XnView Software

When I assign categories to an image I use categories sets.
(My category sets: Time, Place, Topic, Name, etc.).
These category sets help me to systematically assign categories;
and prevent that I forget to set categories.

OK, that's for assigning.

But when searching/ filtering images by categories,
having sets of categories to check particular categories from,
would be a great help too.
For the same reason as for assigning: I could search in a
structured manner, not forgetting any "type" of category.
As it is now, I have to manually go through every single category
(unstructured, by alphabet) and to decide if it is one
I could need for search.

So my question:
Is there any way to do "structured" searching/ filtering by category,
as it is for assigning categories?

Or is that something that is (still ) missing in XnViewMP?

BTW
I'm about ever changing arbitrary category search patterns,
so predefined search patterns won't help.

A work around for this...
might be to define a parent category for every category set,
and place the categories from the set as subs.

This might do the job.

But I feel uneasy with it...
- as these parent categories are kind of "artificial"
- they use additional unnecessary room in the db
- I have to take care to keep them "in sync" with the category sets

Any ideas?

Possibly MP could be enhanced by offering a switch in the category set's panel:
"Assign" vs. "Search"?

create Smart album with required Categories for each Set

in theory, Category Sets filter could be added to:
- Catalog filter pane AND/OR
- Search dialog
but I doubt the feature will be very popular

You get me wrong:

It's not about searching all images that are tagged with all categories of a category set.

Please read again my description what I use the category set for; and my examples.

It is not about adding "Category sets" in category filter and category search pane,
but the other way round:
add simply in "Category sets" the ability to modus change from "assign" to "filter/ search".
That would be all.

Maybe in other words:
When assigning categories I use the category sets as a guidance to see what
categories should be assigned:
Have a assigned a "Time" (category set) already?
And a "Place" etc.

But when searching I don't have this help of sets.
I have to go through the alphabetical (but unstructed) list of categories.
It would be very helpful to be able to first check a category from say "Time",
then one of ... etc.

user0 wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 7:02 pm ... I doubt the feature will be very popular

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be only few users to use that way to assign categories.

nji9, what you're describing may make a lot of sense to you, but it sounds like a strange way to search.

You can create whatever kind of structured hierarchy you want in Categories. And when you search, the Categories pulldown gives you that exact same graphically structured list. You Yes inside each node the leafs are alphabetical (and you know what, they're listed alphabetically inside Category Sets too!), just like in the Catalog Filter, but the structure is there, so I don't see the problem.

The fact this is evidently a big problem for you indicates there might be disconnect in communicating what you want. Perhaps your category sets are completely divorced from any structure you created in your categories, I don't know.

When you said "add simply in "Category sets" the ability to modus change from "assign" to "filter/ search". That would be all." that sounded like it contradicted a lot of what you said before. So it's not clear to people who are reading your request.

It looks like you requested this same functionality back in June. viewtopic.php?t=49278

So what I would suggest is for you to get out a copy of photoshop or some other image editor, and start making some graphical mockups to show exactly what you want, and demonstrate how/why/when it would actually be more useful than what is available now. I would recommend adding that to your original thread I linked to above.

Pierre likes to improve the app. We've made some enormous improvements to Search lately. But they have to make sense, and they are more likely to be done if they'll benefit the majority of users or attract new users. Providing truly new capability is preferred over catering to idiosyncrasies. You're not getting this across with just your description, so I suggest you use some good graphics to help make your case.

Thanks again for your reply.

I posted the issue as question, as there wasn't any response to my suggestion.
So I thought it might be possible already (somehow) and asked in this thread.

You asked for more description about the issue.
I would, but as I tried already two times in this thread,
and moreover in the suggestion thread...
I don't think I will be successful doing a fourth time.
I will resist the temptation

Moreover already I explained, why reflecting the "category sets"
by inventing same-named parent categories won't be a good idea.
(See "... I feel uneasy...").

jkm wrote: Wed Jan 07, 2026 10:58 am ... You Yes inside each node the leafs are alphabetical (and you know what, they're listed alphabetically inside Category Sets too!), just like in the Catalog Filter ...

Yes, alphabetical, but less.
Divide et impera.

OK - ONE last time...

If you are about to assign categories to a new item/ image...
then it's very helpful not to have a unstructured (alphabetical) list of categories
but to have a "helping structure".
Say "Place".
"Oh, does the image has a place to assign it too?"
Next say "Time".
...

Actually I wouldn't use XnViewMP for categorizing at all,
if there wasn't the help of categories set already.
But each time I have to resist clicking the category at the category set plane,
but instead have to go to the categorie filter pane to set for searching.
How much easier it would be to have a switch in categorie set pane:
"assign" (as it is now) plus additional search".

You want a visualization - you get one.

Button is a flip-flop labelled: "A" assign, "S" search

Actually I understand what you mean be using the category sets in the Category Filter and Category Search panes:

Show the category sets "as parents" of the categories?

Yes, that would be the alternative.
But you need an additional button in these two panes too then:
"Show category sets as parents"...

Right?

Maybe that would be even better.

I just noticed an additional drawback of the workaround
(inventing parent categories (@searching) for category sets (@assigning):

Each image's assigned categories consist also of the "artificial" categories
that are not due properties of the image, but of the structure of the categories.

E.g. an image has categories "Location", "Time", "Topic"... which is anything but lucid.

All in all:
The idea of @user0 (category sets (optional) in Catalog Filter and Search) might be best.