In PL4, one of the new features is advanced history which is a great one. However, when PL is executed again after exist, advanced history disappeared. I’m not sure if such steps are stored in database or sidecar file. Is it possible to keep advanced history available permanently?
Thanks!
This is actually something that should be added shortly. It is already implemented on Macs.
Mark
Hello,
Yep, Mark is correct it will be implemented on Windows as well.
Regards,
Svetlana G.
Please, tho, Svetlana;
Not via the sidecar/.dop file
With an option to switch OFF retention-across-sessions
John M
Hi Svetlana,
Yes, I’m using Windows. Hope this is coming soon!
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your reply!
I would prefer the information be stored in the sidecar file. For those of that use a separate DAM to move our images it seems like the only way to keep the information with the file.
That is not going to happen anytime soon. The current design only uses the database.
Mark .
I should have mentioned that I use Windows. The current design does not store this data at all in Windows. I assume, based on Mark’s reply, that when this functionality is added to the Win version it will also be in the database.
If that is the case, is it possible to move files outside of PL and keep the information associated?
I use the Windows version. It is my understanding that history is stored temporarily in the database for the current editing session and is deleted upon exit. The updated feature will include options to retain the history in the database across editing sessions.
To move the files elsewhere and still expect the history to be present would be meaningless unless you plan to edit the files on a different computer running PhotoLab. In that case you would need to copy over the database as well.
Mark
Hi Mark,
That’s not the case for my workflow. When I edit my files they are in a temporary location on my drive. After editing in PL and a final cull I move them to another folder (same computer, same drive). In essence anything that is still being worked on is in one place and things that are finished someplace else (again, same computer, same drive). I don’t do the move from PL since I use an actual DAM.
If, when I move them I lose the database association, then the history will be lost. I’m not sure that it’s that big of deal for me, I don’t see much benefit to having the history anyway. It’s just that this is a feature that won’t really work for folks using a DAM (or file explorer) to move images around unless they always move them to the final location before editing.
Todd
If you move the files and their associated .dop files outside of PhotoLab using a separate DAM you will lose the history. In addition, you will also lose any keywords you may have created in PhotoLab, although I suspect you create your keywords using your DAM.
'Mark
What worries me is when you move or delete photos does the data stay in the data base. If so is going to get filed with rubbish as many of us edit from a folder and at some stage move the images to a different long term one. In my case I move each year the last year from my laptop, the only way of dealing with this is to delete the data base. But the history will then be lost on the storage PC. This to me is the whole problem of mixing up sidebars and data base when images can be moved and deleted without a utility to clean up the data base.
I have one Mac that mounts my image directory over the network from another Mac. If I unmount the share before I start PL (PL3 right now, the latest version I have installed so far) then the database doesn’t seem to be affected: if I poke around in various tables (after quiting PL again some time later; nothing too scientific) then I still see traces of all of my images.
For example, I can run something like the following and see just as many images as on the host that’s exporting the share:
sqlite3 $HOME/Library/DxO\ PhotoLab\ v3/DOPDatabaseV3.dopdata 'select zname from zdopitem'
My Library directory is local on each computer; it’s only the images that are on the share.
Whether or not PL has some timer on this and will eventually clean out the db I don’t know (haven’t looked that closely) but it’s not something that happens quickly at least.
Whether or not it’s the same on Windows I also don’t know, but the database implementation seems to be completely different on Windows (at least the tables are different), and there seem to be enough other Windows/Mac differences that I wonder how much code the two versions really share. Things like different SQL tables, different workspace description files, supposed dependence on macOS Mojave for a macOS api used for DeepPRIME on Mac, and feature differences, all point at much not being common.
Yes. There are lots of differences.
Yes, it does.
Yes, that’s true - but it’s no “big deal” - as the database is an efficient SQL object.
Yes, and in your case that’s a reasonable approach … ensuring a clean start each year.
In my case, I actually delete the database just before each time I run PL (via a “wrapper” I wrote).
Yes - deleting the database results in loss of any keywords you may have associated with your images (plus multi-session history, when that becomes a Win feature) - but, since you’re moving your images off your laptop then they’re effectively lost anyway.
Note: If, when you move your images, you’re also moving the associated sidecar/.dop files then you’ll be retaining all your corrections (tho, not keywords or step-by-step history of corrections).
John M
Is the history already stored in the current version on Windows?
How I understand the documentation, it should be stored permanently already? However, in my case, it does not seem to work. I am sometimes not sure anymore what is a feature and what a bug, as unfortunately PL4 is crashing quite often on my machine, whereas PL3 has been running much more stable.
From the documentation:
Located in the left pane of the Customize tab, the Advanced History palette displays all the steps in the work and corrections made to an image, including the date it was opened in the program and the application of initial automatic corrections (Standard DxO Presets), in ascending chronological order (most recent step at the top). All this information is stored in real time in the DxO PhotoLab database, and requires no intervention on your part.
Good morning @maderafunk,
On Windows side the History is not stored between the sessions, only within one session. Permanent history will be implemented later.
Regards,
Svetlana G.
Thanks for the response!
Is there any estimated time for this feature to be implemented? I just can’t see why I pay full price on a Windows version that doesn’t have the same features as a Mac version. Since this feature was to be “implemented later” for nearly a year now.
I’d be glad if this could be added in one of the next patches. The way “advanced” history works at the moment, it’s more or less useless. In fact, it’s not really a history at all.