Adding a Tag to a Version Stack Updates Top Photo Only

When you edit an original, tagged image and save the edited image as part of a new version set, then the tags from the original photo are transferred to the newly created edited version, as I would expect. However, once you have a version set created, if you add a new tag to the set, then only the top photo of the set is actually tagged with the new tag. If you then revert to the original, the newly added tag is lost. As a work around you can "reveal" the version set, select all the photos, and then apply the tag, but this is not very convenient. This seems like a bug to me, does anyone else agree?

I don't necessarily think it's a bug, more of an odd design decision. I agree 100% that it should have been done the other way.

This is also true of stacks, but snce they can be revealed more easily, it's very slightly less concering.

Having said this, I would tend to do 99% of my tagging when I import a picture. It's that 1% that nags.

Been thinking about this also.

For Stacks the existing behavior seems more justified. Because a stack is anything that I want it to be, not all photos in the stack will necessary have all of the same tags.

It might have been nice to have a right click on a tag menu item for Apply Tag to all Photos in Stack or Apply Tag to All Photos in version. But they do not exist.

Yet it does not seem correct for the tag to disappear on Revert to Original. This is so borderline on the inconvenience versus bug question, that I suspect there is no definitive answer.

BarbO

Barbara

I agree with your points. Optional "global" tagging of stacks would be the best approach.

[You can imagine what Adobe are thinking: we give them these great new facilities and all they do is complain. :-)]

I agreed with the default behavior for stacks. The "Tag All" feature would be a welcome addition. However, version sets should be treated as a single entity IMHO. It appears to me that version sets and stacks are implemented the same way internally which is why they operate in a similar fashion. But I believe that version sets should behave differently with respect to tagging. Bug or poor design, try the following and tell me what you think:

1. Edit an untagged file and save it as a new version set
2. Tag the version set with a 5 rating (this tags the edited file only)
3. Search for all 5 rated photos and verify that the file is returned
4. Reveal all photos in the version set and set the original photo as the "top" photo and then return to viewing all photos
5. Search for all 5 ratings again
6. Verify that the new version set is NOT returned as part of the search.

There is no way that you can tell me that this is a desirable behavior. Thanks for the replies.

David

I agree.

I guess it's time to fill Adobe's feature request "stack" so we can all hope for version 3.0.1 ...

<http://www.adobe.com/support/feature.html>

Alexander.
--
1533 MHz, 1 GB, XP SP2, Canon Ixus 430 (aka S410), CanoScan D1250U2F, German PSE v2.0.2 + PSA v2.0.1 (PSE v3 + PrE v1 soon to come)

Hi,
This is really great input on version sets, stacks and tagging.
Adobe is listening. After releasing a new feature, we do want to know what to do to make it more useable. Keep it coming. -Claire

Adobe is listening




That's good to know. Thanks for letting us know Claire.

Keep it coming.




You wanna have a complete list, Claire? With pleasure, here's mine:

In Organizer:

* Ability to use European date formats instead of the default US. Better still: use Windows regional settings (just like in PSA 2 with Ctrl-Alt-Shift-D).

* Using drag & drop within both Stacks and Version Sets to sort images and define the "top" image.

* Alternatively: a shortcut to define the "top of stack" (right clicking and delving into a submenu is way too complicated).

* The ability to create Version Sets just like creating Stacks.

* A true full screen display without the "film strip" or the tool bar currently seen in Review with F11. Better still: give us back the "Instant Slideshow" (Ctrl-Spacebar) from PSA 2.

* Ability to relocate the film strip in the Review screen, at least the option to place it at the bottom of the screen instead of the right hand side.

* Remember the last position of the toolbar in the Photo Review.

* Bring back the "fancy" pdf-slideshows with captions - I don't mind using the plugin for Acrobat Reader. Why do I have to use Microsoft's wmv format now?

* Include the Red-eye Reduction into the Auto Fix of Organizer. It's one of the most used features.

In Editor:

* In the crop tool of the "Quick Fix": a way to "Use Photo Ratio" just like in the "Auto Fix" window of Organizer.

Despite all those "complaints" - you really did a great job with PSE 3! I love it! Thanks a bunch!

Alexander.
--
1533 MHz, 1 GB, XP SP2, Canon Ixus 430 (aka S410), CanoScan D1250U2F, PSE v3.0, 2k images

I think I'd second every one of those Alexander [let's hope Adobe is still listening :-)].

In message <3bb698c4.8@webx.la2eafNXanI>, narya@adobeforums.com writes
>
>
>* Remember the last position of the toolbar in the Photo Review.
>
And in Photo Compare remember the last setting for single or double
image view.

