Strange Color Class Behavior

[CLOSEUP]

Hello:

I am having some problems with Color Classes. My normal workflow includes making selects of images that I am going to edit and then processing them later in the process. I assign red as the color for images to be processed and green after they are processed. The problem that I noticed is that I cannot change the color class after I have edited a NEF file in Capture NX 2.2. For example, I select the picture, assign the color class of red, press the "E" key to start Capture NX 2, make my edits, save and close the file. Once I am back in Photo Mechanic I try and assign a new "green" color class and there is no response from Photo Mechanic. After playing around I can change the color class only if I totally shut down shut down Capture NX 2. I can change the "Label" in Capture NX 2 and it will update Photo Mechanic but I won't be able to change the color class until I shut down Capture. Any ideas? Email Nikon.

I am running Windows XP SP 3, Dell XPS dual core, 4 GB ram. Photo Mechanic 4.6.1 Beta 4 and Capture NX 2.2

Thank you,

Mark

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

I am having some problems with Color Classes. My normal workflow includes making selects of images that I am going to edit and then processing them later in the process. I assign red as the color for images to be processed and green after they are processed. The problem that I noticed is that I cannot change the color class after I have edited a NEF file in Capture NX 2.2. For example, I select the picture, assign the color class of red, press the "E" key to start Capture NX 2, make my edits, save and close the file. Once I am back in Photo Mechanic I try and assign a new "green" color class and there is no response from Photo Mechanic. After playing around I can change the color class only if I totally shut down shut down Capture NX 2. I can change the "Label" in Capture NX 2 and it will update Photo Mechanic but I won't be able to change the color class until I shut down Capture. Any ideas? Email Nikon.

I am running Windows XP SP 3, Dell XPS dual core, 4 GB ram. Photo Mechanic 4.6.1 Beta 4 and Capture NX 2.2

Capture NX is keeping the file open/locked and Photo Mechanic cannot open the file for writing.  The solution is either to browse a different folder in NX, or quit it altogether.

-Kirk

[rjp]

Mark,

I am having some problems with Color Classes. My normal workflow includes making selects of images that I am going to edit and then processing them later in the process. I assign red as the color for images to be processed and green after they are processed. The problem that I noticed is that I cannot change the color class after I have edited a NEF file in Capture NX 2.2. For example, I select the picture, assign the color class of red, press the "E" key to start Capture NX 2, make my edits, save and close the file. Once I am back in Photo Mechanic I try and assign a new "green" color class and there is no response from Photo Mechanic. After playing around I can change the color class only if I totally shut down shut down Capture NX 2. I can change the "Label" in Capture NX 2 and it will update Photo Mechanic but I won't be able to change the color class until I shut down Capture. Any ideas? Email Nikon.

I am running Windows XP SP 3, Dell XPS dual core, 4 GB ram. Photo Mechanic 4.6.1 Beta 4 and Capture NX 2.2

Capture NX is keeping the file open/locked and Photo Mechanic cannot open the file for writing.  The solution is either to browse a different folder in NX, or quit it altogether.

-Kirk

I wonder why I am not experiencing this problem then. I select NEFS in groups of 6 at a time and send them to NX with cmd-E. After editing and saving each I change the color class to yellow for all 6 (they are still selected in the contact sheet) with no problem at all. (Maybe one day this color class change can become automatic based on an "edited" variable, hint, hint (again)).

The only difference between your process an mine that I can see is that originally my images had no color class. Are you running the latest beta (April 3rd)?

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

I am having some problems with Color Classes. My normal workflow includes making selects of images that I am going to edit and then processing them later in the process. I assign red as the color for images to be processed and green after they are processed. The problem that I noticed is that I cannot change the color class after I have edited a NEF file in Capture NX 2.2. For example, I select the picture, assign the color class of red, press the "E" key to start Capture NX 2, make my edits, save and close the file. Once I am back in Photo Mechanic I try and assign a new "green" color class and there is no response from Photo Mechanic. After playing around I can change the color class only if I totally shut down shut down Capture NX 2. I can change the "Label" in Capture NX 2 and it will update Photo Mechanic but I won't be able to change the color class until I shut down Capture. Any ideas? Email Nikon.

I am running Windows XP SP 3, Dell XPS dual core, 4 GB ram. Photo Mechanic 4.6.1 Beta 4 and Capture NX 2.2

Capture NX is keeping the file open/locked and Photo Mechanic cannot open the file for writing.  The solution is either to browse a different folder in NX, or quit it altogether.

