New to Photo Mechanic, various assistance please

[John Haines]

Have just downloaded the free trial. Thank you!
This post has been 'Corrected' / "MODIFIED", (also the required information provided as in "Read Before Posting"). Sorry!
Photo Mechanic 5.0  Build 19094   running Windows 8.1

Just to ask as to why all the images I put into “Photo Mechanic’ already have ONE STAR on them. (See "update").
This creates the situation where “Tagged” & “Untagged” show the same images & take away the desired functionally re selecting images.
Incidentally, I removed the STAR on a couple of images, & of course they show when selecting “Untagged”. (As re "update" was apparently not the "star" but the "tick" referred to)
As it seems counterintuitive to automatically add ONE STAR to all images, (& then have to actually go to each image to remove it) could you please assist as to how should resolve this matter. (As re "update" this is the "tick" now referred to).
NOTE: Just noticed that the ones that have the ONE STAR on them are from the Sony a7ii & that the Apple iPhone 6+ images do not seem to show any “automatically applied’ “STARS”. (OK, "tick").
UPDATE: I was apparently wrong as to saying that the images, (the ones fro the Sony camera at least) have already have a STAR on them. They seemed to 'act' if they have a "STAR' on them as when I take away, (what I thought at least w
as a STAR, but now see as a "tick") the image will actually show  when "Untagged" is selected.
I NOW SEE THAT WHAT I REFERRED TO AS A "STAR" IS A ACTUALLY A 'TICK' ON THE BOTTOM RH CORNER OF THE IMAGE. This is what I was referring to & the difference as to the Sony & the other images.
The point seems to remain as to being able to 'select' using All, Selected, Tagged, Untagged.
No doubt I am completely confused.

Also, could you tell me how to make an image “Selected”? (I ‘fluked’ it on one image but can not work out how I did so).

Also, I put a colour ‘tag’ on a couple of images. Having used the colour 'Tag', how do I actually select/choose the image that was “colour” tagged?

Having tried “Crop”, I cannot seem to take away the ‘curser arrow’, (that is now the “crop” tool icon). As much as it acts just like the normal curser arrow, how do I do this?

Additionally if I may.
I realise that most will want to export to another programme, eg Lightroom.
I want to FIRST export to just a folder/s on my PC, (or perhaps an external drive) in that what I currently have is a complete mess, & when this is done I will subsequently use the programme ‘normally’.
Can I simply ‘Export’ to a FOLDER on my computer & not into another programme. (I did ‘try’ but was not successful).
"Export" asks for a "Destination Path" & I do not know how to 'handle' this in wishing to export to a "Folder" on my PC.
Could you please assist.

Thank you.

[Kirk Baker]

John,

Have just downloaded the free trial. Thank you!
This post has been 'Corrected' / "MODIFIED", (also the required information provided as in "Read Before Posting"). Sorry!
Photo Mechanic 5.0  Build 19094   running Windows 8.1

Just to ask as to why all the images I put into “Photo Mechanic’ already have ONE STAR on them. (See "update").
This creates the situation where “Tagged” & “Untagged” show the same images & take away the desired functionally re selecting images.
Incidentally, I removed the STAR on a couple of images, & of course they show when selecting “Untagged”. (As re "update" was apparently not the "star" but the "tick" referred to)
As it seems counterintuitive to automatically add ONE STAR to all images, (& then have to actually go to each image to remove it) could you please assist as to how should resolve this matter. (As re "update" this is the "tick" now referred to).
NOTE: Just noticed that the ones that have the ONE STAR on them are from the Sony a7ii & that the Apple iPhone 6+ images do not seem to show any “automatically applied’ “STARS”. (OK, "tick").
UPDATE: I was apparently wrong as to saying that the images, (the ones fro the Sony camera at least) have already have a STAR on them. They seemed to 'act' if they have a "STAR' on them as when I take away, (what I thought at least w
as a STAR, but now see as a "tick") the image will actually show  when "Untagged" is selected.
I NOW SEE THAT WHAT I REFERRED TO AS A "STAR" IS A ACTUALLY A 'TICK' ON THE BOTTOM RH CORNER OF THE IMAGE. This is what I was referring to & the difference as to the Sony & the other images.
The point seems to remain as to being able to 'select' using All, Selected, Tagged, Untagged.
No doubt I am completely confused.

Stars are stars, and the checkbox in the bottom right corner is a "tag".  If that checkbox is ticked, then the image is Tagged.  If it isn't ticked, then it is Untagged.

Also, could you tell me how to make an image “Selected”? (I ‘fluked’ it on one image but can not work out how I did so).

Simply click on the photo.  It will become highlighted.  It is now selected.  You can use various modifier keys (Shift/Ctrl) to extend the selection from the first selected image or to add to/remove from the selection.

Also, I put a colour ‘tag’ on a couple of images. Having used the colour 'Tag', how do I actually select/choose the image that was “colour” tagged?

