Manual switching on/off "Reading Metadata"

Gerd · August 05, 2013, 07:07:18 PM

Dear Mario,

due to my experiencene now with a big amont of pictures, I want to have a function, to manually switch off/on the reading of the metadata.

Also displaying thumbnails unsharp should disappear, if reading is switched off. Maybe it is only my wish, but for me in the first place is to categorize my pictures, working with metadata is a nice feature for later.

Regards
Gerd

DigPeter · August 24, 2013, 02:39:00 PM

+1
There is a feature request for this on the old IM5 test forum.

Mario · August 24, 2013, 04:00:51 PM

No way.

Reading the metadata is the first and most important step when ingesting images. IMatch cannot work without having the metadata of the files available. And what comes in from the metadata impacts thumbnail and cache generation as well, e.g. for rotation and crops.

Disabling metadata reading is like cutting of a leg.

Why do you want to do that? Because it takes a while to load the data? You do that only once for the mass of your files. And then only for new files coming into IMatch, or files you have changed in other applications. IMatch can import 1000 files in less than 10 minutes, so even after a full studio day you only have to wait 10 minutes to see all your files...

Gerd · August 24, 2013, 04:53:15 PM

Hi Mario,

if I have to import a lot of pics it took some time. If this part is finished, I want to assign categories ... If this is finished, then there is time to update the Metaddata.

For selecting pics via categories are no Metadata necessary. Can there not be a warning, that Metadata are not updated, if you do something, where this data are necessary?

Regards
Gerd

Mario · August 24, 2013, 05:20:24 PM

When IMatch does not import metadata, it cannot work.
It cannot fill the collections. It cannot add or update data-driven categories. Metadata Templates cannot work. Filters won't work or will deliver the wrong results.

I won't even start thinking about what other features would fail if files would be added to a database without importing the metadata as well.

sinus · August 25, 2013, 12:28:03 PM

Quote from: Gerd on August 24, 2013, 04:53:15 PM
Hi Mario,

if I have to import a lot of pics it took some time. If this part is finished, I want to assign categories ... If this is finished, then there is time to update the Metaddata.
Regards
Gerd

Hi Gerd
I do not know, what kind of pics you have to import into IM5. In my case, I do mostly let import IMatch images "per event". If I made a studio-session, then end with, say, 50 - 300 images, and this is not a problem for IM.

If I am out a whole day, when I come back with over 1'000 images (what is seldom), then I lean back and drink a coffee and let IMatch do some work, before I go to catalogizing them.

I guess, nowadays is importing metadata important for any DAM - we have to live with this sometimes timeconsuming part of IM.

Gerd · August 25, 2013, 02:30:20 PM

Hi Sinus,

my workflow is quite different ...

On my notebook I save the pics after each shooting, can be due to a test after 2 pics or after a show also 1.200 pics, but can also be, if I have no time, I save the pics thee days later.

But then they are at first on my notebook. Here I do the selections, first quick regarding sharpness and so on with FastStone. I f I find some good pics, I load them into Lightroom. Here I do the finetuning of pics. If it is worthy to do more tuning, they are transferred to PS CS6. Ready-made pics are saved as TIFF and/or JPG with an own name. On my Notebook I have all pics from 1 to 1,5 years for quick access.
They are backed-up nearly every day to an external HD.
From time to time, can be once in a month or in two months, I read them in into IM from the external HD. The amount depends ... between 1.000 and 3.000 pics then. IM is an organization-tool at the first place.
Depending, how the final release of IM5 on my physical computer setup will work, I will plan my actions, no problem ... if my wishes are not realized, that's ok, because that are sometimes only my personal wishes, at teh end it is getting the experience whats is working how and what do I when ...

Also reading-in pics in IM36 took some time, but then I could start immediately to assign the pics and it was done, now in IM5, when takes so long reading-in pics and all the Metadata, I plan it different ...

It's only asking for some goodies and get an deeper insight of the goings and non-goings ...

Regards
Gerd

Regards
Gerd

sinus · August 25, 2013, 02:41:38 PM

Quote from: Gerd on August 25, 2013, 02:30:20 PM
Hi Sinus,

my workflow is quite different ...

From time to time, can be once in a month or in two months, I read them in into IM from the external HD.

Regards
Gerd

Hi Gerd
oh, this is really different.
Maybe you could consider, if you "only" import your images from time to time, that you do this import during a time, when you have something else to do ... or even over night.

