Initial Impressions

[tom]

I know some people object to first impressions, but I often find that they can be helpful (one can get used to things very quickly). I'm also unfamiliar with cataloging programmes in general so if I make any stupid observations, apologies in advance :-)

*I'm not expecting feedback on all these, I realise many may have been reported before*

 

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I now have version 0.9.0.525 - started these notes with the previous version installed (but checked everything in new version unless noted).

Windows 7 64 bit

(i5-2400; 8GB ram; no video card)

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1) IMPORTING:

seems to have improved in version 0.9.0.525

did a relatively small import lately (3GB), it was showing speeds of 50 to 90 images per minute.

Previous version averaged somewhere between 13 and 27 files p.m. but with a much larger import

 

 

2) UI/IMPORT:

I wanted to cancel the import as I realised I had forgotten to look in Options to see where the catalogue files would be stored. Could not find the cancel button anywhere - eventually found out it was the same button (bottom-left, but I think I had to mouse over it to see the "cancel" label?). I wonder could that be somehow made more visible/accesible?

 

 

3) UI/IMPORT: [NOTE: this may be improved in latest version]

 

Cancel import dialog is confusing:

 

---------------------------

Operation didnt complete yet

---------------------------

Import is not finished yet. Do you wish to cancel?

---------------------------

OK Cancel

---------------------------

 

= Click "OK" to cancel. "Cancel" doesn't cancel the import, it cancels the dialogue box... (Yes/No might be better?)

 

 

4) UI:

screen space is always important, especially vertically. An option to remove icons (or show much smaller icons) from the toolbars above & below fotos would be good at some stage.

 

 

5) UI:

maybe a bit simplistic (or maybe impossible) but a "back arrow" -for previous image viewed- would be helpful. I just moved from an image & now cannot find it again...

 

 

6) TRAY:

Drag enlarged image from filmstrip view to Tray doesnt work (much easier to drag the larger image as opposed to the thumbnail)

 

 

7) TAGS:

Batch adding tags - maybe eventually the ability to add shortcuts to tags? These shortcut/tags combinations would have to be easily changeable.

OR maybe having multiple trays?

This is a bigee for me - I presume you have plans to make this easier - I have imported 30,000+ untagged photos :-)

 

 

7a) TAGS / SHOW/HIDE TAGGED FILES

I initially found this very confusing. I can show tagged files. If I then hide them, I can see all other files - but cant see how to revert to show all files. OK I found the "show all" button eventually, but I think it would be helpful for beginners if this were also included in the tags context menu alonside the Show/Hide options.

 

 

8) SELECTION:

I miss the following ability a lot:

in explorer, I can [a] select a file, say file #2, press shift & select file #10 down the list - everything in between gets selected; then if I press control and select file #20, and [c] with shift and control pressed, if I then click on file #30, files 20 to 30 will also be selected i.e. I end up with files 2-10 & 20-30 selected.

If I try this in Daminion, the files numbers 20 to 30 are *not* selected, i.e. [b/c] does not work.

 

 

8a) SELECTION (BUG?):

Another selection one that bothers me a lot: Select a thumbnail, press shift and left arrow - only two files are ever selected (also happens with thumbnails in Filmstrip mode). If I select a thumb and press shift and right-arrow, it works as expected (all selected).

 

 

9) REMOVING/DELETING FILES:

see screenshot below

Whether file is deleted or not could be emphasised (more) in the text of the remove button imo. Currently says "Remove from Catalog" but can also mean delete (from harddrive) seeing as the "Move to recyclebin" setting is remembered. I know there's a warning symbol there, and the files get removed to the recycle bin as opposed to just getting deleted, so maybe I'm being over paranoid...

 

 

11) Foto/File Date:

"Creation Datetime" from exif data can be incorrect in photos - is it possible to show the file creation date in properties as well? I notice that if there is no exif data, the file creation date is used to fill that field. But if the date is incorrect in the camera/exif-data it would be helpful to separate these into two distinct fields.

(Also the ability to sort by file creation date? hope I didnt miss it!)

 

 

thanks, Tom

[Murat]

Tom, I really appreciated for so large feedback! Welcome to the Daminion community!

 

1) IMPORTING:

seems to have improved in version 0.9.0.525

did a relatively small import lately (3GB), it was showing speeds of 50 to 90 images per minute.

Previous version averaged somewhere between 13 and 27 files p.m. but with a much larger import

 

We'll continuously optimize the import speed with each new program version. In the next Daminion minor version importing will be ~20% faster.

 

 

3) UI/IMPORT: [NOTE: this may be improved in latest version]

Cancel import dialog is confusing:

 

Fixed in all "cancel dialogs". Thank you!

