Question about importing properties and categories from imatch 3.6

[TommyB]

Hi,

I have gone through the processes described under "Beta Tester Guides and FAQs" to import properties and categories, but still all my images show up under "unassigned images".

Am I wrong to assume that importing automatically assigns my photos to the categories?

thanks
Thomas

[JohnZeman]

About categories.  You're not wrong but we'd need to know exactly how you exported the categories (which options were checked, etc).  I also assume you're working with copies of your IMatch 3 images in an identical folder structure with a different parent folder.

In regards to properties, here is how I did it.  After exporting my IMatch 3 properties I opened the exported .imps file with my text editor, and did a simple search and replace to change the base path of all of my 44,000 IMatch 3 images to the base path of where my copies of those images are in my IMatch 5 database.  Then my IMatch 3 properties imported nicely into my IMatch 5 attributes.

[Mario]

Build 5.0.106 has a problem with assigning files by check sum in both the category import and property import. This has been fixed for the upcoming 108 build.

If IMatch 5 imports your categories but not the file assignments if you use the "By check sum" mode, you may be affected by this bug.
John's trick to manually update the IMCS file exported from IMatch 3 works around this problem for now.

[TommyB]

About categories.  You're not wrong

So there currently is no way to assign the correct categories (like "Machines", "Animals", "Family" etc.) to my photos (apart from manual work) before a the database import routine of the final release is available?

I also assume you're working with copies of your IMatch 3 images in an identical folder structure with a different parent folder.

No - I'm working with the original structure, but I have made a complete image backup of the disk before 

[Richard]

I'm working with the original structure, but I have made a complete image backup of the disk before

The advice has always been to work with copies in a separate folder for Beta testing. Your method will work fine as long as you work only with IMatch 5. I question what might happen if the same image files are accessed by both IMatch 3 and IMatch 5.

[Mario]

So there currently is no way to assign the correct categories (like "Machines", "Animals", "Family" etc.) to my photos (apart from manual work) before a the database import routine of the final release is available?

The "Export categories from IMatch 3" and "Import categories into IMatch 5" will work. It works now unless your files are on a different media. Did you try it?

[TommyB]

The "Export categories from IMatch 3" and "Import categories into IMatch 5" will work. It works now unless your files are on a different media. Did you try it?

But how is this possible?

By looking at the imcs file I can see that it just contains the category names and the hierarchy... how can Imatch5 know which photo belongs to which category or categories?

Isn't this information stored in the "old" imatch3 database?


OMG - FACEPALM... Now I found my fault... I used the wrong option when importing from imatch 3... obviously without the file names... 

[Richard]

By looking at the imcs file I can see that it just contains the category names and the hierarchy... how can Imatch5 know which photo belongs to which category or categories?

From what you say it appears that you did not use the + File links for your export from IMatch 3.

https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=66.0 for instructions.