Sort profiles

[wgerhartz]

At the IMA menue top: What does "Added" at the very top of the sort profiles mean?

Best regards,
wgerhartz

[Mario]

When you open the Sort Profile editor (Click on the Edit... command at the bottom of the menu) you can see how this profile is defined. It uses the date and time a file was added to the database when I recall correctly.

Press <F1> while this dialog is open to access the sort profile help topic. It explains everything that is worth knowing about IMatch sort profiles.

[wgerhartz]

oK, Thanks! I understand sort profiles better now.

I am trying to (mis)use one of the IPTC fields - XMP::dc\Title - to preserve a slide show order made with "custom sort order" into iMatch Anywhere. E.g. I attribute '001Mallorca', '002Mallorca', ... to the title field of the photographs. Then, I define a new sort order "By Title."

In theory, this works. In practice, however, it's a nuisance to type that numbering in by hand, let alone the probability of making an error.

A) Is there a way to assign this numbering automatically once the order is established using the 'custom' view.

B) Do you know of a more elegant way to preserve a custom sort order into iMatch Anywhere?

Best regards, wgerhartz

[Mario]

IMatch stores custom sort orders on a per-folder or per-category basis.
IMWS of course can do that as well.

But IMatch WebViewer has no concept of folders or categories. It displays the result of whatever you select in the Navigator. And this can be one folder, or multiple. Or one category of multiple. Or multiple folders and categories combined with all files which have been shot with Nikon D800 camera in Greece.

This makes it impossible for IMatch WebViewer to use custom sort profiles. That's just how it works.

[jelvers]

When you open the Sort Profile editor (Click on the Edit... command at the bottom of the menu) you can see how this profile is defined.

I am just wondering how to open the "sort profile editor" in IMA? Which menu do you mean? The sort menue in IMA starts with "added" and the last command at the bottom is "version". Are we talking about IMA or IMatch?

Appreciate clarification.

Regards, Juergen

[Mario]

IMatch WebViewer shows you all sort profiles defined in your database in the Sort menu. You cannot change or add sort profiles in IMatch WebViewer.
To add, edit or remote sort profiles, please use IMatch.

[wgerhartz]

The original task was to preserve a sort order of photos made under iMatch [custom] sort order into iMatch Anywhere for slide shows. Threads have not solved this task so far.

In the attachment I describe a way how this could be done. I first use the Text Export tool to export Filename and Title into a CSV file. This CSV file can the be opened in Excel. The file names in this Excel file are in the correct order for the slide show. I then use Excel to fill the Title field. Afterwards, I import that CSV file into iMatch again (CSV File Import).

Not elegant, but it works. If anyone can give me a hint of how to assign consecutive numbers to the title field automatically (or any other field to be used for sorting), it would be welcome.

Best regards,
Wolfgang

[Mario]

The easiest way to persist a custom sort order is to apply it and then to rename the files with a incremental number.
This way you can "see" your custom sort order also in Windows Explorer and other software.

[wgerhartz]

Yes, of course. But I lose my original file name, which can sometimes cause problems.

[sinus]

In IMatch you have several ways for this.

An easy one is, like Mario descibed.

You must only look, that you do store your original filename somewhere, in a Metadata - field or in Attributes or so.

I have 2 metadata-fields for this.
One holds the original name, one the custom-name (in my case also to delivery to clients).

Now I can switch easy with a script both names, no problems.

And of course I have also a custom sort profile, with the source of such a metadata-field.

[Mario]

Yes, of course. But I lose my original file name, which can sometimes cause problems.

Then setup a global auto-increment variable (Edit > Preferences >Variables).
Use the variable as the source in a Metadata Template to fill a sequential number in whatever metadata tag you like.
Select the files in the file window, then run the MD template. This should do what you want.

[wgerhartz]

Very good idea, indeed! However, it does not work the way I want it to do. Order is wrong.

I defined a numeric variable 'NumSeq', activated Auto-Increment and then used this variable in a metadata template named "Slide Show Sequence," which should insert the following data into the Dublin core title field:

Slideshow_{Application.Variables.NumSeq|numformat:int,03}

The MD template performs correctly: "Slideshow_001, Slideshow_002 ... in the title fields. However, the order of assignement is not the one that I defined in custom sort order. The system seems to use the 'Added' sort order for consecutive numering.

Have I forgotten any parameters?

By the way: What could I do to reset the increment value back to 1 each time I run the MD template (apart from doing it manually under Preferences » Variables)?

Best regards, Wolfgang

[Mario]

Did you select files in the file window, with the custom sort enabled?
You can reset the number in Edit > Preferences > Variables.

[wgerhartz]

Dear Mario,

yes, I used the custom sort order to arrange the fotos the way I want them. I then applied the metadata template. The template seems to use the "Added" sort order to number files consecutively. I have now tried that out both in the Media&Folders view and in the Categories view. The results are the same: "Added" order.

Best regards, Wolfgang

[Mario]

Probably Metadata templates don't care for the sort order. Never needed, it only causes an issue in your very specific case.
Seems that you cannot do what you want in IMatch currently.

MD templates should process the files in the sequence they come in.
But this may be changed by checking for related versions and similar issues.

I may look into this for a later edition. I suggest you add a feature request.

[Mario]

Forget it. Was just a typo in the code when checking for and including versions.
Fixed for IMatch 2017.