DAM Knowledge Base

This category contains Know-how articles and tutorials for IMatch plus articles about Digital Asset Management (DAM) and digital imaging in general.

Fill AutoFill Templates using the Copy Data App

Fill AutoFill Templates using the Copy Data App

IMatch AutoFill Icon. IMatch AutoFill is a powerful IMatch feature to fill metadata quickly and consistently

AutoFill is a powerful IMatch feature to fill metadata quickly and consistently.

This article describes how you can use the Copy Data app included in IMatch to fill AutoFill templates from existing metadata in your files.

How to Use the Clipboard with the AutoFill Template Editor

You can paste data into an AutoFill template from the Windows clipboard. The data in the clipboard must have the same number of columns as the AutoFill template and the columns must be separated with a tabulator character (09h) and the clipboard can contain any number of rows.
This easy method of transferring data into an AutoFill template is designed to copy data from other applications, like spreadsheets or databases.

The following AutoFill template contains two tags (columns) for the Copyright and Copyright URL metadata tags:

Image showing the IMatch AutoFill template editor with a two tag template.

If the clipboard contains text data with two tab-separated columns per row and any number of rows, we can paste the clipboard contents directly into this AutoFill template. For example:

(C) Mario M. Westphal[tab]https://www.photools.com
(C) Paul P. Photographer[tab]https://www.example.org

The [tab] token symbolizes the actual tabulator character in this case. After pasting the clipboard contents, the AutoFill template looks like this:

Image showing the IMatch AutoFill template editor after pasting data from the Windows clipboard.

How to Fill AutoFill Templates from Existing Metadata in Files

We can utilize the clipboard support of IMatch AutoFill to quickly add data to AutoFill templates. For this, we use the metadata already contained in files and the free Copy Data app included in IMatch.

The Copy Data app is a simple yet powerful tool that can copy arbitrary metadata and attributes into the Windows clipboard. You specify what to copy using a mix of free text and IMatch Variables, which also allows you to transform and format the data as needed before it is copied into the clipboard.

For this example, we setup the Copy Data app to copy the values of two tags: the Copyright and the Copyright URL tags.
(The special [tab] token tells the app to copy a regular tab character (09h) into the clipboard).

When we now select a file that contains data in the Copyright and Copyright URL tags we want to add to an AutoFill template, we just click the green Copy Data button and then paste the clipboard contents into your AutoFill template afterwards.

Copy Data From Any Number of Files!

This means we can select several files which contain variations of the data we want to use in an AutoFill template, click Copy Data once and then paste into an AutoFill template in one go. This produces as many rows in the template as there are files selected.

Format and Transform When Needed

Since Copy Data utilizes IMatch Variables, we can transform or format the metadata data contained in the files before copying it into the Windows clipboard. Maybe use the default function to fill in a default text when a file contains no data for a tag or replace characters as needed with the replace function.

Thanks to the power of IMatch variables, there are virtually no limits of what Copy Data can do. Not just for AutoFill, but also for all other situations where you want to transfer data from IMatch to other applications.

Fill AutoFill Templates using the Copy Data App Read More »

The 'Did You Know`?' App Screen Shot

The ‘Did You Know? App

The Did you Know? app included with IMatch contains a large number of helpful topics, highlighting certain features or options.
The app to be used while you work with IMatch, reminding you of rarely used features or giving you tips for how to work more efficiently.

You can open it from the Help menu or from the App Manager.

New topics are added frequently, often based on questions asked in the IMatch user community.

The 'Did You Know`?' App Screen Shot

The ‘Did You Know? App Read More »

Quick Tip: Opening Selected Files in a Result Window

An often overlooked but useful feature in the File Window is to open the selected files in a new result window.

This feature allows you to work on a subset of the images in the current scope, which may provide a better overview in some situations.

Or you use the File Window Search Bar or the Filter Panel to find files in the current scope. Then select these files and open them in a result window, for further searching or filtering. This creates an easy drill-down workflow.

