Photo Mechanic Plus Current Version Loses Colors

[jkm]

Photo Mechanic Plus current version loses the colors of a photo randomly when in full screen mode.

And sometimes even in non full screen mode.

I'm going through photos and suddenly one or more photos look totally non-edited or like the color profile is switched to something awful.

And then usually if I switch from full screen to a smaller window it then loads the colors correctly. But it also happens in non-full screen mode too sometimes. I have already tried every possible option for loading color profiles and it still happens randomly no matter what.

update: screen recording removed for privacy

[Kirk Baker]

Photo Mechanic Plus current version loses the colors of a photo randomly when in full screen mode.

And sometimes even in non full screen mode.

I'm going through photos and suddenly one or more photos look totally non-edited or like the color profile is switched to something awful.

And then usually if I switch from full screen to a smaller window it then loads the colors correctly. But it also happens in non-full screen mode too sometimes. I have already tried every possible option for loading color profiles and it still happens randomly no matter what.

The next build of PM will solve this issue.  It should be coming in the next few weeks.  I'll be posting a Release Candidate this week or you can wait for an official build via the update mechanism built into PM.

-Kirk

[jkm]

Thank you!!

[Kirk Baker]

Release Candidate that solves this issue is available now: https://forums.camerabits.com/index.php?topic=16811.0

[jkm]

It does solve this issue, but the release candidate is just beeping at me now when I try to rate photos from 1-5.

I've checked the settings are correct, and they are. But it still just beeps at me instead of rating and moving to the next photo.

Only using the last official release version from January gets past the beeping (with the wildly horrible colors coming back again).

But being able to rate photos with a single keystroke 1-5 is essential to me, basically the entire reason I use Photo Mechanic in the first place.

Thank you very much.

[Kirk Baker]

It does solve this issue, but the release candidate is just beeping at me now when I try to rate photos from 1-5.

I've checked the settings are correct, and they are. But it still just beeps at me instead of rating and moving to the next photo.

Only using the last official release version from January gets past the beeping (with the wildly horrible colors coming back again).

But being able to rate photos with a single keystroke 1-5 is essential to me, basically the entire reason I use Photo Mechanic in the first place.

Which build are you running?  You can see this in the About box.
Where are you doing the rating?  In the Contact Sheet?  In the Preview window?
If you go into the Settings (Preferences) and go to the Keyboard Shortcuts page, and select either Contact Sheet or Preview, what are the current settings for "Set Photo Rating: <n>"?

-Kirk

[jkm]

I'm doing the rating in the Preview window. And the settings (which appear to be all imported/shared from my previous PM version) under Accessibility / Single Key Shortcuts say 0-5 sets Rating for my regular Photo Mechanic application, and in the Keyboard Shortcuts panel for the release candidate version, it also says 0-5 sets Rating on the Preview settings page.

Photo Mechanic Plus version 2025.5, build 8595

[jkm]

Sometimes on the release candidate it has worked to rate with 1-5 (unless my mind was mixed up), but currently it does not work and just makes a little beep and does nothing.

[jkm]

Update: It's apparently an issue with any extra input device being blocked from functioning as soon as the main keyboard is used.

I have three contact sheets open right now.

In the first and second contact sheets, the 1-5 keys work on the main keyboard.

In the third contact sheet, the 1-5 keys work on the separate 10-key pad that I usually use to rate photos.

However, as soon as I touched any number key on the main keyboard in the third contact sheet to rate a photo, then the 1-5 keys stopped working on the separate 10-key pad.

When I type numbers on either the main keyboard or the separate 10-key pad, they work exactly the same when inputting into any other application.

I've tested it before and after each try.

Apparently, Photo Mechanic is disabling input of 1-5 from any additional input device.

But this destroys my workflow, because I will get carpal tunnel if I try to rate photos from the same keyboard.

I use a 10-keyless main keyboard for the arrow keys, and then a separate 10-key pad to rate them with, so that my hands can rest at a healthy angle.

Sometimes I go through 15,000+ photos in a day, and when using a regular keyboard alone with the arrow keys and 10 keys next to each other, the pain of cramped and crooked hand position prevents me from even reaching 10,000. And using the top row of numbers for rating causes pain even sooner.


All those issues are only happening with the new release candidate versions such as the one expired on the 31st, and the one expiring on the 15th.

[jkm]

New update: now the separate number keypad no longer works in the third contact sheet either, even if I restart Photo Mechanic or disconnect and reconnect either or both the keyboard and keypad.

There's clearly some kind of new programming in Photo Mechanic right now that is set to ignore keystrokes from certain keyboards, which is getting triggered and then shutting down my ability to work effectively.

In my opinion, typing the numbers 1-5 on any keyboard should work equally well for rating photos.

I can't continue to use the product in a healthy way and avoid carpal tunnel if only the main keyboard is allowed now.

[jkm]

I bought a different 10-key keypad. It also does not work with the new Photo Mechanic.

It beeps, so it clearly gets the keystrokes. But it chooses to ignore them even though the same keystrokes come through properly as digits when typing in any other application.

Is there any reason for this behavior?

I even have switched my main keyboard back and forth between wired and Bluetooth, with no help.

[jkm]

The only thing I cannot figure out is what triggers the 10-key pad to start working.

My initial guess today was that a new folder of photos that had never been opened before would initially work with the 10-key pad.

But that theory has been proven incorrect.

It definitely has worked for rating photos on two photos in that third contact sheet mentioned before, but then reverted to just beeping as soon as I rated a photo with the main keyboard within the same folder.

But that behavior can't be recreated.

As of now, both the old and new 10-keypads are being blocked and disabled by the newest release candidate of Photo Mechanic, with no idea how to get them to work even on newly opened folders of photos.

This is an infinitely horrible issue for me.

[jkm]

I even went to the "record shortcut" option and typed the number key on the 10-keypad and it worked perfectly fine.

But then after closing the settings menu, it still doesn't work.

Input on the 10-keypads are being blocked. I've even tried getting different USB-A and USB-C cords.

Nothing works.

Some horrific programming error has been made inside the program.

I can't go back to not even being able to see the photos correctly, which is the way it has been for months with the last release of Photo Mechanic Plus in January.

Please revert/fix whatever change was made that is causing this incredibly huge, huge, huge, huge issue.

This is blocking my entire job from being done.

[jkm]

The arrow keys work perfectly fine on the 10-keypads for going back and forth. It's just the number keys that are blocked and changed into a beep instead of a rating.

This has got to be the most frustrating situation I've seen, since about 15 years ago when I accidentally left my light jacket on top of a wireless keyboard on the shelf that was still connected, and every 30 seconds or so as I was working random keystrokes would pop into whatever I was working on. The jacket was just heavy enough to trigger the keys once in a while, but usually not. It would have made America's Funniest Home videos to see my reactions that day as I tried to work.

I'm using the latest Mac OS, the latest MacBook Pro, with the screen closed, and an ASUS ProArt monitor. The main keyboard is now connected with bluetooth (previously was connected with hardwire) and the keypads are connected with hardwire.

[Kirk Baker]

I'm profoundly sorry for the distress this has caused you.  There is no intentional programming in Photo Mechanic to deny your chosen input devices from working.

Could you please tell me the make and model of the keypad that you're using?  I will obtain one for my own testing and I will do what I can to make it work properly.

Thanks,

-Kirk