Catalog Sync sometimes gets "stuck"?

[Henry Gilbey]

I tend to process my images via specific folders before moving them to my image library when they are done. Loving PM+ but it's a pain having to go into my various image folders afterwards, find the recently processed images, highlight them, right click, and then click "Include in Catalog" - it works, but it's a pain.

So I had a read of the Read Me PDF, and a way around this seems to be the Catalog Sync. Okay, so it takes a while, but as far as I can work out it scans my catalogues and then adds any images which I might have recently added, is that right?

But, sometimes when I click "Sync Catalogs" from the top drop down menu I can't click on Start, seems like it's almost stuck. Tried and tried this morning, gave up, and went through my original and somewhat convoluted way as per above.

Went to click on Sync Catalogs a minute ago though and I can now click on Start and it runs.

Am I doing something wrong?

[Bill Kelly]

Hi Henry,

So I had a read of the Read Me PDF, and a way around this seems to be the Catalog Sync. Okay, so it takes a while, but as far as I can work out it scans my catalogues and then adds any images which I might have recently added, is that right?

Correct. If you only need it to check for new images, rather than also checking for metadata updates to existing images, you can select "Quick" Sync mode instead of "Full" sync.

But, sometimes when I click "Sync Catalogs" from the top drop down menu I can't click on Start, seems like it's almost stuck. Tried and tried this morning, gave up, and went through my original and somewhat convoluted way as per above.

Strange. Could you post a screenshot of what the Catalog Sync dialog looks like when it's stuck?

(There are two scenarios where the Start button is expected to be disabled: The first is when no catalogs are checked to Sync; the second is when a Sync is already in progress. In the latter case, we'd expect the Stop and Pause buttons to be available.)


Regards,

Bill

[Henry Gilbey]

Bill, thank you for getting back to me...........

I saw your reply and thought I'd check things out, and I have found something happening which may or may not be helpful?

I added some new photos to my catalogues this afternoon and managed to run a Catalog Sync, think I had to shut down PM+ and it then ran.

Interestingly I can now go to PM+, click on Catalog Sync, and I can click on the Start button just fine - bearing in mind my catalogue is up to date with the recent additions.

BUT, I just added a photo to one of the image folders in my catalogue, clicked on Catalog Sync, and now I can't click on Start, screenshot attached if that helps.

Unless I'm doing something obviously wrong - could well be! - it seems that adding images to my catalogue is causing a blip with trying to Start the Catalog Sync.

[Bill Kelly]

BUT, I just added a photo to one of the image folders in my catalogue, clicked on Catalog Sync, and now I can't click on Start, screenshot attached if that helps.

Thank you for the screenshot. But it appears the Start button is available?

Is it just that nothing happens when you click it?

[Henry Gilbey]

Yes, you can click on it as much as you like, but nothing happens............

[Kirk Baker]

Henry,

Yes, you can click on it as much as you like, but nothing happens............

Could you turn on Catalog debug logging and reproduce the problem again, please?  From the Help menu, choose "Edit Debug Settings..." and find the item titled CATALOG_DEBUG_LOGGING and set its checkbox.  Then click the Close button.  Then restart Photo Mechanic Plus and reproduce the problem.  From the Help menu choose "Reveal Support Data..." and moments later a Finder window will come forward with the zipped log file selected.  Use the 'Attachments and other options' link when you're composing your reply to this message and there you'll be able to upload your zipped PM log file.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[Henry Gilbey]

Thanks for getting back to me Kirk.............

I have tried to follow your instructions - I can open up the Configure Debug Settings from the Help menu, but it will not let me click on any of the checkboxes. It also won't let me click close and I have to click the top right red X to shut this thing down.

Something strange going on?

[Kirk Baker]

Henry,

Thanks for getting back to me Kirk.............

I have tried to follow your instructions - I can open up the Configure Debug Settings from the Help menu, but it will not let me click on any of the checkboxes. It also won't let me click close and I have to click the top right red X to shut this thing down.

