Label sets (user-defined keyword groups) [FEATURE ALREADY PRESENT]

[marcv]

I will probably be moving back to imatch after switching to Idimager a couple of years ago.
One of the very very handy features in IdImager is something called label sets. A label set is user-definable group of keywords. The keywords in the set are existing keywords, as defined in the catalog. The only time keyword sets are used is when assigning keywords to images. Typically, there would be a max of 30 keywords in a label set.

It works this way:
- Suppose I often have to assign the names of my family members to images
- I can define a label set with the names of my family members (8, including the dog and a girlfriend)
- when assigning keywords, I would open a small label set window, which shows only the family member names
- I would now have the possibility to select an image and assign the right names with just one click.

Please check the attached image. This snapshot of Idimager will clarify what I described;
- the top line is where  I can type my keywords
- the middle row of buttons is the list of keywords already assigned to the image
- the names below 'Label Sets' are what this is about; some are predefined, others  I have defined myself. 'WIJ' is one of my sets and is currently selected.
- It is now very easy to quickly assign keywords to the image by clicking on one the family member names.

This is a big time saver which I use daily.

Looking at the help file of imatch 5, the nested display of keywords would help. But only if the keywords in my 'set' are at the same position in the keyword tree.



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[Mario]

Check out the IMatch 5 thesaurus feature once the IMatch 5 Beta becomes available.
The thesaurus allows you to setup hierarchical value sets for all metadata tags, including hierarchical keywords. Something like

Gender
    Male
    Female
      Woman
      Women
      Girl


These predefined keywords are displayed in the Keyword panel and you can assign them by just clicking on them (See the IMatch help for details). The thesaurus allows you to configure these keywords in a way which automatically assigns all sub-elements when you assign the parent element (optionally excluding the parent). In the above example, you could configure that assigning "Female" also assigns Woman, Women and Girl to the image. Very similar to the synonyms which are also supported, but with finer control.

If set up properly, assigning 5 to 10 keywords can cause 50 or more keywords to be assigned to a file.  Which makes for a very efficient workflow.

This feature is designed for users who deliver images to stock photo web sites and who need to be able to assign 50 to 100 keywords to each image quickly, including common spelling variations, typos etc. to make the images easier to find for the search engine.

It is also very useful for users working with scientific classification systems and users with large families.

[Ferdinand]

I have a hunch that the thesaurus may not deal with this requirement.  As I read this, he doesn't want to assign multiple categories at once.  Rather when he is in a certain context, he just wants to display the categories for that context, to make it easier to find the right category.  In iMatch 3.6 you can do this using the One-Click Dialog Bar and loading different item sets.  In iMatch5 I think favourite sets would be closer to the mark.

Of course there is the question about whether he wants categories or keywords in iMatch 5.  He said "keywords", which is probably why you referred to the thesaurus, but in Im5 keywords has a specific meaning different to categories.

But then I think you can assign both @Keywords and regular iMatch categories to a favourite set, is that not right?  So I think he will want to use favourite sets either way.

F.

p.s.  I notice that when I drag an @Keyword into a favourite set, it has the same appearance as a regular category.  I wonder if at least a different icon might be a good idea

[Mario]

Keywords and categories are interchangeable in many contexts thanks to the @Keywords category hierarchy which automatically maps between keywords and categories.

To "slice" up large category sets into manageable sections, or to setup individual 'sets' for different workflow scenarios, IMatch offers several features:

1. The first one would be of course to use the hierarchical categories themselves, adding top-level categories like WHO, WHAT, WHEN or top-level categories representing different contents. Using Alias categories makes it easy to link/show the same category under different parents.

2. Setting up different Favorite Sets for different scenarios. A favorite set takes all types of favorites, including category favorites, scripts, metadata templates etc. You can create any number of favorite sets for different types of files, or different workflows.

3. The Category Panel itself. It shows all categories in one tab, and categories of the selected file(s) in a second tab. The user can add up to 6 additional tabs which show sub-sections of his category tree. This allows to break large category trees, e.g. for families, classification systems or controlled vocabularies into smaller sub-sections for quick assignment.

See the IMatch help for details on all these features.

[Ferdinand]

3.  ... The user can add up to 6 additional tabs which show sub-sections of his category tree.

I forgot about this one - there's too much to remember.

F.

[Mario]

Pretty normal. IMatch 5 has a huge feature set, but not every user needs every feature. You know about what you use regularly.

[Ferdinand]

What about the idea of having a different icon for an @Keyword in a favourite set compared to a normal category?  You want a fresh thread for this?

[Menace]

It works this way:
- Suppose I often have to assign the names of my family members to images
- I can define a label set with the names of my family members (8, including the dog and a girlfriend)
- when assigning keywords, I would open a small label set window, which shows only the family member names
- I would now have the possibility to select an image and assign the right names with just one click.

