Creating catalogues

Creating catalogues

What is a catalogue ?

Catalogue concept is the heart of 3D Photo Browser.
3D Photo Browser creates a catalogue when you open a directory which contains files which format is recognized by 3D Photo Browser. A catalogue is a file containing a thumbnail and an identification sheet for each recognized files. This sheet contains various information: a file preview (icon), a legend, author information, keywords...
When an object file changes (objects modifications, file deletion...), the associated sheet is automatically updated by 3D Photo Browser. It means that the preview is recomputed and that the others information are updated (such image size, number of faces and points, objects materials...).
3D Photo Browser creates one catalogue per directory. It's an hidden file. A catalogue is created only if the directory contains recognized files. In some cases, it can be annoying to save catalogues in your hard disk directories. 3D Photo Browser preferences allows you to choose different saving catalogue options.

Opening a catalogue
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: File
toolbar access
Automatic when you open a directory with 3D Photo Browser explorer

When you select a directory in the 3D Photo Browser explorer, it's catalogue is automatically opened. If the catalogue doesn't exist, 3D Photo Browser creates it (only when the directory contains recognized files and if preferences settings enables it).
You can also open manually a catalogue using Open function from file menu. 3D Photo Browser catalogues are files which extension is *.obv.

Saving a catalogue
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: File
toolbar access

3D Photo Browser saves automatically a catalogue when it's content is modified. You don't have to care about catalogue saving.
However, you can save a catalogue in the directory you want, using "Save as" function from file menu..

Read only catalogue
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users

By setting catalogue file attribute to read only, you will prevent 3D Photo Browser to update or modify it's content.
This can be useful to give catalogues to somebody without giving the files. 3D Photo Browser can display catalogues contents even if the files are missing.
See status bar icons meanings to know when a catalogue has the read only attribute.

Making catalogue for files which are on CD-ROM
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users

3D Photo Browser can create catalogues for files which are on a read only media (i.e. CD-ROM). Browse the CD-Rom folders or use the Scanning a directory and create catalogues command. Catalogues are save in the CD-Rom catalogues, which is in the 3D Photo Browser directory. Once created, you can browse a CD-Rom catalogue even if the CD is not in your driver.

You have a direct access to these catalogues in the My Computer window, using the CD-Rom catalogues folder.

Changing display mode
Version: Light (except custom mode) / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: View / View
toolbar access

There is four different mode for viewing a folder content. File filter settings also modifies the file list displayed in the view. By default, all files of the current folder are visibles.
You can customize the display of the thumbnails window, using the preferences dialog box. For example, you can change tooltips, modify colors, use a background image...

List
this mode displays textual information as file name, number of points and faces, legend... Thumbnails are not shown. Columns menu displays/hides column. Click on a header to sort list depending on the column information.
Custom
this mode displays thumbnails and information about files. Using tags, you have a control on the information you want to display. You can display file size, file extension, the title or the legend you edit in the Properties... dialog box. Moreover, using conditionals tags, you can display different information depending on the file type. You can display the image size, or picture-taking date for an image file, and the points and faces number for a 3D file.
Thumbnails
this mode displays thumbnails (image or 3D scene preview) for the current directory and the name of the files. You can also increase or reduce the thumbnails size to show more or less files on the screen.
Small icons
this mode displays files using small icons. Icon associated to the file type is displayed.

Increase or decrease the thumbnails size
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: View / View
keyboard access: Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- (numeric pad)
mouse access: Ctrl+mouse wheel

Large thumbnails and Smaller thumbnails functions allow to increase or decrease the thumbnails size and the number of files display on the screen. Display mode automatically switches to Thumbnails mode if you are not already in this mode.

Filtering displayed files
Version: Light (except custom filter) / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: View / Filter
keyboard access: Ctrl+0 / Ctrl+1 / Ctrl+2 / Ctrl+3 / Ctrl+4
mouse access: Shift+mouse wheel

You may want to display all files, recognized files, 2D files or 3D files, or only the files you want. In order to filter displayed files, select the mode you want:

View all files
View recognized files
View 2D files only
View 3D files only
Custom filter
only the files that match the extensions set defined with the Edit custom filter command are or are not displayed.

Editing Custom Filter
Version: for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: View / Filter
keyboard access: Ctrl+5

This dialog box allows to edit extensions sets for filtering the files you want to display or not, using the Custom filter mode.

