IMatch 2017 trial wont convert database

[AndyL]

I thought I would give the new IMatch 2017 a try before deciding if I wanted to buy. I've just installed it on a machine that has 5.8.4 installed. When I ran it, it immediately tried to open my existing database, but failed saying it was older that 30 days, and couldn't convert a read only database.

A few observations..

• It would have been nice if it had asked which database. I had made copies and backed up, but I would have preferred to have opened a copy
• It would be nice if it could convert the database, so I could play with something I know. Opening it read only after the conversion is fine.
• Is there a way to convert an existing database so I can play? I tried the trial version of Pack&Go, but that didn't do the conversion

I have created a new database and I'll play with that for now and will probably end up buying it. But it would have been nice to try it out on something I'm familiar with.

Regards

[Mario]

IMatch 2017 will display a message before it converts your database. You can cancel the conversion and not load the database.
This happens with whatever database you open. By default, IMatch automatically loads the last database loaded. No need to change that.

You cannot convert databases older than 30 days because the TRIAL version opens them read-only. This is to protect my software from piracy.

If you really need to test a new IMatch version before upgrading, feel free to create a new database and work with it for 30 days.

[AndyL]

Hi Mario,

I understand all of that, but I still would have thought it would have been possible to let the trial convert an existing database and then use it in read only mode. It is very unlikely that an existing user would have a database less than 30 days old. This makes it impossible to try 2017 with an old database.

Yes, you can create a new database, but this can take time and is unlikely to make use of as many features as a database that has grown over many years.

I understand your desire to protect your software, but this is also a sales opportunity to show off your new features in their best light and encourage people to buy it. I would have thought you could have come up with a way to achieve both.

I will continue to play with a new database, but it would have been so much easier to use my old one.

Regards

Andy

[Mario]

The TRIAL version opens databases older than 30 days in read-only mode. No conversion can be performed.
If you want to try out IMatch 2017 before you upgrade, feel free to create a new database and work with it for 30 days in full writable mode.

I'm not sure what exactly you want to try out before you upgrade, but it surely takes only a handful of files in your test database. This should be quick to do.

[AndyL]

I'm sorry, I don't seem to be able to make myself understood.

The trial version will not open my "older than 30 days" database from my 5.8 version in any mode.

I would have liked to try out 2017 with an existing large database with lots of categories and images and all sorts of other things. A database I was familiar with and knew how it behaved in 5.8. You won't let me do that.

Yes, I can create a new database. I have done that. But this is not representative of the database I will end up using and may well not show the improved performance, improved features, improved whatever else of your new software. Yes, I could add the 10s of thousands of images I have, but that takes ages. Maybe I could export stuff from my old database, but again, this takes time and effort.

All I wanted was a quick convert of an existing database, then open it read-only and let me play to see how much better the new program is. That doesn't sound that unreasonable to me. I'm sorry if you think otherwise.

Regards

Andy

[Mario]

IMatch 2017 is an evolutionary update. Not a big bang update.
There is not really much to "test".

You can test the new scripting engine and video support in with the TRIAL version.

To make this clear: There is no way, and never will be, a way to open a database older than 30 days in a TRIAL version in writable mode. So, no conversion of old databases. If you really need to test IMatch 2017 before you upgrade, do so with a new database.

[AndyL]

IMatch 2017 is an evolutionary update. Not a big bang update.

Funny, not what your advertising says 

To make this clear: There is no way, and never will be, a way to open a database older than 30 days in a TRIAL version in writable mode. So, no conversion of old databases. If you really need to test IMatch 2017 before you upgrade, do so with a new database.

I'm not asking to open an old database in writeable mode. From a naive user I see conversion and write-ability as separate things. I guess the way you have written the software, this is not so. Maybe it could have been achieved if pack&go did the conversion, but I guess you don't see enough benefit to put in the effort. That's your choice.

I will continue playing with a new database and see if I see enough benefit for me.

Thanks

[Mario]

A big bang update is something like IMatch 3 to 5, with massive technology changes, the requirement for a explicit database conversion etc. Like, IMatch 3 to 5 in 2014.

I get the feeling that not being able to open a database older than 30 days with a TRIAL version inconveniences you. If this is the case, sorry.
Why not just create a new database which works in writable mode for 30 days. Maybe export/import your categories if whatever you need to "test" before upgrading needs many categories. Easy to do, takes all but a minute.

I will continue playing with a new database and see if I see enough benefit for me.

I know that some IMatch users consider upgrades as an "optional", because IMatch is perpetual and does not stop working if they don't upgrade.

Well, I don't consider upgrades as optional. I've spent about 8 months to create and finish IMatch 2017. Not counting the many free updates shipped for IMatch 5 during that time. Or the 5,000 support posts I've made during that time here in the community.

