View attributes in rows.

[KchoPrro]

Hi!

I have installed the trial version of iMatch 5 2018, I have version 3.6 and I have updated my PC (Windows 10 x64).

I really like iMatch 5, but there are some new things that I will have to learn. I have a doubt, the view of the attributes, now, is shown in columns, but in iMatch 3.6 it was shown in rows (I prefer to see the attributes in rows, I write a lot), you can change the view of the attributes to rows instead of columns ??

Thank you

KchoPrro
P.D. Translated by google from spanish languaje

[Mario]

IMatch 3.x supported only one record per file per property.
You could enter, for example, one title and one description.

IMatch 5.x and later allow you to enter any number of records per Attribute Set per file.
This is why the Attribute panel uses a more classic database / Excel kind of view. Each record you add is displayed in its own row.

For example, this file has 3 records for the Attribute Set named Sales:



See the Attribute help topic for more information ane examples.

[KchoPrro]

Thank you very much for the response, Mario.

So, I understand that the only way to see the attributes is by columns. I fully understand that iMatch 5 greatly improves, in this matter, iMatch 3. However, for me it was very useful to see the attributes (previously called properties) of each photo in rows, not in columns. And why ??, because in the boxes that I had designated, in some of them I could write enough text since it is the description of the photograph, my personal experiences, etc. The preview in rows seems more useful to me. I know I can expand the width of the column but it would not be valid if another column also has a lot of text. In rows, I could have more than one field with long text, it could occupy the entire width of the screen.

I give you an example:



Well, I thought that there could be an option, in Imatch 5, in which the view of the attributes could be done by rows or by columns. When I did not see this option after looking for it a lot, I decided to ask.

Thank you very much for the reply. I keep evaluating!

KchoPrro

[Mario]

IMatch 5 is an old software which has been discontinued long ago.

I assume you speak about the current IMatch version, which is IMatch 2018. The new Attributes panel is used by IMatch since version 5, which means it is in use for 5 years or more.
If you are just switching from IMatch 3, you have to adapt to a few changes done in the past couple of years.

Attributes are always displayed in rows, with one record per row.
Your existing properties are automatically imported into Attributes and then displayed in the Attribute panel.
There is no way to display attributes values in rows, because this would be impossible if there is more than one record.

The Excel-like display has many advantages, I think you just need to get used to it.
Note that you can resize the columns individually and that the row height will adjust automatically to contain all text. This works great even for very long descriptions as we see in your screen shot - although this kind of data does not belong in Attributes but should go into the XMP description tag so it is available for other applications too.

Here is an example of a file with several Attributes in a set, and two contain very long texts:

[sinus]

It is like it is. 

I like the Attributes, but understand KchoPrro.
Because if you have several attributes, you must scroll.

And scrolling in the computerworld, I think, is mostly vertical, not horizontal.
Hence most users are much better used to scrolling from top to bottom than from left to right, and me too.

But it's just the way it is and we just have to get used to it.

[Mario]

From what I know:

+ Only a segment of users uses Attributes (most are more than happy with Metadata)
+ The users who use Attributes in many cases have to store more than one record per file (or more than one record in global sets).
+ The Excel-like (or standard 'database' view) is thus required

If KchoPrro has a small monitor and he needs to scroll by touch or with the mouse, he/she can maybe use a tabular file window layout which displays attributes. This allows to fit a lot of info in a small space. Or display some attributes in the file window directly to reduce the need to scroll the Attribute Panel.

[KchoPrro]

It is like it is. 

I like the Attributes, but understand KchoPrro.
Because if you have several attributes, you must scroll.

And scrolling in the computerworld, I think, is mostly vertical, not horizontal.
Hence most users are much better used to scrolling from top to bottom than from left to right, and me too.

But it's just the way it is and we just have to get used to it.

I totally agree with you, I think it's a matter of getting used to working like that, with the new excel format. I just need time.

Thank you!

From what I know:

+ Only a segment of users uses Attributes (most are more than happy with Metadata)
+ The users who use Attributes in many cases have to store more than one record per file (or more than one record in global sets).
+ The Excel-like (or standard 'database' view) is thus required

If KchoPrro has a small monitor and he needs to scroll by touch or with the mouse, he/she can maybe use a tabular file window layout which displays attributes. This allows to fit a lot of info in a small space. Or display some attributes in the file window directly to reduce the need to scroll the Attribute Panel.

Thanks Mario!

I have a Full HD monitor (1.920 x 1.080pix) of 22 "(DELL), I think my problem is that I write a lot of text, I think that, perhaps, I never learned to use the attributes well (properties), it is possible that They were designed for something else, but I found my use.

