Is reverse propagation possible for attributes from version to master?

[jonz]

Is there a way to propagate attributes from a version to the master easily? I have to do this a lot and I know I can copy the attributes, move to the master, and paste the attributes.
I place the version file in my page layout program and I need to be able to edit the attributes in the version and then easily update the master. Thank you!

[Mario]

There is no reverse propagation. But you control what the version is and what the master.
Maybe a temporary rule, apply, propagate and disable again? Or make the versions the master permanently? IMatch has no fixed rules.

[jonz]

That could work if the files were just in several directories but they are in dozens of directories and three different drives. I go back to the version (instead of the master) because it is the files that's placed in the page layout program. Since I'm pulling the text in csv form for captions and other information, I need to have the custom order maintained and be able to go back and forth between the page layout and IMatch to edit. I was so sure that the right click option "propagate" when over the version file would do a reverse propagation and just take care of it, but no. Isn't there a way to cut down on the steps here, so I don't need to manually cut and paste attribute data each time I do something?

[Mario]

This sounds like a particular complex workflow. Even a CSV file is used.
IMatch can do a lot, but it cannot do everything, sorry.

Probably the best would be to write (or let write) a custom IMatch app which understands your workflow, how versions and master relate and what to copy up and down the chain...

[jonz]

I don't know, Mario, I think that IMatch does a lot - the CSV export is a good example. I think maybe I just tend to use your software harder then most people, and since you've created so much flexibility I always figure there's a way to do what I want, and there usually is. I don't see how other people wouldn't use reverse propagation, since indesign or whatever is always going to refer back to the version file. Would it be hard to implement that for the option menu? I can hear you groaning since next I'll want the controls on the preferences panel for what gets propagated! But just asking. Thanks...

[Mario]

Feel free to create a feature request. If a substantial number of users wants this, I may look into this.
Propagation is a complex beast. It not just Attributes but also metadata, ExifTool and whatnot.

Usually, when reverse propagation comes up (rarely), the easiest solution is to setup a inverse master->version relation and enable it when needed, propagate, and disable it again (with refreshing relations afterwards).
Or just to make the version the master. If you always use the version in InDesign, why not make it the master and the problem is solved? IMatch has no preferences.

[jonz]

If I have a category with versions in it from many media locations can I update the relations in that category only by refreshing relations? Don't I need to go to each location the file is stored and update the relations there? If I could simply flip the relations when I needed to in the category that would work for me as you suggest, but going back to the source and doing it for all the files would be laborious.

[Mario]

You can refresh relations on entire folder hierarchies, disks or even the entire database with the refresh relations command.
It uses the selected element in the Media & Folders tree or the Category Tree or Collection, Timeline Nodes, ..

[jonz]

I'm trying to take your suggestion of flipping the master and the version. I have it frustratingly close to working, but I don't know how to write a regular expression to trim off the characters that I append to the filename when I make versions. I append "_color" to versions. Can a regular expression cut the last six characters off a variable length string so I get the match between the flipped master/version combo?

Example:
1975-12 norwich portrait_color.tif (needs to be master)
1975-12 norwich portrait.tif (needs to be version)
or
2018-11-13__DSF7888_color.tif (needs to be master)
2018-11-13__DSF7888.jpg (needs to be version)

If there's a way to do that then changing the relations is a great solution. Thanks very much.

[Mario]

Not sure. Maybe try something like this:

Master: ^(.*_color)\.(jpg|tif)$

Replace: /_color//

Link: ^(_*{name})[+\-_]*[0-9|a-z]*\.(jpg|jpeg|dng|psd|tif|tiff)$

The master grabs all files names ending with _color and having a .jpg or .tif extension.

If your naming convention is strict, you may have a second look at Using only a part of the Master file name in the IMatch Help System.

[jonz]

Thank you Mario, I appreciate the help a lot. This works for me and solves a lot of problems. See - you don't need to apologize - IMatch does do everything!!!