Messages posted by TimBikes

Quote Hello,

I don't think so. I don't see any mentions in the Download Information on the trial page, but you may want to contact CyberLink for them to confirm.

Cheers
PhotoDirector Moderator

Thank you! Happy holidays!

Hi all -

I just downloaded ver 14.1.1130.0 and tried some face tagging. Nothing shows up in the tagging window even though there are very obvious faces in the photos. Is it perhaps disabled for the trial version?

Thanks,

Tim

Quote Hello Tim,

It's each to his/her own as far as purchasing the subscription version or the lifetime license version. I don't have a view one way or the other. With quite a few non-CyberLink applications I use, there is no choice. It's subscription or nothing! I've adjusted myself to that.

In your case, the best thing to do is start with this comparison chart, which lays out the basic features of each version side by side. You'll see there are quite a few features included in the subscription version that are not part of the lifetime license version. I wouldn't assume that many of them would ever be incorporated.

Re: Bokeh Effect. To some degree, that could be replicated using PhD12 (Lifetime License) using the right overlay graphics in the Edit (Layers) module. Not the animation effects.

Edit: (neglected to address your last question) If, at some point, you switched versions you'd be able to pick up where you left off. Projects and edits worked on in one version can be opened & continued in the other. PhD "preserves all of your existing work / edits to photos".

PIX

Thanks so much PIX. - this is good info. You are very generous with your time - and very helpful in your responses! :

Quote

Hi,
It seems that the issue is solved in version 12.3.2724.0, of which I'm so grateful!
// Timo

Thanks Timo - good to know.

One thing I noticed in installing other imaging programs is that some create duplicates (thumbnails presumably) in the "Pictures" directory. For instance, the program Luminar does this within Pictures>Luminar 4 Catalog. So if you have been trialing other programs, this could be part of the duplicates issue. As Tomasc pointed out, try to see where these images are being stored and what attributes they have as that may provide a clue.

In terms of getting rid of the duplicates, I wonder if you could use another program outside of PhotoDirector to do that, then rescan / resync the folders within PhotoDirector.

I am trialing PhD and notice this issue as well with ver 12.2.2525.0.

Hopefully it gets fixed soon.

Any opinions on the perpetual license vs. subscription? I generally don't like the subscription concept for software unless I have a need to keep it absolutely up to date, but I did see some features (such as Bokeh) in the subscription version that would be nice.

How long does it take for features like that to end up in the downloadable version of the software? And would you typically only get those new features if you purchase a new version of the software later or are those kinds of features typically added to older versions of the software too?

Also, if you purchase the subscription and later decide just to use the download version, does that necessitate starting from scratch with the database (for instance losing past edits) or does the software preserve all of your existing work / edits to photos if you switch from subscription to download version or vice versa?

Thanks,

Tim

Hi all -

I'm trialing PhD right now and my trial version does not allow use of face tags, so I'm wondering how well that works and if people are generally satisfied with it, think it works easily, problems with it, etc.

Also, one thing I noticed on a few other programs I trialed was the ability to toggle between a view of the faces saved for a certain person and a view of the photos in which that person was found. Does PhD allow that?

Thanks,

Tim

As a PhotoDirector newbie, I was wondering how others are using the "Projects" tab? I have about 150k+ family photos, in maybe a 500 or more folders (typically named in a YYYY-MM - subject fashion) that I've accumulated over the past 20 years and want to make sure I get PhotoDirector set up initially in the most optimal way to manage those.

My guess is that separate Projects might be more for someone like a wedding photographer, where each "Project" represents a client.

In my case, does it make sense to add all of our family photos into a single Project? Are there pros/cons to doing a single vs. multiple projects in this case?

Lastly - any known issues with PhotoDirector managing a 150k+ image library?

Thanks PIX. Appreciate the detailed response.

Lightroom will be a more complex (and probably expensive) option than what I need. Although I had been leaning toward Photoshop Elements / Organizer (which does allow both views), there are enough other things about PSE that bug me that I am now likely to get PhotoDirector - though will probably post a few more questions separately.

Thanks again!

Hi PIX -

The folder view might look like this (where the red font folders have no photos but have subfolders with photos; the ">" sign indicates the level of hierarchy in a traditional folder view. My spaces / indents were not being shown by this forum's editor):

2019 Photos
>2019-01 - Dave's Birthday Celebration
>2019-01 - Vacation
>2019-03 - Spring Break
>2019-07 - Summer Fun
>>2019 - 07 - July 4th Fireworks
>>2019 - 07 - Sailing Trip
>2019-11 - Thanksgiving
>2019-12 - Holidays
>>2019 - 12 - Christmas
>>2019 - 12 - New Years

A flat view might look like this (so the red folders are not displayed as they have no photos and all of the other folders are displayed in alphabetic order):

2019-01 - Dave's Birthday Celebration
2019-01 - Vacation
2019-03 - Spring Break
2019 - 07 - July 4th Fireworks
2019 - 07 - Sailing Trip
2019-11 - Thanksgiving
2019 - 12 - Christmas
2019 - 12 - New Years

The second view is a bit cleaner since it omits folders without photos and also does not require expanding subfolders to see what is in them. I have not seen the option for this view in PhotoDirector.

Best regards,

Tim

Hi -

In other photo management / editing programs I have seen that picture folders can be viewed in both a hierarchical view as well as a flat, alphabetic view (alphabetization of all sub-folders in the "Pictures" folder, without regard to hierarchy).

Is this view available in PhotoDirector? I did not see the option for it.

Thanks,

Tim

Quote Hello Tim,

From your other thread, I see you are looking for a "Picasa replacement".

PhD & Picasa function in quite different ways, even though each application has qualities & features that might suit an individual's needs best.

