I would really, really like to have PhotoLab at least offer an option whereby when the user launches the program, it opens into the Customize panel instead of the PhotoLibrary panel. Additionally, when the user launches PhotoLab by right-clicking an image file and choosing Open in DxO PhotoLab 5, the default behavior should be opening into the Customize panel instead of the PhotoLibrary panel. If the file is in a folder with a lot of other images, then launching into the PhotoLibrary panel slows things down noticeably.
Actually, I’ll go a step further: I’d like a setting or preference to completely disable the PhotoLibrary panel. I don’t want or need PhotoLab to be Lightroom Light!
I’ll add my vote for launching into Customize when right-clicking to open. Please don’t forget to vote for your own feature request, @NAwlins_Contrarian !
I think with “right click to open” an image, it’s highly likely that you select that in order to edit (Customize) the image, although you might want to Export it, which you can do from either PhotoLibrary or Customize.
I’m less sure of the benefit of opening in Customize (although I recognise the request is for the user to have the option to do this). Customise would have to open pointing at the last used directory, as PL does now with PhotoLibrary as the opening mode. Some times this would be what I wanted - such as when working on the same set of images over a period during which I’d closed PL, shutdown my PC etc. Other times it wouldn’t be what I wanted and I’d have to switch to PhotoLibrary. I personally prefer the predictability that it always opens in one mode, and for me PhotoLibrary is more useful.
An option to go directly into customize, and in addition to select the last picture being edited would be a useful feature when spending significant time on a particular image across editing sessions.
Hmm, @NAwlins_Contrarian’s suggestion makes sense to me. Using the “Open with” command should activate the customize window, as I’d use that command most likely from a sort of image browser. No matter which mode PL was in before closing.
Would also be easier for me, as I sometimes need to click 2-3 times on the “customize” button. Needing to click it already is unnecessary and no behaviour I’m used to in other apps on the Mac. In fact, PL5 is the least mac-like app I’m hosting on my SSD.
The problem with that being, you and I might want to edit images but others might be more interested in editing metadata, which is best served from the Library tab. Maybe a switch needs adding to the preferences?
Sorry, when I want to edit metadata, PL5 is back in 10th row of importance. But still, let’s follow that idea: Somebody wnats to open PL5 to edit metadata - so usually more than one image is involved. How about this idea:
Open PL in library mode if more than 1 image is selected. Else in customisation mode.
Sorry but that isn’t going to work. Both macOS Finder and my image browsing app allow for the selection of multiple files to “open with…” and when that is activated, if the files are in different folders, it automatically creates a new project in PL that contains all those files.
What I want to do is be able to view the images in that project in Customise, not in the Library.
I never use finder to start PL from. Usually I want to work in more than one image, so I can as well double-click the PL5 icon. But as you do your keywording with finder tags, I can see that the interoperability between these is important.
Form the projects I steer clear. I find it a pity, they could be useful. They are meant to be short living collections.
On windows if PL is started with a filename is always goes to Customize. I usually start it from AcdSee as external editor and it always opens in Customize.
Strangely if I open an image from windows explorer it open in PhotoLibrary or Customize, depends on which one was active when closing the program
Does Mac PL5 work differently from Win PL5? If I drag and drop a selection of files even from multiple folders (usually via my DAM) into PL5, it opens them as an External Selection in the Customize tab, ready for processing.
m-photo
( Marc (macOS Sonoma on MBP16" Intel))
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And why not have a second entry “open in > New (temporary ?) project in DxO PhotoLab” in order to only access the selected images (in the film stripe) ?
This “new project” could also be discarded when closing PhotoLab.
A few settings would allow users to decide a bit more how they want to interact with their favorite software.
More settings, less clics and tricks, efficiency for the users. That’s the purpose of the machines and softwares
On a Mac, I can use Keywords, Finder Tags, Star Ratings or any other metadata to create Smart Folders (saved searches) which can contain references to files from anywhere on the hard disk and totally replace the need for PL’s projects.
In addition, to facilitate this, I write keywords directly to RAW files, thus saving the nightmare of having to find image files that relate to XMP files found in searches. In fact, apart from my own app for adding and editing keywords, I really have no need at all for any sidecar files or database, since macOS Finder has its own Spotlight database built in to the operating system.
What does concern me is the proliferation of “truths” in PL; with the database, DOP files and XMP files all holding their particular version of the metadata, leading to possible reconciliation errors
When I exit PL, it’s always in Customize mode, never in Library mode. I wish mine behaved the way yours does! FWIW, I’m on Windows 10 Home, and PL 5 Elite; but I think this behavior has been consistent for me going back to Windows 7 and much older versions of PL.
