Keywording in Photo Mechanic

[NGoff]

Hi, Kirk!

My computer is an Apple, Power PC G5, with operating system Mac OS 10.4.11. I use Capture NX2 but haven't opened it yet to work with these photos. My camera is a Nikon 70s. My version of Photomechanic is 4.6.3.

Two questions today:

1. I'm trying to learn to apply keywords in PM to more than one image at a time. (Until today, I was a Cut and Paste girl. (In other words, I have no experience with attempting this with PM or any other program).

So far, I am able to create a Master Keywords list, transfer needed keywords from the Master Keywords list to the Current Keywords list, save them as a snapshot, then I am successful in applying them to the several images that I have selected. Yeah.....a good afternoon's learning session.

What is confusing to me is after I perform the above functions. To go onto a new small group of photos in the contact sheet, I am finding that I have to take the mouse, scroll over and hit "ok" on the open "IPTC Keywords" screen and then take the mouse, scroll over and hit "ok" on the "IPTC Info for .....". This seems very cumbersome. Shouldn't I just be able to use the "return" key? It's highlighted!  Or, shouldn't I be able to use the "save & right arrow" button on the "IPTC infor for ...." screen to get out of these screens?

If that is not what the "save & right arrow" button is for, what is it for?  

Am I missing something? Or is some part of my computer or PM version turned off? Or, is there a keyboard command I can use to quickly move on?  

2. When I ingested the images on this particular Compact Disk, I didn't add the correct town, island name and country beforehand. How can I add this information now to every image in this file? I've been attempting to add to the fields during the Keywording, but it's not working, though the corresponding box next to the fields are checked.

As usual, I know just enough to find 5 more problems!

Thank you,
Natalie Goff

[Kirk Baker]

Natalie,

My computer is an Apple, Power PC G5, with operating system Mac OS 10.4.11. I use Capture NX2 but haven't opened it yet to work with these photos. My camera is a Nikon 70s. My version of Photomechanic is 4.6.3.

Two questions today:

1. I'm trying to learn to apply keywords in PM to more than one image at a time. (Until today, I was a Cut and Paste girl. (In other words, I have no experience with attempting this with PM or any other program).

So far, I am able to create a Master Keywords list, transfer needed keywords from the Master Keywords list to the Current Keywords list, save them as a snapshot, then I am successful in applying them to the several images that I have selected. Yeah.....a good afternoon's learning session.

What is confusing to me is after I perform the above functions. To go onto a new small group of photos in the contact sheet, I am finding that I have to take the mouse, scroll over and hit "ok" on the open "IPTC Keywords" screen and then take the mouse, scroll over and hit "ok" on the "IPTC Info for .....". This seems very cumbersome. Shouldn't I just be able to use the "return" key? It's highlighted!  Or, shouldn't I be able to use the "save & right arrow" button on the "IPTC infor for ...." screen to get out of these screens?

If that is not what the "save & right arrow" button is for, what is it for?  

Am I missing something? Or is some part of my computer or PM version turned off? Or, is there a keyboard command I can use to quickly move on?

If you hover your mouse pointer over the buttons in question, you'll see a tool tip appear that will show you the keyboard equivalents.  Save and Next would be a good one to use in this case so you can keyword the next image.  You can also avoid the IPTC Info dialog altogether and use the Keywords panel (from the Image menu) to set keywords without having to open and close dialogs.

2. When I ingested the images on this particular Compact Disk, I didn't add the correct town, island name and country beforehand. How can I add this information now to every image in this file? I've been attempting to add to the fields during the Keywording, but it's not working, though the corresponding box next to the fields are checked.

Select all of the photos that are from the same place.  Use the IPTC Stationery Pad.  Set the City, Country, etc. and clear any checkboxes that you don't want applied (the IPTC Stationery Pad can clear as well as fill in fields) then Apply the IPTC Stationery Pad.

-Kirk

P.S. I don't recommend putting your email address in your posts.  Leave them in your profile, hidden.  Otherwise spam harvesters can get your email address and you'll get a lot of unwanted email.  You can edit your post and remove it if you wish.

[Luiz Muzzi]

Natalie,
Good afternoon and welcome to the forum.
As a newbie myself, I read PM's manual many times and it surely helped me in learning many features of PM.
Good luck!
Regards,

-Luiz Muzzi

[NGoff]

Kirk,

Thank you so much. You cleared up my confusion in a few minutes. I'm really liking the Keyword Panel alot! Also, thank you for the heads-up regarding the tool tips. It never dawned on me that there might be some other command to make the Return Key work!

And Kirk and Luis..... Just to let you know.....I really do read and re-read the manual for several hours before I ask for help. I know my problems are very elementary.

Thanks again,
Your Ultra-Newbie friend,
Natalie

[Kirk Baker]

Natalie,

Thank you so much. You cleared up my confusion in a few minutes. I'm really liking the Keyword Panel alot! Also, thank you for the heads-up regarding the tool tips. It never dawned on me that there might be some other command to make the Return Key work!

And Kirk and Luis..... Just to let you know.....I really do read and re-read the manual for several hours before I ask for help. I know my problems are very elementary.

Please feel free to ask questions or for advice.  Not only are the developers of Photo Mechanic here, but there are some really helpful people on these forums.  We have a wonderful community here.

-Kirk

[Luiz Muzzi]

Natalie,
So sorry... if I implied in any way that you had not read the manual!!
It was just a "silly" piece of advice from a newbie.
As to Kirk's reply, yes, there is a wonderful community always ready to help...(perhaps I was too eager to help others too).

-Luiz Muzzi

[NGoff]

Thanks, you guys!

Yes, I can tell this is a great forum....it's amazing how quickly my problems have been addressed. I'm extremely happy to have found you all! 

Sincerely, Luis and Kirk, that was not me taking offense in any way! That was me being grateful for help! I was just trying to convey that I have been and will continue to search for answers in the manual before asking for help, that I will try to not take advantage of those so willing to help me. Because as a computer user, I am absolutely aware that I have a lot of catching-up to do.

From reading the caliber and detail within the questions posed in this forum, I'm becoming aware that I've stepped up to a more sophisticated level of software programming here. I'm so appreciative of your help.

Thanks again,
Natalie