Buddy files in sub-directory

[ChrisPlak]

My current configuration has a hard drive folder structure as follows

-- DateX (DateX is the directory name)
   | file1.jpg (file1.jpg is a versioned & want-to-be buddy file of DNGS\file1.dng)
   | file2.jpg (file2.jpg is a versioned & want-to-be buddy file of DNGS\file2.dng)
   | file3.jpg (file3.jpg is a versioned & want-to-be buddy file of DNGS\file3.dng)
   |--DNGS (Folder Name)
   |   ---- file1.dng (file1.dng is a Master of ..\file1.jpg)
   |   ---- file2.dng (file2.dng is a Master of ..\file2.jpg)
   |   ---- file3.dng (file3.dng is a Master of ..\file3.jpg)


The important part is that the Master files are in the subdirectory DNGS

I can setup versioning just fine because of (I'm assuming) the "Direction" supporting "Up&Down".

But BuddyFile "Detection" in the "File Relations" only allows for "Down".

I've tried to specify a relative path in the "Master Expression" of the "File Relations" dialog box but this does not work.


I searched through help and did not see anything saying that having the master as a subdirctory is not possible.  I've seen some posts that have sort-of-said that this is not possible.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.


Thanks for your help
Chris

[Mario]

A buddy file is, by definition, a sidecar file which is created by some applications to contain configuration data or similar. In most cases, buddy files reside in the same folder as the file to which they belong. Some applications insist on spreading buddy files into sub-folders, which is why IMatch supports this. And this is actually really hard, especially when it comes to moving/copying files around and the necessary folder creation.

IMatch does not support buddy files in higher levels of the folder hierarchy. I suggest you either change your folder hierarchy to something more standard (buddy files down or in the same folder as the DNG) or you find another way to handle this.

[ChrisPlak]

I'd like to make a feature request.  Any one of the following 3 would be great

1) Enhance file renaming to be optionally based upon "Versioning".  Renaming could use either normal "buddy file" rules or "versioning" rules
2) Add "Up&Down" to buddy files. 
3) Allow the "Master" expression to take path, {d0} or {p0} nomenclature

I realize this may allow people to shoot themselves in the foot, but the holder of the gun needs to be careful to not do that.  I'm sure you can give many an example why having the masters in a subfolder is bad, but I'm just looking to do what I need to do. 

I get that buddy files are usually other associations (avi/thm, cr2/xmp), but a "Digital Negative(dng)/Developed Photo(jpg)" seems like a logical "Buddy File".


I just noticed another post where the user reversed the master/version as the buddy file.  While logically the DNG should be the master to the JPG, should I reverse the logic?  IE Make the file1.JPG the master and the subdirectory/file1.DNG the buddy file?  This might be another solution that would just work.

Thanks
Chris

[Carlo Didier]

I get that buddy files are usually other associations (avi/thm, cr2/xmp), but a "Digital Negative(dng)/Developed Photo(jpg)" seems like a logical "Buddy File".

Actually not. A Developed Photo(jpg) is a version derived from Digital Negative(dng) (the master). A buddy file is not derived from another file and it's not an image file (in this case) but holds additional metadata about the image file.