RFC: New Feature: Auto-disable for Filter Panel

[Mario]

After some recent discussions in more 'app-related' threads (see there) I was thinking about result windows and the Filter Panel, in general terms.

Consider the following situation:

You use the filter panel to filter the file window. For example, you show only files with a rating of 3 or better.
Now you use one of the features which produces a result in a separate result window (duplicate files, visually similar images).

Until now, the result window opens and the filter panel (which is global) is applied.
This means that only results with a rating of 3 or better are shown. All other results are filtered out.

This can be exactly what you want - or not.

I was working on the result window today so I decided to improve this.

There is now an option which, when enabled, causes the file window to automatically disable the filter panel when a result window becomes active.
And if the filter panel was enabled before and a 'regular' file window is selected, the Filter Panel is automatically re-activated.
Of course the Filter Panel can be re-activated by the user manually at any time.

This works great but of course requires (yet) another option.
I will make the auto-disable the default and let IMatch display an info box when the user opens the first result window and this feature kicks in.

I think that this is less confusing or smarter for new or casual users.
Users who know what they are doing can disable this feature and IMatch works as before.

Let me know what you think.

[ubacher]

Great!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!!!!!

[Jingo]

I like this... makes sense that a result window should (most likely) display the results without the filter acting on it -

[Mario]

I like this... makes sense that a result window should (most likely) display the results without the filter acting on it -

Yes. And no. It depends...

[Kucera]

I like this... makes sense that a result window should (most likely) display the results without the filter acting on it -

+1  Thanks!

[BanjoTom]

+1  Seems  like a welcome addition!

[Lincoln]

+1  that would be very useful!

[hro]

+1. I think this is useful.
Although I regularly use File Window Search and the Filter Panel I always have to remember or go back to help how everything works. It is all very powerful but also complicated. I can see how new users really struggle.
Everything that makes searching and filtering more intuitive is welcome. I believe your changes works towards that.
Thanks.

[thrinn]

+1
I think both variants (filtering the result window and ignoring the filter panel) have their uses, but especially for result windows generated by Apps the option to ignore the filter panel might be very useful.

[Mario]

+1
I think both variants (filtering the result window and ignoring the filter panel) have their uses, but especially for result windows generated by Apps the option to ignore the filter panel might be very useful.

Your App cannot depend on this. This is a user setting that is not controllable by apps.
There is no way for an app to turn this on or off. Your app may inform the user if it depends on this setting in any way.

[kirk]

Super helpful feature.    I definitely know I have to switch off filtering still for some uncertain reason  I constantly forget to do this  and it constantly makes me stuck and recall what did I forget.

Also please, make an app working same way "Ferdinand's Scripts > Search from Anywhere" works. I downloaded it from this forum some time ago, thanks to the author of the script, and it's only way allowing IM5 to do separate search panes similar to IM3 . The only problem the script is much slower than Imatch3.    I hope for a speedier "app"

[Mario]

I have no idea what this script does. I don't look at scripts or apps written by users.

When I need to search the entire database I select the Database node or the @All category. Then the filter panel / file window search bar works on all files in the database. Done. If I need such a selection often, I save it in the Filter panel and then recall it later.

Note: In the next release you have a command that allows you to open selected files in a Result Window. This should do exactly what you want, without the need for yet another app. Did you look at the File Finder app? This allows you to search for specific things and always opens the result in a result window.

[kirk]

The script just takes your input word and search everywhere; in file names, in folder names, in categories,  in metadata  and then shows the result in separate pane.     I would be happy with just file and folder names.   Exactly what I asked in other thread.   But it works painfully slow.

Plain and simple, like asking iphone Siri to find certain pictures in the web. "One button" solution.   No cross depending checkboxes you have to keep in mind and trying to figure out what did you do wrong, or what did you forget to uncheck. 

