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Post by michelb on Sept 12, 2017 16:27:22 GMT
There are a lot of add-ons, actions, scripts and plug-ins to help with the editor. Less so with the organizer.
Elements+
Its scripts don't target the organizer specifically, but some scripts are useful for a faster workflow. For instance, since the organizer can't open jpegs directly in ACR, I can use the 'Open In Acr' plugin. I can also open a batch of jpegs in the editor and edit them. If I want to open them in the editor for further editing, it's annoying and time consuming to save each one separately. I can use the 'Save All' and the 'Close all other files' to save time. The batch scripts add possibilities to the organizer.
Faststone Photo Resizer
Much more options than Elements. You can sort of 'export' your files keeping the file structure. For instance, I can resize a folder branch to a smaller size and overwrite the originals (don't worry, they are secure elsewhere...) That does not disconnect the files from their catalog. I only have to 'update' thumbnails. Yesterday, I decided that my Dropbox folder did not need full pixel size originals for sharing and possible 4" x 6" prints. 2048 pixels like in Lightroom previews are enough. A single batch was able to manage a 10 GB folder tree (some 8 000 files) in 30 folders.
- Microsoft Synctoy and Firefox Sqlite manager:
They are useful separately for backups and for catalog analysis and debugging.
Together, they give me a powerful and very fast alternative to the Organizer backup feature.
My main photo folder tree and my catalog folders are 'synced' on a external drive I keep permanently, and others for safety and sharing. A few minutes at most after each session.
When I need to use my library and catalog from the external drive with another computer, I use Sqlite manager to edit the catalog entries relating to the drive identifications. Two minutes at most.
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Post by BuckSkin on May 19, 2018 22:23:26 GMT
Faststone Photo Resizer
Much more options than Elements. I use FastStone's photo resizer (included in full-featured FastStone; I think it is also available by itself) many times each day; it has many handy features and I keep finding more. I also really like FastStone's Batch-ReNaming feature, which has many options for renaming. In fact, I like everything about FastStone. |
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Post by Sepiana on May 20, 2018 5:07:35 GMT
- Microsoft Synctoy and Firefox Sqlite manager: They are useful separately for backups and for catalog analysis and debugging. Together, they give me a powerful and very fast alternative to the Organizer backup feature. My main photo folder tree and my catalog folders are 'synced' on a external drive I keep permanently, and others for safety and sharing. A few minutes at most after each session. When I need to use my library and catalog from the external drive with another computer, I use Sqlite manager to edit the catalog entries relating to the drive identifications. Two minutes at most.
Michel, I have a lame question; I just want to make sure I understand this.
I am considering getting Microsoft SyncToy. If I do that, I would use it as an "additional" backup. Is that correct?
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Post by Bailey on May 20, 2018 5:26:16 GMT
Hi michelb, This is a very interesting comment for me. ..... I use Sqlite manager to edit the catalog entries relating to the drive identifications. .... I use SQLyog with my pc's local web server XAMPP when I am working on clients' database driven web sites here at home. Can I use SQLyog (which I assume is a similar SQL GUI to Sqlite manager) with my XAMPP server to connect to the Organiser's catalogue database and actually view/edit the data records in the database? |
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Post by BuckSkin on May 20, 2018 5:49:01 GMT
I use the FREE version of Synchredible for automatic backup of all my files; it can be set to do just about anything you could want. www.ascomp.de/en/products/show/product/synchredible/tab/descriptionI have it set such that if I change anything about a file, be it picture or document, it will duplicate what I did on however many back-up drives I may wish. (Not immediately, but when it does it's scheduled run.) |
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Post by michelb on May 20, 2018 6:43:03 GMT
Hi michelb, This is a very interesting comment for me. ..... I use Sqlite manager to edit the catalog entries relating to the drive identifications. .... I use SQLyog with my pc's local web server XAMPP when I am working on clients' database driven web sites here at home. Can I use SQLyog (which I assume is a similar SQL GUI to Sqlite manager) with my XAMPP server to connect to the Organiser's catalogue database and actually view/edit the data records in the database? I think you can. I am prudent because I have had a bad experience recently when trying to connect to the catalog database with the desktop in my country home. - On account of safety changes in Firefox, I have definitely lost my prefered Sqlite manager  - the other free software I had could not be installed (database4.exe from database .net) or would not recognize the .pse16db extension. Even renamed, no luck. - No better experience with other free software suggestions on the Web. Fortunately, the database4.exe installed here still works. I simply have to open (connect) the catalog database with the option 'all files' in the open dialog, not with one of the usual sql extensions.
I would like to find a suitable replacement (I am very prudent about downloading 'free' softwares).
If you can open the catalog databases, feel free to share your experience.