To open all selected files in a new result window, press Ctrl + G , R

Quick Tip: Opening Selected Files in a Result Window Read More »

The App Panel at different scales

App Panel Scaling

IMatch apps are designed to be responsive and adapt to the current screen resolution. But sometimes this may not be enough, for example, when you want to use very small App Panels to maximize the screen estate available for other panels or the file window. Or when you use IMatch on a small tablet or notebook while on-location.

Scaling

Under Edit > Preferences > Application: User Interface you can control the global scale for information rendered in App Panels. You can reduce or increase the scale in 16 steps between -8 (smaller) and +8 (larger).

App Panel Scaling Control

Using the Apply button allows you to see the change in all open App Panels immediately. The App Panel on the left uses a scale factor of 0 (default). As you can see, the buttons in the panel need to wrap because the panel width is too small to display them in one row. By reducing the scale factor to -3, the data and control elements fit neatly in the available panel.

The App Panel at different scales

Summary

The global scaling for App Panels enables you to size the contents precisely to your requirements and liking.

See also the related article Configuring IMatch for High-DPI Screens and Easier Reading.

App Panel Scaling Read More »

IMatch Logo with Cloud

IMatch and Cloud Storage

IMatch Logo with Cloud

Services like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive and others make it very easy to backup files into the cloud. This is often used as a second or third tier backup strategy. In addition to local backups of all your important files for easy and quick recovery.

This know-how article explains how your can integrate cloud storage with IMatch.

 

Keep It Local

All of the above cloud providers allow you to use a mode where you keep a local copy of all the files managed in the cloud. This makes these files accessible for all applications on your computer — without any special software and also very fast. If you change a file in one of the cloud backed folders, it is automatically synchronized with the cloud storage. If you change files on another computer which is synchronized with your cloud, the changed files are automatically downloaded to all your other computers.

Integrate with IMatch

This is exactly the way to do it when you want to manage your files in IMatch and use the cloud to store your files.

Image of Dropbox folder in Windows Explorer

You just include the folders in the local copy of your cloud storage (e.g., the Photos sub-folder in the Dropbox folder) in your IMatch database.

This way you can manage the files in IMatch, search, view, edit metadata etc.

Whenever you change a file in IMatch, the file is synchronized back into the cloud automatically. And when you change files on other systems and the cloud synchronizes your local copy with the cloud afterwards, IMatch detects the new and updated files and updates the database.

This gives you the best of both worlds. IMatch and integrated cloud storage.

 

 

IMatch Databases in Cloud Storage

As a backup, great. Just copy your IMatch database(s) into your cloud folders at regular intervals or let Windows do it with a scheduled task. Keeping a live database in cloud storage, however, can be problematic and sometimes even dangerous.

When IMatch has a database open, it creates temporary files, lock files and short-lived transaction journal files. These files come and go as needed by the database system. They enable IMatch to cleanly undo failed database operations, to recover from catastrophic events like power failures and to handle multi-user scenarios. And of course IMatch updates database file several times per second.

When IMatch closes a database, all temporary files are removed and only the .imd* database file remains. The database is then in a clean state and ready for backup.

Not Recommended for ‘Live’ Databases…

But when you keep your ‘working’ IMatch databases in the local Dropbox folder, this is what happens:

Dropbox recognizes that the database file has changed and that temporary files have been added, updated or removed. It then starts to synchronize these files into the cloud. While Dropbox is doing this, IMatch continues to update the database, creating and removing temporary files. Whatever ends up in the cloud is most likely outdated and inconsistent. Nothing you can rely on as a backup.

And there might be a performance penalty, too. If Dropbox is locking files while it processes them, IMatch may be slowed down or even run into timeouts.

For these reasons, it is not recommended to keep ‘live’ IMatch databases in Dropbox. You can copy a closed database into a Dropbox folder for backup purposes. But not while IMatch (or IMatch WebServices™) have the database open.

I used Dropbox as an example here, but the same behavior can also be found with Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive.

 

Find other interesting articles in the DAM Knowledge Base.

 

IMatch and Cloud Storage Read More »

IMatch Keyword Panel

Free Controlled Vocabularies for IMatch

The IMatch Thesaurus is a very powerful tool for creating and managing controlled vocabularies  – not only for keywords!

What is a Controlled Vocabulary?

