Browsing folders without opening contact sheets

[KeithRJ]

I regularly find myself moving between folders looking for and/or tagging photos.  In order to do that you have to open a contact sheet for each folder.  This starts to get very clumsy and I believe there could be a very simple solution as follows:

Have a special contact sheet that simply updates its contents to the selected folder in the Navigator panel.  You could  nominate an existing contact sheet to perform this function or open a special contact sheet from a menu.

This would allow you to select this special contact sheet when you quickly want to browse your folder tree and still use standard contact sheets as before.

You could call this special contact sheet a Dynamic Contact Sheet 

[Kirk Baker]

Keith,

Right-click on a folder in the Navigator and you can choose to open the folder replacing the existing contact sheet's folder.  The Favorites offers this as well.

-Kirk

[syncrasy]

If you're using the folder tree in the Organizer (catalog) > Browse section, I found that the "Reuse Search Tabs" checkbox in the upper left stops the phenomenon of contact sheets multiplying like rabbits. (Took me a while to figure that out.) Of course, I'm still not entirely comfortable with PM+'s use of contact sheets for browsing a catalog. For example, the label on the contact sheet is confusingly labelled "Search" (different from the concept of browsing), and I would rather there were a permanent (not dynamic) UI for browsing cataloged folders (closing the only contact sheet remaining closes the entire UI!), but that's a discussion for another day.

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

If you're using the folder tree in the Organizer (catalog) > Browse section, I found that the "Reuse Search Tabs" checkbox in the upper left stops the phenomenon of contact sheets multiplying like rabbits. (Took me a while to figure that out.) Of course, I'm still not entirely comfortable with PM+'s use of contact sheets for browsing a catalog. For example, the label on the contact sheet is confusingly labelled "Search" (different from the concept of browsing), and I would rather there were a permanent (not dynamic) UI for browsing cataloged folders (closing the only contact sheet remaining closes the entire UI!), but that's a discussion for another day.

That could be done.  We could have a single tab called "Catalog" (or whatever users find most comfortable) that is the one and only place for filters/searches/browsing.  It wouldn't be difficult.  But I do think there is a place for multiple tabs with search/browse/filter/collection results which I find are useful for comparison.

-Kirk

[syncrasy]

Mark,

If you're using the folder tree in the Organizer (catalog) > Browse section, I found that the "Reuse Search Tabs" checkbox in the upper left stops the phenomenon of contact sheets multiplying like rabbits. (Took me a while to figure that out.) Of course, I'm still not entirely comfortable with PM+'s use of contact sheets for browsing a catalog. For example, the label on the contact sheet is confusingly labelled "Search" (different from the concept of browsing), and I would rather there were a permanent (not dynamic) UI for browsing cataloged folders (closing the only contact sheet remaining closes the entire UI!), but that's a discussion for another day.

That could be done.  We could have a single tab called "Catalog" (or whatever users find most comfortable) that is the one and only place for filters/searches/browsing.  It wouldn't be difficult.  But I do think there is a place for multiple tabs with search/browse/filter/collection results which I find are useful for comparison.

-Kirk

Oooh, glad you are open to the idea. I agree that there will always be a place for multiple tabs for search results, etc., as that's one of the (many) strengths of the original PM. But as was mentioned in another thread, a catalog is a new paradigm, and the ability to start from (and return to) "home base" without a lot of faff (I had to look it up too) I think is essential to a successful DAM software.

[KeithRJ]

Keith,

Right-click on a folder in the Navigator and you can choose to open the folder replacing the existing contact sheet's folder.  The Favorites offers this as well.

-Kirk

Thanks for that info Kirk.  Unfortunately this means mouse click, searching for the option the mouse click again which is a slow process.  I could live with a modifier key being used with the double-click to open the folder in the existing contact sheet.  For instance shift-double-click would open the folder in the currently active contact sheet.

