Thanks for your answers and your interest, Kirk.
Yes, using the space bar for tagging is not what photoshop does, but as Photo Mechanic doesn't behave as Photoshop in the "zoom department", I can't see why it has to respect this point and don't use the space bar.
The space bar doesn't show the hand cursor when in zoom mode but in crop mode.
In crop mode, I can press the Space Bar OR the Shift key to get the hand cursor... I can't see why I need two alternative keys for this in cropping mode, and I can't have but one for tagging... I believe tagging is a more common operation than cropping.
I'd like to have if not a default behaviour at least the oportunity to redefine some key functions.
About the zoom and the "Photoshop Key Combinations". As I said, I can live with it as it is, it is not that hard to get used to the way it works, and I see the benefits.
I was just interested in this because I guess most people who use Photo Mechanic will also use Photoshop, so the transition from one program to the other would be seamless in this regard.
Anyways, I won't try to go further in my reasoning about this. I do find the Control + click to a predefined zoom level useful.
About the zoom and the Shift key.
That is true, and of course, your mouse cursor need not be over the image. What if the scroll wheel event came in and your mouse cursor wasn't even over the picture? It zooms about the current center of the zoomed image
Then control the boundaries where the wheel event cames in, and make Photo Mechanic act accordingly.
Anyways, I can point the cursor over the image quite well, so this can be left to the user. If I don't, then it's my fault... as with many other functions, it can't be made foolproof.
But, as I said, the way it works now is good enough, so if this don't change I still can use it , though I think it would be easier to have a centered Shift + wheel zoom, just like Control + click.
What about a "fit screen" position in the zoom scale - for shift + wheel use - . Can this be done ?
Now, the keyboard shortcut for zoom.
You can use the 'Z' key to go back to scale to fit mode.
Yes, but if I'm using the numeric keypad for zoom in / out, and to apply color classes - if the '3' behaviour can be solved - I have to move the hand over the Z. I'm not going to have a heart attack if I have to do this, but the numeric keypad asterisk is unused, so why don't use it as a "fit screen" shortcut ?
So, If I can perform this common tasks in the numeric keypad, what about using some key to perform the tag untag function there too, without moving the hand to the "T" ?
It is faster this way is you are using numeric keypad + mouse to control the program common functions, I believe.
So, summing up all my "concerns", and as it seems you're not favorable to altering the default behaviour of Photo Mechanic - and I do undestand that any other user might regret it if you change it -, then what it seems I'm asking for - or what I'd settle for
- is to allow me to redefine the keyboard shortcuts. Some of them, at least. Tagging, fundamentally, and zooming to a smaller degree.
But taking into account that sometimes I'm using a keyboard only approach, or a keyboard + mouse... I would like to have the
possibility to define the Space Bar and the numeric keypad Enter or Decimal key for tagging function, and the Z and the numeric keypad asterisk for "fit screen zoom".
I'll look further into the IPTC department and see if I can come up with concise suggestions.
I guess what I'd like Photo Mechanic to be is a viewing, selecting and IPTC / XMP tool. There's no tool that can do this fully and with the speed and ease of use Photo Mechanic offers, it would be a powerful application for doing this..
I convert RAW images using other programs, I upload pics to my web using other tools.
My approach to the developing of the program would be to keep Photo Mechanic simple and powerful.
