Best photo organizer?

One of the many arguments mentioned by users is the "Open System" approach of IMatch. IMatch does not lock you into the system. Every piece of information can be exported in a variety of formats.

IMatch is also very "open" when it comes to import data from other systems. This makes it easier for users to switch to IMatch - although I'd would like to see a bit more "openess" with these other "standard" applications ;-)

--
Mario Westphal
Author of IMatch - The Digital Image Management Solution
[email protected]
http://www.photools.com

Just to mention it: Many things and features planned for the next generation of IMatch have already been implemented in the current version of IMatch - as you most likely know already. The next service pack of IMatch will also bring a variety of new features which have been discussed on the user forum for some time.

Many of the competing programs bring out fee-based "updates" once a year. With IMatch, you get a free update every three or so months. Each of these updates brings support for the latest raw formats, new features and the occasional bug fix.

--
Mario Westphal
Author of IMatch - The Digital Image Management Solution
[email protected]
http://www.photools.com

Hi,

the tutorial (available in the Help menu and also in the IMatch program group) contains good introductions for the first steps, and additional some explanations of the basic concepts of IMatch.

The context-sensitive online help in IMatch (press anywhere in the program) explains each feature in all details and also contains helpful hints and tips.

The official IMatch user forum at ptforum.photoolsweb.com finally allows you to discuess questions, workflow issues and ideas with thousands of other users.

And, in case all that does not help, you can reach me personally via my official support email address.

How does that sound?

--
Mario Westphal
Author of IMatch - The Digital Image Management Solution
[email protected]
http://www.photools.com

Mario

Would you be kind enough and put something out? What's in new version? what does it look like? How far along? Estimate or Guestimate? You are teh boss so no one is going to hang you for predications and you do reserve the rights to change and improve.
Dipak

Hey Mario you been great yes you have said your open plateform works both ways so I don't understand why everybody gives you grief about it, My under standing is it will export Ctegories also correct, Great program>
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Good Luck, Enjoy

Zoom browser from Cannon

Mario Westphal said:

Mario Westphal said:

Mario Westphal said:

the tutorial (available in the Help menu and also in the IMatch program group) contains good introductions for the first steps, and additional some explanations of the basic concepts of IMatch.

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I would respectfully disagree. The instructions are long on 'what' and woefully short on 'how.' I suspect that Mario wrote the instructions himself. And while he knows the program better than anyone, that's actually the root of the problem. When you've lived and breathed the program for years on end, it's almost impossible to step outside your familiarity to understand what a newcomer is going through.

I strongly urge Mario -- and all software developers -- to hire tech writers to write instruction manuals. You do your product a disservice to do otherwise.

(BTW, I'm not a tech writer.)

fluxus said:

I strongly urge Mario -- and all software developers -- to hire
tech writers to write instruction manuals. You do your product a
disservice to do otherwise.

(BTW, I'm not a tech writer.)

Click to expand...

The best way to learn how to use a SW is to use it...
and not waist the time with reading manuals

--
-caba-

Unfortunately three types of instructions seem to make up the vast majority of those that come with software - those that do provide a lot of the "whats" that the program can do and those that provide a lot of "marketing" info about the product and lastly those that give the basic install instructions and little else. In both of these cases the poor user/buyer has little information to help her/him actually use the program. While this discovery is a challenge that many of us take on by actually using the program and learning through the trial & error process, it does cause a lot of users to throw up their hands in frustration and look for another piece of software to do what they want.

I believe iMatch actually creates a new category of instructions - detailed, but not user oriented. This is not to fault Mario. Overall he has done a fantastic job of creating a program that, in most areas, equals or exceeds the companies with larger staffs and larger budgets.

I do firmly believe Mario will have the next version out sometime next year. I do believe it will have an interface that may not satisfy all but will at least quiet the complaining about the current one. I have the feeling that the next major release may also be the last. I think he will continue tweaking it, but will probably not get into the issue of promising a new version and then having to find the time to do the writing of the code and all of the testing necessary. He will just refine the next release and do bug fixes.

I, as many others, look forward to the release of the next version. I am not worried about it being a one person shop and if he quits there will be no future versions. That has happened to a lot of big companies - that they have gone out of business or decided to discontinue the product. So you really do take a chance on every piece of software you buy.
--
(See profile for equipment)

Caba

Having SW without a good manual is like driving from LA to NY without a good map.

You will get there if you try hard enought, but it could be a long trip.
Glenn

Mario,

Your application is still the most powerful application that I have tried and still seems to do what I want the best. Nevertheless, there are still many things that are missing or need an update. The interface is clumsy to use and not very intuitive due to excessive options (i.e. it is in dire need of streamlining and simplifying). EXIF and IPTC have to be manually imported into the database. Version tracking of images is not included. Plus a few other things that I can not think of now. I have felt ever since I started using Imatch that it has the potential to be the market leading image cataloging application if a few its shortcomings are fixed. Clearly, the development time required to create such an application (in a timely manner) is beyond the capabilities of one part time programmer. Please find a way to get others involved if you can not dedicate full time to it.

David...

Mario Westphal said:

Just to mention it: Many things and features planned for the next
generation of IMatch have already been implemented in the current
version of IMatch - as you most likely know already. The next
service pack of IMatch will also bring a variety of new features
which have been discussed on the user forum for some time.