But after all, IM5 is still beta

BenAW · August 25, 2013, 03:22:53 PM

QuoteAlso reading-in pics in IM36 took some time, but then I could start immediately to assign the pics and it was done, now in IM5, when takes so long reading-in pics and all the Metadata

You should have a good look at your hardware I think. I have 19.500 images and ingesting them (without creating the cache images) takes just 50 minutes. 3000 images should be done in the time to make and drink a cup of coffee

I have a somewhat older desktop, enough memory and a SSD disk for Windows and the IM dbase.
Images are on an ordinary harddisk (internal)

Gerd · August 25, 2013, 04:49:00 PM

Quote from: sinus on August 25, 2013, 02:41:38 PM

Hi Gerd
...
But after all, IM5 is still beta

Hi sinus,

what can go wrong? I export the categories from time to time, with file assignments, everytime in new file. So, when it happens, that I have to build a new IM5-database, only read-in pics, import categories and finished!

Ok, may be, again it will take some days ... and?

I do not think, that Mario needs to change the categorie import, then this is one of the important functions in IM5, otherwise you can not migrate from IM36 ...

Regards
Gerd

sinus · August 25, 2013, 05:10:41 PM

Quote from: Gerd on August 25, 2013, 04:49:00 PM
Quote from: sinus on August 25, 2013, 02:41:38 PM

Hi Gerd
...
But after all, IM5 is still beta

Hi sinus,

what can go wrong? I export the categories from time to time, with file assignments, everytime in new file. So, when it happens, that I have to build a new IM5-database, only read-in pics, import categories and finished!
Ok, may be, again it will take some days ... and?

I do not think, that Mario needs to change the categorie import, then this is one of the important functions in IM5, otherwise you can not migrate from IM36 ...

Regards
Gerd

So, if you are happy with this and it works for you: Great! Go ahead.

DigPeter · August 26, 2013, 12:37:20 PM

Quote from: Mario on August 24, 2013, 04:00:51 PM
No way.

@Mario
Eh? I may have misunderstood Gerd's request. I interpret it as meaning that he would like a toggle easily to switch Metadata Write-back on and off. If you are so against disabling write-back, why do you provide for it in preferences?

BenAW · August 26, 2013, 12:54:30 PM

Quote from: DigPeter on August 26, 2013, 12:37:20 PM
Eh? I may have misunderstood Gerd's request. I interpret it as meaning that he would like a toggle easily to switch Metadata Write-back on and off. If you are so against disabling write-back, why do you provide for it in preferences?

QuoteDear Mario,

due to my experiencene now with a big amont of pictures, I want to have a function, to manually switch off/on the reading of the metadata.

The request is about READING metadata, which is a bad idea as Mario pretty clearly has stated.

Mario · August 26, 2013, 01:11:58 PM

That's what I understood too - reading (to save time during the initial load).

I think the current way to enable/disable the automatic write-back is OK. I doubt users will want to change that often.

DigPeter · August 26, 2013, 02:09:17 PM

Quote from: BenAW on August 26, 2013, 12:54:30 PM
The request is about READING metadata, which is a bad idea as Mario pretty clearly has stated.

OK - my understanding of these things is a mite sketchy. I was not aware of a difference. However my request for a toggle on write-back remains. I seem to recall that Ferdinand suported it.

BenAW · August 26, 2013, 02:21:54 PM

What is wrong with Edit > Preferences > Background Processing > Metadata Write-Back?

Ferdinand · August 26, 2013, 02:41:35 PM

In much the same way that you asked for a duplicate filter funnel above the file window, in Mantis 223, people who do a lot of metadata writing would benefit from having a duplicate of that check button visible. It makes it easy to see whether it's on or off, and easy to change quickly. You could turn it off when needed for speed reasons, make a series of changes, and then turn it back on and flush the changes.

BenAW · August 26, 2013, 03:03:57 PM

Quote from: Ferdinand on August 26, 2013, 02:41:35 PM
You could turn it off when needed for speed reasons, make a series of changes, and then turn it back on and flush the changes.

If that's the request that DigiPeter had in mind, why not just leave the Metadata Write Back off, and do Commands > Metadata Write Back > For All Pending Files? There is even a shortcut if you want to write back for selected files.

Ferdinand · August 26, 2013, 03:29:20 PM

Because some people might wish to leave it on normally for convenience, but turn it off occasionally for larger metadata input, and then turn it on again. A button, or the like, would not only be convenient, but would enable the status of this option to be quickly checked.

Why did you want a filter button above the file window, when you can just as easily display the filter panel to pause the filters?