Improve IMatch's layouting flexibility by decoupling the file window

[Arthur]

Comming from the world of raw development tools like Lightroom or DxO Photolab there is a common pattern to arrange panels:

Lightroom: https://digitalsilverimaging.com/wp2017/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/library_mod.jpg
DxO: http://www.photoinfos.com/Fotosoftware/DxO%20PhotoLab/DxO-PhotoLab-Organisieren-01.jpg
Capture One: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C6g2D7lkVRk/maxresdefault.jpg

The screenshots have in common, that there is:

1) The project hierarchy on the left
2) A filmstrip at the bottom
3) Often the adjustment panels (metadata, keywords, ...) on the right
4) A preview in the centre

Coming to IMatch and trying to setup the same known layout was not possible. The best I could achieve was this: (see Before.png)

The problem is, that there is no possibility to decouple the file window from the trees at the left and to place it as filmstrip at the bottom. Because there is not much height left for the file window at the bottom, it would be nice to declutter it from the big filter indication panel to something which needs less space. The result could look like this: (see After.png)

Anyone else, who would like the layouting flexibility, that comes with decoupling the file window from the trees?

[Carlo Didier]

+1

[Jingo]

I can probably see a use for this as well... though - if you have 2 monitors - this is kinda a moot point because I can fit just about everything I want across them both.

+1

[pajaro]

+1

Could be useful, but as mentioned by Jingo, with two monitors (which I have) there is little need for such option.

[Mario]

How would that work in the "View" context model in IMatch? If the M&F panel is not linked with the file window anymore (wrapped in the same container), you can see it while being in the Category View, the Collection View, the Timeline View? Or would the tree panel and the file window panel be un-docked and hidden when you switch to another view?

Since you can dock the Quick View Panel and the Viewer (!) to any four corners, float them into separate windows and even move them to a second monitor, I don't see that having the Quick View Panel in the middle is such an advantage...? As always, I may think wrong. But this would be surely a massive change, from panel and view management to workspaces.

[Arthur]

I did not want to change the Views concept. Only decouple the file window, which is common to all views. See attachment.

The file window becomes an independent panel which reacts on context changes and produces file selections. The user is free to move it where he wants, just like he can move the Quick View and Metadata Panel.

By refactoring that out, it would also be possible to optionally replace the default Files panel, by a JavaScript driven files panel, which works on whole file contexts, instead of a selection. This would be a mega feature.

[Mario]

I did not want to change the Views concept. Only decouple the file window, which is common to all views.

The file window is not independent from its view. Layouts, sort orders, toolbar states and a lot more is saved on a per-view basis. There is a lot of things going on in the background users don't know about.
I cannot simply "refactor" this out, sorry. And this would also not bring any advantage for app-based file window. An app based file can look like the result window, without any linked additional panel. Or not. It can just replace the file window part, keeping the linked panel.

I really don't see a need to rip IMatch apart, change such core concepts just that a few users be able to dock the preview panel in the center, instead of any of the four corners. Or to make it look more like Lr.
If we get 50 users who +1 this, I might look into it for the next major rewrite of IMatch.

You know that you can dock the Viewer like a panel? Or move it to a separate window and place that smack into the middle of IMatch?

[Arthur]

I do not think that there ever have been a feature request with 15 +1. But OK. Just forget it. Only wanted to point out, that if I would take away your two 4k monitors and replace them by a single one with Full HD, the drawbacks would be more prominent. I have to toggle always between keywords panel and quick view in IMatch, because I do not want to use a lupe to see what is on the preview or start the "Viewer" all the time which draws me out of my context. But I got used to that and usability is overrated anyway.

[Mario]

I use IMatch on a single 4K monitor most of the time. Plenty of space.
And I regularly use it on smallish a Full-HD monitor with 1920 x 1080 pixel for trainings, creating tutorial videos and for shows.

I don't see a benefit having the Quick Preview Panel in the middle. I can dock it on all edges and make it full-screen and make it float. And the main feature for viewing files is the Viewer anyway.
Your mileage may vary, of course. But the change you suggest is so fundamental and goes so deep in the IMatch UI core, I will only consider this if a substantial number of users wants this.

App-based file windows may come to the rescue perhaps. It would be easy to utilize modern HTML5 techniques to implement totally "new" file windows. Maybe one that works like a slide show. Or like a book,. Or one which can display several images in large side-by-side. We'll see.

I do not think that there ever have been a feature request with 15 +1.

Rarely. But only a part of the IMatch user base (the smaller part) uses the community. And features who are beneficial for many users usually span a lively discussion in the FR board and get a lot of +1. I always scale that to the total user base.

But your suggested change is too massive just to attempt it because of one FR and a few "yeah, would be nice to have".
Just think about all the code I have to rewrite. All the help pages I need to update. The tutorial videos I have to re-do. Several weeks of full-time work at least...

I'll let this FR open and then we see how many users would consider this a must have.

[Menace]

+1 I like this idea very much.

I really don't see a need to rip IMatch apart, change such core concepts just that a few users be able to dock the preview panel in the center, instead of any of the four corners. Or to make it look more like Lr.
If we get 50 users who +1 this, I might look into it for the next major rewrite of IMatch.

