Automation questions

[sinus]

Hi Mario

I think, the automation could have a great potencial.
Because I can do with one keybutton, things like:

Open a stack
Transfer all files into a result window
search all versions (or e.g. jpgs)

and much more, I think.

Two questions, what I have missed or overseen in the help:

- what is the difference between Favorites (P) and Favorites(S) in the action dropdown?

You mentioned the problem with message boxes for automation.
That is true.
If I have a window like in my attachement, I would like to do a last step: let run a batch-processor with these selected files.

For this I have created a favorites for a batch-processor, with a given name.
If I let run this window with this favorites-button, it works like a charm.

But if I try to add this step to the automation (run favorite (P or S), where I choose this favorites, what has a "Image Batch processor", then IMatch starts with the Batch - processor, but crashes without any messages.
Sometimes some message boxes from the batch-processor does pop up, but if I click on the flickering messages, IMatch crashes.
With or without the actions "wait for dialog box to close". Does not matter.

Do you see a way to do this, let run a image-batch-processor with the automation or not?

The problem, I think, are the message boxes, like you wrote in the help.

[Mario]

Primary and secondary action.

Which version of IMatch 2021 do you use?

Note that the documentation explicitly says that not all features in IMatch can be used from Automation.
Things that open dialog boxes, e.g. Batch Processor, are critical. May work, or not.
You run a favorite which runs a favorite which runs an export tool (Batch Processor). Losts of things can get in the way here.
Always make sure you do that as the very last step in your Automation favorite. If there are other steps following, things will fail for sure.

1. I have created a BP Favorite.
2. I have created an Automation favorite which selects all JPEG files in the current File Window and then runs the Batch Processor Favorite I have created in step 1.
I see no problems. Important that running the favorite is the last step!

[sinus]

Which version of IMatch 2021 do you use?

2021.11.4.

1. I have created a BP Favorite.
2. I have created an Automation favorite which selects all JPEG files in the current File Window and then runs the Batch Processor Favorite I have created in step 1.
I see no problems. Important that running the favorite is the last step!

Thanks, Mario
That is interesting, I will try again, though I have tried a lot.

[ubacher]

I have tried this:
The batch file is called repeatedly with the active file. Repeats until? It stopped eventually
- not sure if from some attempts on my side.

(My batch file reduced the dimensions and wrote the resulting file to an external directory.)

[Mario]

I've created a BP preset which outputs JPEG files to an output folder.
Made a Favorite for this.
Made an AutoFav which selects activates the FW, resets the selection, selects all JPG files and in the final step (!) runs the primary action of the BP favorite.
Works without a hitch.

Maybe an improvement I've made or something. Try again when the next IMatch release comes out in January.

[sinus]

Thanks, ubacher

Yep, what I found out, if the BP has an entry activated "stop on errors" then IMatch crashes, and crashes that quick I have seldom seen.
I deactivated then this checkbox in the BP and it worked a bit longer.

The next problem was, when the output found the same filename and asked "should I overwrite this".
This gave also problems.

Hence I added a file-name, what is unique.

This was better now, but IMatch created images over and over, although I had only 3 selected.

I have to check some other things tomorrow, and like Mario said, with the next version.

At least it is not that important, finally it is "only" a time-saver.