I can tell you, by way of example, that by passing the iMatch 3 data, I have lost almost a year of data in photos (from September 2017 to August 2018, I am sure it was my fault). I keep the photos, but not the data and, I just realized that I will have to put all the attributes back and I will not remember everything that I wrote in each photo, that's why this section is important to me, it helps me remember how I made a certain photo.

Possibly I did not use well in iMatch 3, but it worked perfectly for me and it fulfilled what I was looking for.

Now, I'm sure there are other improvements, but Imatch 3 was more practical.

An example of how I have left now, can be this:



For me it is not ideal, but it is a matter of getting used to it, I will learn to take advantage of it as well.

Sorry, I thought iMatch 5 was calling all versions up to the current one, from iMatch 3, but you're right, I'm using the iMatch 2018.7.5 64bit test version

Thank you very much!! I continue with it!

[Mario]

Most users migrated from the legacy IMatch 3 version to IMatch 5 many years ago. IMatch 2018 not even has a database converter anymore which can read the legacy IMatch 3 database format. This is all so many years ago...

I don't recall any reported cases where the database converter failed to convert all Properties into Attributes. At least this would show up in the conversion log and the converter would report errors.

If you did manually migrate your properties from IMatch 3 to a later version (via Export in IMatch 3 and then import into IMatch X) you can repeat that step. Export the properties of the missing files via the Property Exporter and then import them again into IMatch 2018 via the Import option for legacy properties in Edit > Preferences > Edit Attributes.

Such huge amounts of text for a description is uncommon for most photographers. Usually a description goes into the proper XMP description tag and contains a few dozen words.
Longer texts are usually created by users with scientific interests, by insurance agents etc. Again, most of the time these are stored in XMP metadata, to make it easily accessible for other applications (at the time of IMatch 3, XMP metadata was still 'new' and not to widely used as it is today).

I have (a few that I know of) users who manage large amounts of text in Attributes, but then multiple records per file so a "column view" would not suitable anyway.

Tip: If you arrange your attributes so that the 'big text' Attributes come first, you may be able to dock the Attributes panel to the right or left side for a more efficient usage of screen estate. Or move it to a second monitor, if you have one. You can freely resize and move all panels!

A 1920 pixel monitor (HD) is considered a low-resolution monitor these days. 2560 or 3840 pixel monitors are pretty much standard and provide a lot more room to work with.
Combing large amounts of text with a HD resolution monitor may require some adjustments.

Note: Please do not link to images hosted on external servers. This will not only tell this server the IP address of every user reading your post (which is considered bad for privacy) but also slow down page loading and open a door for potential malicious contents. I don't like this at all. When you do it again a moderator or I will delete the external image.

You can attach images directly to your post, via the "Attachments and other options" link directly below the post editor.

[KchoPrro]

Most users migrated from the legacy IMatch 3 version to IMatch 5 many years ago. IMatch 2018 not even has a database converter anymore which can read the legacy IMatch 3 database format. This is all so many years ago...

I don't recall any reported cases where the database converter failed to convert all Properties into Attributes. At least this would show up in the conversion log and the converter would report errors.

If you did manually migrate your properties from IMatch 3 to a later version (via Export in IMatch 3 and then import into IMatch X) you can repeat that step. Export the properties of the missing files via the Property Exporter and then import them again into IMatch 2018 via the Import option for legacy properties in Edit > Preferences > Edit Attributes.

Such huge amounts of text for a description is uncommon for most photographers. Usually a description goes into the proper XMP description tag and contains a few dozen words.
Longer texts are usually created by users with scientific interests, by insurance agents etc. Again, most of the time these are stored in XMP metadata, to make it easily accessible for other applications (at the time of IMatch 3, XMP metadata was still 'new' and not to widely used as it is today).

I have (a few that I know of) users who manage large amounts of text in Attributes, but then multiple records per file so a "column view" would not suitable anyway.

Tip: If you arrange your attributes so that the 'big text' Attributes come first, you may be able to dock the Attributes panel to the right or left side for a more efficient usage of screen estate. Or move it to a second monitor, if you have one. You can freely resize and move all panels!

A 1920 pixel monitor (HD) is considered a low-resolution monitor these days. 2560 or 3840 pixel monitors are pretty much standard and provide a lot more room to work with.
Combing large amounts of text with a HD resolution monitor may require some adjustments.

Note: Please do not link to images hosted on external servers. This will not only tell this server the IP address of every user reading your post (which is considered bad for privacy) but also slow down page loading and open a door for potential malicious contents. I don't like this at all. When you do it again a moderator or I will delete the external image.

