startup preferences set to not create a window.  From the File menu, choose "New Window".  Then click on the Organizer tab near the top left of the window.  You should now see the "Catalog UI".

HTH,

-Kirk

[DavidHoffmanuk]

I don't think that's it. Maybe I have got something set wrongly or I'm just missing the obvious but I'm still not finding the catalog UI. Do the attached screenshots correspond with what you are suggesting?

Thanks
David

[Kirk Baker]

David,

I don't think that's it. Maybe I have got something set wrongly or I'm just missing the obvious but I'm still not finding the catalog UI. Do the attached screenshots correspond with what you are suggesting?

Somehow you've collapsed the left-hand pane completely so you can't see the UI elements.  See my screenshot below for how to fix the issue.

-Kirk

[DavidHoffmanuk]

That's it. Thanks!

No doubt I'll be back with more questions, hopefully somewhat less basic.

David

[mklass]

It is easy to accidentally collapse the folder window by double clicking on the border. I've done it several times myself one trying to do something else. You can also double click on the collapsed border to return it to its previous size.

[DavidHoffmanuk]

Thanks Mick - I do think I might have spotted the problem for myself. It's not like collapsing side panels are cutting edge new tech. I was just expecting a new catalog to open with its panels showing so it didn't occur to me to look for the tiny lines at the edge.

It's usually the obvious that catches me out.

David