We call those Color Classes, Adobe calls them "Labels".  There are menu items on the Edit menu under Select Color Class (a submenu) that allow you to select images with a particular color.

Having tried “Crop”, I cannot seem to take away the ‘curser arrow’, (that is now the “crop” tool icon). As much as it acts just like the normal curser arrow, how do I do this?

Click on the Crop tool icon button again.  It will turn off crop mode.  (It is a toggle.)

Additionally if I may.
I realise that most will want to export to another programme, eg Lightroom.
I want to FIRST export to just a folder/s on my PC, (or perhaps an external drive) in that what I currently have is a complete mess, & when this is done I will subsequently use the programme ‘normally’.
Can I simply ‘Export’ to a FOLDER on my computer & not into another programme. (I did ‘try’ but was not successful).
"Export" asks for a "Destination Path" & I do not know how to 'handle' this in wishing to export to a "Folder" on my PC.

Photo Mechanic is a browser.  It doesn't import or export images.  It never takes control of your images, never locks them away in its own file/folder structure.  You can use it to copy or move images from one folder to another, one drive to another, etc.

As a browser, Photo Mechanic just shows you the images in the folders that you tell it to look at.

Here is some documentation.  Since you've already got PM5 installed this link is to the Getting Started intro.  It explains a bunch of things in short order that will help you get acquainted with Photo Mechanic 5.

HTH,

-Kirk

[John Haines]

Thank you!
From the previous, & when you say, "You can use it to copy or move images from one folder to another, one drive to another, etc" do I take it that the images can nevertheless not be 'transferred' to a folder in say Pictures?

Incidentally, the "documentation" does not appear, but I have been looking further as to what is on your site & eg YouTube.

Is there any 'answer as to the images from the Sony camera all being 'Ticked', (& I presume this is "Tagged" as to the programme).
Any images from other cameras have no "Tick".

Having been trying further, & as to Ticked/Tagged, I used as a trial images not from the Sony, (so not Ticked/Tagged).
I used either Star or Colour system, (a combination of them) to 'mark' them.
Although I have tried to indicate the 'value' of the images, they only show under "All", & the applied 'Colour' rating & the 'Stars' only show under "All". The colour rating is of course very clear, but one has to look hard to see what images actually have 'Stars'.
It appears that if you do actually then "'Tick/Tag", the all the images with "Stars" & or 'Colour', that they will THEN show in "Tagged".
Should I actually be 'Tagging/Ticking' the images before applying 'colour' or stars'???
In other words, have to "Tick/Tag" the images as a first selection rather than applying Stars or Colour. As this seems counterintuitive, I must  be doing something wrong.
Could you please assist.
Incidentally, back to the earlier, if they were from the Sony a7ii, they would ALL 'automatically' be "Ticked/Tagged", & the first thing I would apparently have to do would be to actually remove the "Tag/Ticks" on all the 'unwanted' ones.

[Kirk Baker]

John,

From the previous, & when you say, "You can use it to copy or move images from one folder to another, one drive to another, etc" do I take it that the images can nevertheless not be 'transferred' to a folder in say Pictures?

No, you can do exactly that.  PM can copy or move items to any folder/drive/device that it has access to.

Incidentally, the "documentation" does not appear, but I have been looking further as to what is on your site & eg YouTube.

This is the best source of documentation: http://wiki.camerabits.com/en/index.php/User_Manual_Flat_View

Is there any 'answer as to the images from the Sony camera all being 'Ticked', (& I presume this is "Tagged" as to the programme).
Any images from other cameras have no "Tick".

Post a sample Sony image here or provide a link and I'll take a look at it.  If the image was 'locked' in your camera and you used Ingest to copy it to your computer then it will have the image set to tagged.

Having been trying further, & as to Ticked/Tagged, I used as a trial images not from the Sony, (so not Ticked/Tagged).
I used either Star or Colour system, (a combination of them) to 'mark' them.
Although I have tried to indicate the 'value' of the images, they only show under "All", & the applied 'Colour' rating & the 'Stars' only show under "All". The colour rating is of course very clear, but one has to look hard to see what images actually have 'Stars'.
It appears that if you do actually then "'Tick/Tag", the all the images with "Stars" & or 'Colour', that they will THEN show in "Tagged".
Should I actually be 'Tagging/Ticking' the images before applying 'colour' or stars'???

No, you don't need to tag images unless you want to.  If you'll tell me what you're trying to accomplish I'll try and provide some recommendations to get you towards your goal.

Incidentally, back to the earlier, if they were from the Sony a7ii, they would ALL 'automatically' be "Ticked/Tagged", & the first thing I would apparently have to do would be to actually remove the "Tag/Ticks" on all the 'unwanted' ones.

Did you lock those images in your camera?  How did those images go from your card to your computer?

-Kirk