Result Window is a great idea.    File Finder app puzzles me a lot.  I don't understand a thing and can't find Help paragraph  explaining it.       




ps. Couple years ago I offered my boss to buy Imatch as company DAM .  But they found it too confusing so it never happened.  Maybe for photo guys the complexity is ok but for folks working in CG it's a kind of different matter.    Such folks tolerate the complexity of Maya, Houdini , 3dmax . It's just a way of work , you have to spend a lot of time and learning to do something. But for utility like iMatch you usually don't expect  to be one more puzzle.  You already have to solve a handful of them with your main work soft to tolerate extra. 

In a word  I honestly don't understand why any soft couldn't combine both complexity/flexibility  and still has "one button" easy quick solutions somewhere in front of your nose.  Even Houdini started to do so.

[Mario]

If the script always searches the entire database it is not surprising that it is slow...

File Finder app puzzles me a lot.  I don't understand a thing and can't find Help paragraph  explaining it. 

Click on the ? icons to show the details.
This is no general purpose search function, it searches for file names in specific ways. I just gave you an example for an app which can search the entire database and produce a result window from the results. But the scope of this app is narrow an only useful for specific purposes.

Maybe for photo guys the complexity is ok but for folks working in CG it's a kind of different matter

IMatch Anywhere™ has been designed to by reduced and easy. Check it out. It is very well received by corporate and institutional users - because everywhere can work with it quickly. A bit like Windows Paint vs. Photoshop.

In a word  I honestly don't understand why any soft couldn't combine both complexity/flexibility  and still has "one button" easy quick solutions somewhere in front of your nose.  Even Houdini started to do so.

To search your entire database:

1. Click on the database node
2. Enter a search string in the file window search bar (above the file window, where it reads "Search the file window").

The beauty is: This works always the same. You just control where you want to search (entire database, folders, a year or month in the time-line) by loading that into the file window.

If you have a "one button" solution, this is most likely a solution which will only work for you...

What if I only want to search file names?
Or only in folder names?

You may not, but surely other users will.

What when I want to search for file names (and folder names) but only in the files created this year?

I, for example, almost never search the entire database for file names. And if I have to, I click the database node and type the file name into the search bar.

And every user who uses the search bar in Windows Explorer will be familiar with this. Explorer also searches in the selected folder, not your entire disks.

[sinus]

I, for example, almost never search the entire database for file names. And if I have to, I click the database node and type the file name into the search bar.

And every user who uses the search bar in Windows Explorer will be familiar with this. Explorer also searches in the selected folder, not your entire disks.

I do this very often, search the entire DB.
That with the Windows explorer is right of course, but the Explorer is not a DAM like IMatch.

For me the search of IMatch bar is very good, and you have enhanced it even for the next release.
I miss simply one point: search the entire DB.
For me searching the entire DB could be a exception for your usually "search in the scope".

If I want do so, I have to the DB-node or the@All category, where all files are in. It depends, how many files we have and where I am.

If I am in a category, maybe nested, I have to leave it to search the whole DB.
Simply go to the seach bar, "search the entire DB would be checked" and the result would go into a result window. Done.
I could convenienty go back to the category at exactly the same place.

This is now not possible, as far as I know.

I had such an easy script in IM5, and will once create one in IM2017. 
For me it is in not a big problem, but to be honest, I cannot understand, that this is not possible for a DAM easier.
I tought, the "File Finder" would be the solution, because we can search the entire DB! Great, but we cannot search for text.
This is maybe also the point, that kirk has not understand the app, like me.

But I want not do a FR, I want just say my sympathy for the wish, to search easy for the entire DB.
Seach the entire DB gives me the certainity, that a word, what I know to seach, will be found.
If I am not sure, when it was, what format and so on, I am never sure, if I am in the right scope.

Hence search the entire DB is essential for me ... maybe not at last, because I have over 250'000 files now.

So I think at an event, where I am sure, the word "beach" is in the filename.
But where to go for the search? In what scope? What folder, category, collection?

So I have to go the the DB-node or the @All category. And must go after this back to my place.
One entry in the search bar "search the entire DB" would be a solution for such lazy people like me. 