Hello marcv,

how Ferdinand already explain, your solution is "favorites" (Favoriten for me in german). I came also from IDimage and also uses that sets.

It is easy and I just make one (not to post my familys name open) for my nature photos. Currently I have to make every update it again, but Mario already said, that in the final version, an update will keep the favorite sets.

1. Go to favorites
2. Press "new"
3. name it how you want
4. drag & drop the keyword you want

You can this keywords give different colors or symbols. AND don't care about, that there will be just one column. If there are more keywords it becomes two or more columns.

Kind Regards,

Menace

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[marcv]

Thanks everybody for replying to my post.
It seems that the Favorites will do the job perfectly! Menace's screenshot shows it exactly.

Getting more convinced to move back to imatch every day :-)

[Menace]

Getting more convinced to move back to imatch every day :-)

I like IDimager 5 Pro and now I love IMatch. Currently I work with 4 databases (3 databases mostly photos, 1 as a powerful Explorer-DAM-Software for all kind of files) and don't want back IDimager or Photo Supreme. But it takes 2, 3 days to get used of this program. 

Edit: Wouldn't it be an advantage, if the "Feature Requests"- Board have a "Feature-Present"-Child Board?

[Mario]

What about the idea of having a different icon for an @Keyword in a favourite set compared to a normal category?  You want a fresh thread for this?

Favorites support custom color badges and custom icons. For category favorites, IMatch by default uses the custom background color of the category (if defined). You can change the color badge and the icon via the Favorite properties. Icons can be selected from a set of about 60 standard icons. An exaggerated example:



It is worth mentioning that such a favorite set can not only contain categories (to assign images to categories and/or add keywords). You can also add favorites to move or copy files to specific folders. Or favorites to apply metadata templates. Favorites to launch scripts. Favorites to run Import & Export modules to batch convert, text export or email files. The unique Favorites feature in IMatch 5 can be used to streamline any workflow considerably.

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[Ferdinand]

What about the idea of having a different icon for an @Keyword in a favourite set compared to a normal category?  You want a fresh thread for this?

Favorites support custom color badges and custom icons. For category favorites, IMatch by default uses the custom background color of the category (if defined). You can change the color badge and the icon via the Favorite properties. Icons can be selected from a set of about 60 standard icons.

Agreed.  That's useful.  But there are default icons.  If I wanted to set a different icon for each @keyword favourite then I have to do it manually one at a time.  I think that the differences between regular categories and @Keywords are sufficiently important that I should be able to tell at a glance which is which in a favourites panel in a default situation

F.

[stonecherub]

The way I understand categories and keywords is that categories exist in the database but are not metadata like keywords. Keywords are part of the image file. If I give an image file to a friend, he will get my keywords but not the categories. Is this correct?

I expect to understand @keywords once I get IM5 to play with.

[Ferdinand]

That is correct.  However @Keywords are also listed in the Categories view, and so appear a little like regular categories, and up to a point they can be manipulated like them.  But they are different, hence my request, which I admit is quite minor.

F.

[Mario]

An automatic way to 'highlight' @Keyword categories is to set a custom color for @Keywords. All child categories in inherit this color automatically.
This will be used as the default color badge when you add a @Keyword category to your Favorites. It will also put the color under each file when you display the category bar in the file window. Which also indicates all files with at least one keyword. Files without keywords don't show the color - nice control feature for metadata workflows.

I could use a different default icon for @Keyword categories when adding them to Favorites. Please add a feature request for that so I can do it in one of the later updates.

I doubt that many users will add more than a handful of categories as Favorites. It is much easier to setup "sub-sections" of the category tree (and even sub-sections of keywords, e.g. for scientific systems) in the Category Panel. Up to six tabs can be added, and each tab can contain an entire sub-tree.

Of course both can be done, whatever works best. I often use the ability of Favorites to assign files to multiple categories at once - or to remove files from multiple categories at once. Similar to what can be done with keywords in the Keyword Panel, but for all types of categories.

[Mario]

The way I understand categories and keywords is that categories exist in the database but are not metadata like keywords. Keywords are part of the image file. If I give an image file to a friend, he will get my keywords but not the categories. Is this correct?

Correct. Some file formats (mostly images) allow to embed keywords either in IPTC or XMP data. Sometimes this data is called keywords, sometimes 'tags'. But keywords are pretty dumb, especially compared to the dynamic and flexible IMatch categories. Which also work for all file types because they are stored in the database.

To make things simpler for users, and in order to incorporate  simple keywords into IMatch categories, IMatch has a special category named @Keywords. This category automatically mirrors the keywords in your files. For each keyword in your files, this category has a matching child category. If you use hierarchical keywords, the hierarchy is also mapped to @Keywords.

