No DUPLICATES category

[BanjoTom]

In the help files, at:
https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/rmh_config_indexing.htm

... it shows a "DUPLICATES" category which to which files can be assigned during indexing, if the indexing is set to check the database for duplicates (either visually identical, visually identical with same file format, or binary identical).  This seems very useful. 

BUT (even with a search of my categories), I don't seem to have a category called "DUPLICATES" at all.  Should this category have been automatically created by IMatch, or do I need to create it myself?

[Mario]

Go to Edit > Preferences > Indexing and select a category for the duplicate search. You can create a new one first or pick one of the existing categories. Also pick one of the duplicate options (default is "visually identical, same format").

For new databases IMatch creates a category named DUPLICATES and configures it to receive duplicate files. This is part of the database creation process.

[BanjoTom]

I guess I don't already have a DUPLICATES category because my database is not new.
So I'll just create that category and set it up in the indexing, as suggested.

Thanks, Mario!

[Mario]

Precisely.

[BanjoTom]

Created the DUPLICATES category and tested it by deliberately importing a copy of a photo file that was already in the database.  Worked perfectly!!!  

[Mario]

That's the way to use it. IMatch will tell you (via the Notification area) when an import brought in duplicate files. Then you can check the category and decide which files to keep.

You can of course at any time run a dupe search by selecting all files in your database (Database node in the Media & Folders View) and run a Search > Copies or Search > Duplicates. And then weed out the duplicates found.

Usually this is some thing that needs to be done only once - when a user starts managing files with IMatch and ingests a file collection created over a long time. Dupes are quite common if files are just 'managed' using Windows Explorer or similar.