About Portability Options

[ChicagoGhost]

If I want to use IMatch on two computers: ComputerA and ComputerB.
The images on ComputerA are located in the PhotoA folder.
The images on ComputerB are located in the PhotoB folder.
The IMatch database files are saved in a sub-folder inside the image folder.
And I will sync the whole image folder between the two computers.
How should I set the portability options?

1. Are the portability settings saved in the database file? So when I sync all files, the settings are also synced, and I just need to edit the settings on one computer?
2. Should I add the names of both computers to the list and create rules for each computer?
3. Which is the source and which is the target? For example, on ComputerA, after selecting "ComputerA" from the list, should the folder relocation rule be: "Source: PhotoA; Target: PhotoB"? And I also need to add a computer "ComputerB". Then add a folder rule for "ComputerB": "Source: PhotoB; Target: PhotoA"?

[Mario]

The IMatch database files are saved in a sub-folder inside the image folder.

Don't do that. The help system explicitly warns about that: Where to Store Your Database? and explains why this is a bad idea.

1. Are the portability settings saved in the database file?

Yes.

2. Should I add the names of both computers to the list and create rules for each computer?

Yes.

3. Which is the source and which is the target?

Is this not explained in On the Move: Portability Options
You define the relocation source (from) and relocation target (to) for each computer.
If you have all files manged in IMatch under one common root folder, you have one source/target per PC.
If you manage multiple drives, you have multiple source/target sets.

[ChicagoGhost]

The IMatch database files are saved in a sub-folder inside the image folder.

Don't do that. The help system explicitly warns about that: Where to Store Your Database? and explains why this is a bad idea.

OK.
But my database files are already in the image folder.
Can I just move these files out to another folder?
Will there be any problem?

3. Which is the source and which is the target?

Is this not explained in On the Move: Portability Options
You define the relocation source (from) and relocation target (to) for each computer.
If you have all files manged in IMatch under one common root folder, you have one source/target per PC.
If you manage multiple drives, you have multiple source/target sets.

I already read that. But I am still confused.
Say, I created the database and the image folder on ComputerA, and the images are in C:\PhotoA.
Later, I will copy all files to ComputerB, to C:\PhotoB.
Now, on ComputerA, what rules should I set?
I am guessing:
in the computer name list, add "ComputerB", Folder rule: Source "C:\PhotoA", Target "C:\PhotoB".
Is that right?
And also, in the computer name list, I should add "ComputerA", Folder rule: Source "C:\PhotoB", Target "C:\PhotoA".

[ChicagoGhost]

I am thinking about it a little more.
So is this portability option doing this:
if in the database, an image's location is on ComputerA (from the computer name list), in C:\PhotoA (which is the source), then the rule tells IMatch to look for this image in C:\PhotoB (which is the target).
But this understanding is different from my last post.

[Mario]

If you have

c:\images on PC A
d:\images on PC B

you will always have to relocate c:\images to d:\images when you move your database from A to B.
Portability options enables you to automate this relocation. You relocate c: => d: on B and d: => c: on A.

[sinus]

I do not know, why you want work an 2 computers.
Just a short note: I do sometimes work with photos from my main computer on a second computer at home.

In my case, maybe differtent from yours, I do exactly know, what files I want to work on.

Therefore it is the easiest way for me this:

I simply copy the folder with the wished images from my main-pc on a stick. 
Before I make sure, that I have written back all metadate in the files (or sidecars).

If I work only with e.g. 10 images, ok, then I copy only these images, but generally copy the whole folder works better for me. More convenient.

Then I work at home only with these images in the folder. 
After work at home I copy the folder back on the stick, I make sure, that I do not mix with the "old" folder.

Back at my main-pc usually I delete the folder completely and then copy the "new folder" with the edited images in the main-computer and do a refresh.

After this I have on my main-pc the changed images and have not touched the other images.

***

Sounds a bit complicated, but in fact it is very easy and quick done. For this scenario there are maybe even easier solutions, but this worked for me perfectly since years. And I do it not that ofter, say every 10 days or so. 

[Mario]

After setting up the portability options once, you can usually forget about it and move databases freely between computers.

It's not that common to have a duplicate set of images on multiple computers, maybe a sub-set, for on-site processing.
But different users have different needs, and IMatch is usually flexible enough to handle it.

[ChicagoGhost]

If you have

c:\images on PC A
d:\images on PC B

you will always have to relocate c:\images to d:\images when you move your database from A to B.
Portability options enables you to automate this relocation. You relocate c: => d: on B and d: => c: on A.

