been very impressed with what the software developers have put
together and have provided to the end user. Most other packages,
actually every package that I have seen (Thumbs+, ACD, Breezer,
Photo Explorer, et. al.), for image management does not give the
end user the wealth of information and customization that IMatch
makes available.
Can IMatch provide a neophyte with the tools they need? Yes. The
standard install and tutorials will aid the end user to quickly
bring up an image management system that can fully meet many of
their needs. In addition, many scripts are packaged with the
application to provide many useful tools for the end user.
Can IMatch provide the advanced user with the features and
customization they desire? By all means. At this level the end user
will find it helpful to have some experience with data modeling and
application development and in addition there will be a learning
curve. But the effort is well worth it as the user will be able to
customize the application with features that other image management
software apps cannot provide. If you need a way to export data into
a format that another application can recognize, the user can
either utilize one of the supplied export methods or create their
own using SAX basic (very similar to visual basic). Heck, even more
advanced possibilities would allow the user to control another
application via IMatch!
For the past several years I have utilized an Access database to
provide for my image management needs. I had written a lot of
customized modules in visual basic for applications to meet my
image management desires. The problem with this very personlalized
method is the amount of coding required and when Microsoft updated
the JET engine database such that some of the coding in my current
system was no longer supported in the latest version, I threw up my
hands in frustration and looked at prepackaged off-the-shelf
solutions. However, after looking over quite a few "image
management" packages, I again became frustrated as it seems a lot
of software companies do not know what it takes to "manage" images,
instead they provide too many features to "manipulate" images. I'm
sorry, but I already have an image manipulation package for that
task and it's called Photoshop. Too many companies put too much
emphasis on image manipulation for their image management
application. A proper image management application would know it's
scope and stay within it, not perform something that "appeals to
the masses." Let image manipulation applications like Photoshop,
Paint Shop Pro, et. al., do that task and let image management
software do it's specialized task. To combine the manipulation and
management pieces into one application is creating an application
with too broad of a scope.
In no way am I associated with the company that provides IMatch.
Though I've got a background in programming and databases, I am
just a regular user of the IMatch application and have found it to
be an essential asset in my digital workflow process.
Know your tools and what each one does, do not rely on an Army
Swiss knife to be your only tool in your toolbox.
Gary T
--
http://www.pbase.com/winterfire
http://www.goldfrost.com
