Moving database from acdsee ultimate 8

[whitefern]

Does anyone know if there's a way to import my categories from ACDSee (weeks (months?) of work over time) into the new iMatch? This would make the difference for me to upgrade to 2017 64-bit. I loved iMatch but for some reason my database got corrupted and my backups wouldn't work either so I went back to ACDSee for which I had an old database that I could continue with.

If I added keywords to my categorised images, would that work? I could then transfer those images to categories in iMatch. I'm not a photographer but use a DAM for scrapbook and papercraft supplies.

What I loved in iMatch were the speed and Boolean search which is lacking in ACDSee.

Thanks in advance, people. I look forward to any advice offered.

Cheers, Robin

[Mario]

I have no information about how ACDSee stores "categories" in their database or if they can export that data in any kind of standard format.
I think I recall that they store everything in their database, but that there are some export functions for categories and keywords...
Ask ACDSee support about this.  IMatch can import categories in several (text- and XML-based) formats so if ACDSee has capable export functionality for their proprietary metadata this should be possible to do.

Note that IMatch automatically groups your files by date and time in the Timeline anyway. Exporting some sort of time-line from ACDSee is thus not really required - unless the timeline you managed in ACDSee is not backed by the actual file date and time.

Metadata stored in a proper format (IPTC, EXIF, XMP, GPS) in your image files will be picked up by IMatch automatically. Just make sure that ACDSee has written pending metadata to all files before importing them into IMatch. Data tucked away in the proprietary ACDSee database is inaccessible for other applications, including IMatch.

[whitefern]

Thank you, Mario.
I have XMP metadata stored in files so I'll let you know how it goes. If that works, great and if not, I've been able to export a TXT file as well. I'll get the trial of the new iMatch and use that.

~ Robin

[whitefern]

So, I have the latest iMatch installed and have imported a folder that I know has keywords but none are recorded when they're added to iMatch.
I can't see where to import a TXT file. All I can find is a text export function.
I imported a folder I know has an XMP file but it doesn't add any of the attritubes/categories from ACDSee. I have embedded metadata in all files.
Sorry, I don't really know what I'm doing ...  Maybe this isn't going to work afterall. 
Also, I am unable to select multiple files in the image window using Ctrl or Shift.

[Mario]

Please attach a sample file (or upload somewhere). I can then tell you if your files contain metadata and which.

If IMatch does not automatically import metadata and keywords from your file, they exist neither in (legacy) iPTC or XMP. Maybe ACDSee stores them in a proprietary namespace section in the XMP, which makes them non-standard and inaccessible.

IMatch is XMP-compliant and and fully supports the rules and recommendations of the Metadata Working Group. This allows it to work seamlessly together with all modern applications, DAM systems etc. Even with Adobe products 

I imported a folder I know has an XMP file

.XMP sidecar files are created for individual files, usually for RAW files which don't support embedded XMP data. For JPG, PSD, TIF, PNG, DNG XMP has to be embedded into the image file itself.

I can't see where to import a TXT file. All I can find is a text export function.

What does the text file contain and what would you import from it where?
IMatch can import text files with categories (provided the text file has a supported supported format).
IMatch can import text files in CSV format into metadata and/or Attributes (if the file has the proper format)
IMatch can import text files into the Thesaurus, provided that the text file is in one of the supported formats.
...

ACDSee has always been a bit of an isolated application. Users usually only notice this when they switch to other applications and migration becomes, well, complicated.

[whitefern]

Hi ~ I'm sorry for such a delay. I've sent an email.

Thank you so much for the very quick responses and help you've given in this instance, as well as from you and the community in the past. The help from the community and you to your customers is outstanding.

Cheers!
~ Robin