How to search images using categories

[fisketjon]

How do I search my images for instance by combining two categories?
The search bar doesn't have a category option.
I have tried to open the Filter panel, but checking any category there doesn't change the files in the file window.

[Tveloso]

Note that in the Category View you can Ctrl-Click (or Shift-Click a range of) multiple Categories, and the File Window will contain the files from all selected Categories.

To filter another View/Scope for files in certain Categories, you can use the Categories Filter as you said.  In addition to clicking the Categories to filter for there, be sure to enable the Filter, by clicking its Checkbox (the Filter's Title will turn blue to indicate it's active):

    You cannot view this attachment.

Once you set up the Active Filter to filter for the categories you're interested in, you can save that setup as a Stored Filter, and then you can access it from the The Quick Filter Ribbon at the top of the File Window (Shift+Ctrl+Q to toggle Quick Filter Ribbon on and off).

[fisketjon]

File window still displays files from other cities and where the selected person is not in the picture.

[Mario]

File window still displays files from other cities and where the selected person is not in the picture.

If you have a category for a specific city, and you click this category in the Filter Panel and enable the category filter via it's check box, the File Window will only show files assigned to this city category.

If this does not work, you have not enabled the category filter in the Filter Panel, or you have selected multiple categories and combined them via Or. Or maybe you have inverted the Filter Panel or paused the Filter Panel.

It is always helpful to show us what you are doing, e.g. show us a screen shot of the Filter Panel so we can see your settings.

"Displays files from other cities" alone is not helpful. We can only assume that you have made a category based on cities?`If so, how?

[Tveloso]

...where the selected person is not in the picture.

If you're doing this all with the Categories Filter, it will not do what it sounds like you're looking for.  When you click Categories for two Cities, and one Person, and Combine With OR is active, you're asking for:

    City1 OR City2 OR Person1

...so all files in either of the two Cities will be returned (no matter who is pictured), as well as all files showing Person1 (no matter what City they're in).

It sounds like you might actually want:

    ((City1 OR City2) AND Person1)

...so only files in either of the two Cities, that also contain Person1.

In order to achieve that, you would need to combine the Categories Filter (to handle the City1 OR City2 requirement) with the People Filter.  Those two filters will be combined with AND, giving the above results.  Of course, if you must be using IMatch's Face Recognition and People functionality for that to work.

Mario, would creating a Stored Filter for a set of Categories (City1 OR City2 in this example) allow it to then be combined with the Active Filter which now uses the Categories Filter to select some other Category (Person1).  Would the Stored Filter and the Active Filter then be combined with AND, thus giving the desired results?...(even though both use the Categories Filter)

[Mario]

You can enable to combine categories with AND for the Categories filter.
But without actually knowing what the OP wants to do, how he has configured the Categories Filter, it's all guesswork.
Once we know, we can help better.

[fisketjon]

Don't know why, but pasting the image in the quick reply box made it disappear (and I didn't notice because I posted without previewing).

[fisketjon]

You cannot view this attachment.

[Mario]

This filter returns all files assigned to Hamar AND whatever person is selected.

Tip: Use the "Current" tab in the Categories Panel to see which categories are assigned to a file.

Do you really manually assign persons to categories instead on relying on face recognition and persons (and then using the People Filter in the Filter Panel to find specific persons or combinations of persons).

[fisketjon]

I hadn't noticed the People filter, but I had specified category in the persons editor for a few persons to test. Good that I don't have to do that.

I got it to work now. I hadn't checked the Filter Panel box in the Filter Manager.

[Mario]

I hadn't noticed the People filter, but I had specified category in the persons editor for a few persons to test. Good that I don't have to do that.

I got it to work now. I hadn't checked the Filter Panel box in the Filter Manager.

I thought that it had to be something like this. This is why I ask users to provide as much information as possible, including screen shots. Pausing the filter panel, disabling the active filter, not enabling the Category Filter etc. are all possible causes for the problem you had, but impossible for us to tell without actually seeing what you see.

Unless you don't use face recognition, IMatch automatically organizes persons for you in the People View (you can apply your category filter there), you can use the People Filter to filter by one or more persons or face attributes etc.

The "People" feature in IMatch is very powerful and you might want to refresh your memory by scanning the People  help topic in the IMatch help again.