Is PM incapable of using not mapped network shares?

[verxion]

I am struggling to get Photo Mechanic to use my photos.  Please explain how to point it at a network share.

Thanks,

-Joe Chott

Windows Vista 64 SP1
8GB RAM
1DMkIII 5DMkII 5DMk1 1DMk1 30d 10d g9
JPEG CR2 CRW TIF

[Kirk Baker]

Joe,

I am struggling to get Photo Mechanic to use my photos.  Please explain how to point it at a network share.

It should work just fine with Network volumes.  Use the Navigator panel to browse for folders or use the Open command on the File menu and browse to your desired folder via Microsoft's standard folder browser dialog.  Or you can even drag and drop a folder from Windows Explorer window into Photo Mechanic's main window.

HTH,

-Kirk

[verxion]

I tried these things.  Neither the navigator or the file->"Open Contact Sheet" allow me to TELL IT where I want it to look.  Every standard windows application has a text entry area in the navigator area and/or in the file->open dialog in which people can type something like "\\1.2.3.4\some\directory" and they work.  Everything from notepad to word to lightroom to photoshop to ANY standard windows application.

I don't see where in you application I can do this...

-Joe Chott

[Kirk Baker]

Joe,

I tried these things.  Neither the navigator or the file->"Open Contact Sheet" allow me to TELL IT where I want it to look.  Every standard windows application has a text entry area in the navigator area and/or in the file->open dialog in which people can type something like "\\1.2.3.4\some\directory" and they work.  Everything from notepad to word to lightroom to photoshop to ANY standard windows application.

I don't see where in you application I can do this...

Can't you use drag and drop from a Windows Explorer window?

-Kirk

[verxion]

Well I tried that as well.  I can drag a network share to the navigator, it doesn't do a thing.  Dragging a folder to the photo mechanic main window DOES something - it just frustrates the heck out of me, lol.  If I drag a top level folder to the main window, it displays it, just doesn't show a single thing in it.

I have to drag EACH INDIVIDUAL LOW LEVEL FOLDER to the main window to have it do anything at all.  So if I want to peruse a few hundred folders (which is my intended use model), I need to run photo mechanic in a tiny window so that I can have an explorer window open next to it JUST to do something every other windows application has built in...

-Joe Chott

[Kirk Baker]

Joe,

Well I tried that as well.  I can drag a network share to the navigator, it doesn't do a thing.  Dragging a folder to the photo mechanic main window DOES something - it just frustrates the heck out of me, lol.  If I drag a top level folder to the main window, it displays it, just doesn't show a single thing in it.

I have to drag EACH INDIVIDUAL LOW LEVEL FOLDER to the main window to have it do anything at all.  So if I want to peruse a few hundred folders (which is my intended use model), I need to run photo mechanic in a tiny window so that I can have an explorer window open next to it JUST to do something every other windows application has built in...

Is there some reason you can't temporarily map a drive letter to your network share?  If you do that then the Navigator will work quite well for you.

Otherwise I have no solution for you at this time.  There is indeed no place in the Navigator where you can give it a UNC path to browse.

-Kirk

[verxion]

I have several hundred UNC paths that I use on a regular basis.  There aren't sufficient drive letters to map them all unfortunately. 

-Joe Chott

[Kirk Baker]

Joe,

I have several hundred UNC paths that I use on a regular basis.  There aren't sufficient drive letters to map them all unfortunately. 

OK.  Well I'm sorry.  I have no other solutions for you at this time.

-Kirk

[cbfaulkner]

Hello,

I am having the same issues the other user describes.  Is there a workaround yet?

Cedric

[jwvaughn]

I've had a need in the past to connect to various network paths and I wrote a batch file that minimized the effort.  I had a collection of the batch files with the a hint at the path in the name so all I had to do was click on the right one, enter the password and I was good to go.  I suspect that the same scheme may be adaptable for your needs. I don't recall if administrative permission is required since has been long time since I've used the technique.

Here is an example of the contents of one of the batch files: net use w: \\Sirius\C$ /USER:jwvaughn *

This assigned local drive W to the C drive on Sirius using the account for jwvaughn. The * caused a popup for me to enter a password.

See the documentation above for more options. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/gg651155(v=ws.11)

jwv

[cbfaulkner]

Thanks for the batch file.  However it is not about mapping a drive letter.  UNC paths work fine under "Favorites" but don't work or are visible under "Navigator.

[Kirk Baker]

Cedric,

Thanks for the batch file.  However it is not about mapping a drive letter.  UNC paths work fine under "Favorites" but don't work or are visible under "Navigator.

Do these UNC paths automatically show up in Windows Explorer?  Or do you have to enter them in the path field?

-Kirk

[cbfaulkner]

Kirk,

I hope this answers your question.  In the Windows Explorer tree on the left, I expand Network and it then shows my NAS.  I expand the NAS and navigate to the folder I want.  Just as expected.

In PM+, I select the Navigator Tab, expand Desktop, expand Network and I am then presented with three nodes (Microsoft Terminal Services, Microsoft Windows Network and Web Client Network).  I then expand Microsoft Windows Network and nothing populates underneath it.  Then the + to expand it goes away.

I am using a QNAP NAS.  I have "enable file service for Microsoft Networking" checked.

I open a contact sheet that uses a UNC path.  When I right click on the tab and select "Reveal in Windows Explorer" it properly opens the UNC path.  When I right click on the tab and select "Reveal in Navigator" it doesn't do anything.  If I do File Open Contact Sheet it does not add it to the Navigator.

Cedric

If

[Kirk Baker]

Cedric,

I hope this answers your question.  In the Windows Explorer tree on the left, I expand Network and it then shows my NAS.  I expand the NAS and navigate to the folder I want.  Just as expected.

In PM+, I select the Navigator Tab, expand Desktop, expand Network and I am then presented with three nodes (Microsoft Terminal Services, Microsoft Windows Network and Web Client Network).  I then expand Microsoft Windows Network and nothing populates underneath it.  Then the + to expand it goes away.

I am using a QNAP NAS.  I have "enable file service for Microsoft Networking" checked.

Interesting, I also have a QNAP NAS and it works fine.  I expand Network and I see my NAS listed along with other network shares and I can expand the NAS entry and see the various volumes it offers.  I can expand those too and I can double click on folders on the NAS and they open as Contact Sheets.  I can also right-click on the Contact Sheet tab and use Reveal in Navigator->UNC path and it shows in the Navigator.

I expect that something about your network or security is preventing Photo Mechanic from interacting with your network.

-Kirk

[cbfaulkner]

Thank you.  That helps.  I will investigate from the QNAP end.