OK, how do you open raw files in Silkypix ? do you find the folder where they have been downloaded and just open them from there ?
Use the first Icon = "Open File", then the new window shows "Look In" and aim for the folder you want to access. Set the "File Type" to whatever, RAW, jpeg, tiff, or all types, whatever works for you.
Then in the folder contents window choose the files that you want to work on. Select one, or easier Control A and select the lot, or use the usual shift or control keys to select some subgroup out of the bunch, then "Open".
All the thumbnails appear for those images. One will be highlighted. If you then go to the 6th and subsequent Icons in from the left you get "Thumbnail Mode", "Combination Mode", "Preview Mode", try each one and see what happens. The highlighted thumbnail will be the image that will be worked on.
Any changes you make to that image will be shown in the thumbnail and remembered when reopened later, but will not be implemented until you "Develop" the image to another jpeg or tiff, use proper names like adding something recognisable to the new file names, like "mod1" or something so you keep track of your trial developments.
From then on use the little down arrow next to the "Open File" icon to re-access your images last used. But I always seem to find it easier to keep using just the simple "Open File" and go to the folder.
The good thing is that if you have a bunch of images that are all much the same and need the same treatment of adjusts, then show them all as thumbnails, select one and do those adjusts (via whatever screen mode method), do Control c and that stores those adjusts, then select the bunch of thumbnails and Control v to drop that same adjust onto the whole bunch. Neat. Or store that adjust as a new user "Taste" and reapply it at any time to anything. Again of course you need to "Develop" that whole bunch to get results out.
I use Picasa and it ain't bad, but maybe if I got the hang of Silkypix I would discover that Picasa is in fact rubbish, not sure why I write that, kinda anticipating someone is going to tell me just that.
Picasa is great for 99% of the time, absolutely not to be discredited at all just because it's free, it's getting better all the time. Latest version finds all faces that look alike and groups them to make people easy to find.
But if you need more clever adjusts and Curves and things like that, then dive into Silkypix and experiment. Make sure you have the latest version, the free SE version for Panasonic RAW capable cameras is at
http://www.isl.co.jp/SILKYPIX/english/p/
It's so good that I bought the real version ages ago for use with my Olympus DSLR, now have upgraded to the paid Pro version but not tried all its features as yet.
Regards.......... Guy