You can attach images directly to your post, via the "Attachments and other options" link directly below the post editor.

Thanks Mario

There has been no mistake, it has been an error on my part. I have formatted my computer, I had the system in one HD and the data in another HD. In addition, I had a backup copy of the iMatch data in another HD. However, it has not been like that, from what I see, the data copy in the external HD was only until September 2017, I worked with HD data but at some point I had to use the backup copy I thought it was updated, suiting the data of the copy by the current ones. In the end I was left with the data of the copy, which arrived until September 2017, with them I have gone to Imatch 5 imatch, after entering the forum and see everything that had grown iMatch, I decided to try the new 2018 that has opened, without any problem, Imatch 5 data keeping everything perfectly, the error I have had for not having saved a current backup.

I will get used to the new attributes, for the moment, I do not consider buying a larger monitor, I will work as I can now.

Sorry, I did not know that you could attach files, I always prefer to use the server's own system because, in many cases, the external server closes or changes the links and the images are lost.

It is not necessary that you intervene, it will not happen again. I have corrected the previous links, now they are already hosted on the Photools server.

I feel the inconvenience, I do not speak English, I write in many Spanish forums and it is easier for me to upload images, etc.

Thank you very much Mario.

KchoPrro

[Mario]

Thanks for swapping the image link. I prefer to keep all resources on this server to ensure the privacy of my users. I don't even display ads or use Google tracking.

[Carlo Didier]

A 1920 pixel monitor (HD) is considered a low-resolution monitor these days. 2560 or 3840 pixel monitors are pretty much standard and provide a lot more room to work with.

Allow me to disagree here. HD is the standard and higher resolutions are the gold standard for those who can pay for them.

Remember that the newest is not automatically a standard just because many (far from most!) new monitors have that resolution. The standard is what has the highest installed base, and that's HD now and for several years to come. I haven't seen any monitor over HD resolution in production yet, neither in my company (world wide, and we do a lot of engineering where big, respectively dual monitor setups are used) nor from friends in the private environment.

Personally, I find two HD monitors much more practical (and way cheaper) than one high res monitor (partially because I can't see the difference without a loupe and partially because I get effectively more display real estate with two monitors).

[KchoPrro]

I'm lucky, I found a backup of my data from May 2018, I saved it with the backup copy of the photos  . I can recover almost everything, especially the important thing (from May to August I have practically not taken photos). 

[Mario]

Sounds great.

[sinus]

I'm lucky, I found a backup of my data from May 2018, I saved it with the backup copy of the photos  . I can recover almost everything, especially the important thing (from May to August I have practically not taken photos). 

Congrats! 

[KchoPrro]

Thank you all!

What had happened to me is that before formatting, I backed up all my files in an external HD. The copy of all the photos, I made them in another HD and, with that same HD, I saved the copy of the iMatch database. I found it strange that I had not made a copy of the current database. Replace the modified iMatch3 database with the backup, I started again. I installed iMatch 5 to convert the database from iMatch 3 to iMatch 5 and then I updated the database to iMatch 2018.



The result ??, everything working perfectly, There have only been two things that have not been perfect, but it is unimportant:

A) In the attributes, in the "Author" box, my name should appear by default. I can verify that it is in the configuration, but then it is not displayed. It is not important, 98% of the photos I am the author of the photo.

B) The Ranting and Label have not been imported into the photos. Neither is important, 2-3 years ago I stopped rating the photos, but had 28,441 qualified photos (at least, I had the precaution of putting a category for them "quality photos"). I think that in iMatch 3, the Ranting and Label were typical of iMatch 3, it was not embedded in the photo but in the database. I think that iMatch 2018 (also iMatch 5), Rantig and Label are embedded in the photo as other programs do (Adobe LR ??), in this way, other programs can read the rating when it could not before. For me this is not important, it is simply fact that I have noticed, I can live without it;)

Now I just have to learn the operation of the new iMatch 2018, I usually do very few things very concrete, such as;

- Make mass renaming, with a specific name sequence (I've already seen that it can be done with iMatch 2018, although I still have to see what the sequence would be like).

- Directly open the picture with Canon Digital Pro (I have not yet gotten on with it but I do not doubt that it can be done).

- Search selectively, words in the attributes or by the combination of objectives, etc.

- Copy the photo to a directory, without the directory being added to the database.

- Copy / Paste attributes and categories to groups of photographs.

I did not use anything else from my old iMatch 3, for me it was enough, I am sure that with iMatch 2018 I will be able to do all this, and much more !!

