Manage Mode - do you manage?

[Tadjio]

I thought it might be interesting to start a discussion on PSP's Manage Mode, distinct from Edit Mode issues.

I have used every version of PSP since Corel acquired it and watched on the side-lines as the module has developed with differing names and features.

Early trouble with the Catalog Image Database (ImageDB.db) put me off using it but Corel have now made it much slicker and only put entries in there if you consciously add images to the Collections.

Likewise, problems switching between Edit Mode to Manage Mode and back have been resolved. At one time I was losing my customized Workspace.

So, who is using Manage Mode, what features do you like, what improvements would you envisage?
How does it compare with other products, especially AfterShot Pro with its Catalog and File System?

[MarkZ]

Since you asked, here is an opinion. I organize my photos using AfterShot Pro (ASP). I like its catalog feature that allows extensive searches. I organize in folders on whichever drive I store.

Collections is useful for selecting only the folders you currently use frequently. I include only a portion of what is in "My Pictures" (win 7). Even though X6 starts up with the last folder accessed, it reduces clutter. Collections would also be handy for those who want to use the rating system in PSP.

I like Manage Mode for a quick comparison of photos and for selecting the ones I want to edit. Occasionally I set up a new tray and put some photos in there for comparison. You can change the sequence and then look at them full screen for better comparison back and forth and can populate the tray from various folders. What you put in the tray persists from one session to the next only if the photos are in Collections; those from Computer disappear when X6 is closed - I think this is wrong-headed. Also, the ability to reposition thumbs is broken in x64 but works as it should in x32.

Although I don't use some of the features in Collections, only tried them out for testing, I can see ratings, tags, calendar and places being of interest to some. I use ASP instead for most of that. Tags entered in ASP show up in PSP but I don't use them here and I don't know how well they transfer. At one point they didn't.

[hartpaul]

Between August 2011 and Aug 2013 I shot over 37,700 images and I have been shooting digital since late 2002. Have slowed down in 2012 and 2013. So probably have over 200, 000 images on 3 external hard drives. Using the manage mode would cause me more problems than it is worth.
Way back I used a program called Google desktop. It was supposed to scan and make a google compilation of all your programs and files for easy location. Worked brilliantly at the start but then as the files increased, and I moved files to external hard drives, deleted images renamed moved to different folders it became unmanageable. At that stage I had a 40 Gb hard drive and the database was taking up about 10 Gb of that valuable space and increasing.

If you have a smaller number of images and a stable computer arrangement then Manage mode may be for you, but not for me. I took to preparing some summary folders (my own management system to locate other similar images). Each image was named to suit the subject eg cloudswith date in name as well. I would take one representative image from that set and place in a separate folder. When searching for cloud images all the cloud sample images taken at different times would be found alphabetically in the same area of a windows folder, Quick check of the date and I then knew on which external hard drive that set of images was located , quick connection and was able to bring up the rest of those images to choose ones to work on if required. Rating and tagging 200 000 + images now ?? no way.

[Tadjio]

I think Mark's note that you can just include selected Folders in Collections (i.e. the Catalog Database) makes sense.
I would never catalog my 100,000 images (both RAW and JPG) taking up 500Gbytes.

As to Rating, I have used this for a long time, organised via Canon's ZoomBrowser. Now these have been better integrated with Windows File Manager and PSP recognises them, I find them invaluable.
Ideally I would like PSP to also recognise Canon RAW Files' ratings.
Also, I would love to set Star Rating as I do a File SaveAs in Edit Mode. Anyone else want this? I have requested it off Corel.

[OldRadioGuy]

Early trouble with the Catalog Image Database (ImageDB.db) put me off using it but Corel have now made it much slicker and only put entries in there if you consciously add images to the Collections.

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So, who is using Manage Mode, what features do you like, what improvements would you envisage?
How does it compare with other products, especially AfterShot Pro with its Catalog and File System?

Tadjio, like you, I stopped relying on the browser, organizer, manage mode, etc. versions ago. I did try to use Manage Mode in X6 to assign GPS data to my Olympus camera raw files. That didn't work, and I finally figured out that PSPX6 won't assign sidecar files -- at least for GPS data -- to ORF raw files.

So, Manage Mode now remains on the sideline. I never use the Adjust module.

For file browsing, I use Zoner Photo Studio. It is lightning fast, can read multiple formats, including PSPimage, and multiple editors can be assigned to open images within the program. For digital asset management, I'm experimenting with Photo Supreme, successor to the old IDImager.

Corel's Aftershot Pro remains on the sidelines for now, too. It's the fastest raw processor I've tried tried, but the inability to assign more than one external editor, problems with blown highlights and poor camera-lens support prevent me from using it. Instead I use DxO Optics Pro. Best camera-lens support and less fiddling with adjustments needed.

PSPX6 is a winner as an editor. I would prefer the Manage Mode module be dropped, instead beefing up AfterShot Pro to make up the difference. PSPX6 and AS would make an efficient work flow if AS were to meet additional DAM and conversion needs. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening.

Bob