To test whether my understanding is right:
If I have four computers:
c:\images on PC-A
d:\images on PC-B
c:\images on PC-C
c:\photos on PC-D
Are the following settings right?
On PC-A,

Type	Source	Target
Folder	D:\images	C:\images
Disk	C:	C:
Folder	C:\photos	C:\images

On PC-B,

Type	Source	Target
Folder	C:\images	D:\images
Folder	C:\photos	D:\images

On both PC-A and PC-C, the files are in C:\images, so there is only one rule for this on PC-B.
 

[Mario]

You relocate on each PC as needed per your setup.
Maybe do it once manually so you know what you have to relocate.

On both PC-A and PC-C, the files are in C:\images, so there is only one rule for this on PC-B. 

No. Even if the paths are the same, the media serial number will be different on each PC and relocation is needed.

Why do you keep four copies of all your files on four computers and install 4 instances of IMatch? What's the use case?

[ChicagoGhost]

I do not know, why you want work an 2 computers.

I have desktops at different locations and also laptops.
I want to work on any of the computers when I have time.
I may work on thousands of files, not a few, and they may be selected, say, by a filter, from many different folders.
After that, I will sync the whole image folder structure to a portable drive, and then sync the portable drive to another computer. This sync also can be done through the network. But with a few hundreds of GB of files to sync, using a portable drive is faster.
Another reason to store all the images on different computers (also on a NAS) is: that they act as backups.

[ChicagoGhost]

On both PC-A and PC-C, the files are in C:\images, so there is only one rule for this on PC-B.

No. Even if the paths are the same, the media serial number will be different on each PC and relocation is needed.

Why do you keep four copies of all your files on four computers and install 4 instances of IMatch? What's the use case?

If the paths are the same, how do I set the rules?
Set two rules with the same content: Source C:\images; Target D:\images?

I have two homes each with one computer and an office computer. So there are three desktops and a laptop.
Whenever I have time, I can be anywhere, I want to work on the photos.

[Mario]

The same rules as for normal relocation apply. You relocate the drive/folder to itself so IMatch updates the media serial number of the drive in the database.

C:\Images => C:\Images

See Off-line Folders and Files

[ChicagoGhost]

The same rules as for normal relocation apply. You relocate the drive/folder to itself so IMatch updates the media serial number of the drive in the database.

C:\Images => C:\Images

See Off-line Folders and Files

I guess you misunderstood my question.
c:\images on PC-A
d:\images on PC-B
c:\images on PC-C
I meant how to set the rules on PC-B.
Here, the paths of the sources and the target are different.
But on two source PCs, PC-A and PC-C, the paths are the same: C:\images.
So, on PC-B, I need a rule: C:\images => D:\images.
My question was whether this ONE rule is enough.
I am asking because there are two source PCs.

[Mario]

I meant how to set the rules on PC-B.

Here, the paths of the sources and the target are different.

I'm not sure that I understand your problem.
You just to the same in the portability options you would do manually on your PC A, B and C.

So, on PC-B, I need a rule: C:\images => D:\images.

Yes. I wrote that several times.

When you relocate c:\images to d:\images in your database on PC B, and you then copy the database back to PC A, you will have to relocate d:\images back to c:\images on A. Similar for PC C.

I suggested you do it manually once on each PC, because this will show you which portability options to set on each PC - the same relocations you had to do manually.

If you copy the database from A to B, A to C, B to D etc. portability options may be tricky. Because sometimes the database may need relocation from c:\images to d:\images and sometimes maybe from e:\data\images to d:\images, because of the way you have setup your PCs. But that's such a rare use case, not event IMatch can handle everything.

Consider using the SUBST command (see Google) to create a virtual drive (e.g. I) that represents the actual physical folder on the respective PC. Or use Drive Manager to mount a folder as a drive, the same drive on each PC. This will make relocation easier. You have only to relocate from I: to I: on each computer. Worth a shot.

Using 4 computers with four different folder layouts to run four copies of my software is a rather unusual use case.

[6b6561]

Would it be possible to use a junction to avoid the hassle of different file paths? Junctions creates links in Windows that are quite transparent in normal operation but I don't know how well it works with IMatch drive ID's and overall performance.

Just run mklink in a cmd prompt.

Code Select Expand

mklink /J "C:\Images" "D:\Images"

[Mario]

links will probably work (to simplify the relocation rules), but relocation is still needed since the files are on another disk/media.