A controlled vocabulary (Wikipedia) is basically a list of hierarchical keywords and synonyms. Instead of manually entering keywords, you pick them from the thesaurus. This not only makes keywording (tagging) files much quicker, it also improves the quality and consistency.

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Importing Lightroom Keyword Lists

IMatch can fill the thesaurus from keywords already used in your files (see the IMatch help for details) and it can import thesaurus data in a variety of formats.

In this knowledge-base article I want to show you how you can easily import keyword lists in the popular Adobe Lightroom® text format.

To import a keyword text file designed for Lightroom, open the Thesaurus Manager in IMatch (toolbar button in either the Metadata or Keyword Panel). Click on the Import & Export toolbar button and select the Text format in the format selector box at the bottom.

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Now select the Lightroom keyword file you want to import and click on Open.

Groups and Synonyms

The IMatch thesaurus automatically detects groups and synonyms contained in the file and converts them to the corresponding IMatch Thesaurus objects. See the IMatch help system for more information about keyword groups and synonyms and how to use them in IMatch.

Result

After a short while the Thesaurus Manager shows the results of the import. You can now review and edit the imported keywords as needed. Click OK to save the thesaurus to the database.

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IMatch Default Thesaurus

IMatch includes a default thesaurus with a set of universal hierarchical keywords. This thesaurus is automatically imported into new databases. If you have used IMatch 3 in the past, this keyword list was available as the Universal Catalog category set in that version.

If you already have created your database and you want to import the universal thesaurus, you can do this via the Import command in the Thesaurus Manager. The default thesaurus is named system-en.imths and contained in the C:\Program Data\photools.com\IMatch6\Presets folder.

Free Keyword Lists

In addition to creating your very own controlled vocabulary from scratch, you can start out by using one of the many free Lightroom keyword lists available on the web. Some examples:

Each of these lists has several thousand hierarchical keywords and should get you started just nicely. You can edit the keywords after importing them into IMatch to match your personal requirements and keywording habits. Maybe you export your modified thesaurus later to share it with others.

Commercial Controlled Vocabularies

A very good resource for both information about controlled vocabularies and high-quality commercial controlled vocabularies for many applications is the Controlled Vocabulary web site.

You might also want to check out Photo-Keywords (also has links to other paid and free keyword lists) or Keyword Catalog for additional paid lists of curated keywords.

Other Resources

There are many other lists out there as well. A good overview of commercial (paid) and free lists can be found here:

Find other interesting articles in the DAM Knowledge Base.

Free Controlled Vocabularies for IMatch Read More »

Putting Some Smarts Into File Names

Using smart file names can be a key for successful digital asset management. Some users prefer to include dates in file names. Other users include project codes or use a globally unique file naming schema. Whatever naming schema you decide to use, IMatch has tools to make the job easier.

IMatch includes a powerful tool named Renamer. With it you cannot only rename files in smart ways, but also copy and move files, add folders on-the-fly, create automatic backups, and more…

The Problem

Cameras often use file names like _DSC12345.jpg, which are not really informative or useful. You cannot tell anything about the contents of the file by just looking at the file name. And, if you use more than one camera, you may even end up with duplicate file names. And that’s never a good idea.

Although the physical file name is not that important anymore when you use a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system like IMatch. But it’s always better to be able to work with your files properly outside of your DAM, e.g. when you upload files to your web site or send them out to clients or a printing service.

The Solution

The IMatch Renamer tool enables you to create consistent and descriptive file names – automatically, when new files are indexed by your database, or later at any time. Whether you use simple numerical file names or you include additional information like date and time, a project code or even metadata like title or job id is up to you.

Some Examples For File Naming Conventions

_DSC12345.ext This is the file name format used by most digital cameras today. Each image file gets a sequential number and the prefix DSC (Digital Still Camera). A leading underscore is added if the file is in the Adobe RGB color space.
2015-08-01_12345.ext This file name consists of the year-month-day the image was taken, plus a sequential number. This format is pretty common because the file names are not only descriptive but also ensure that the images are sorted by date in software like Windows Explorer.
P8781-00121.ext
P8781-20150801-00121.ext
A file naming schema which uses a project code (P8781) and then a 5-digit sequential number which identifies each file in that project. The second variant also includes the date and time.

