Custom Sort -- major problem with 2019.6.2 (x64)

[rwoods01]

Sorry to bother; but, I haven't a clue where to go now after the past week of trying everything I could think of.

v.2019.6.2x64 /Win10x64, 10.0.17134b17134

I cannot make custom sort adopt either "default" or an extant defined sort via the normal methods -- "additional functions>reset ..".
The custom sort I am trying to adopt as the basis is what I call Capture&Comment sort -- which consists of two simple fields:  Exif::Main\DateTimeOriginal; XM::exif\UserComment.  Those fields work just fine whether as my C&C sort or when I enter it into the fields for a Default sort. 

Both "reset custom sort..." and "reset custom sort to default" do NOT attach to Custom sort (nor in fact do any of the other sorts.  I've forced a rescan of all Sft+Ctl+F5 categories.  Nope same behaviour.  This was done after a "compact and optimize" on the db twice.  Tried "show/hide stacks"; "show levels" etc.

Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted; since I am sure it must be my ignorance of some change that I didn't properly read.
TIA,
Robert

PS I've been a registered IMatch user since 2003 and have never had this difficulty.  Custom sort worked fine with 2019.2.4.

[Mario]

Hm, no idea...
I checked but there is no difference in how custom sorts are reset between 2019.2.4 and the current version.

Do you select one or more files before you reset the sort?

Try this to reset your custom sort order:

1. Select the Default Sort preset.
2. Select all files.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+R

Switch to the custom sort preset and check if the order has changed.
Now switch to your C&C preset and apply the Reset command again.
Switch tot he custom sort preset and see if there is a change.

[rwoods01]

Thanks for the swift reply.

I tried what you suggested.  (I had not selected all in the folder because the help file said selecting only one was sufficient).  In a test file of 6 different filenames and times; the suggestion worked just fine.  However, it did not work in the original folder of 395 mixed filenames and times (all .jpg).  The 395 folder sorted by filename, then time, then comment.
That provoked my trying a previous folder which had custom sorted just fine about 8 months ago.  That had no problems working as documented.

What did work finally was changing the folder name from "19_FamilyWedding_PS" to "19 FamilyWedding_PS"[without first underscore].  All then worked according to documentation.  My problem must have had something to do with not the length but the composition of the folder name.

Thank you again for replying.  You sparked some thought on other ways to skin this cat.

PS  Great program.  Thanks for all your work; you have made mine less over the years.

[Mario]

I don't think the custom sort reset issue has anything to do with the folder name.
IMatch does not link the custom sort sequence to the name of the folder but to the internal id of the folder. And this does not change when you rename or move the folder.
Since its now working again I'll file this under "no repro".

Let me know if it happens again, and under which conditions. I use custom sorts frequently but have not encountered an issue so far. But that does not mean that there is not a bug lurking somewhere.

[Thomas]

I also have a problem with the custom sort with 2019.6.2 (x64):

I assigned photos from several folders to one category. When I filter for this category (whole database selected) and switch to custom sort order, I always get the photos sorted alphabetically. I tried to reset the sort order to default and other presets as you described. But there is no effect at all. I just want the selected photos sorted by the creation date as a start and then do some minor changes.

Never tried this with previous versions.

[Mario]

When I filter for this category (whole database selected)

Custom sort orders are stored per-folder and per-category.
The database cannot store a custom sort order for all files in the database.
To work with custom sort orders you must work with single folders or categories.

[Thomas]

Yes, sorry, that was my mistake.

I now selected the category,  tried "Reset Custom Sort to 'Default'" and got the photos sorted by time stamp, which is indeed my standard sort profile. That is exactly what I wanted.

Just for interest I set another sort profile (e. g. Rating) and tried "Reset Custom Sort" (with all photos selected). If I now change to Custom, I get the photos sorted by image names, not by rating. I would expect that after "Reset Custom Sort" the sort order does not change when I switch to profile custom. Did I something wrong?

[Mario]

Did you perhaps accidentally reset to the 'Default' custom sort order (this would be based on the Default sort profile, which uses the file name as the first criteria).
You can also just toggle between the default and Reset once, in case somethings got stuck. Also make sure that stacked files are visible. If you hide stacked files, custom sort orders can behave differently.

[Thomas]

I tried it again today and it worked now. No idea what went wrong the last time. All stacked files were visible (via the button in the toolbar).

By the way: Default custom order means that the sort profile "Standard" is used, right? As I wrote I changed that profile, my first sort criteria is "Date & Time". So even if I had accidentally confused "Reset Custom Sort" with "Reset Custom Sort to 'Default'", a sort order by image names would have been wrong.

Anyway: It works now. Thanks for the fast respond.