Saving manual sort order

[DavidHoffmanuk]

I suspect the answer may be 'no' but is there a way to save an arrangement (sort order) that I make manually so that I can try different arrangements and then revert to the saved one if I don't like the new order?

David Hoffman

[Kirk Baker]

David,

I suspect the answer may be 'no' but is there a way to save an arrangement (sort order) that I make manually so that I can try different arrangements and then revert to the saved one if I don't like the new order?

The arrangement is saved in a file in the folder you're browsing.  It is called .pmarrangement.dat and you could make a copy of it before you modify it with a new arrangement, and then restore it in order to go back to that version.

HTH,

-Kirk

[DavidHoffmanuk]

That's very useful Kirk, thanks, but it's only a partial solution.

Generally when I'm sorting photographs into a specific order I'm working with photographs in several folders. Does PM+ still save a .pmarrangement.dat file in these cases? I've not found one.

I did a test this morning making a new arrangement in a single folder of 128 small JPG files but no .pmarrangement.dat file was created.  (I know these are hidden files & have made them visible).


I'm seeing 60+ of these.dat files in all, the most recent being from a month ago. I've done lots of arrangements since then so I'd expect more recent files. I'm also not seeing these .dat files in other folders where I'd expect them.

What are the conditions needed for PM+ to create a .pmarrangement.dat file?

David

[Kirk Baker]

David,

PM should save an arrangement file each time you:

1) Are in Arrangement sort mode and you drag and drop an item or more than one item in a new position.
2) Are in any sort mode and have the preference set to allow arrangements when not in Arrangement sort mode, and you drag and drop an item or more than one item in a new position.
3) Any time you use the View->Make Arrangement command.

NOTE: it will fail silently if it is unable to create/update the file.

-Kirk

[DavidHoffmanuk]

Good morning Kirk

PM should save an arrangement file each time you:

1) Are in Arrangement sort mode and you drag and drop an item or more than one item in a new position.
2) Are in any sort mode and have the preference set to allow arrangements when not in Arrangement sort mode, and you drag and drop an item or more than one item in a new position.
3) Any time you use the View->Make Arrangement command.

I have a single folder with 128 small jpg files in a collection. I tried all 3 of the above options but no .pmarrangement.dat files were created. When I dragged the folder into a PM+ window rather than opening the collection and manually changed the order the .pmarrangement.dat file was created as expected.

When I change the arrangement in a window showing a collection no .pmarrangement.dat file is created but the arrangement is retained when I next open that collection. It seems that when working with a single folder the .pmarrangement.dat file is created but when the arrangement in a collection is changed PM+ uses some other way to retain the order.

Mostly when I make arrangements I do so from a collection containing files from multiple folders but in that case or in the case where a collection is from a single folder changing the arrangement loses the previously stored arrangement. Without there being a .pmarrangement.dat file to copy is there any equivalent way to retain that stored sort order as I try others?

For clarification - I might be making a slide show using files from multiple folders and be trying different sort orders. I'd like to be able make an order, retain it, then experiment with other sort orders and to be able to revert to a previous order.

David

[Kirk Baker]

David,

PM should save an arrangement file each time you:

1) Are in Arrangement sort mode and you drag and drop an item or more than one item in a new position.
2) Are in any sort mode and have the preference set to allow arrangements when not in Arrangement sort mode, and you drag and drop an item or more than one item in a new position.
3) Any time you use the View->Make Arrangement command.

I have a single folder with 128 small jpg files in a collection. I tried all 3 of the above options but no .pmarrangement.dat files were created. When I dragged the folder into a PM+ window rather than opening the collection and manually changed the order the .pmarrangement.dat file was created as expected.

When I change the arrangement in a window showing a collection no .pmarrangement.dat file is created but the arrangement is retained when I next open that collection. It seems that when working with a single folder the .pmarrangement.dat file is created but when the arrangement in a collection is changed PM+ uses some other way to retain the order.

I must have missed where you stated you were working with a Catalog collection.  The above cases only occur with folder browsing.

Mostly when I make arrangements I do so from a collection containing files from multiple folders but in that case or in the case where a collection is from a single folder changing the arrangement loses the previously stored arrangement. Without there being a .pmarrangement.dat file to copy is there any equivalent way to retain that stored sort order as I try others?

No, the arrangement data is stored in the catalog and not in a file that you can backup/restore.

For clarification - I might be making a slide show using files from multiple folders and be trying different sort orders. I'd like to be able make an order, retain it, then experiment with other sort orders and to be able to revert to a previous order.

Please make a feature request.

-Kirk

[DavidHoffmanuk]

Please make a feature request.

Will do.

Best
David

[DavidHoffmanuk]

I think I've found a work around by using the {seqn} variable in an unused field and then sorting by that field. It's limited by the number of unused searchable fields but it does the job.

David Hoffman