Structured Supp Categoires?

[nlkinnun]

Is there a way to make a formated list for the Support Categories? (along the same lines as the structured keywords)  Or stop it from alphabetizing?

PM V. 4.5.3.2
Windows XP

[Kirk Baker]

Is there a way to make a formated list for the Support Categories? (along the same lines as the structured keywords)  Or stop it from alphabetizing?

No, sorry, there is no way to do either of those things.  What is it that you're trying to achieve?

-Kirk

[nlkinnun]

This is a partial list of what we WANT to import into the Supp Catagories. 
PERFORMANCES
   DANCE - RECITAL
   INSTRUMENTAL - Orchestra
   MISC - PERFORMANCES
   THEATER - STAGE
   VOCAL - CHORUS
PRESIDENT COLEMAN
   CANDIDS
   PORTRAIT
   WITH STUDENTS
   WITH VIPS
        NEWS CONFERENCES
   PODIUM
   REGALIA
PORTRAITS
   ADMINISTRATION
   FACULTY AND STAFF
   STUDENTS
      Dance
      Dept Headshots
      General
      Graduation
      Instrumental
      Theater
      Voice
SEASONAL SCENES
   FALL
   SPRING
   SUMMER
   WINTER
STUDENT LIFE
   ACTIVITIES
   COMMENCEMENT
   COMPUTERS
   FANS
   Having Fun
   Misc - Student Life
   Performances
   Protestors
   Studying
   With Faculty/Staff
   With Parents
   With VIPS
U-M-DEARBORN
U-M-FLINT
VIPS
   Donors
   U-M - VIPS
   Visitors

As you know, once the import is complete, the formatting will be removed and the words will alphabetize.  The problem is that some the SUB-Categories are duplicate words - but not really the same "meaning".  And some SUB-Categories are vague without the Header.

One idea would be if we could achieve a list that sorts into groups.  The header, followed by the SUB-Categories with empty lines between each group.  Which, I get the idea that if you can't tell it not to alpha then it still won't work.

PERFORMANCES
DANCE - RECITAL
INSTRUMENTAL - Orchestra
MISC - PERFORMANCES
THEATER - STAGE
VOCAL - CHORUS
- - -
PRESIDENT COLEMAN
CANDIDS
PORTRAIT
WITH STUDENTS
WITH VIPS
NEWS CONFERENCES
PODIUM
REGALIA
- - -
PORTRAITS
ADMINISTRATION
FACULTY AND STAFF
STUDENTS
Dance
Dept Headshots
General
Graduation
Instrumental
Theater
Voice
- - -
SEASONAL SCENES
FALL
SPRING
SUMMER
WINTER
- - -
ect.

[Kirk Baker]

This is a partial list of what we WANT to import into the Supp Catagories. 
PERFORMANCES
   DANCE - RECITAL
   INSTRUMENTAL - Orchestra
   MISC - PERFORMANCES
   THEATER - STAGE
   VOCAL - CHORUS
PRESIDENT COLEMAN
   CANDIDS
   PORTRAIT
   WITH STUDENTS
   WITH VIPS
        NEWS CONFERENCES
   PODIUM
   REGALIA
PORTRAITS
   ADMINISTRATION
   FACULTY AND STAFF
   STUDENTS
      Dance
      Dept Headshots
      General
      Graduation
      Instrumental
      Theater
      Voice
SEASONAL SCENES
   FALL
   SPRING
   SUMMER
   WINTER
STUDENT LIFE
   ACTIVITIES
   COMMENCEMENT
   COMPUTERS
   FANS
   Having Fun
   Misc - Student Life
   Performances
   Protestors
   Studying
   With Faculty/Staff
   With Parents
   With VIPS
U-M-DEARBORN
U-M-FLINT
VIPS
   Donors
   U-M - VIPS
   Visitors

As you know, once the import is complete, the formatting will be removed and the words will alphabetize.  The problem is that some the SUB-Categories are duplicate words - but not really the same "meaning".  And some SUB-Categories are vague without the Header.

One idea would be if we could achieve a list that sorts into groups.  The header, followed by the SUB-Categories with empty lines between each group.  Which, I get the idea that if you can't tell it not to alpha then it still won't work.

PERFORMANCES
DANCE - RECITAL
INSTRUMENTAL - Orchestra
MISC - PERFORMANCES
THEATER - STAGE
VOCAL - CHORUS
- - -
PRESIDENT COLEMAN
CANDIDS
PORTRAIT
WITH STUDENTS
WITH VIPS
NEWS CONFERENCES
PODIUM
REGALIA
- - -
PORTRAITS
ADMINISTRATION
FACULTY AND STAFF
STUDENTS
Dance
Dept Headshots
General
Graduation
Instrumental
Theater
Voice
- - -
SEASONAL SCENES
FALL
SPRING
SUMMER
WINTER
- - -
ect.

The Supplemental Categories fields are not suitable for that purpose.  They are limited in length in most applications, meaning that if you use some of these applications to modify any metadata, they will trim off characters outside of the length specification for the field.  Photo Mechanic does not enforce those restrictions.

Using the Keywords field with a path separator would be a much better solution.  The 'path separator' feature was implemented in version 4.6.  With it you can have your hierarchy, have it maintained, and be compatible with other applications.

-Kirk

[nlkinnun]

Thanks for your help.  We've been using the Keywords for something else and that works PERFECT so I don't want to mess around.  We do our data editing in PM and then load images into Cumulus for posting to the web.

I think we've worked out a way around this problem we created.