Many of the competing programs bring out fee-based "updates" once a
year. With IMatch, you get a free update every three or so months.
Each of these updates brings support for the latest raw formats,
new features and the occasional bug fix.

--
Mario Westphal
Author of IMatch - The Digital Image Management Solution
[email protected]
http://www.photools.com

Click to expand...

PS - I for one would be willing to pay more for Imatch if the developement time between major versions was faster.
--
David...
http://www.pbase.com/dhatchner

caba said:

The best way to learn how to use a SW is to use it...
and not waist the time with reading manuals

Click to expand...

It would be nice to have the option. I'm weird in that I read instruction manuals, normally when away from the computer.

IMatch does have a sort of manual in the form of the Help file in PDF. Not great but better than fumbling through. The quick start PDF Mario referred to earlier is great to get an understanding of IMatch and DAM concepts.

Naturally Extensis have greater resources and their Portfolio manual and workflow guides are amongst the best, IMHO.

How about some die hard IMatch user write book on it? Or team up with Mario on a v3.5 book? I know a couple of people who could do it.

-- Robert.

Since I'm fully aware of the fact that no documentation will satisfy all users, and that programmers usually can't write manuals, the tutorial for IMatch has been written in most parts, reviewed and tuned by other IMatch users. I'm of course responsible for every fault or shortcoming in the tutorial or online help or IMatch. But "normal" users did a lot of rewiewing at the time of writing.

The online help for IMatch is my work. It has about 500 pages of context-sensitive information (press F1 anywhere in IMatch). The index in the online help allows you to pick the area of interest and then to read the information available.

The FAQ and the Tips & Tricks section in the user forum is also based on the feedback of users. The Scripting Corner and other sections on the user forum are moderated by volunteers who do a great job to help new users or to solve complex workflow issues in a photographers / agencies daily work. You can usually expect an answer for a question within hours.

My experience also shows that most users can perform the basic tasks of manging images

+ indexing
+ copying, moving, deleting ,renaming
+ editing, viewing
+ slide shows
+ handing over to other applications

within a matter of hours and without reading much of the help files.

More complex things like working with meta data, setting up a IPTC / XMP workflow, doing custom contact sheets, web pages, batch processing, importing and exporting or scripting / automating other applications of course will take some time - depending on what you need to do and what amoung of knowledge you already have.

Since IMatch is a complex application (in the positive sense, it has many features, and many ways to achieve the same goal in order to fit into existing workflows and preferences), IMatch may always look more "complicated" than applications with a limited feature set. But that's why IMatch is designed for and used in a special target market.

Perhaps there will be some "stripped-down" version of IMatch with only the basic funcionality - which would allow me to make these features accessible with a few buttons ;-)

--
Mario Westphal
Author of IMatch - The Digital Image Management Solution
[email protected]
http://www.photools.com

Glenn Patch said:

Having SW without a good manual is like driving from LA to NY
without a good map.

You will get there if you try hard enought, but it could be a long
trip.
Glenn

Click to expand...

What I want to say is that you can drive from LA to NY with a basic map. You do not need extradetailed map with GPS navigation and dozen other manuals like How to drive a car, How to dissasemble car, Advanced GPS navigation and so on...;-)

According IMatch manual - it's far better than manuals from big companies incl. Adobe

--
-caba-

Mario Westphal said:

Perhaps there will be some "stripped-down" version of IMatch with
only the basic funcionality - which would allow me to make these
features accessible with a few buttons ;-)

Click to expand...

This sounds great! I could use the power features when I need to but let the rest of the family just use the basic version. Bring it on!
Cheers,
Mark

Emm, how about just the buttons or a simple mode, instead of "stripping down"? Every digital camera out there these days has a "simple"mode - as opposed to reducing the capabilty of the camera.

That way the newcomer can have an easy path to using the product and geting used to it - and still grow with the product.

Can you not simply do that without gutting the product instead? Doesn't sound like the people I've read here want a dumbed down product - they just want a better way to get into the thing as newbies.

Mark said:

Mario Westphal said:

Perhaps there will be some "stripped-down" version of IMatch with
only the basic funcionality - which would allow me to make these
features accessible with a few buttons ;-)

Click to expand...

This sounds great! I could use the power features when I need to
but let the rest of the family just use the basic version. Bring it
on!
Cheers,
Mark

Click to expand...

quackagator said:

Zoom browser from Cannon

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Zoom browser crashed several times when the number of photographs reached a few thousand. I would never go back to this system.

Lowell

Have you been using Bridge/Verson cue as a database/organizer/archiver utility? I've had some difficulty figuring out how to archive...any help would be appreciated...

wildplaces
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http://www.pbase.com/wildplaces/galleries

I tried several browsers myself before deciding on FotoAlbum Pro:

http://www.fototime.com/fotoalbum

Two of the things i like the best about it are fast browsing with a large number of photos and built-in support for sending pictures to other programs while keeping a hidden backup of the original. I like to use PhotoBrush for image editing and i was happy to find this browser that allows the seamless use of an external editors, and I can always revert back to the original via FotoAlbum Pro if i mess up on the editing.

FotoAlbum Pro also does the EXIF/IPTC stuff some of you were looking for among many other things.

Give it a try.

Michael