contact sheets not clear

[dave66]

My first question/request that will probably just show my inability to find where to alter this in the software and how to use it.

The TABS on the contact sheets are quite difficult to see which one is currently selected, just a greater contrast in the colours used or change the folder icon to one that indicates an open folder or a more defined shadow would improve it.

The naming of the contact sheet seems quite limited in how it simply picks the folder name and that is all, there is an opportunity here to provide a much better visual feedback to the user.

For example

if you add another folder to an open contact sheet, why don't you put an indication in the naming or icon that shows it consists of more than one folder?

if you open a folder in a new contact sheet, you have the option of including subfolders, but there is no indication in the TAB that whether they are included or not, as simple change to the icon on the TAB would solve this.

if you have two folders open in one contact sheet, for example "jan" and "feb" and all other months open in seperate sheets, the naming of the TAB will be "jan" for the one with two folders in it. If you do not realise "feb" is actually in a sheet you currently have open and select it in the navigator (there is no visual indication it is presently in a contact sheet here either) and try to open it in a new contact sheet no warning is given that it is presently open, the view of the sheet it is contained in now shows, or may have been showing anyway if you were presently viewing that one, so nothing apparently happens at all.

What can be done to improve the handling of the contact sheet TABS that have multiple folders and/or subfolders in them?

Thanks

Dave

[Kirk Baker]

Dave,

My first question/request that will probably just show my inability to find where to alter this in the software and how to use it.

The TABS on the contact sheets are quite difficult to see which one is currently selected, just a greater contrast in the colours used or change the folder icon to one that indicates an open folder or a more defined shadow would improve it.

The naming of the contact sheet seems quite limited in how it simply picks the folder name and that is all, there is an opportunity here to provide a much better visual feedback to the user.

For example

if you add another folder to an open contact sheet, why don't you put an indication in the naming or icon that shows it consists of more than one folder?

if you open a folder in a new contact sheet, you have the option of including subfolders, but there is no indication in the TAB that whether they are included or not, as simple change to the icon on the TAB would solve this.

if you have two folders open in one contact sheet, for example "jan" and "feb" and all other months open in seperate sheets, the naming of the TAB will be "jan" for the one with two folders in it. If you do not realise "feb" is actually in a sheet you currently have open and select it in the navigator (there is no visual indication it is presently in a contact sheet here either) and try to open it in a new contact sheet no warning is given that it is presently open, the view of the sheet it is contained in now shows, or may have been showing anyway if you were presently viewing that one, so nothing apparently happens at all.

What can be done to improve the handling of the contact sheet TABS that have multiple folders and/or subfolders in them?

From your message I can tell that you're talking about the Windows version of Photo Mechanic.  The Mac OS X version does all of what you're asking.

What can be done with the Windows version?  With the current API, not much.  Microsoft has released a new version of MFC that I will try to use in a future version once it becomes more stable.  From what I can tell of the new API, there is a lot that can be controlled.

I will definitely be addressing these issues since we always want as much feature parity as possible between the two platforms.

-Kirk

[dave66]

Thanks for the prompt response, from Down-under

I guess I'll be buying a Mac or waiting for the stabilization of Windows.


Dave

[vAfotoriporter]

Thanks for the prompt response, from Down-under

I guess I'll be buying a Mac or waiting for the stabilization of Windows.

The earlier seems a far better solution...
,-))

[Hayo Baan]

Another vote for the Mac 

We made the switch ourselves about a month ago, and I don't think we will ever look back 

Cheers,
    Hayo