How to show only selected files?

[Mees Dekker]

Situation: I have an active file window with 2000+ files. Out of these 2000 files I select some 450 files (in this case by using the map panel, but it could also be done by selecting them otherwise). 

Since I did not search the entire database (but only the active window), the selected files will not be presented in a separate result window. So to find the selected files, I have to scroll through these 2000+ files in this window. 

Questions: 

• is there a way to show only the selected files in a file window?
• is there somewhere a toggle to show only selected files, only non-selected files and all files in a certain file window?
• is there a way to export the selected files to a result window?

[hluxem]

Ctrl+G,R or right click, additional functions, open selection in result window

You can also use a temporary category, bookmark or pin if you want to add on or remove some files afterwards.

Heiner

[Mario]

Open in Result Window is the way to go.
Or, select and press <B> to bookmark the selected files.
The you can use the Collection filter to show / hide selected / non-selected files as needed.

[Mees Dekker]

Thank you all.

It is amazing what IMatch can do and how fast this community responds.

[ubacher]

Mario says:

Or, select and press <B> to bookmark the selected files.

I like to use this occasion to mention a difficulty which has bothered me many times:

What if one has already (still) some bookmarked files? Then the freshly bookmarked files will be mixed in with the
previously bookmarked ones - which can - when undetected - result in quite a mess (personal experience!)

To use bookmarks in this way means one has to check first if there are already some bookmarked files: switch to
Collections->Bookmarks and then remove any existing bookmarks.

I thought of different ways to overcome this inconvenience/danger:

- have the number of how many files are bookmarked displayed at all times (saves checking)
- issue a warning when closing or opening Imatch and bookmarked files exist - as a reminder.
- timestamp the adding of each bookmark. This way one could separate old and new bookmarks.
- issue a warning the first time today a bookmark is added if some bookmarks already exist.
- A quick way to place existing bookmarked files into a category and remove existing bookmarks.
  Bookmarked_files.As_existed_on_2023-08-07_122103. An App could do this.

Of course this would apply also to other markers (Pins,Dots,Flags)

Any more ideas out there? Am I the only one who is bothered by this?

[sinus]

Mario says:

Or, select and press <B> to bookmark the selected files.

...

Any more ideas out there? Am I the only one who is bothered by this?

No, you are not the only one, me too. 
Some years ago, I asked for more collections ... Mario mentioned, and quite true, that we have already a lot of collections.
B is for bookmarks, if we had C for C-Bookmarks, D for ... and so on  would be one solution (for me).
Finally simply more collections, what we can use very easy.

Of course, we have collections. And quite a lot, thanks to Mario.

Nevertheless, not enough for me.
I have "solved" this for me with categories. I created some cats

Bookmark-A
Bookmark-B
Bookmark-C

and so on. Then I created a favourites for each of them. On this way I can add some images quite quickly.
But before I do so, I must also quickly have a look, is this category-bookmark empty or not, what is finally the same problem like you have.

I can remember, when we had another script-language (ähm, grrr, I do not remember just now  ) I created a script, and each time, if I added some image to a category, if the cat was not empty, the script showed, how many images are in and asked, want I delete the old ones or want I merge.
This was really very good.

But nowadays, I am not able to create such an app, too complicated for me. But I am sure, it could be done.

[Mario]

What if one has already (still) some bookmarked files? Then the freshly bookmarked files will be mixed in with the
previously bookmarked ones - which can - when undetected - result in quite a mess (personal experience!)

Yes.
Why not set aside a flag, pin or dot for this purpose. Instead of using bookmarks I mean. If this causes confusion at your end since you use bookmarks also for other things? IMatch offers you many ways to do handle this, with equally quick keyboard shortcuts.

Or, use a dedicated category for this purpose. Or several, if you need to temporarily persist multiple selections.
Add favorites with keyboard shortcuts for them so you can quickly persist selections when needed.

Complex "checking/warning" schemes are really not needed.
If you use bookmarks also for other things, don't use them for storing temporary selections. Easy.

[ubacher]

The problem with using bookmarks (etc) to temporarily remember a collection of files is that one forgets to
clear the bookmarks when finished i.e when the bookmarked files have been "worked on".
This in turn forces one to perform a check for existing bookmarks before one assigns some again.

Using instead pins or categories etc. does not eliminate this problem.

I will solicit an App for this - like Markus said he once had - in the App board.

[Mario]

Yeah, well...
What can I say. It depends on your workflow.

If you use a category for your temporary selections, you can immediately see in the Category Panel and Category View if it already images. And then decide to clear it or add to it.
Similar for collections. A quick check in the Collection View is all that is needed.

I frankly never considered this to be a problem.
I use a small set of categories to keep temporary selections (I use bookmarks for their intended purpose, to quickly navigate large sets of files in a File Window).