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Post by michelb on May 20, 2018 7:00:46 GMT
- Microsoft Synctoy and Firefox Sqlite manager: They are useful separately for backups and for catalog analysis and debugging. Together, they give me a powerful and very fast alternative to the Organizer backup feature. My main photo folder tree and my catalog folders are 'synced' on a external drive I keep permanently, and others for safety and sharing. A few minutes at most after each session. When I need to use my library and catalog from the external drive with another computer, I use Sqlite manager to edit the catalog entries relating to the drive identifications. Two minutes at most.
Michel, I have a lame question; I just want to make sure I understand this.
I am considering getting Microsoft SyncToy. If I do that, I would use it as an "additional" backup. Is that correct?
SyncToy (or similar softwares) is used for very fast and easy 'synching' of my library and/or catalog folders to another drive. I have an external USB3 2TB drive permanently connected to my desktop.
It's very fast because it only 'syncs' the changes, not the whole catalog and/or library. It's much faster and easier than the incremental backups in the Organizer. If I have run the syncing once, I only need a few minutes to sync a whole editing session. It's easy and fast to roll back to the last synced version in the external drive. It's as simple for a library update on another computer (for the library, not for the catalog, which refers to another drive...)
If I use SyncToy to update my other computer catalog, it's a simple catalog folder copy, but the contents of the database are not updated to point to the files in the other computer drive. That's where editing the sqlite database is necessary.
To summarize, syncing softwares are fast enough to safeguard all your editing sessions. They can be used to sync the library in two computers. I still need the standard backup procedures of the Organizer for periodic backups, especially to move library + catalog to another drive or computer.
It's good to remember that the easiest way to share with two computers is to store library + catalog on an external drive.
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Post by michelb on May 20, 2018 7:17:21 GMT
I use the FREE version of Synchredible for automatic backup of all my files; it can be set to do just about anything you could want. www.ascomp.de/en/products/show/product/synchredible/tab/descriptionI have it set such that if I change anything about a file, be it picture or document, it will duplicate what I did on however many back-up drives I may wish. (Not immediately, but when it does it's scheduled run.) In other words, it can do what the free Microsoft SyncToy can do. If you sync the photo files library and the catalog folder on another drive or computer: - you can 'sync' back to the previous situation if your original drive is still available and ok. - if it is no longer ok or available, you can use the 'synced' version of your library on the backup drive... but the 'synced' catalog will show all files 'disconnected'.
If your software has an option to do clones or full disk backup like Acronis, that's good, especially for your system drive. However that's not as fast as syncing.
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Post by Bailey on May 20, 2018 11:22:39 GMT
... If you can open the catalog databases, feel free to share your experience. Houston.......We have lift off!!  I had a bit of a play trying to open my old PSE 10 (which is still on my pc) .pse10db catalogue file with SQLyog that I mentioned earlier, but no luck. The PSE catalogue/database file is a Sqlite database architecture and SQLyog can only deal with the MySQL database architecture.So I googled "sqlite gui" and ended up downloading the free SQLiteStudio. (Like you, I am very wary of free downloads so I did multiple security scans before unpacking the zip file and running the gui.) SQLiteStudio is very similar in looks and feel to SQLyog. Below is a screen shot of the SqliteStudio gui showing the 22 database tables and the results of a simple SQL query I ran to test it. select * from media_table
which retrieves all the records in the db table named media_table.  Click the image for a clear/sharp enlargement
(It appears imgbb blur the hires original to create thumbnail) So it looks like SQLiteStudio is a viable option if you ever need to get into the nitty-gritty of the database and its data records. |
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Post by BuckSkin on May 20, 2018 17:29:37 GMT
If your software has an option to do clones or full disk backup like Acronis, that's good, especially for your system drive. However that's not as fast as syncing.
I am not familiar with Synctoy. The way I use Synchredible on my photo editing machines is to automatically mirror/synchronize anything I may have added or changed between each scheduled run, dropping any redundant or deleted files in the recycle bin, where I can give them a quick investigation before clearing the bin. On the USB drives that only get synced occasionally, I use the manual option. Synchronizing only takes a minute or so and I have never caught it making any mistakes. Something I read in you guy's discussion triggered the idea that I may also start syncing my wife's pictures/computer with mine, instead of treating them as separate territories --- but then, do I really want all of those baby shower, wedding, and birthday pictures to have to weed through --- maybe I had best leave that as just a thought. I haven't yet investigated whether Synchredible can clone the O/S drive; if the free version can't, then possibly the paid-for version can; I have always used AOMEI or EaseUS Partition Master for that. You guy's are having a most interesting discussion about this sqlite business and I need to grasp a better understanding of that aspect of things; I may learn a few things here. |
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Post by michelb on May 20, 2018 18:07:03 GMT
So it looks like SQLiteStudio is a viable option if you ever need to get into the nitty-gritty of the database and its data records. I remember trying to use SQLiteStudio on my country home computer, but for some reason it did not work. Maybe a problem with my Avast protection? However, it's good to know that it should work just like for you.