Rarely. But only a part of the IMatch user base (the smaller part) uses the community.

Just a small part uses the community but it must be 50+ users? How can this work out?

And I would like the possibility to have "Tabs" on the top right side to switch fast between regular UI and LR/C1 UI.

[Mario]

I have no intention to convert IMatch into a Lr clone.

Looking at this thread I think it would be much easier to just enhance the file window. Add a layout option which displays one or two files in large, side-by-side, with a thumbnail window at the bottom. Or, maybe an additional viewer mode replaces the file window. Maybe extend the film strip in the viewer a bit to allow for selections and basic file operations. Many options which are still a lot of work, but simpler than to rip major concepts of the IMatch UI apart in an attempt to simulate Adobe Lightroom...

[Arthur]

Looking at this thread I think it would be much easier to just enhance the file window. Add a layout option which displays one or two files in large, side-by-side, with a thumbnail window at the bottom.

If that is easier, this would be even closer to Lightroom. I assumed that this would be more complicated, so I did not mentioned this is the first place. There are only two problems I see:

1) If you have both File Window with one single file preview in it + thumbnail window at the bottom, who does control, what is displayed in the metadata/keywords panel? Hopefully the thumbnail window and not the file window with its one file, otherwise the possibility for multiselection for batch operations is lost (assigning keywords to multiple files etc.).

2) An other drawback is that the trees like M&F still cannot be moved to the right side for example. I know people, which preffer their project structure on the right side of the window. In VisualStudio for example.

But, did not want to trigger a new discussion. 

[Mario]

1) Have considered that
2) Too complicated. Separating the tree from the file window just so you can dock it to the right side. Won't do.
Possible solution: Add option Left/Right". Add separate request for that so users can check / vote.

So far less than 5 users have shared this discussion to it might be a nice-to-have / wont_do anyway.

[herman]

I have no intention to convert IMatch into a Lr clone.

I think that is exactly what this whole issue is about.

For me LR and DxO are raw converters / image editors.
IMatch on the other hand is a DAM.

Different purpose, different tools, different looks, different interfaces.
No need (as far as I am concerned) to make the looks more or less similar.

I have been tempted to vote a -1, although that is not the purpose of a feature request 

[Arthur]

@herman This is not about making IMatch into LR. It is about the flexibility of the layout and to let the user decide, where he docks his panels. Basically something like that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SPaeJfaGXo

There is no good reason to not have it looking from the usability point of view. There are sure other reasons like time, money and existing code base. That is true.

[jch2103]

Different purpose, different tools, different looks, different interfaces.
No need (as far as I am concerned) to make the looks more or less similar.

I'm with Herman on this.

[herman]

@herman This is not about making IMatch into LR.

When I understand you FR correctly it is not about making IM into LR but about making the panel layout of IM similar to the layout of LR and DxO.

I can only repeat myself: programs serving an different purpose usually have different tools, different looks and a different interface.

Or to quote Abraham Maslow: If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail 

[Menace]

Oh, please. Different people have different approach. I use Capture One and IMatch. And for  my music and document stuff, I like the UI how it is. For my images I would prefer sometimes the above described UI. Of course I can make a lot ob myself by the panels. But Quickview is not not always the solution (slow, sluggish).

I understand Marios Point that it needs to much time and/or is to complicated. But don't tell people, how they have to prefer using their software, if they already try different approaches.   

[Mario]

But Quickview is not not always the solution (slow, sluggish).

Can you give us more details?
The Quick View Panel uses the same technology as the Viewer. It uses DirectX to utilize the graphic card in your system to the max.
Do you also experience sluggishness in the Viewer?
Which file formats and WIC codecs do you use? Which file dimensions (MP)?
Do you create cache images on-the-fly or when files are ingested?
Do you use Annotations?

[Arthur]

When I understand you FR correctly it is not about making IM into LR but about making the panel layout of IM similar to the layout of LR and DxO.

No, you do not understand it correctly. It is about making >>MY<< IM panel layout similar to the one of LR and DxO. Which should not have any influence on >>YOUR<< IM panel layout, which can be the default 10 years old one.

This is getting to much of a drama for me. I am using docking frameworks day by day. Normally it is not a big thing to split up a control in two and to place the two parts in separate docking containers, while still leting them communicate over the same model as before. A problem only occurs, when the business logic is programmed into the UI with too many dependencies. There is already a docking framework used in IM, but from >>MY<< point of view there is one monolithic control, which I proposed to split up, because it would make the layouting possibilities more flexible, because I could create layouts, which are not possible now.

Mario already said, that this would cause too much work and that he does not want to invest into it. So it remains an IMatch speciality as some others for me. For the two times in a month I open IMatch, this is enough. Case closed.

[Mario]

So it remains an IMatch speciality as some others for me. For the two times in a month I open IMatch, this is enough. Case closed.

If you use IMatch only twice a month I think it is OK to leave the file window / View concept as it is for now.
Maybe we'll find a solution that does not require such massive changes when app-based file windows are available. Since you seem to be a programmer, you may be able to create a custom file window that does exactly what you want.

[Mario]

Before I forget it, you can of course dock the M&F tree, category treee etc. to all four edges (within the view).