PhotoLab 3 on Windows - empty folder?

[RobEW]

I have one with 26 ORFs (Olympus RAW files), 6 DOPs and 2 subfolders containing JPGs. Is that simple enough?

In PhotoLab it shows as just 2 images and with the red circle with a white X.

[Guenterm (Win11, MAC OS, DPL 5, FP, VP, Nik4, Olympus)]

I’m glad to read that also other persons are not exactly sure why and for what are dop files and/or database entrys.
Dear @John-M…because of all the different information in a lot of threads I decided to switch of DOP Files and only use the database. I never had a situation like yesterday. and I don’t use a preset yesterday. I’v made some adjustments to one photo, copy correction settings and paste this settings to all the other photos i like to have the same look.
And I agree wit @Joanna that it can only be one baes of data to hold the information. I’ve seen a lot of wrong informations inside business depending on 2 or more “databases” with different informations for one thing
This is why I’ve made database backup.
It would be a good idea that DXO PL will make backups(with date-timestamp) by itself every time you close DPL, or ask the user to make a backup. LR for example has this possiblity.

But for me at the moment all is ok and I will make backups evry time I don’t forget

[RobEW]

Just sent. The folder shows up on PhotoLab like this:

But on Windows File Manager it looks like this:

[alex]

@RobEW,

6 DOPs are enough for me to easily check them all.

Alex

[Joanna (Joanna Carter)]

@RobEW

(I don’t know what Finder is)

It’s the Mac equivalent of Explorer

[alex]

@RobEW,

OK, I see you private message. Thank you.

Alex

[John-M (Melbourne, Australia - Win10)]

@RobEW

I just did a little experiment. Using Windows facilities I copied all 32 raw files (ORFs) to another folder, then deleted them. Then I coped them back. Still nothing showing in Photolab. So I deleted them all again and deleted the folder. The I recreated the folder and copied them back.

@RobEW

I’ve just tried with a more complex folder. Using Windows file manager, copy all contents elsewhere, delete all files and the folder, recreate the folder, copy contents back

I’ll bet your problem, Rob, is due to a very confused PL Database due to files (ORFs & sidecar/.dop) being moved all over the place without PL’s “awareness” … resulting in duplicates of images (and/or their related sidecar/.dop files) in different folders and/or with ORF files and their related sidecar/.dop files separated between different folders, etc, etc

If you are using PL’s database then you need to keep it fully aware of all changes made to any of your image files that you expect it to be managing for you.

Regards, John M

[John-M (Melbourne, Australia - Win10)]

@Guenterm

Dear @John-M…because of all the different information in a lot of threads I decided to switch of DOP Files and only use the database.

That’s fine, Guenterm … but be sure, tho, that you manage your image files ONLY from within PhotoLab - so that PL’s database is always up-to-date with all information about the images it is managing for you.

John

[RobEW]

@John-M

If you are using PL’s database then you need to keep it fully aware of all changes made to any of your image files that you expect it to be managing for you.

How would I “make it aware”?

To be honest I didn’t realise that DXO wants to own my folder structure, and that I shouldn’t move things in and out of it using Windows.

Everything which lands in the folder structure is placed there by the import facility of Olympus Workspace, the free software with my camera, which conveniently creates and populates folders with the date on a photo as the folder name.

I don’t normally move stuff about between photo folders other than with DXO, but I might. I had no idea that a database was duplicating some of that information and could get confused.

I’d be interested to have guidance from DXO themselves on whether it’s wise to dispense with the database altogether. Or as others have suggested to use only the database and dispense with DOPs.

[Joanna (Joanna Carter)]

@RobEW

How would I “make it aware”?

By not doing anything with files, after you’ve opened them for the first time, without doing it from within PL.

@RobEW

To be honest I didn’t realise that DXO wants to own my folder structure, and that I shouldn’t move things in and out of it using Windows.

It doesn’t want to, as long as you use DOP files and don’t rely on the database.

@RobEW

Everything which lands in the folder structure is placed there by the import facility of Olympus Workspace, the free software with my camera, which conveniently creates and populates folders with the date on a photo as the folder name.

If that’s the case, that’s fine, as long as, after you have first accessed them in PL, you only ever move them from within PL - that is, unless you go the DOP route and ignore the database.

@RobEW

I don’t normally move stuff about between photo folders other than with DXO, but I might. I had no idea that a database was duplicating some of that information and could get confused.

Because I don’t work with projects or the DAM, I regularly delete the database. But that is because I decided to exclusively use DOP files. That way, I can move files around at will, as long as I keep the image and the dop together.

@RobEW

I’d be interested to have guidance from DXO themselves on whether it’s wise to dispense with the database altogether. Or as others have suggested to use only the database and dispense with DOPs.

Like I said, if you don’t plan on using either projects or the DAM, my opinion is, if you plan on moving files, stick with DOP files and ignore the database.

[Egregius ((Greg) - Windows 11)]

In my experience: on Windows, when I move files out of a folder that I have open in PhotoLab, PhotoLab automatically sees the changes and keeps up. However, sometimes it has failed to do so (this might be fixed in the latest release or releases). And if I do something like move or rename files while PhotoLab is closed, then PL will have to update its database somehow. Again, I generally haven’t had problems doing this. But I use .dop files along with the database (that seems much safer to me) - and while even then the occasional glitch can occur, it seems rare.

[RobEW]

A footnote to this. I upgraded to PL4 and it has so far gone perfectly.