Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

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metal450
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Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

Hi all,

I'm working on trying to replace LR with XnView MP as my primary catalog/tagger. One thing I can't figure out: after I've added some folders to its catalog, how can I recursively "update" all files/subfolders that have been added/removed/moved? For instance, initially I add D:\Pics. A few weeks later, after some reorganizations within D:\Pics, how do I tell XnView to look for changes & update its catalog accordingly? In LR, I do this by right-clicking the folder in the tree, & choosing "Synchronize Folder." In XnView, I thought this might be handled by View->Update catalog from files, but it seems not to do so. How can I accomplish the same as LR's "Synchronize Folder?"

Note: just to preempt one possible answer, I cannot exclusively use XnView for adding/moving/removing files on disk - I need to be able to do so elsewhere, & then have XnView update its catalog accordingly. The reason I cannot do all my file management in XnView is because it's a dual boot system, so I'm sometimes working from a different OS - & it isn't feasible to reboot to the other OS each time I need to i.e. move an image. Another scenario that would have this issue is when managing media on a removable device (external HDD), which is sometimes used from a different computer.

I've setup my catalog initially by:
Settings->Catalog->Enable Catalog
Settings->Catalog->Base path of your pictures=(my base dir)
Settings->Catalog->Import folder=(my base dir)

Thanks in advance!
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xnview
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by xnview »

you have Settings>Catalog - check folders
Pierre.
metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

xnview wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 10:10 am you have Settings>Catalog - check folders
Thanks for the reply - that didn't seem to work for me tho. An easy test:

1) Add some photos (with keywords) to the catalog
2) After added, use Categories Filter to show some photos with a particular Keyword
3) Right click on one picture->Open in File Explorer, then rename the file in File Explorer
4) Close & reopen xnView, and go to that Category Filter again. The renamed photo is listed, but cannot be opened (as expected: because the source file has been moved / cannot be found)
5) Now is where we need to do something like Synchronize Folders in LR. I try Settings->Catalog->Check Folders. However, after doing so, nothing has changed. It did not remove the reference to the file at its old name/location, and add a reference to it at its new name/location...?

?
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michel038
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by michel038 »

I tried steps 1-4 above, (with all options checked in "settings, metadata")
> category filter shows two times the same photo ( new name + previous name ) but the photo with previous name does not exist anymore.
> it seems that the new name is correctly added in the catalog and categories filter.

Step 5 Check folders
> no changes (the non existent photos won't be updated !) :bugconfirmed:

I tried "optimize" with "Remove data from orphaned files"
> repaired

V0.98.1 Win7 64 bits

Another method : First, I make sure I always have the same data in the catalog and metadata.
> remove / add the folder in "settings catalog" will perfectly renew this folder in my catalog.
metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

> category filter shows two times the same photo ( new name + previous name )

That's not what I see. I only see the photo once, with the old name (which is of course no longer available). It did not detect/add the new name. Did you just quit & reopen xnview (after renaming) and the new photo is there? Did you do some other step that you didn't mention? This seems to be a key difference in what we're observing...

> no changes (the non existent photos won't be updated !)

Yup - as far as I can tell, this button doesn't do anything.

> Another method : First, I make sure I always have the same data in the catalog and metadata. remove / add the folder in "settings catalog" will perfectly renew this folder in my catalog.

This requires explicitly remembering each specific folder in which you modified something. In an extremely simple test case like above, where you just change one folder, this could work, but if you're just working normally in another OS or on other systems for awhile, it'd be impossible to come back & remember exactly which folders you have to remove & re-add one at a time. Not to mention it's also *MUCH* slower to completely remove & re-add, rather than just scan or changes. "Synchronize Folder" scans & synchronizes recursively down the tree from whichever level it's run, so you don't have to try to remember exactly each & every folder in which something was changed.
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michel038
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by michel038 »

That's not what I see. I only see the photo once, with the old name (which is of course no longer available). It did not detect/add the new name. Did you just quit & reopen xnview (after renaming) and the new photo is there? Did you do some other step that you didn't mention? This seems to be a key difference in what we're observing...
Right, I displayed the folder in the browser, so the catalog has been updated with the new name.
"Synchronize Folder" scans & synchronizes recursively down the tree from whichever level it's run, so you don't have to try to remember exactly each & every folder in which something was changed.
Yes, sure.
as far as I can tell, this button doesn't do anything.
Yes, "detect new files" and "remove orphan files " should be added
metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

>Right, I displayed the folder in the browser, so the catalog has been updated with the new name.

I displayed the folder in the browser, but the catalog was NOT updated with the new name.

