Catalog Filter: Differentiate or separate Smart Albums and maybe a renaming?

[KLE-France]

Second of two resulting from this question:

The Smart Albums feature was added to the Catalog Filter as a node.

However, it does not behave like the other nodes do. The various choices on these other nodes (Rating, Date, Properties, etc.) can be combined via the AND/OR and Ctrl, Shift and Alt modifiers, but "Smart Albums" cannot.

JLM kindly explained why that is in the source post above. Indeed, this makes the presence of "Smart Albums" among the other nodes somewhat incoherent. Everywhere therein, the user can mix and match to surface images with certain characteristics. But this is not the case for Smart Albums. This latter always overrides any other choices made in the other nodes.

So, I would like to suggest one of two things:

Either

1) put the Smart Albums node in a visually separate compartment located at the top or bottom of the Catalog Filter,

or, better I think

2) make Smart Albums its one panel. This seems like the most coherent thing to do. The user can, of course, stack panels into a tabbed interface, so, that would keep the similar functions together (if the user wants) while also clarifying that they are nonetheless not the same.

EDIT: I would also add that any future Smart Albums panel should function as a Source Panel (i.e., responds to View > Panels > "Show source panels" button).

Also, while I'm here, should "Albums" or "Smart Albums" be renamed? I do fear that new users will find that similarity in naming confusing, especially as they are really two very different functions.

How about "Collections" and "Smart Albums"? Or "Albums" and "Smart Searches"? Surely greater minds than mine will find better terminology, but you see what I mean: it would be advantageous, I think, to clearly differentiate the two functions.

As always, thank you for your consideration.

[jkm]

Sorry, but I don’t think this is a good idea.

It’s odd you’re complaining that Smart Albums is out of place, but not Albums.

Everything you’re saying about Smart Albums is also true of Albums. Never noticed?

The reason these things are in the Catalog Filter pane is two-fold:

-They are creatures of the Catalog. They are organizing and finding mechanisms, that have no existence outside the catalog and would not exist if the catalog didn’t exist. It’s a way to find images with certain characteristics in a single click, and that’s what the Catalog Filter pane does.

-Because the Catalog Filter pane is already there. Creating a new pane just to house albums and smart albums would be very wasteful of screen space.

The placement of these things in the Catalog Filter is entirely coherent and reasonable. Expect to see more enhancements in future versions that make additional use of the Catalog and appear in this pane.

The relevant suggestion, and the one I thought you would make based on your previous post, is to enhance Smart Albums and Albums so they can be combined with the other filters in the Catalog Filter.

THAT would actually be a good thing to do, and it is under consideration for a future release.