For me (and the project) it is very important that as many users as possible upgrade.

I have to cover the costs for the annual service fees, royalty payments, tools, web servers, community servers and the hardware I use to develop and test IMatch -  whether or not users pay for an upgrade once in a while. And when I have to spend my own money so users can continue using IMatch for free...I can find other uses for my time.

So, please test IMatch 2017 for free with a new database. Decide if you want to spend the few bucks for the upgrade.
Notice that support for IMatch 5.5* ends in November and that I will not provide any bug fixes or security updates for IMatch 5 anymore.

[DavidOfMA]

I, for one, would not hesitate to upgrade - except that you've changed the scripting language. Because I'm not a programmer, and because I use about 15 scripts all the time, although I understand you've chosen a much better and more flexible scripting engine, the amount of time to recreate the functionality I have in IMatch 5 scripting in IMatch 2017 is more time than I have available. I know this because it took me months to get most of the IMatch 3 scripts converted to IMatch 5, and this was a much simpler conversion. (And I still can't get a few of the IMatch 3 scripts working so I occasionally have to go out to IMatch 3 to run those old scripts).

It would be terrific if someone found a way to do most of the "heavy lifting" to convert scripts to the new environment. Then I could get rid of the bright green "A new update is available" notice at the bottom of the screen that makes me feel guilty each time I see it!

David

[Mario]

Thanks for commenting.
But, in my experience, it may very well be that you are the only user of these 15 scripts. Or maybe one or two other users...that just how it is.
It's just not enough to hold the technology train or for me to spend weeks writing a migration guide with examples and all that.

I have no problem spending weeks, or even months, to develop new technologies or features which are helpful for the majority of users. But I cannot take care for some fringe areas like purpose-built scripts used by a few users only. There are only 48 hours in a day...

[DavidOfMA]

I wasn't suggesting you create such a guide. Only stating that this is why some of us can't upgrade.

[Mario]

Well, you can upgrade  and continue to use the old version to run your scripts.

[DavidOfMA]

In the meantime, is there a way to get rid of the green update reminder at the bottom of the screen? I'll update some day, when I have time, but don't need to see that every day.

[Mario]

Note. Once IMatch has found a new version, this stays on.

[sinus]

Or you could move the whole IMatch-window a bit deeper. 

[helen]

Hi,

I want to test the database converter before I decide to buy the iMatch 2017.  I installed a trial version of iMatch 2017 on my local machine. However, when I run the database converter, it says `the program can't start because IMEngine6E.dll` is missing from your computer'.

I checked the installation folder and found I got IMEngine6Ex64.dll in there. My question is does the trial version support database converter function or not? Thanks~

[ubacher]

Mario says:

Well, you can upgrade  and continue to use the old version to run your scripts.

I am currently doing this but I have run into a nuisance problem.
I use the same folders on both the IM5 and the IM2017 databases.
When I switch from IM5 to Im2017 or vice versa the program has to update (ingest) a large number of images.
I assume that the ingest process rewrites some files which is then picked up by the other IM as a change and this triggers
an update. This repeats on every change between IM5 and Im2017.

The answer to this, I just realize, will be to delete the Im2017 database and recreate it by doing a conversion from (a copy of) the IM5 database.
I will just have to do this every now and then when the changed files get to be too many.

For users who, unlike me, keep the IM2017 database as the master (i.e. production copy) this is of course not an option. This makes the suggestion by Mario to
switch to IM5 to run your scripts very inconvenient (impracticably slow).

[ubacher]

The answer to this, I just realize, will be to delete the Im2017 database and recreate it by doing a conversion from (a copy of) the IM5 database.

I just tried this but it does not solve the problem. As I started the newly converted db in IM2017 it again found so many files changed.
This must mean that the time stamps of the files are not stored in the db!?

[Mario]

IMatch databases store the 'last modified timestamp'. This is how IMatch detects multiple files.
The IMatch 5 => IMatch 2017 process is a one-way road.
I don't see any problem working with the same folders in both IMatch 5 and IMatch 2017. I do that all the time, for testing purposes. Never had to rescan anything. IMatch 5 and 2017 use the same timestamp and detection mechanism.

Do you have background write-back enabled, or versioning? This could cause the files in the database to be updated during indexing, and this of course would cause a rescan when you manage the same files in another IMatch database.

Managing the same folder hierarchy in multiple IMatch databases, especially with different generations of IMatch, is not really supported. It should be considered as a short-term work-around for users who need to run for IMatch 5 and 2017 side-by-side for a short time. But managing the same folder hierarchy in both databases concurrently adds a lot of extra complexity and is generally not a good idea. If you absolutely need to do this, you'll may have to accept some inconveniences like this. Depend on how you use IMatch, which operations you perform. If you don't change files, no rescan will be needed...