[EXP] New Innovation and Experimental Feature: File Window Quck Filter

[Mario]

In my other post about the face lift for IMatch, I've described how the new File Window toolbar will look like. You can try this out in the next release when you enable experimental features.

I've also implemented a new innovation I named Quick Filter.
This is an optional secondary ribbon in the File Window that gives you direct access to the most frequently used filters (according to telemetry) and all stored filters you have created in the Filter Panel. This is how this feature currently looks:



Using a new ribbon button you can show and hide the QuickFilter to quickly filter by rating, label, bookmarks, pending write-back and all stored filters.
When you hide the QuickFilter ribbon, the filter functions are disabled. The QuickFilter panel remembers your settings and automatically restores them when you restart IMatch. There is an invert, pause and reset feature, too.

While the QuickFilter is active, the Filter Panel is disabled. This neatly avoids all kinds of side effects and user confusion.

The File Window Search Bar works together with the QuickFilter. You can, for example, search for london and activate the red label and the 4 and 5 star ratings in the QuickFilter to see only files from London with a rating better than 3 and a red label.

The menu shown in the screen shot above allows you to access stored filters you have created in the Filter Panel, even if the Filter Panel is not open. This makes it possible to run complex filters, e.g. metadata searches or category filters directly from the QuickFilter ribbon.
Note: Some of the predefined stores filters are now redundant (e.g. the rating and label stored filters).

Let me know what you think.
Looks good? A feature you've always wanted? Something I've missed?

[sinus]

I do not understand this fully, I am afraid.

Is this finally an enhancement of the File Window Search Bar?

Can I also choose, to filter (or search) the whole DB or only the active window?

At the moment I use the FWSearch Bar quite often. 
But it is not to believe, how often I do forget, that the search is enabled over the whole DB.
I enter a word, hit return and ... realise .. uh, it searches the whole DB, how stupid I a am. 

And in my case if the search is the first run, it takes 2 minutes and I cannot cancel the search. 
But I guess, there is only one solution: always, always check the button where to search. 

If I understand it correct, I could search with this new Quick Filter. 
Means, could I use a stored filter (in what metadata-tags to search), enter a word in the Search file Window - field and hit return?
This would cool for me, because I think, I could see here the choosen filter much better (black on white window, like your example) as hover over the search button. 
  

[Mario]

Is this finally an enhancement of the File Window Search Bar?

Yes.

Can I also choose, to filter (or search) the whole DB or only the active window?

When you select the database node or @All, the File Window will search all files in your database and so does the Quick Filter (and the Filter Panel). But how often do you need so see all files with a rating of 4 or a red label? You are much quicker clicking on the corresponding collection.

But it is not to believe, how often I do forget, that the search is enabled over the whole DB.

Mhm. When you enable the database-wide search (which is off by default) and you then forget and don't check the toolbar icon, there is little I can do, sorry.

Means, could I use a stored filter (in what metadata-tags to search), enter a word in the Search file Window - field and hit return?

No. You are thinking to complicated.

The search bar searches in whatever tag groups and attributes you enable in the search bar menu.
A metadata filter searches the tag you select for the value you enter in the filter. The search bar and the Filter Panel don't interact and the search bar does not provide "values" for filters you enable.

If you setup a metadata value filter that, e.g., searches the copyright tag for your name, you can apply this filter from the Quick Filter ribbon later. This reduces the files in the File Window to all files with your copyright (or any other metadata tag and value). You can then optionally combine it with the rating/label controls in the Quick Filter, invert the result etc. 
And if you enter an expression into the  File Window Search Bar on top, this limits the File Window contents further.

If you often see a need to search your entire database, maybe use data-driven categories and/or categories to avoid most of the searches?

This would cool for me, because I think, I could see here the choosen filter much better

We've discussed this already in a recent thread and I told you that the ribbons will use standard Windows menus with clearly identifiable check boxes (like in the screen shot), not the themed menus of the UI toolkit.
If you you currently cannot see the orange background indicating as enabled/checked item in the menu, maybe the monitor is too bright? Are you using color-calibrated monitors?

Also remember that the X button tooltip shows you all enabled search options and modes. No need to open the menu to check for what's enabled.

[sinus]

Thanks, Mario, for all your explanations! 
Very good, so this will be very good and I have simply to "play" with it first a bit. 

Yep, btw, I use calibrated monitor, size is about hmm, I think 24 inch, 2 years old.

[Lord_Helmchen]

That feature sounds interesting. This might solve my feature request for a more simplified way. Can't wait to have a closer look!

[Carlo Didier]

I very much like that idea. Much simpler than the filter panel, which is great for more complex filtering, but for quick and simple filters, this is ideal.

[JohnZeman]

I'm going to like this!

[hluxem]

First of all, I do like this new feature.

I'm not sure if I miss a setting, it looks like it behaves a little different than the filter panel as it is not refreshing right away when you change a file.
If I activate 3 stars for example, only files with 3 stars are shown. If I change the rating to 1 star for some files, they are still shown in the file window. I actually do like that the filter is not updating immediately, but how can I refresh the filter directly? I can pause and activate, set up the filter again or change folders to refresh the filter. F5 seems to redraw the file window but not refresh the filter.

Heiner

[Mario]

First of all, I do like this new feature.
I actually do like that the filter is not updating immediately, but how can I refresh the filter directly? I can pause and activate, set up the filter again or change folders to refresh the filter. F5 seems to redraw the file window but not refresh the filter.

This may be. This is an experimental feature and under development. A lot has changed since the current IMatch version was released.

Like with any other feature, please file a bug report when you find something that is a bug. Only this produces a ticket and allows me to track the problem, all related changes I did not the source code in order to fix the bug, the release note etc.

The Quick Filter not reloading the File Window correctly when the base data for the filter changes is a bug.
When you set the filter to show only files with 3* and you change the rating of an image from 3* to 2*, the image must be removed from the File Window.

[hluxem]

please file a bug report 

I hate filing a bug report when it could just be a user error like missing a setting in preferences or behavior by design.

I also wasn't sure if you want bug reports for experimental features as they maybe changing more frequently. Before posting I looked up the help and it states the following:

If you enable experimental features, please participate in the corresponding boards in the IMatch user community, where these features are discussed, explained and supported.  

This thread was the closest I could find.

[Mario]

I hate filing a bug report when it could just be a user error like missing a setting in preferences or behavior by design.

If it smells like a bug, opening a bug report does no harm.
I can always move it to General Discussion or archive it with a [BBD] or [UE] prefix.

See my related ribbon RFC post here.