-Kirk

I wonder why I am not experiencing this problem then. I select NEFS in groups of 6 at a time and send them to NX with cmd-E. After editing and saving each I change the color class to yellow for all 6 (they are still selected in the contact sheet) with no problem at all. (Maybe one day this color class change can become automatic based on an "edited" variable, hint, hint (again)).

The only difference between your process an mine that I can see is that originally my images had no color class. Are you running the latest beta (April 3rd)?

It's a Windows-specific issue.  The problem does not exist on Mac OS X.

-Kirk

[CLOSEUP]

Kirk:

Thanks for the update. I don't remember ever having this problem in the past. I do close the file before I return to PM but I still cannot update the color class. I will test an older version of NX2 and PM to see if the problem existed before. Do you recommend that I contact Nikon?

Thanks,

Mark

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

Thanks for the update. I don't remember ever having this problem in the past. I do close the file before I return to PM but I still cannot update the color class. I will test an older version of NX2 and PM to see if the problem existed before. Do you recommend that I contact Nikon?

I think that would be helpful.  We've already contacted them, and told them about the situation, but it would be good to have some users complain about the issue as well.  Maybe that will get the problem solved.

-Kirk

[CLOSEUP]

Kirk:

Thanks, I will notify Nikon tonight. I did install Photo Mechanic 4.5.4 and Nikon Capture NX 2.1.1 and could not recreate the same problem. I was able to update the color class after the file was closed even without closing NX2, interestingly I tried to update the Color Class while the file was actually open in NX2 and was able to update the Color Class in either Photo Mechanic or NX2 and the opposite program would reflect the changes.

I was using a Windows XP SP3 machine, dual core, 2GB ram for this test.

Thanks,

Mark

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

Thanks, I will notify Nikon tonight. I did install Photo Mechanic 4.5.4 and Nikon Capture NX 2.1.1 and could not recreate the same problem. I was able to update the color class after the file was closed even without closing NX2, interestingly I tried to update the Color Class while the file was actually open in NX2 and was able to update the Color Class in either Photo Mechanic or NX2 and the opposite program would reflect the changes.

I was using a Windows XP SP3 machine, dual core, 2GB ram for this test.

I thought you were using Capture NX 2.2 instead of 2.1.1?  Does the problem only happen with Capture NX 2.2, regardless of which Photo Mechanic version you use?

-Kirk

[CLOSEUP]

Kirk:

Correct, I was using 2.2 when I experienced the problem. I installed the next lower versions of the software to test since I don't rememeber ever experiencing the problem. I will "upgrade" PM to 4.6 and test it with NX 2.1.1 and let you know the results.

Mark

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

Correct, I was using 2.2 when I experienced the problem. I installed the next lower versions of the software to test since I don't rememeber ever experiencing the problem. I will "upgrade" PM to 4.6 and test it with NX 2.1.1 and let you know the results.

Make sure you use 4.6.1 (latest beta), and you don't have to uninstall 4.5.4 first.  The two versions will coexist on your system with no issues.  That way you can switch between the two PM versions to make your comparison.  (You just can't run the two versions at the exact same time.)

-Kirk

[CLOSEUP]

I will test the latest beta in the next few hours, below are the results with 4.6. (not beta)

Installed 4.6. Started PM selected photo and added Color Class Red (2). Opened NX2 using the "e" keyboard shortcut and metadata showes 2 - Winner alt; with the file still open in NX2 I changed the "Label" via NX2 to 5 -Typical and clicked Apply; both NX2 and PM are updated. Next change Color Class in PM with same file open in NX2; attempt to change from "Typical" to "Extras". PM does not show the update but NX2 shows a label of "7" but with the wrong text "Typical" instead of "Extra"; however, the dropdown menu in NX2 indicates the correct label. Last, I try to change the label in NX2 to update the text, select "7" and click apply and now PM is updated.

Mark

[Hayo Baan]

Mark,

If you have not already done so, you need to make the PM and Capture labels (numbers and descriptions) match EXACTLY. This is very important as without that it will not work properly.

Cheers.

[CLOSEUP]

Hayo:

Thanks for the info, yes everything is exact. I have all of my software (Photoshop, PM, NX2, and Expression Media) using the same labels/numbers.

Kirk:

I tested the combination of NX 2.1.1 with PM 4.6.1 beta 4 and the Color Class behavior is the same as it was 4.54 and NX 2.1.1; so it seems that the problem is NX 2.2 and how it manages open files.

Thanks,

Mark

Using a Windows XP SP3 machine, dual core, 2GB ram for this test.