I think the doubt of the rows and columns has been sufficiently clarified, the thread can be left solved.

Thank you very much!!

[Mario]

A) In the attributes, in the "Author" box, my name should appear by default. I can verify that it is in the configuration

Double check that your name is set as the default for that Attribute Set  under Edit > Preferences > Edit Attributes.

The Ranting and Label have not been imported into the photos.

Had you written the rating and label to the files before importing them? IMatch 2018 can only see the rating and label when it's in the metadata.
See this knowledge base article for more info.

There was once a section "For IMatch 3 users" in the help (If you have the IMatch 5 help, you find it right on the front page). The current IMatch help system no longer has that info. Too old.

[KchoPrro]

Indeed, as it says before, my name is predetermined by default, but it is not shown in the attribute field (I do not know the reason, but it does not worry me too much, almost all the photos are mine). You can see it in the screenshot



I had assumed that from iMatch 3, Label and Rating would be lost because now I see that data enter the metadata, but before it was exclusive data from iMatch 3. It is much better option now, other programs can read that metadata. I do not care much that I have already lost them, I stopped using them 3-4 years ago, although I always had in mind to use again (it is a very useful option when you want to use a photo for a website or for another purpose, it's a simple way to search only the best ones).

a greeting

KchoPrro

[KchoPrro]

A) In the attributes, in the "Author" box, my name should appear by default. I can verify that it is in the configuration

Double check that your name is set as the default for that Attribute Set  under Edit > Preferences > Edit Attributes.

Okay. I already know what can happen. I went to add the attributes to a new image, an image whose data did not come from iMatch 3. When adding the new attributes for it, auntomatically my name was shown in the corresponding field (the other fields, logically, empty).



Therefore, I think that although this data was well imported into the template of the attributes, as it is not new attributes, iMatch 2018 does not show me the result of that field, probably due to some incompatibility. However, the template is correct, when I create a new attribute it adds the default name.

They are curiosities;)

KchoPrro

[thrinn]

A "default value" is only used when creating new records (copied to the corresponding field/attribute). After saving the record, the attribute value is not touched anymore, it is a normal value like if you entered it by hand.
I think this is normal not only for IMatch but for most other programs, where a default is meant to provide a once-a time proposal that can be overwritten by the user if wanted.

[KchoPrro]

Yes, I understand that, but that value was before, in iMatch3 and, however, that attribute was NOT imported then, the default value is yes, but the value that appeared in each photo (default value) was not.

Nothing happens, I can live without it;)

KchoPrro

[Mario]

You can just select all files and enter your name in that Attribute. Problem solved.

[KchoPrro]

You can just select all files and enter your name in that Attribute. Problem solved.

Correct, although they are more than 90,000 photos

It's not a problem! Thanks! 

[Mario]

Then maybe do not update all files at once, do it in batches of 5000. Performance depends on your PC, mostly the speed of your hard disk.

[KchoPrro]

Well, with the help of the filter, I have located those photos in which the "Author" field has no value. Finally, there have been 42,900 photos (it's funny, more than half of the photos were imported with the field filled, and others not, I do not know what the reason is).

I have a problem, Mario, I CAN NOT fill in the Author field in all the photos at once, as the rest of the attributes are different, iMatch tells me this:


Multiple Selection: Only files with identical attribute records are shown.

It would not be possible to fill only the "Author" Field without touching the rest ?. It was something that I occasionally did in Imatch 3 (it did not show me the content of the fields, only those that were identical, but it allowed me to fill in the one I wanted).

I was able to create a new attribute for everyone, in this case with the complete "author" field, but now I have the attributes in two rows, the original one, without the filled author field, but with all the rest of the content, and the new row only with the author field. I do not like the result like that.

And another question, iMatch 2018 does not allow you to undo an action, right ?. Yesterday, after seeing that I could only create a new line of attributes for the selected photos, I could not undo the action, although it did not cost me to delete the new line since it was the only one that was shown when selecting all the photos.

Thanks again!

[Mario]

If multiple files are selected which have different Attribute contents you need to switch the Attribute Panel in to the Single Mode.
https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/#attr_basics.htm?dl=h-34 ff

IMatch has undo for many operations. Adding a new record ("line") has no specific undo. Just delete the unwanted row.
Attributes have less undo ability because changes require an explicit commit by the user and because of the fact that they work directly with the database. It was too complex to implement specific undo and so I opted against it. Since we have this now since IMatch 5 it seems to work well for most users. If you feel different, add a feature request so I can look into it for a future version.

[KchoPrro]

Done !, thank you very much!