At a core level, PhD is a non-destructive editor. i.e. adjustments & changes made to photos are NOT embedded in the photo until it's exported as a new photo. The same thing applies to text/face tags. Picasa, on the other hand, makes changes on the fly. i.e. tags are applied instantly & embedded in photos without export.

As noted in the other thread, Picasa monitors changes in system folders where PhD only monitors changes in photos that have been imported.

So, without launching into a compare & contrast, each application is very different in features & function. Opinions about the "best" replacement for Picasa are wide & varied, as you'd expect. e.g. I don't think a long time Picasa user would regard Google Photos as a "replacement".

Of course, text/face tags applied in one can be read in the other.

I trust this has helped a little in your quest.

PIX

Thanks Pix. I do like PhotoDirector in many respects. I've been a PowerDirector user - though don't make a lot of videos - but have found it to be a pretty solid program. I'll keep exploring PhotoDirector. I think it is narrowing down to that and Photoshop Elements - particularly the Organizer. But it has its own challenges. Another that I like is PhotoTheca, but I'm a little concerned it is produced by a pretty small company and may stop supporting the program - although as with Picasa, even a big company is no guarantee!

Quote Hello Tim,

No. PhD does not keep track of changes you've made to your folder structure & contents.

If you import Folder X, then later add photos to Folder X in Windows, PhD has no knowledge of it. PhD keeps track only of photos you've imported. So, if you import Folder X, then later remove some photos from Folder X in Windows, PhD will ask why they're not where they were & suggests you locate them.

PIX

Thank you Pix. That is too bad for my use case, in which I sometimes make changes to the windows folder structure. That was one nice thing (among many) about Picasa. I'm having a hard time finding a replacement for Picasa that does everything as well and with a pretty simple UI (it is for my wife's PC and she is pretty non-technical). I like the PD UI and some of the capabilities but this could be a deal-breaker. Unfortunately Picasa does not scale well on the screen of her new PC and it is breaking in a few other ways.

Hi -

Does anyone know where PD stores face tags? And is there any way to get it to read face tags stored in XMP?

I have hundreds of faces tagged in Picasa that I would like to move over but am not sure if it's possible.

Thanks,

Tim

Hi -

I'm considering coming over to PD from Picasa, which is now very long in the tooth.

One great thing about Picasa was that it could constantly monitor any folder on the PC. So if you moved folders or made changes to the directory structure / hierarchy of folders, Picasa would immediate adjust.

Does PD monitor folders in a similar way? My sense is it does not since you have to import photos into PD.

Thanks,

Tim

Quote

Quote I have about 40 MPEG2 files I created from Mini-DV tapes. For each file, I manually added and tagged scenes and then saved a PDS file for each corresponding MPEG2 file. Now, if I open PD14, I can add a PDS file to my Library and can then put scenes from that file into the timeline and do edits.

The problem is, if I add a second PDS file to the Library, the existing timeline scenes and edits get deleted as soon as I add (merge) the second PDS file to the Library. If I add in all of the PDS files at once, there is not a problem. But additing PDS files later to the Library after I have already put scenes in the timeline makes the timeline scenes and edits go away.

In summary, I would like to be able to add multiple PDS files to the library at any time without without affecting the existing scenes and edits already in the timeline. How can I do that?

Thanks,

Tim

Hi Tim,

You can combine several projcets, PDS files, this way:

Open project1, mark the hole project by draging the yellow square next to the marker (see attachment), click on copy.

In 'File' menu choose open project eg. project2 - now yoy will se a message box: 'Wouold you like to....' clilck Yes.

When project2 opens place the marker where you want to insert project1 and click Paste (see attachment).

Save the project under a new name eg. 'combined project'

Open project3, mark the hole project by draging the yellow square next to the marker, click on copy.

In 'File' menu choose open project 'combined project'

Yes to merge and place the marker where you want to insert project3

Continue the way until you have all your projects in one PDS file.

Good luck, Anja

Hi Anja. I appreciate the response. I think I understand what you are saying and will give it a try on my PC at home tonight. I think it will work, but seems a bit more complicated that I think it needs to be...

...It seems that since PD allows PDS files to be added to the Library - and then scenes from that file can pulled onto the timeline - it should support a user later adding more PDS files to the Library without disrupting timeline edits alreadyon the first PDS file. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

Tim

Quote I don't think you can. A pds file is a PROJECT files and you are trying to edit two project files at once. MY suggestion is that you should output the project to a video file and work from there.

I don;t know why you can add all of them at once without the program crashing.

I have not tried editing more than one project file at once so perhaps someone who has will give you a different answer.

Hi Steve - thanks for your reply. Actually it is interesting - you can edit multiple project files at once. I noticed that I could not use the "import" function to put a PDS file in the Library but I could drag and drop the PDS file into the Library. Again, it is just when I had already put scenes from the PDS file onto the timeline and made edits, that it became a problem to later add multiple PDS files to the Library. Otherwise, I can add as many PDS files as I want (apparently). Yesterday I did a small project where I dragged 3-4 PDS files into the Library then used scenes from each on the timeline.

Thanks again,

Tim

I have about 40 MPEG2 files I created from Mini-DV tapes. For each file, I manually added and tagged scenes and then saved a PDS file for each corresponding MPEG2 file. Now, if I open PD14, I can add a PDS file to my Library and can then put scenes from that file into the timeline and do edits.

The problem is, if I add a second PDS file to the Library, the existing timeline scenes and edits get deleted as soon as I add (merge) the second PDS file to the Library. If I add in all of the PDS files at once, there is not a problem. But additing PDS files later to the Library after I have already put scenes in the timeline makes the timeline scenes and edits go away.

In summary, I would like to be able to add multiple PDS files to the library at any time without without affecting the existing scenes and edits already in the timeline. How can I do that?

Thanks,

Tim