[KeithRJ]

If you're using the folder tree in the Organizer (catalog) > Browse section, I found that the "Reuse Search Tabs" checkbox in the upper left stops the phenomenon of contact sheets multiplying like rabbits. (Took me a while to figure that out.) Of course, I'm still not entirely comfortable with PM+'s use of contact sheets for browsing a catalog. For example, the label on the contact sheet is confusingly labelled "Search" (different from the concept of browsing), and I would rather there were a permanent (not dynamic) UI for browsing cataloged folders (closing the only contact sheet remaining closes the entire UI!), but that's a discussion for another day.

Thanks Mark,  this works for the Organiser but I would really like this to work in the Navigator.

Kirk, can we have a checkbox Reuse Selected Contact Sheet in the Navigator - this would be awesome 

[Kirk Baker]

Keith,

If you're using the folder tree in the Organizer (catalog) > Browse section, I found that the "Reuse Search Tabs" checkbox in the upper left stops the phenomenon of contact sheets multiplying like rabbits. (Took me a while to figure that out.) Of course, I'm still not entirely comfortable with PM+'s use of contact sheets for browsing a catalog. For example, the label on the contact sheet is confusingly labelled "Search" (different from the concept of browsing), and I would rather there were a permanent (not dynamic) UI for browsing cataloged folders (closing the only contact sheet remaining closes the entire UI!), but that's a discussion for another day.

Thanks Mark,  this works for the Organiser but I would really like this to work in the Navigator.

Kirk, can we have a checkbox Reuse Selected Contact Sheet in the Navigator - this would be awesome 

I could see adding it to the Favorites/Navigator preferences or to the contextual menu, but I wouldn't want to clutter up the main interface.  Hiding the functionality behind modifier keys sounds like something that would confuse people or would be easily forgotten.

-Kirk

[KeithRJ]

Keith,

If you're using the folder tree in the Organizer (catalog) > Browse section, I found that the "Reuse Search Tabs" checkbox in the upper left stops the phenomenon of contact sheets multiplying like rabbits. (Took me a while to figure that out.) Of course, I'm still not entirely comfortable with PM+'s use of contact sheets for browsing a catalog. For example, the label on the contact sheet is confusingly labelled "Search" (different from the concept of browsing), and I would rather there were a permanent (not dynamic) UI for browsing cataloged folders (closing the only contact sheet remaining closes the entire UI!), but that's a discussion for another day.

Thanks Mark,  this works for the Organiser but I would really like this to work in the Navigator.

Kirk, can we have a checkbox Reuse Selected Contact Sheet in the Navigator - this would be awesome 

I could see adding it to the Favorites/Navigator preferences or to the contextual menu, but I wouldn't want to clutter up the main interface.  Hiding the functionality behind modifier keys sounds like something that would confuse people or would be easily forgotten.

-Kirk

Context menu would work perfectly 

[JCamborde]

Same desire/wish for me

[Kirk Baker]

While researching the possibility of this feature, I realized that it was already implemented.  Please see the attachment below on how to make PM reuse contact sheet tabs.

Note, it will also currently reuse any tab that is front-most, including Catalog results tabs (search, filter, browse).  Perhaps we should consider that a bug and make it only reuse folder-based tabs.

HTH,

-Kirk

[KeithRJ]

Fantastic Kirk,

now how did we miss this feature?  Works wonderfully for me, I am now very happy 

[mklass]

That nice, but it's a one or the other. Could a CMD or ALT click do the opposite?

[Kirk Baker]

Mick,

That nice, but it's a one or the other. Could a CMD or ALT click do the opposite?

The "Modifier key" (Option on macOS, Shift on Windows) should toggle the sense.

-Kirk

[KeithRJ]

Mick,

That nice, but it's a one or the other. Could a CMD or ALT click do the opposite?

The "Modifier key" (Option on macOS, Shift on Windows) should toggle the sense.

-Kirk

If you set the Double-Click to open in existing Contact Sheet, then on Windows you can Ctrl-Double Click to open in a new contact sheet.  Perfect!