The Renamer has a special project code feature which prompts you to input a project code automatically.

20150801-usa-new-↵
york-890.ext
A file name which consists of a date stamp, the country and city name where the image was taken and a sequential number. File names like this are great when you travel a lot.

The Renamer can construct such file names from the location metadata in the image automatically.

Project_Location_Lab_Cond_↵
20150801100501_001.ext
A file name how it is often used for files created in research projects. Each file name contains important information about the object(s) shown in the image.

The Renamer can construct such file names automatically by accessing both metadata stored in a file and global variables, e.g., the project name or the location and lab data.

Your naming convention make be based on one of these examples, or you create your own unique way of naming files. The Renamer in IMatch is flexible enough to handle (almost) everything you can come up with.

The IMatch Renamer

To rename files, select them in a File Window and then bring up the Renamer by pressing <Ctrl>+<F2>. The Renamer has a comfortable user interface which allows you to produce file names by adding one or more steps. There are steps to:

[list_font icon=”check-square-o” list_item_1=”add date and time in various formats” list_item_2=”add plain text and IMatch variables” list_item_3=”converting the case of file names” list_item_4=”including selected parts of the original file name” list_item_5=”replacing or delete text” list_item_6=”removing (leading/trailing) digits” list_item_7=”adding unique or sequential numbers” list_item_8=”copying and moving files” list_item_9=”creating folders on-the-fly, even with names based on variables” list_item_10=”prompting the user to enter a project code when he renames files” list_item_11=”…”]

While you add or change steps, the embedded preview allows you to see the resulting file names. No changes are made to the file system, the Renamer merely simulates the rename operation. It also checks for and indicates duplicate file names you may produce with your steps.

Example: Date and Sequence Number Format

The Renamr user interface.
The user interface of the Renamer.

In the screen shot above we create file names in the format: YYYY-MM-DD-nnnnn.ext format. At the bottom of the dialog box you see the source file name and destination file name. If you rename more then one file, you can click on the Preview… button to see the resulting file names for all files.

Example: Including the ISO Country Code and City Name

To create the more complex YYYYMMDD-Country Code-City Name-sequence number format explained in the table above, we just need a few more steps:

The File Renamer: Renaming files using county code and city name

The first step adds the date in the YYYYMMDD format. Then we add a – and the ISO country code. We follow up with another – and then the name of the city. The country code and city name are retrieved directly from the XMP metadata of the file by using the corresponding IMatch variables. The final two steps add yet another – and a 5-digit sequence number. For the sample image used for this demo, the resulting file name is: 20140321-USA-New York-28190.jpg.

See the Renamer topic in the IMatch help system for numerous additional examples and tips & tricks.

Important: Buddy and Sidecar Files

Most of the RAW processing software in use today (and also image editing software, audio and video processing tools) produce sidecar or ‘buddy’ files for each file you process. A typical example are XMP files which contain the XMP metadata for your RAW fies. If you have a _DSC12345.RAW file, the XMP file will be named _DSC12345.XMP.

RAW processors or image editing software also create a variety of other files with settings, configuration data or history info for each image you process in these applications. Sometimes these files are in the same folder as the image, sometimes in sub-folders.

When you rename an image file, it is important to rename the sidecar and buddy files as well. Otherwise you may break the ‘link’ between the image file and the sidecar files which can have dire consequences.

The Renamer cooperates with IMatch’s unique file relations concept and thus ‘knows’ about buddy and sidecar files – even if these are not indexed by your IMatch database. The Renamer automatically ensures that buddy and sidecar files are renamed together with the image file.

File Names in Digital Asset Management

The Renamer tool in IMatch enables you to create descriptive and consistent file names. It offers easy features to include date and time, arbitrary metadata, text and automatic numeric sequences in file names. By using the embedded preview you can test your rename results without making changes to the file system. The Renamer also cooperates with the unique file relations feature in IMatch to automatically rename buddy and sidecar files when the corresponding image is renamed.

Putting Some Smarts Into File Names Read More »