Help with File Relations Expression and setup - New User

[wanderer]

Hi:
I need help understanding the expression syntax for defining file relations on this help page.
Configuring File Relations
Can someone point me to a page that goes into the expressions and other parameters here (such as time tolerance)?

I've also viewed the treads:  File Relations - Splitting Complex Expressions and Help with buddyfiles.

I seem to have myself confused how this all works..

Thank you!

For master files I have Sony ARW and a few DSLR-based JPGs, iPhone JPG, HEIC, and now DNG files as well as some older Canon CR2/JPG and scanned files.

The ARW and CR2 files are clearly master files, but the others could be either master files or derivative (version) files.  There are also some DNG, PSD, or TIF files that are used as intermediate working files but still need to pass through the appropriate metadata and keywording as applicable.

DxO Photolab uses the format filename.ARW.dop for their processing sidecars and filename_#.xxx for any "derivative" files exported from their "virtual copy" version inside the .dop files, with the "#" representing a virtual copy number: _1, _2, _3, etc.
I also append a letter code to the filename to show the intended use or alternate processing.  So there may be a jumble of letters or _# appended to the file name.  For example: filename_2strs.jpg is the filename, 2nd DxO virtual copy, with standard Topaz resizing.

I think I want the logic such that the system works as follows:
Find files with the "RAW" format (ARW, CR2, or heic) and set as "master" files
   - associate dop, ON1, (and xmp) files as buddy files.
   - associate any DNG, tif, PSD, with matching filename or filename+appended characters as buddy and versions
Find any unique DNG and set as "master"
   - associate any dop, ON1, (and smp) files as buddy files
   - associate any jpg, PSD, or tif with matching filename or filename+appended characters as buddy and versions
Find any unique JPG files and follow the same rules....

Then I'd like to be able to manually associate any oddly named files as needed to the master.  This might be something such as "sambirthday1.jpg as a version of DSCxxxxx.ARW.

[Mario]

Note: XMP files are implicitly considered by IMatch. Do not include them in any buddy or version rule.

I understand that you use files with .ARW, .CR2, .HEIC and .DNG as master files.
You use .JPG, .PSD and .DNG as version files. This means you have to be extra careful, since when IMatch looks at a .DNG file it can be a master, a version or both! A solid naming convention is required to make this work reliably!

Do you want to perform different propagation, depending on the master?
Else you can roll them all into one rule, which is faster.

Look at the NIKON Versioning sample rule to see how to define the file name masks for masters and versions.
Where  to search for versions depends on your specific folder layout, e.g. versions in the same folder as the master (extra tricky for your DNG files), or versions in a folder below the master folder or versions even on another disk.

I would recommend this:

1. Create a new folder and copy a .ARW and a.dop file into it.
If you keep versions in the same folder as the master, also copy a .JPG into the folder.

2. Create a new version rule, using the \.ARW$ as the master expression. I use the $ at the end to ensure that only files ending with .ARW are considered as masters, but not .ARW.dop files.

See Regular Expressions in the IMatch help for details. You can use the RegExp Tester app including in IMatch (in the App Manager Panel) to try out regular expressions and your file names.

Tip: The NEF Buddy Files sample rule available considers .dob files for buddy files. See how it's done.
The trick is to use nef\.dop as an extension (in your case, this would be arw\.dob (if you use this extension in a list as shown in the NEF Buddy rule) or \.arw\.dob if you use it stand-alone).

3. Create a buddy files rule that matches your file names, file names with postfix.

4. Save. Select the folder created in 1. and press <F4>,<R> to refresh the relations (or use Command menu > Relations > Refresh Relations)

5. Your .ARW should now be a master and the .JPG a version. You should see the corresponding icons in the File Window.

6. With View > Panels > Versions open the Versions tab. This way you see all versions of the selected master.

7. Work from there, by adding more masters / versions and update your file relation rule accordingly. <F4>,<R> to refresh the relations after making changes.

8. When satisfied, repeat to make buddy file rules to keep your .dob and .ARW together. Don't make rules for XMP, IMatch takes care for that automatically.

From my experience, 10 users have 12 different ways how they define "versions" and "masters".
Often it is simple, but sometimes users make their live extra hard, e.g. by complex naming schemes or distributing versions across many folders and drives.

It's best for the user to understand how relations and buddy files work. Only then he can apply the features provided by IMatch (which are unique and extensive) to his own situation. Start simple, verify, extend.