Twitchy Category panels

[Curtis]

I'm tagging photos by selecting my "Untagged" tag in the left pane to filter my photos and then I select and tag subsets of the untagged by selecting tags in my right pane Categories pane. However, as I'm working the left pane periodically does a 'refresh' that scrolls the right pane away from where I'm about to click, and I have to scroll through a long keyword list again, and then again it might scroll away if I don't click fast enough. I have to click on a nearby tag on the right side (on the word, not the tagging box) to select it and keep the right pane in that vicinity while I hone in on the specific tag to assign. It's a bit nerve-wracking to work around this twitchiness and it's also easy to click just as the pane scrolls and I end up clicking on the wrong tag.

Is there a way to stop the refreshing and scrolling of the category panes while I work? Or is there another better workflow to what I'm trying to do?

[Mario]

It is usually not a good idea to mutate (modify) the File Window contents (scope) you are currently viewing.
Like, loading your "Untagged" category into a File Window and then actively changing the base on which untagged is calculated (I assume this is based on keywords or something).

The File Window will respond to the events generated by the IMatch database when you add/remove/modify keywords and reload the "Untagged" category over and over. Not ideal.

Also, changing keywords or categories will cause the Category Panel, Category View, Category Filter and File Categories panel (when visible / active) to reload, since categories depending on keywords or categories you change will have to recalculate and update.

Instead, do this:

Select all files in your category with <Ctrl>+<A> and open them in a separate Result Window <Ctrl>+<G>+<R> (Result Windows). This "fixes" the scope and makes it independent from the changes you perform. If so desired, you can reload the Result Window when needed using <F5>.

[Jingo]

Result windows are a great way to keep track of items you are working on from auto-calculated categories for sure.  

As I continue to filter down my list of images with "No Keywords" - loading subsets of images into result windows from that category enables me to apply keywords, ratings, etc without those images disappearing from the File Window as the category updates.

[Curtis]

Thank you, this appears to be exactly what I need for keywording untagged files. 
One follow-up question: Once I am working with a subset of files in the Result Window, can I take such a sub-selection and remove only them from the Result Window (because I have finished tagging them, I removed their temporary "untagged" tag and want them out of the way to focus on the remaining untagged files)? I don't see such an option in View|Result Windows, so would I: close the Result Window, select the remaining untagged files in the file window, and create a new Result Window, and repeat as I go along? That's okay, I just want to be sure there isn't a way to remove items from the original Result Window on command.

[sinus]

You can in the result window select the images, what you want have to edit, and open a new (second) result window. You can open several result windows, even if the same image in several result windows.

[Curtis]

Yes, I was thinking along those lines. In my case I would complete work on a selection within the Result Window, invert the selection (Ctrl+I), and make a new Result Window of that. However, I don't know if I want to create too many Result Windows from working with a large set of untagged files, for example. Perhaps closing and creating a new Result Window is more advisable. 
My question about being able to remove selections from the original Result Window could be an efficient way to keep working in just one (shrinking) Result Window. But removing subsets of files from the Result Window might trigger those files to cause a Category update that causes my "twitching/updating/scrolling" experience while I try to tag in the Category pane; if so, there would be no advantage to that method!

[Mario]

I have thought about this a while ago and it's on my to-do list.

A Result Window created from an arbitrary selection of files could support an "remove" feature (like <U> for categories which un-assigns images). Since the contents of the Result Window in this case is not linked to a selection or search, removing individual files would not break anything.

I will consider this for a future version of IMatch.

[Curtis]

I apologize if I'm belaboring the point, but I am now using this Result Window workflow. It solves the frequent updating when working in the main file window, but I am still having an issue in the right-side Categories pane while working in the Result Window. If I assign one tag in the Categories pane, about 7 seconds later that tag becomes selected (highlighted) and scrolls itself to the top of the Categories pane. This even happens if I've scrolled that tag out of view and am looking for my next tag to assign. Even if I'm holding the scrollbar in another area of the pane it will scroll away back to the previous tag. Is there yet a way to stop this scrolling behavior? (I have not selected the second-from-right Categories button that automatically scrolls to the first selected category.)

[Mario]

Disable the follow option:



See Categories Panel for more information about all functions and features of this panel.

Again, you are modifying what you work with. Using the categories panel is not the best way to assign keywords to files. The Keywords Panel is the main feature to work with keywords in IMatch.

[Jingo]

I have thought about this a while ago and it's on my to-do list.

A Result Window created from an arbitrary selection of files could support an "remove" feature (like <U> for categories which un-assigns images). Since the contents of the Result Window in this case is not linked to a selection or search, removing individual files would not break anything.

I will consider this for a future version of IMatch.

As someone who uses result windows a lot - I would welcome this!  

Which reminds me - I really should finish my "Result Store & Load" app.. which allows you to "save" result windows and "load" them back at a later time.. I can't recall what state the app is currently in but I believe I never finished it.. maybe?  

[Mario]

Which reminds me - I really should finish my "Result Store & Load" app.. which allows you to "save" result windows and "load" them back at a later time.. I can't recall what state the app is currently in but I believe I never finished it.. maybe? 

Wouldn't assigning the files to one of the collections (bookmark, dot, pins, flag) or a category do the same?

I mean, that's how I "persist" selections of files when I want to store them for some time. Easy to do, quick (you can even use favorites) and to restore the selection, I just click on the category. And can do a Ctrl+A, Ctrl+G,R to revive the originating Result Window.

[Jingo]

Which reminds me - I really should finish my "Result Store & Load" app.. which allows you to "save" result windows and "load" them back at a later time.. I can't recall what state the app is currently in but I believe I never finished it.. maybe?

Wouldn't assigning the files to one of the collections (bookmark, dot, pins, flag) or a category do the same?

I mean, that's how I "persist" selections of files when I want to store them for some time. Easy to do, quick (you can even use favorites) and to restore the selection, I just click on the category. And can do a Ctrl+A, Ctrl+G,R to revive the originating Result Window.

Absolutely... I could also just assign a keyword or category too.  I just love writing Apps and trying to create... 90% of the apps I've written don't even get used beyond a few times.. 

[Mario]

Writing apps for IMatch is definitely fun (at least part of the time)!

[Curtis]

Disable the follow option:



See Categories Panel for more information about all functions and features of this panel.

Again, you are modifying what you work with. Using the categories panel is not the best way to assign keywords to files. The Keywords Panel is the main feature to work with keywords in IMatch.

Yes, I have had that option disabled throughout this time, part of why I was surprised by the scrolling. I will use the Keywords panel, it's just a bit slower overall due to a few deeply nested keywords that I have to expand each time I tag new photo(s).

[Mario]

As someone who uses result windows a lot - I would welcome this!

I have implemented this feature for the next IMatch release.
If a Result Window was created from a selection of files, the new Remove selected files from Result Window command (Ctrl+R,R) allows you to remove all selected files from the Result Window. This can be quite handy.