Export/import category contents between Aftershot 3 Pro and IMatch

[jonz]

I remember that Ferdinand wrote a script quite a while ago that exported the contents of a version 3 IMatch category to a Bibble catalogue - something I found quite useful.

I'm testing the new version of Aftershot Pro 3 (64bit) and I'm wondering if it's at all possible to resurrect a way of moving groups of selected photos between the two programs. Not simple selects, like from one directory, but groups of photos that span different locations and are part of a large IMatch database.

[Mario]

Without knowing much about ASPro, I'd suggest you use the @Keywords category hierarchy in IMatch.
This way your categories are stored inside the image file (as XMP keywords) and every XMP-aware application can pick them up.
And when you add keywords in AS Pro (if it has proper XMP support) the keywords will show up under @Keywords in IMatch automatically.

[jch2103]

I'm testing the new version of Aftershot Pro 3 (64bit) and I'm wondering if it's at all possible to resurrect a way of moving groups of selected photos between the two programs. Not simple selects, like from one directory, but groups of photos that span different locations and are part of a large IMatch database.

This sounds similar to what I do with DxO Pro. IMatch allows images from different folders to be selected using specific Categories/Keywords or Collections (e.g., Bookmarks, Flags, Dots, Pins) and then (if the receiving software allows) be dragged and dropped into the other program. If you use Collections, information is kept in the database rather than the file, which can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the situation. I don't know if Aftershot Pro 3 allows this or not, but if it does this procedure is pretty convenient.

[jonz]

Brilliant reply, jch2103 - thank you so much!!! Some times the simplest things are just what get by you.

To me it's been such an inconceivable pain that LR does not support drag and drop that in a way I've just forgotten to consider it as a method that works, even though IMatch is fully capable.

What a simple and elegant solution.

Take the files from IMatch and drag and drop to Aftershot Pro. Works fine. I appreciate the help a lot.

[jch2103]

Glad that worked. IMatch is indeed amazing flexible and powerful.

[Mario]

Glad that worked. IMatch is indeed amazing flexible and powerful.

Things like drag & drop support or even the simple Ctrl+C method to copy the names of all selected files into the clipboard (try that in other software) can be a tremendous help in many cases. I have implemented dozens of such neat helper features and it's time well spent to check them out. It's where IMatch excels over so many of the other products. It's just really hard to get the word out to potential users. Too much hype and noise generated by the big vendors.

[jonz]

I think that one of the main reasons that I've stuck with IMatch over the years is that it is flexible and open in an industry that seems like (over time) goes towards closed and inflexible. I appreciate that Mario.

I'm almost finding I like Aftershot but where I'm hanging up is that it seems to want to write all metadata changes to an external xmp file. So if I change metadata in Aftershot it writes out an XMP file.

Is there a way for IMatch to be aware of metadata in this sidecar file and read it back into the database plus write it back internally to the jpg (or whatever) so things stay in sync, or is editing metadata in the external app (Aftershot) an inherently broken concept?

[Mario]

IMatch has unmatched support for XMP files.
It embraces the rules and standards defined by the Metadata Working Group but offers many options to handle special cases, or deal with software that does not stick to the established standards and workflows.

That ASP writes to external XMP files is normal. By default, metadata for RAW files must be stored in XMP sidecar files. Only JPEG, DNG, PSD, TIFF, PDF and some other formats use embedded XMP data.

IMatch will automatically pick of changes done to XMP files by other software and import it into the database.
This is a normal process and requires no special configuration.

The protection options under Edit > Preferences > Metadata 2 here control if IMatch protects unwritten metadata (to prevent changes made to XMP data by IMatch from becoming overwritten by changes made by other applications). See the corresponding help topic for details.