Something strange going on?

Could you please post a screenshot of what that window looks like?

Thanks,

-Kirk

[Henry Gilbey]

I can't click on any of the checkboxes

[Kirk Baker]

Henry,

I can't click on any of the checkboxes

The checkboxes all appear to be active.  I'd like to see your Photo Mechanic log.  In Photo Mechanic go to the Help menu and choose "Reveal Support Data..." and moments later a Finder window will come forward with the zipped log file selected.  Use the 'Attachments and other options' link when you're composing your reply to this message and there you'll be able to upload your zipped PM log file.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[Henry Gilbey]

Here you go Kirk.............

With my apologies in advance if I have been doing something completely wrong!

[Kirk Baker]

Here you go Kirk.............

With my apologies in advance if I have been doing something completely wrong!

Thanks Henry.  Unfortunately because the catalog logging can't be turned on through the UI, the logs don't contain any useful information.  I'm going to help you turn on the logging manually.

You need to create a plain text file named PMDebug.txt and it has to be in PM's Preferences folder.

PM's Preferences folder will be in the following location:

~/Library/Preferences/com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic/

Unfortunately Apple decided a few OS versions ago to hide the Library folder within your home folder.  You can still get there though by using the "Go to Folder..." command on the Go menu in the Finder.  Enter the path above in the dialog that appears.

Create your PMDebug.txt file there and make it have the following contents:

CATALOG_DEBUG_LOGGING on

Save the file and relaunch PM and bring up the Edit Debug Settings window and also try using the Catalog Sync feature.  You can then use the "Reveal Support Data..." command on the Help menu to get the updated zipped log file.  Please post it here.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[Henry Gilbey]

Kirk, I have tried my best here, but it's at the limit of my computer abilities and I may well have done what you asked a bit wrong..........file is attached, hope it helps?

I was able to get the problem again - if I add a new photo to my catalogue, I can't run the "Sync Catalogs" - the box appears, but I can't press start, nothing happens.

With no new photos added I can run the "Sync Catalogs" just fine, but of course it's pointless because there are no new photos to sync!

[Kirk Baker]

Henry,

Kirk, I have tried my best here, but it's at the limit of my computer abilities and I may well have done what you asked a bit wrong..........file is attached, hope it helps?

I was able to get the problem again - if I add a new photo to my catalogue, I can't run the "Sync Catalogs" - the box appears, but I can't press start, nothing happens.

With no new photos added I can run the "Sync Catalogs" just fine, but of course it's pointless because there are no new photos to sync!

Thank you for the log.  If you've manually added images to your catalog by one of the several ways (Ingest, Scan to Catalog, choosing Include in Catalog with selected images) then there is no need to Sync Catalogs.  Your catalogs (the ones set to add/modify) will now have those images indexed.  That said, we still want to get to the bottom of this unexpected and unwanted behavior.

-Kirk

[Kirk Baker]

Henry,

I think something may have gone wrong in getting the PMDebug.txt file set up in the right location or correct file format.  I have attached a PMDebug.txt file which you can download and then copy to Photo Mechanic's preferences folder.

Here are the steps:

1) Quit Photo Mechanic Plus.
2) Download the attached PMDebug.txt file.  Make note of its location.
3) Open the Photo Mechanic preferences folder.  In the Finder, on the Go menu, choose the "Go to Folder..." command.  When the dialog appears, copy and paste this text into it:

~/Library/Preferences/com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic/

and click the "Go" button.  Either a new Finder window will appear at that location, or an existing window will now switch to that location.
4) Drag and drop the PMDebug.txt file that you downloaded in step 2 into the Finder window that is now showing the contents of the preferences folder.  If a PMDebug.txt file already exists there then you'll get a warning about that condition.  Please choose to replace the file.
5) Launch Photo Mechanic Plus and reproduce the problem.  Then use the "Reveal Support Data..." command on the Help menu to get the updated zipped log file.  Please post it here.

Thanks,

-Kirk