[kirk]

In response to Mario:
  I understand this concept but it's still  check in here and uncheck there .   Just to find some of those checkboxes  you have to read the help first.   I think to a certain degree such checkbox approach may seems an elegant construction  but in fact it's confusing imo.     Because next search you forget to uncheck something  and stuck to figure out what's wrong.   That checkboxed approach is what I called "at once" way.  It's actually very common thing and I equally hate it in 3d max too for example .

I have a real story. Asked our team programmer to do a certain addition to an inhouse toolset. The toolset was just like that : check boxes everywhere.   He didn't understand what we want.  I took a while to explain.  He said the tool is very flexible and should do it too and after a while again  finally he exclaimed: you can do it with the certain combination of checkboxes.    The whole art team was kind of "Wow"  it was there  for years already and we wasted so much time  !!!.   

I hope very much that "auto-disable" feature would solve most of  that.     Still I like iM3 for "wizard" style approach.  It asks you something broader first and  then shows available checkboxes in one place.   I like im3  instant hints too.  Have no idea if they even exist in IM5/2017

[Mario]

There are no check boxes for the file window search bar...? Or do you mean the menu where you control how it works?

Did you check IMatch Anywhere in the mean time?

[kirk]

Not yet, But I will definitely do

[Mario]

Check out the overview video or one of the tutorial videos. This will show you how it works.
This UI has been designed for casual users.

Your "I always have to search the entire database" got me thinking....what kind of files do you manage in IMatch?

I have an industrial user who manages 200,000 images or machine parts in his database. To find a part image, they always searched the entire database for the file name, which is the part name...

They use file names like this

AAA-BB-CCCC-NNNN

where the A B C parts are some sort of group / machine id and the NNNN is a number.

I showed them how they can organize their 200,000 files into easy to manage categories - using data-driven categories on their file names.
Now they have a category hierarchy by machine / part / group and can find any part image with 3 mouse clicks. The bottom level groups have maybe 20 to 50 images.

[Mario]

File Finder App enhanced


I have added another 'plain' search mode to the File Finder app.
This mode searches the selected scope (file window or entire database) for file names containing the pattern.

For a 100,000 files database the search time is about one second. The results are opened in a result window.
Note: It searches file names only, not folder names. It can utilize the IMatch WebServices search engine, and this is why it's so fast.



If you want to test it:

1. Download the ZIP
2. Replace the contents of

C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\webroot\imatch\apps\file-finder

with the contents of the ZIP, overwriting the existing files.

[kirk]

I do not have to actually, but I often do just to be sure I  wouldn't miss something. Especially searching for something from a project I did years ago.

  My files are image assets used in game development:  photo references, photogrammetry series,  concept art,  textures of all kinds using specific naming convention for game build proceses, 3d files.       So in fact they couldn't use same system through all files.   

Besides I am kind of lazy to keep track of all of this strictly and to use a consistent system logically. My approach shifts through years and projects.    So I see a necessity of soft like imatch that would do it for me and find me something quickly I don't even remember how I called it that time.   Thus I still use old imatch3  database  a lot.

ps. thanks for the new app.  Unfortunately with my approach I need it to search in folder names too as an option

[Mario]

I need it to search in folder names too as an option

Can't help you there. Use the folder search in the Media & Folders View for that purpose.
I could add a "folders too" option to the File Finder app, but that would spoil the purpose.

It's just awesome how the app performs.
Enter an expression and <Enter>. Snap. < 1 second for searching 100,000 files. Including opening the result window. And regular expressions are supported too.

[cthomas]

File Finder App enhanced


I have added another 'plain' search mode to the File Finder app.
This mode searches the selected scope (file window or entire database) for file names containing the pattern.

For a 100,000 files database the search time is about one second. The results are opened in a result window.
Note: It searches file names only, not folder names. It can utilize the IMatch WebServices search engine, and this is why it's so fast.



If you want to test it:

1. Download the ZIP
2. Replace the contents of

C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\webroot\imatch\apps\file-finder

with the contents of the ZIP, overwriting the existing files.

Mario yes I want to test it: but I don't understand how to test this.

