Day 1 of Trial - help with multiple categories and filtering

[monstermaha]

Today is my first day using IMatch. I have set up a test folder of 100 photos that includes a subfolder. My question probably has a simple answer, but it eludes me at the moment (checked the help file and forums). I simply want to assign multiple categories to my pictures. I have the following hierarchies set up:

Events
   Soap Box Derby

People
   Andrew

Places
   Cabin
       Bear Valley

I want to assign all 100 pictures to Bear Valley. No problem. Then I want to assign all 100 pictures to Soap Box Derby. Then I want to assign 6 of them to Andrew. I was finally able to do the first two assignments (Bear Valley and Soap Box Derby) but when I assign Andrew to 6 pictures, Soap Box Derby is reduced by 6 down to 94. What am I doing wrong? Soap Box Derby should remain at 100.

On filtering, how do I filter on a single category? I added Categories to the Filter Manager, clicked on the Andrew category and nothing happens. All 100 pictures are visible still in the main viewing area. I've hit enter after, looked for a button, etc, but I can't see how to filter. Next, I want to be able to select Andrew and Bear Valley, but that doesn't work either.

Filtering and categories are the main reason I'm interested in IMatch. I had been using Adobe Photoshop Elements Organizer and then stupidly upgraded and Adobe totally messed up the organizer. IMatch seems similar to what Adobe used to have - I love being able to organize by categories and filter on them.

Thank you!

[herman]

Welcome to the Photools community!

What you want to do should not be difficult, as far as I can recall nobody else has been complaining about these functions.
So probably you are missing something.
It is impossible (at least for me....) to tell from your description what you may be doing wrong.
It may help when you post some screen shots.

Usually the fastest way to get help is to click somewhere in the panel you need help for (e.g. in the filter panel) and then just hit <f1>. This brings up a contextual help screen.

On filtering, how do I filter on a single category?
[....]
All 100 pictures are visible still in the main viewing area.

Does the bar above the file window turn blue with a funnel symbol in it? (see attachment)



[attachment deleted by admin]

[monstermaha]

Herman, thank you for your response. I think you actually helped resolve my issue. On the filtering, as I was looking for the funnel, it donned on me that I'm probably supposed to check the box next to "Categories" in the filter panel. Once I did that, I was able to filter as I wanted. Good funnel prompt!

I decided to start over on assigning categories so I could make screen prints of the steps. Instead of working with 100 files, I just selected 12. All the category assigning I was trying to do earlier worked (as I think the app was programmed to and what I expected). I think additional non-picture files were being included in the total count, but then discounted later. I'm totally guessing, but now that I see the assigning of categories does in fact work, I'll keep an eye out for files being discounted as I described in my first post.

So, thank you for leading me down the path to answer my questions! Now I have better confidence that IMatch will do what I want it to do.

[JohnZeman]

Welcome to the wonderful world of IMatch monstermaha!

How were you assigning the categories?  If you were using drag and drop to the category view on the left side, then it's possible IMatch could remove the selected images from one category as it adds them to the one you dragged them to.  You can override that by holding the CTRL key down while you drag and drop.  I rarely use that method to assign categories myself, I prefer to use the Category panel, or to set up the Favorites panel to hold your most commonly assigned categories (and/or splashers which lets you assign multiple categories with one mouse click).

[monstermaha]

Thanks for the tip JohnZeman. I was using the drag and drop method with the categories on the left. I'll try using the panel and/or favorites. I decided to go full on and start over with my actual files (as I will probably buy this software anyway). I just finished setting up my roughly 300 categories. Next is adding my folder and then assigning the categories to pictures and videos. I'm not looking forward to that part! It took me several weeks the first time I did it in Adobe Organizer, and now I have way more pictures than that time.  Oh, well. I just hope that this software stays around until I'm 100+!