 

6) TRAY:

Drag enlarged image from filmstrip view to Tray doesnt work (much easier to drag the larger image as opposed to the thumbnail)

 

You can use Ins hot-key to add an image to tray.

 

7) TAGS: Batch adding tags - maybe eventually the ability to add shortcuts to tags? These shortcut/tags combinations would have to be easily changeable.

OR maybe having multiple trays?

This is a bigee for me - I presume you have plans to make this easier - I have imported 30,000+ untagged photos :-)

 

On the upcoming Daminion minor build we'll improved the program's cataloging capabilities. I can send you a nightly build to check it. Please let me know.

I've added your request about shortcuts to our feature list.

 

 

7a) TAGS / SHOW/HIDE TAGGED FILES

I initially found this very confusing. I can show tagged files. If I then hide them, I can see all other files - but cant see how to revert to show all files. OK I found the "show all" button eventually, but I think it would be helpful for beginners if this were also included in the tags context menu alonside the Show/Hide options.

 

On the next minor Daminion update you can click on the green radio button of a tag to uncheck it. And this selection was alone all files will be visible.

 

 

8) SELECTION:

I miss the following ability a lot:

in explorer, I can [a] select a file, say file #2, press shift & select file #10 down the list - everything in between gets selected; then if I press control and select file #20, and [c] with shift and control pressed, if I then click on file #30, files 20 to 30 will also be selected i.e. I end up with files 2-10 & 20-30 selected.

If I try this in Daminion, the files numbers 20 to 30 are *not* selected, i.e. [b/c] does not work.

 

8a) SELECTION (BUG?):

Another selection one that bothers me a lot: Select a thumbnail, press shift and left arrow - only two files are ever selected (also happens with thumbnails in Filmstrip mode). If I select a thumb and press shift and right-arrow, it works as expected (all selected).

 

Added to our bug-tracking list. Thank you!

 

9) REMOVING/DELETING FILES:

see screenshot below

Whether file is deleted or not could be emphasised (more) in the text of the remove button imo. Currently says "Remove from Catalog" but can also mean delete (from harddrive) seeing as the "Move to recyclebin" setting is remembered. I know there's a warning symbol there, and the files get removed to the recycle bin as opposed to just getting deleted, so maybe I'm being over paranoid...

 

Fixed.

[tom]

> Tom, I really appreciated for so large feedback! Welcome to the Daminion community!

thanks Murat :-)

I'm glad it was helpful - and thank you for the detailed reply

 

> You can use Ins hot-key to add an image to tray.

that makes it a lot easier

 

> On the next minor Daminion update you can click on the green radio button of a tag to uncheck it. And this selection was alone all files will be visible.

that will sort that problem.

 

 

Re shortcuts,

I think it's important to eventually make these customisable, to cater for clashes, and for people (like me) with non-standard (i.e. not north-american/english) keyboards.

 

I'll send you a PM re nightly build,

Tom

[[email protected]]

Hi Murat - would love a nightly build copy as well if possible.. :) - Andy.

[Murat]

Hi Andy and Tom,

 

I've sent you the direct link to Daminion 0.9.0.535 (nightly build).

[Uwe]

Hi Murat,

 

why not make the nigthly builds public? Not on the main page but in the forum. The users know that this is an unstable version but we can test the current status.

 

Regards, Uwe

[Murat]

We can publish nightly builds, here on the forum. But will it make sense without providing detailed changes information that might be changed from one nightly build to another one?

 

Nightly builds might contain some bugs and untested functionality.

 

I'll publish some partially tested nightly builds with significant changes or some bug-fixes.

[Uwe]

If there are changes you are interested in to be tested by us please give some information. I'll test functions first which had bugs and I've sent to you. If there is a public log in the forum with the known bugs and a column with the date it was fixed (date of the nightly build or official release) that will be enough for me. Then I go to new functions.

Regards, Uwe

[Mel]

Yes, I'd also appreciate a list of known bugs. I'll not report them again and again, you will not receive multiple complaints. It's a good idea.

Got the 535 build, thanks a lot.

-- M.

[Murat]

https://daminion.net/user-forum/index.php?/topic/456-daminion-nightly-builds

 

We'd wanted to get some feedback regarding the "Assign Tags" mode that allows to assign multiple tags to selected images by mouse clicks on the Catalog Tags panel.

You will be switched to this mode automatically after each dragging an image to a tag.

 

Please take into account that in this version all metadata are synced to XMP only (can be changed from the Preferences) that resulted in increased metadata updating performance (x4-5 times).

 

Backup/Restore feature was added to the Daminion Server Administration panel.