@Keywords can be used almost like any other category. @Keywords automatically updates when you make changes to the keywords in your files, e.g. in the IMatch Keyword panel (or externally in another application). When you assign files to a child categories of @Keywords, IMatch automatically adds the corresponding keyword to the file. If you remove files from a child category of @Keywords, the corresponding keyword is also removed from the files. If you move a child category of keywords to another location, the corresponding keywords are also "moved". Which makes it a snap to re-arrange keywords, replace keywords with other keywords or even re-group entire keyword hierarchies in your files. This is fully automatic and IMatch will update the keywords in the file on disk as well.

The invention of @Keywords seamlessly integrates simple file-based keywords into the database-backed dynamic categories system in IMatch 5. Keywords can now be used in category formulas, the category builder, filters and all other features only possible with categories. You can even use @Keywords as Alias categories, to link keywords them into different parts of your category hierarchy. I know many IMatch users wait for that 

And if you only 'think' in keywords because you have never worked with something like IMatch categories before, you can do that too.

Just add/edit keywords in the Keyword Panel and ignore @Keywords completely. IMatch will write the keywords to your files so you can share them with others. But it will also maintain @Keywords so you can use it and all associated functionality if you like. Best of both worlds.

[claudermilk]

I doubt that many users will add more than a handful of categories as Favorites. It is much easier to setup "sub-sections" of the category tree (and even sub-sections of keywords, e.g. for scientific systems) in the Category Panel. Up to six tabs can be added, and each tab can contain an entire sub-tree.

Of course both can be done, whatever works best. I often use the ability of Favorites to assign files to multiple categories at once - or to remove files from multiple categories at once. Similar to what can be done with keywords in the Keyword Panel, but for all types of categories.

You might be surprised. In playing with the Favorites functionality, I am able to replicate the IM3 Splashers function, which is very useful--basically what you mentioned doing.

I will be using the ability to split up the category tree. I adopted the popular Who/What/Where/When/Why basic category tree and split each of those main branches into its own tab. That really helps traverse a sizable tree quickly--lots less scrolling AND you can have  multiple sections pulled up for quick assignment but simply switching tabs. I am still pondering how to best utilize keywords vs categories.

Of course this doesn't even get into the use for program links (and yes, 64-bit links will work too--with a little effort).

[Mario]

Favorites for 64-Bit applications should work without any effort, by just dragging them into the Favorites panel. IMatch uses an external helper process to work-around the Windows bug with launching 64 Bit applications from a 32 Bit application. Does this not work for you?

I just tried with all suitable 32 and 64 bit applications and it works. Just drag them from the START menu into the favorites panel of your choice.
New IMatch 5 installations automatically create an "Applications" favorite set and add the standard applications for common file formats to it.

[herman]

Mario, just for your peace of mind: 64 bit applications work here witout any effort from my side on two different W7 installations.
The application favorites panel is one of the things I use all the time, works great!

[claudermilk]

I'll have to check again. Things are settling down a bit for me and some evening time is becoming available again, so I can start thinking about more IM5 testing. I'll check that again quickly--it's been a while since checking & I haven't bothered with the favorites in the last few db rebuilds.

[marcv]

I started playing with the beta and ran into a situation where the favorites panels would not be a solution.

Example: I have 20 names of people who live in my village. After a village event I would like to quickly assign the right names to my images. I would like to go through my images one by one and assign the right names with a single click per name. Some people have nicknames, which I would like to be assigned to the image as a keyword, automatically when I assign the 'real' name.

My approach was the following:
- include the nickname as a synonym in the person's real name in the thesaurus
- create a favorites set that includes all the real names.
- activate the favorites set
- for each image, click the real names ; the nicknames would be assigned automatically.

However: Elements from the thesaurus cannot be added to a favorites panel so the nicknames cannot be assigned automatically.
Keywords can be assigned to a favorites set but keywords cannot have synonyms.

What would be the best way to accomplish my goal?

[Mario]

I perform very similar operations when doing event photography via the Keyword Panel. No need to add every name as a separate Favorite.
Just setup your thesaurus in a way which makes finding the base names quick. Use the search function for thesaurus entries in the keyword panel. Synonyms. Also the ability of thesaurus entries to automatically assign child elements.

I also don't see a technical reasons why keywords should not be usable for Favorites. Maybe you should make a feature request for that in the feature request board.

[marcv]

Played with this method a bit. It works okay-ish, as long as the elements to be assigned have the same parent.

Evaluation:
- CON: to assign from the thesaurus, one needs to click in a very small square (or double-click on the text). In the favorites panel, the whole bar is available for clicking.
- PRO: I get the synonyms!

I do have some sets that do not have the same parent and for these it would be more convenient to move thesaurus entries to the favorites panel. I'll work with the current way of working a bit longer and then see if favorites will be better.

Thanks, Marc