You said 1. Download the Zip: What Zip
2.Replace the contents of : C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\webroot\imatch\apps\file-finder
what do you mean? Go to this location and copy the contains.
3 with the contents of the ZIP. How do I find this?

[sinus]

WOW!

Incredible fast and very, very useful!
This will be my favorite search-base.

Simply add a word, even regular expresses are possilbe, hit enter and the result is immediately here.

Really I do not know, how IMatch can be that fast! 

Since I have a special filenaming - sytem, like

20170713-1434-318682-s-coo-kuessnachter_m_v1_f.jpg
20150710-1430-263173-s-coo-produkte_m_v1_f.jpg
20060607-1623-058964-s-kun-brunner-anl_m_v1_f.jpg

you can imagine, that I can find a lot of things with your new app VERY quickly.

For example special clients
-coo- (64'042 files under a second!)

e.g. only versions
_v1

only versions cut out images (freigestellt):
_v1_f

and of course the main text, because I do the main text (like "wedding-kim" or "honey-milk"...) in the filename.

Thanks Mario, GREAT!

As a last speed-test I will let find all files in 2016, I simply write 2016 and hit Enter.

result: 24456 files, found in under one second (so fast, I can almost not see it, I hit Enter and they are in the result Window!
Really impressive

[sinus]

Carl

This zip, see my attachement, you will find it in the post from Mario above.
I made a red rectangle round the zip, what you can download.

[sinus]

You said 1. Download the Zip: What Zip
2.Replace the contents of : C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\webroot\imatch\apps\file-finder
what do you mean? Go to this location and copy the contains.
3 with the contents of the ZIP. How do I find this?

Carl,
Where to download see post above.

Then, when you have downloaded the zip, unzip it.
Find the path C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\webroot\imatch\apps\file-finder, there you will find the structure like in my attachement.
I made the file-finder red, delete it and copy the new, downloaded unzipped folder with the same name in there.

So basiccally you have replaced the old folder "file-finder" with the new.
The magic is inside this folder, but you must not even open it.

Simply replace it and then you will have the new app "file-finder".

Have fun.

[Mario]

result: 24456 files, found in under one second (so fast, I can almost not see it, I hit Enter and they are in the result Window!
Really impressive

IMatch WebServices manages some very efficient caches, and one is for file names.
File names are searched very often in IMatch WebViewer and hence IMWS needs to make this very efficient.
The cache has gained a lot from the 64-bit edition, it's even faster now.

Searching 100,000 files in 0.5 seconds, unless you are using really complex regular expressions. Then it may take 1 second.

You can use that in your own apps, too!
The search/filename endpoint does all the work for you.

[Mario]

@Carl

If you have problem extracting the ZIP or replacing the existing version of the app, let us know precisely where you struggle.

Otherwise: I will ship the updated app with the next IMatch release and it will be installed automatically.

[hro]

Just installed the app.
As Markus said - Woowh, the speed is just incredible !!!
Got me really motivated now to play with the apps, haha.

[Mees Dekker]

Installed this one too.

Can only add to the enthusiastic comments above: incredible speed !!

[Mario]

The more generic approach used by the file Window search bar is almost as fast.

To search for "file name only" takes ~150ms (0.15s) for 100,000 files.
This is for a database on an SSD.

What may make it feel a bit slower is the ~ 2s delay. The file window search bar has to wait for the user to stop typing. And it waits ~ 2s after the last character was typed.

[Mees Dekker]

More importantly: you no longer have to change the scope. That was what caused most of the delay, apart from extra mouse movements etc.

[sinus]

The more generic approach used by the file Window search bar is almost as fast.

I believe this also.

But what also does reduce the speed by searching the file Window search bar at the beginning, is the point, that I have first to go to the correct scope.
This take time.

What I believe is very convenient with the app, you type in a word, hit enter, that's is, in 0.5 seconds or so you have a result.
No first jump to the correct node or whatever.
There in the result window we can use the search bar to search further, e.g. all jpgs.

I personally am very thankful for this app, I will almost sure use this always to find some files and then drill down the result further in the result window by using then the file Window search bar.