You simply renamed the photo (from *outside* of xnview), closed xnview, re-launched xnview, & it right away saw the new name? You didn't do anything but close & re-launch? In my case, this definitely did not find the new name :/

>Yes, "detect new files" and "remove orphan files " should be added

Sorry, I didn't understand what you're saying here. I see 'remove orphan files' after you click 'optimize,' but I don't see any 'detect new files' option anywhere.
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michel038
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by michel038 »

I displayed the folder in the browser, but the catalog was NOT updated with the new name.
Did you check "Settings, Metadata, Import keywords ..." ?
but I don't see any 'detect new files' option anywhere.
Sorry this option does not exist.

I meant that even if "Import" option is not checked (one can forget, or by mistake) , if the user tries to update the catalog with new files, the only way is to import keywords , so the software should not take care of this option in this case (check files or optimze)
Try to find new files or modified files and not read them has no sense unless you want to update only star rating or color labels and not keywords.
I suggested to have this option (Import) in the same screen as catalog managing ...

Perhaps a warning could be a good idea when checking folders : " allow import keywords to update catalog ? yes/no/cancel"
metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

michel038 wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 12:47 pm Did you check "Settings, Metadata, Import keywords ..." ?
There's no option called "Import keywords," but if you mean Settings->Metadata->IPTC & XMP->Import XMP subject or IPTC keyword to Catalog's Categories," then yup, it's checked.
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xnview
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by xnview »

metal450 wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:09 pm 5) Now is where we need to do something like Synchronize Folders in LR. I try Settings->Catalog->Check Folders. However, after doing so, nothing has changed. It did not remove the reference to the file at its old name/location, and add a reference to it at its new name/location...?
Right, :bugconfirmed: Thanks to your detailed description I can reproduce the problem

Perhaps 'Synchronize Folders ' is better than 'Check folders'??
Pierre.
metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

xnview wrote: Mon Mar 01, 2021 3:24 pm
metal450 wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:09 pm 5) Now is where we need to do something like Synchronize Folders in LR. I try Settings->Catalog->Check Folders. However, after doing so, nothing has changed. It did not remove the reference to the file at its old name/location, and add a reference to it at its new name/location...?
Right, :bugconfirmed: Thanks to your detailed description I can reproduce the problem

Perhaps 'Synchronize Folders ' is better than 'Check folders'??
So just to clarify, this is supposed to do what I describe? Re-scan all folders in the catalog, removing orphaned files/dirs, adding new files/subdirs? It's just temporarily not working?

If so, then yeah, I think 'Synchronize Folders' is much more clear - as it isn't only 'Checking,' it's taking actions too :)
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by xnview »

metal450 wrote: Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:32 pm So just to clarify, this is supposed to do what I describe? Re-scan all folders in the catalog, removing orphaned files/dirs, adding new files/subdirs? It's just temporarily not working?
yes, for folders already in catalog
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metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

But will it handle changes to subfolders of folders already in the catalog? i.e. initially, I add D:\Pics - the root of my full photo collection. It does the initial recursive scan, adding every folder & subfolder under that top-level root - d:\Pics\Trips\Trip1, d:\Pics\Trips\Trip2, etc.

Then let's say later I add d:\Pics\Trips\Trip3, and rename d:\Pics\Trips\Trip1 to TripA.

Since these are all within the path I added - D:\Pics - re-scanning like this will find these changes (it'll remove Trip1, add TripA & Trip3)?
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by xnview »

metal450 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:54 am But will it handle changes to subfolders of folders already in the catalog? i.e. initially, I add D:\Pics - the root of my full photo collection. It does the initial recursive scan, adding every folder & subfolder under that top-level root - d:\Pics\Trips\Trip1, d:\Pics\Trips\Trip2, etc.
If you have d:\Pics & d:\Pics\Trip1 in the calalog, so yes
Then let's say later I add d:\Pics\Trips\Trip3, and rename d:\Pics\Trips\Trip1 to TripA.

Since these are all within the path I added - D:\Pics - re-scanning like this will find these changes (it'll remove Trip1, add TripA & Trip3)?
In this case, no. if you have in the catalog d:\pics only, after 'Synchronize' i don't know if you want subfolders too.
The current behavior is to synchronize the folders in the catalog, so if you have not browsed/added d:\Pics\Trips\Trip3, it will be not checked.

I can add an option to check recursively?
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metal450
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Re: Updating Catalog for Added/Moved/Removed Files?

Post by metal450 »

xnview wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:02 am In this case, no. if you have in the catalog d:\pics only, after 'Synchronize' i don't know if you want subfolders too.
The current behavior is to synchronize the folders in the catalog, so if you have not browsed/added d:\Pics\Trips\Trip3, it will be not checked.

I can add an option to check recursively?
Oh yes, definitely please :)

From my perspective as a user, my desire was to add D:\Pics, & everything below it. Then if anything below it changed, "Synchronizing" will again bring it to my desired state: everything below it is contained. This would include not just added/removed images, but added/removed subfolders too. (I understand that implementation-wise, when you add D:\Pics, it actually adds each individual folder as a "different record" - but from a user perspective, I just view it as "I want to add everything within D:\Pics, and periodically synchronize all those contents).
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