XnView Software

I'm french, so I'm not sure I understand all the content of this post ...

That is what I can say :
- Sidecar files can be created for jpg's and raw files. (Settings, Metadata , update or create xmp sidecar)
- Avoid using embedded metadata for raw photos (settings, metadata, uncheck "Export catalog's categories to xmp..." ) but use only sidecars
- If no metadata at all are used, you risk losing all your work if XnViewMP database is corrupted.

-Select a photo, check a category, unselect photo. 1 : XMP Keywords are added in the sidecar file. 2 : a link is built in the database linking this photo to the category.

- Avoid using "Edit IPTC" window (ctrl i) if you dont want to get embedded iptc metadata in raw files
- "Tools, Metadata, Edit XMP" window is a best choice : this window allows XMP metadata to be written in sidecar files. (see options tab to disable iptc)

Currently, "quick search" works only on file names, IPTC data, and only on displayed photos in the browser
The "Search" function is fast when using criterias that are in the DB (catalog) = Categories, file names, paths, stars, colors.
When using other metadata as criterias, Search is much more slower.

I'm using IPTC for these reasons (my raw files are stored in another place , mirrored with jpgs), and my XnViewMP works only on jpgs with embedded xmp+iptc metadata)
Sometimes I also (batch) create sidecar for jpgs, and I move them into the raw files folder, for future use. (raw and jpg have same names, so sidecar file will meet it's raw wife there)

I use another free software for complex queries : FastPhotoTagger, but I do not remember if it is able to read sidecar files.
In this software :
- go to "settings, metadata" , build your own set of metadata (right click, add) that you want to be in the database (enable the check boxes)
- select metadata to be displayed (large or small field) or not displayed (none)
- create or update database ( "Options, Repositories, right-click ..." ) , and select a folder to be added (not too big for tests)
- open search window, add criterias :
- add boxes in the same line (= logical AND) , or add a box in a new line (= logical OR)
- you can save searches
- etc ...
In this software, Exiftool is used, so you will find the names of metadata in exiftool's documentation, such as https://exiftool.org/TagNames.pdf
Michel

Really helpful response Michael - thank you.

Now it is clear.

Clive

roadcone wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:52 pm Hello Pierre - so far _only_ by creating a category then selecting an image (or images) and clicking on a category (placing a tick in the empty box or occasionally, changing a square to a tick).

Just tried Ctrl+I Edit IPTC - must use ExifTool as it was very, very slow and I now have a load of _originals that I don't want.

So it seems that you use RAW files, so categories are saved in sidecar (and catalog), 'quick search' is not yet able to use these fields.

I'll add it in next release...

roadcone wrote: Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:40 am Really helpful response Michael - thank you.

When using 'quick search' you would like to search partial term?

Hello Pierre,

If you are asking me what search features I would like then the list would be quite long

Certainly, partial term. For example, if the term is a longer word then a partial search makes things quicker and that helps. But then it introduces the question - or an option - to search only from start or search anywhere within.

I have been looking at Acdsee's Photo Studio 2021 (normally SD60 but USD20 off for the next week so it is not a free application). Their quick search facilities seem quite extensive as they support AND, NOT, OR and brackets. So, a search such as:

london -night > finds london daytime images only and not those additionally tagged night
night -london > finds all night images except those in london (I have not tried whether -(london + cardiff + edinburgh) would exclude night shots from all three locations - mmm interesting that one
london + cardiff > finds any images tagged with both london and cardiff (none, of course)
london | cardiff > finds images tagged either london or cardiff
(london -night) | feathered > finds london daytime images plus any bird images from anywhere
(london -night) + feathered > finds london daytime images containing birds

I have tried the following (abmeda, lightroom on1, dxo, capture one) and none of them match the quick search capability of Acdsee.

In next release you'll have
'key1|key2' to find any images (in current folder) tagged with both key1 and/or key2
and i'll try to add 'key1 + key2'

Gosh - this is excellent service Pierre - thank you so much.

Clive

See issue for current status and some details.

Thank you.

I already suggested to add categories in quick search function.
( viewtopic.php?p=162636#p162636 )
Settings could look like this : I suggest adding also a search on pathnames
( many users store their photos in folders with a format like YYYY-MM-DD Event )
So we would instantly have date and event criterias ...

It's useful after a "category filter"
- I choose category "cats" in categories filter and get 250 thumbnails of cats
- If I type 2008 in quick search, this would select cats of 2008 ...

This problem is supposed to be fixed in XnView MP 0.98.3. Please check and confirm the bug fix here.

Hello,

| is implemented but not +

That is:

birmingham|liverpool finds images from either b or l

But if I want night images from liverpool: night + liverpool does not work. I am unclear whether this release was to include + or only |

Clive

+ works here, do you have tried "night+liverpool"

Mmm ... see screen grabs

Search cardiff: Search night: Search cardiff+night

roadcone wrote: Tue May 18, 2021 12:23 pm Mmm ... see screen grabs

Could you send me some sample files?