>Despite all those "complaints" - you really did a great job with PSE 3!
>I love it! Thanks a bunch!

Indeed, I've only had mine a few days but I'm impressed.
--
Chris French

Yes, I also agree with Alexander's list.

Bring back the "fancy" pdf-slideshows with captions - I don't mind using
the plugin for Acrobat Reader. Why do I have to use Microsoft's wmv format
now?




I am totally puzzled and dismayed by the loss of function in the PDF slideshows compared to PSA 2. PDF is Adobe's format. The WMV format of the custom slideshow is not an alternative because of its poor photo quality.

Include the Red-eye Reduction into the Auto Fix of Organizer. It's one
of the most used features.




Once we know the answer to what PSE 3 is doing to avoid the jpeg re-compression problems (question currently open on another thread) and where this is implemented, the lack of a red-eye fix in the Organizer could become very important.

BarbO

My last comments on stacks (for now).

- Clicking the overlaid stack icon should reveal the stack. Right clicking this icon could display the stack submenu.

- Similarly, clicking the overlaid version set icon should reveal the version set.

- When you create a stack, the top of stack could default to the photo with the most recent time stamp. Granted this won't always give you what you want, but I tend to edit the best photo and then stack later.

- Drag and drop stacking just seems more natural for adding to an existing stack. Perhaps holding the shift key could make the new addition the top of stack.

- I would also like to create version sets from existing files.

I second all you said, esp. revealing the stack/version set contents with one mouse click. That's a great idea!

When you create a stack, the top of stack could default to the photo with
the most recent time stamp.




And the Version sets should be sorted by date so one can see the "progression" of the edit in a meaningful order!

Alexander.
--
1533 MHz, 1 GB, XP SP2, Canon Ixus 430 (aka S410), CanoScan D1250U2F, PSE v3.0, 3k images

David

I agree with all of that. Excellent ideas.

And Alexander

And the Version sets should be sorted by date so one can see the "progression"
of the edit in a meaningful order!




I agree. It's rather "brain damaged" as it is.

Narya: in your wish list you said:

Ability to use European date formats instead of the default US. Better
still: use Windows regional settings (just like in PSA 2 with Ctrl-Alt-Shift-D




I would like to be able to customize the data format independently of Windows regional settings. The reason for this is that changing regional settings can break some other software (U.S. Quicken in particular).

Ideally you'd be able to do this via a GUI altough the old zstring.dct mechanism worked fine.

My other big wishes are:

1. Change the way photos display in the photo well so the date and time are above the image and the tags are below. PSE3 puts these all on one line below the image and there's just not enough room (so time is almost always squeezed out).

2. Improved performance

3. Scroll bars in the Quick Fix screen

4. An always-visible Home button

DPX

3) What would that enable you to do that the hand doesn't do for you?

4) When do you need a "Back to all photos" [=home] button, but don't have one now?

Colin,

I think that the "Back to all photos" button has been more confusion than help.

When expanding a stack, it is sitting there just inviting one to click it thinking that it will take you back to where you came from within the photo well. But NO, you have lost your position and are back to the beginning of the photo well. More than one forum thread has asked about this after the person fell into that trap. (I know that the back button takes you back to approximate position in the photo well, but why make it confusing.)

Second the Home icon was definitive visual symbol and was always present. When teaching a class of new users, it was very easy to say - if you have done some searches and now can't find a given photo, click on the House icon to get back to All Photos.

BarbO

I take your point Barb.

So, was DPX's real request was a rename of this button?

DPX,

When you are in the Quick Fix screen, pressing and holding the spacebar will bring up the hand and allow you to drag the view without the need for scrollbars. I find scrollbars rather ineffective and a waste of screen space.

I would prefer to have a mode that removed unneeded screen elements such as the Window's title bar to give more visible working area.

Also, I would like to see the toolbars auto-hide when not in-use.

DPX, I aggree with your first comments regarding time.

David B: thanks for the info on pressing the spacebar. I'll try that. It's a bizarre UI though - I've never seen that before. Why not use scrollbars like every other application in the world (and the other editing mode of PSE)?

The lack of scroll bars is odd, but the use of SPACE to bring up the hand is consistent across PS products.

And on the topic of Home button, the problem with the Back to All Photos button is that it's not always there. E.g., if you scroll in the photowell you have to use the keyboard to get back to the top or use the scroll bars which is a bit fiddly. I'd prefer a simple, consistent Home button.

if you scroll in the photowell you have to use the keyboard to get back
to the top




I actually like using the Home key on the keyboard, but I agree that both would be good.