Need to select multiple ranges of files, ... as in Windows

[BaliDave]

I need to (de)select multiple RANGES of files.  Normally in Windows Explorer and other programs, I select the first files or range with either clicks or shift-clicks.  Additional single files can be added to/subtracted from the selection via ctrl click.  IMatch does this part OK.  But often I'm dealing with hundreds of files in some random-like order and need to select multiple ranges of files as well as some individual ones for some operation, e.g. assign a category.  I may even need to select several ranges and individual files and actually deselect some ranges or single files within these.  This is readily done in Windows Explorer and most other Windows programs that deal with multiple file selection today using Ctrl Shift cllick and Ctrl click.

But what I don't find working in IMatch is doing (selecting or deselecting) 2nd or subsequent ranges using a click on a file followed by a ctrl-shift click on the end of the range like I do in Windows -- instead IMatch just adds/subtracts the last file.  I submitted this as a question and was told it is not available in IMatch presently. https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=4727

And I strongly suspect this multi-range select capability is needed in other parts too, not just file selection.  Please include this capability in an upcoming release.

[sinus]

I liked this post.
Once I made a Feature Request about selecting, just to mentioning it.
https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=4341.msg29118#msg29118

To be honest, I do not exactly know, how, but I would like to have something, where we are more "free" to selecting/deselecting images.

[Mario]

I have not implemented the complex selection/partial de-selection scenario because it a) is rarely used (this is why it was never requested) and b) it complicates things internally a lot. More complexity means more time, more testing, more bugs.

IMatch has it's unique collections (Bookmarks, Pins, Dots, Flags) which can be used exactly for the purpose you have in mind - to quickly setup a complex selection of files. Just press <B> to bookmark the files you want to process, for example. When you are finished, switch to the Bookmark collection, perform the operations you want to perform, and then empty the bookmarks collection when you no longer need the selection. Or maybe keep it. Or maybe convert it into a category. Or move the files into another collection.

[BaliDave]

OK, but then that means I can't use bookmarks (or whatever collection marker) for anything else since I don't want other files entering into this process.  So I need to be disciplined in what marker I'm using for the selection process and never use it for anything more permanent; or am I missing something?

BTW, IMatch is a really great and remarkable piece of software -- just that I'm trying to catch up on tons of photos that haven't yet been input to or approprately "filed"/categorized/rated/..., so trying to find quick ways to do the mechanical aspects of getting them in.
Thanks.

[sinus]

OK, but then that means I can't use bookmarks (or whatever collection marker) for anything else since I don't want other files entering into this process.  So I need to be disciplined in what marker I'm using for the selection process and never use it for anything more permanent; or am I missing something?

I think, this is exactly like you writes. You have to "reserve" bookmarks OR dots OR pins and so on for such a task.
You have a lot of possibilites in IMatch, you could even create a category or two, and create a knob in the favorites, then you can select some images, hit the know, then they are in the category and you can go further.

I think, discipline is the word, like you writes.

[BaliDave]

A bothersome aspect of using markers is you do have to remember to empty the marker set before you start using it again, perhaps in the same set of or another set of files.  And the marker may not be readily visible (e.g. using in-the-box small index display of images for the same set of files, or any display if working on another set of files).  So unlike Ctrl Shift select where the selection is always apparent, not so when using markers -- the former "automatically empties" any previous selection.  I can certainly see myself forgetting to empty the bookmarks before starting on selecting another set pf pics in the same set of images, and then adding these to the  previously bookmarked (or whatever) images -- not what I'd want.

The other aspect is that Ctrl Shift select is standard in Windows, so it's what people are used to (I use it a lot in multiple select of whatevers).  IMatch follows the standard except for multiple ranges.

Anyhow my 2 cents.

[Mario]

You can un-select files using <Ctrl> any time, just not un-select multiple files at once using <Shift> and whatever.
This has been maybe requested twice in since IMatch 5 Beta (two years now or so). I remember sinus asking for it and now you.

Since you have made a feature request, other users can like it to give it some priority over other feature requests. If a sufficient number of users wants this, I will of course consider implementing it for one of the next releases. As for now, I'm totally focused on finishing what's missing for the 5.5 release.

[Mario]

I have looked into this last night.

And since I'm such a cool cat (and having a bad case of the flu to cope with) I've implemented multi-range selection (and de-selection) support for the File Window for the next release.

[BaliDave]

Super!  And I'll second the "cool".
Thanks,
Dave

[Ferdinand]

[Like]

[sinus]

Super!  And I'll second the "cool".
Thanks,
Dave

me too, I even second the "cool cat"!