Edit control	Enter a set of extensions used for filtering files. Extensions are separated by space and can contain wildcards. ex : .jpg a.gif ???1.png
Display only the files which have these extensions Hide files which have these extensions	Check one of the following filtering mode for the currently edited extensions set: Display only the files which have these extensions option displays only the files, which extensions match one of the extensions of the edit control. Hide files which have these extensions option does not display the files, which extensions match one of the extensions of the edit control. All others files are displayed.
Replace	Replaces the extensions set, which is selected in the extensions sets list, by the edited extensions set.
Add	Adds the edited extensions set to the extensions sets list.
Delete	Deletes the extensions set, which is selected in the extensions sets list.
Extensions sets list	This list displays the extensions sets you often used to filter your files. You can add, delete or replace an extensions set using the Add, Delete or Replace button. You can also double click on an extensions set in order to use it for filtering files.

Sort files in the view
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access : View / Arrange icons
toolbar access

You can sort files depending on file name, modified date, size... Select one of the options in the menu to change the order of the files in the view.
Several modes, ie. sort based on image size, are usefuls only with some kind of file type.
Sorting by taking-picture date is only effective for images which have this information (ie. images from a digital camera), others files are sorted by name.

Creating and displaying a custom sort order
Version: Light (can only display an existing custom order) / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access : View / Arrange icons
toolbar access

This sort mode can be activated only if you create a custom sort order for the current directory. Custom sort allows you to organize your files in the order you want, whatever their names, dates or others information.

To create a custom sort, drag one or more thumbnails and drop them at the location you want, between another thumbnails. An insertion mark is displayed, so you see where your thumbnails are inserted.
Custom order is kept for every folder.

Check Activate custom order automatically to restore an existing custom order when opening a directory. If this option is not checked, the default sort order mode is always used, even if a custom order exists for the opened folder.

Custom order is also kept when you move or copy files from a directory to another one.

Deleting a custom order
Version: for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access : View / Arrange icons
toolbar access

Click on Delete custom order to delete the current directory custom order.
3D Photo Browser asks you to replace an existing custom order, if you organize your thumbnails using drap and drop, not in the custom sort mode.

Group files
version: for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users (Windows XP only)
menu access : View / Arrange icons
keyboard access: Ctrl+G
toolbar access

This display mode groups files logically, according to the current sorting mode. An horizontal line separates each group. For example, files are grouped by size (very small, small medium and big) when files are sorted by size. Files are grouped by date (last year, last week, yesterday, tomorrow...) when files are sorted by date.

The display mode makes browsing large folders easier.

Group files by pages
version: for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users (Windows XP only)
menu access : View / Arrange icons
toolbar access

This display mode is related to the last selected template using the Print Catalogue... command. Files are grouped by pages, according to the number of cells printed on each page set in the template. An horizontal line separates each page. This display mode is useful when you print a catalogue which contains a large number of pages.

Selecting columns to display in list mode
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: View / Show columns

In list mode, files are displayed using columns are displayed when display mode is set to list. Several information can be displayed using columns such modified date, size, author... Select the columns you want to add/remove in the Show columns menu.

Note: click on the header of a given column to perform an increasing/decreasing sort.

Scanning a directory and create catalogues
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: Tools
keyboard access: F4
toolbar access

This function scans an hard disk (or CD-ROM) directory and it's sub directories. A catalogue is automatically created for each directory which contains recognized files. If a catalogue already exists in the directory, it is updated:

Files which have been added are append to the catalogue.
Files which have been modified are updated.
Files which have been deleted are removed from the catalogue.

Note: you can scan several directories, using Ctrl and Shift keys.

Updating catalogue
Version: Light / for Dig. Cam. / for 3D Users
menu access: Edition / update catalogue
keyboard access : Ctrl+U
contextual menu access: right click

A dialog box opens when you select this function. Several options are available:

Recompute thumbnails
This mode updates the catalogue. Files which have been added, modified or deleted, are updated. Information links to the files are kept. Specific 3D object point of view are kept, even when the files were modified.
Note: this operation is performed automatically, when you open a catalogue.
Reset all information attached to the objects
This mode deletes all information attached to the files. All information are lost. Preview are recomputed using the default point of view for 3D objects files.
Reset user view bitmap to default view if needed
This mode recomputes objects preview (for 3D object files), using the default point of view. You lose all specific point of view attached to your 3D objects.
To get more information about user point of view, refer to Changing the default point of view used for thumbnails creation section.