10-star image rating

[artem-dp]

How is it possible to use 10-star image rating system instead of 5-star? When deal with 100000 images, it is not sufficient sometime to use just 5 stars. I understand that this feature breaks xmp standard, but maybe it is possible to have an option like "I know that I break xmp, let me use 10-star rating"? It would be absolutely fine for me to work with IMatch only and don't have compatibility with other programs, and xmp could be written as xmp:Rating="10" for example.

[herman]

For reasons I only fully understand ;-) I don't use XMP rating nor labels.
I use categories instead.
I have defined 'rating' categories which range from 0 to 5, but which could go from 0 to 10 or any other highest value if you would wish to have that level of granularity.
As long as you don't have to 'interface' with external software which uses XMP ratings this could do the trick for you as well.
I also changed the thumbnail layout in the file window such that XMP ratings and labels are not displayed but instead my 'rating' categories display star symbols.

Hope this helps,

[Mario]

How is it possible to use 10-star image rating system instead of 5-star? When deal with 100000 images, it is not sufficient sometime to use just 5 stars. I understand that this feature breaks xmp standard, but maybe it is possible to have an option like "I know that I break xmp, let me use 10-star rating"? It would be absolutely fine for me to work with IMatch only and don't have compatibility with other programs, and xmp could be written as xmp:Rating="10" for example.

No.

For many reasons: Compatibility. User-interface issues (I would have to spend probably two weeks to change all controls in order to allow for 10 stars, the documentation etc. And where to store it, since XMP would no longer be possible etc.).

If you need more than 5 ratings you either have to think about how you qualify images or switch to IMatch categories, which gives you a lot more options.

[artem-dp]

Herman, that is really insteresting solution, thank you! I know about categories workaround, but didn't think about symbols. Do you use 10 different images for every star number? Is it possible to use the same keyboard assignment for this solution, 1 for 1-star, 2 for 2-star etc.?

[sinus]

Something like Herman can be done.

Or you use simple a mix, like the 5 stars and then 5 star and 1 category is the 6. star, 2 cats are 7 stars and so on.

You can then take the colors from your star-category and you will end with something like my attachement.

Or you use also the labels for this.

Or you do, like Herman wrote, use categories or metadata-fields for your star-levels and create some individual layouts, like attachement 2 (instead my icons stars).

If you want this have only in IMatch, you have several possibilities.

[artem-dp]

sinus, thanks for explanation, but I see some problem with export as I need to export all images and ratings to website, so mixing rating with categories/labels can complicate things a bit. But I will think in this direction. It's a pity that IMatch needs to limit its possibilities just to comply to ancient standards. 5 star rating just not sufficient in modern world with thousands of photos.

[herman]

I know about categories workaround, but didn't think about symbols. Do you use 10 different images for every star number? Is it possible to use the same keyboard assignment for this solution, 1 for 1-star, 2 for 2-star etc.?

I don't use graphical symbols, just the * character.
I think you could use icons as well, I did not bother to go that extra length.
I attach a screenshot to this message showing how I have set up rating categories, and how they display on a thumbnail.
I don't use keyboard assignments, when I ingest images I just assign ratings like any other category.
Most of my images get a 0 star ranking anyway, I have still to shoot the perfect 5 star image :-)

[artem-dp]

Thanks a lot, I think I will try to recreate the same principle. Meanwhile just for curiosity I searched for any other DAM that allows 10 star rating and found just one solution. So this is still a rare case.

[Mario]

It's a pity that IMatch needs to limit its possibilities just to comply to ancient standards. 5 star rating just not sufficient in modern world with thousands of photos.

That's nonsense. XMP is not an ancient standard, it's the most up-to-date and widely used standard we have at this time. Breaking compatibility with XMP and all the XMP-supporting applications out there just because you need more than 7 ratings makes no sense to me.

The next user will demand 20 stars or 10 extra comets because he cannot cope with just 10 ratings.

Why don't you just use categories for your purpose? You can use color-coding and even get a direct visual indicator for how good you rated an image from deep red (1 star) to maybe bright green for 10 stars. Immediately to see in the File Window and elsewhere.

Or create a numeric Attribute and enter whatever rating number you want.

Both options allow you to use any number of stars.

The XMP rating is a floating point number, so basically you could write anything into it, even things like 0.2 or 10.9. It's just an established agreement that the -1 is to be used for "reject", and 1 to 5 for the actual rating. But you can work around that by including the rating tag in a custom Metadata Panel layout and then enter whatever rating you want. IMatch will not display ratings besides -1,0,,2,3,4,5 and other applications may even strip your rating, but you can give it a try.

]but I see some problem with export as I need to export all images and ratings to website, so mixing rating with categories/labels can complicate things a bit

Precisely. If you deliberately break standards (like using more than 7 ratings) you will end up in problems. Microsoft has a separate "up to 10" rating somewhere in one of their proprietary XMP namespaces, but only Microsoft applications use it and no known application out there deals with it. Or web site. Or agency.

You can always use a metadata template or maybe a custom script in IMatch to "map" your custom 10 star / 20 comets rating schema to something more standard compliant, or write the info into an XMP or even legacy IPTC tag when your web site or consumer needs it that way.

I would not say that properly implementing established metadata standards is limiting IMatch. In fact producing standardized and compatible metadata is a paramount feature for a DAM - especially if you don't want to lock your users in by using proprietary metadata extensions only your DAM can handle.

[artem-dp]

Thank you Mario, you are absolutely right. I think using attribute/tag is the perfect solution that will fit anyone needs. I will describe it, maybe it will be usefull for anyone. This is the result:



1. I selected not used by me Intellectual Genre tag, but one can use anything else. So I use it to keep rating from 1 to 10. I think it is better to use attribute or tag as with categories one image can be mistakenly assigned to multiple categories, but this is not what I want.

2. Next I created multiple templates, one to remove any rating:

,

and 10 that will set rating:



I used unicode star ★ and numbering (to not calculate stars).

3. Next I created favorites from newly created metadata templates and assigned keyboard shortcuts, the same way as built-in: 1 for 1 star, 2 for 2 star etc.

4. Then custom layout created, thanks to herman.



5. It is not so handy to use F3 + 1, F3 + 2 etc. to assign rating instead of built-in 1, 2, so I used this AutoHotKey script to use middle click mouse button instead of F3:

Code Select Expand

MButton::
WinGet, active_id, ProcessName, A
if active_id = IMatch5.exe
{
Send {F3}
}
Else
MouseClick, Middle
return


Don't forget to set "Treat as number" in Sort Profiles as your 10 rating won't be sorted correctly.

So using middle mouse click and keyboard numbers I can set now any rating.

To preserve ordinary rating export format simply delete all " ★" while exporting:

{File.MD.XMP::iptcCore\IntellectualGenre\IntellectualGenre\0|replace: ★==}

[thrinn]

I think it is better to use attribute or tag as with categories one image can be mistakenly assigned to multiple categories, but this is not what I want.

Not necessarily. Categories have an Assignment Action property. You could create a MyRating category with 10 sub categories for your ratings. The appropriate Assignment Action for your sub categories is:

Un-assign from siblings: If you assign files to this category, these files are
un-assigned from all sibling categories (categories with the same parent
category

Flexible as always, our IMatch.

[Mario]

Very good. That's precisely one of the typical use cases for assignment actions.

If you assign an image to one of your 10 rating categories, it is automatically un-assigned from all other rating categories (if previously assigned).