I know that users at ease with SQL programming will find ways to get useful information from the catalog. My experience with relational databases was not with SQL (I only know the basics).
So, for less advanced users I think it will be prudent to only use those SQL tools for looking into the database, not to change it via SQL queries (in that case, work on catalog database copies).
The only situation in which I edit the database myself is very precise. It's to solve the following catalog problem: - You have an exact copy of your photo folders tree on a different drive. - You can use a copy of the catalog, but the organizer offers no way to recognize the new drive. Changing the drive letter is not enough, you have to also change the internal serial number of the new drive. In the previous discussions, we have the situation for a broken or stolen computer with only the 'synced' drive available. The catalog copy does not recognize the new drive, all files are disconnected.
Then, in that situation (the folder tree is exactly replicated), you can edit the catalog to replace the old drive identification by that of the new one. No bulk edit of each record is necessary. You only need to edit a table (volume_table). You need to edit - the drive letter - the internal serial number - the drive type and name. That's all. You need to know how to retrieve the catalog internal number and how to convert it from hexadecimal to decimal. That's done in a couple of minutes.
However, there are traps to avoid in this edit, such as avoiding creating duplicate drives lines...
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Post by Bailey on May 21, 2018 0:14:57 GMT
Yes you need to know what you are doing before going around changing things in the database itself. I come from a background in web programming and database administration so I am very familiar with SQL. As you mentioned in another thread, the Organiser "search engine" is already very powerful so I don't envisage needing to write my own sql queries to get information from the database unless I wanted something very unusual. The only time I might need to go into the database to change/delete any records is if there was some unusual behaviour by the Organiser. But even in that case I would try the Optimise and Repair utilities already in the Organiser since all they do is run the appropriate SQL queries/commands in the background on the database anyway. While you use just the sql SELECT statement you can't do any harm. It's when someone wants to edit data records using sql UPDATE......SET......WHERE statements that they really need to know what they are doing. But it's good to know that we have the ability to go in and edit the Organiser database if required |
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Post by Bailey on May 21, 2018 4:07:42 GMT
Hi Buckskin, ... You guy's are having a most interesting discussion about this sqlite business and I need to grasp a better understanding of that aspect of things; I may learn a few things here. Adobe do not require anyone using the PSE Organiser (and I assume all their other products as well) to have any knowledge of relational databases and/or SQL, so please don't get too hung up on learning about them, unless you really want to of course for other reasons. If the PSE Organiser is not your main cataloguing application, I would think learning about how to use it and its very powerful search engine capabilities would be more useful than learning SQL. Every time you import a photo, tag it, run searches for images or do anything else in the Organiser it will be executing SQL commands in the background to perform your tasks for you anyway. |
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Post by Sepiana on May 21, 2018 4:37:46 GMT
Michel, I have a lame question; I just want to make sure I understand this.
I am considering getting Microsoft SyncToy. If I do that, I would use it as an "additional" backup. Is that correct?
SyncToy (or similar softwares) is used for very fast and easy 'synching' of my library and/or catalog folders to another drive. I have an external USB3 2TB drive permanently connected to my desktop.
It's very fast because it only 'syncs' the changes, not the whole catalog and/or library. It's much faster and easier than the incremental backups in the Organizer. If I have run the syncing once, I only need a few minutes to sync a whole editing session. It's easy and fast to roll back to the last synced version in the external drive. It's as simple for a library update on another computer (for the library, not for the catalog, which refers to another drive...) If I use SyncToy to update my other computer catalog, it's a simple catalog folder copy, but the contents of the database are not updated to point to the files in the other computer drive. That's where editing the sqlite database is necessary. To summarize, syncing softwares are fast enough to safeguard all your editing sessions. They can be used to sync the library in two computers. I still need the standard backup procedures of the Organizer for periodic backups, especially to move library + catalog to another drive or computer. It's good to remember that the easiest way to share with two computers is to store library + catalog on an external drive.
Michel, I am sold on Microsoft SyncToy; I am getting it. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed answer to my question!
I also have an external HD drive, which is permanently connected to a desktop (where I do most of my work). I use it to share with my other computer. |
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Post by BuckSkin on May 21, 2018 4:47:03 GMT
If the PSE Organiser is not your main cataloguing application, I would think learning about how to use it I appreciate the advice; however, I am very particular about such things as accurate EXIF information, especially date/time taken, and I have spent countless hours setting such things back to rights after the Organizer corrupted this information on thousands of images; so, I gave up on the Organizer and started using DigiKam for all of my keyword tagging, geolocating, and such; it would take a very convincing argument to lure me back to the Organizer. DigiKam, working alongside FastStone, takes care of all of my organizational needs; of course, me being overly meticulous about such things is a big help as well. |
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