Organizing Digital Supplies - SUCCESS!

[tracydigigirl]

In all their keyword glory...but remember that these are according to the way that I think and work. Yours will most likely be quite different. This is also a fluid process. Writing the keywords to the file means that I can tweak the structure and words as I learn more about what makes sense to me. For example, although 'cupcake' looks like it would make more sense under the 'food' category, for this season of my kids' life, it makes more sense under 'kids.' I can move it later according to needs or wants.

Remember that each '>' should be replaced with a tab before importing.

Army Military
Avatar
Card Making
Desktop Art
Elements
>Alpha
>> Chipboard
> Borders
>> Edge
> Building Sets
> Doodles
> Fasteners
> Floral Flourishes
> Frames
>> Corners
>> Frame Clusters
> Journaling
>> Dates
>>> Calendar
> Mats
>> Tags Labels
> Magazine
> Metals
> Overlays
> Paper
>> Black
>> White
> Ribbons
>> Photo Wraps
> Stitching
> Wire Beads
> WordArt
>> Flair
Inspiration Scraplift
Miscellaneous
Photo Embellishers/Tools
Quick Pages
> Quick Albums
Templates
> Project 365
> Travel Mug
> Year In Review
Themes
> Animals
>> Zoo
> Beach
> Birthday
> Food
>> Chocolate
> Holiday
>> Christmas
>> Easter
>> Fourth of July
>> Halloween
>> New Years
>> Other
>> Thanksgiving
>> Valentines
> Kids
>> About Me
>> Baby
>> Boys
>> Cupcake
>> Daddy
>> Disney
>>> Pooh
>>> Princesses
>> Games
>> Girls
>> Mommy
>> School
> Music
> Seasons
>> Fall
>> Spring
>> Summer
>> Winter
> Travel
Tools
> Actions
> Brushes
> Color
> Fonts
> Lightroom Presets
> Mask
> Patterns
> Shapes
> Shutterfly
> Storyboards
> Styles
> Textures
> Tutorials
Web Pages
Year In Review
Other Keywords

[tysam]

I am in the process of organizing all my digital scrapbooking items. I have been entering the title/date downloaded/and designer number into the get info field of each item (time consuming, although I don't have toooo much stuff yet..)

I never thought of using iphoto for this although I do have several different iphoto libraries that I use already (have iphoto library manager and have used for years) but how do you "tag" photos? is it the same I have been doing in get info, or is it using keywords in iphoto... I would rather do all of this once and not have to do it all over again, so any tips would be appreciated...

I never knew about the option for not importing the photos when you add them to iphoto.. and it still lets you drag them to your project? If I change the preferences for that one iphoto library, will it change it for all the other libraries? (which i dont want to do)

thanks for all your advice! I just joined in december and have spent hours reading all these great forums...!

[tracydigigirl]

Tysam, I'm sorry but I'm no help with iPhoto. I've used it so little that I would be more harm than good! I googled and learned, though, that iPhoto '08 has new tagging capabilities. Read more here.

Originally Posted by tysam

I have been entering the title/date downloaded/and designer number into the get info field of each item

I can't duplicate what you're describing here so I can't help here, either.

Tagging is writing keywords to the image file's metadata. This thread is speaking directly to Bridge CS3's ability to do this. If you create a new thread with some descriptive words in the title, you'll likely get lots of input form others more experienced with iPhoto.

Good luck!

[tracydigigirl]

Well, ladies, I've finished tagging all of my supplies and I'm so excited to get going with my new organized system.

Here a few observations as I finished and began using the system:
1 - When I was done, I was surprised to find that almost 5,000 of my image files were alpha files. To keep from having to scroll through all of them when I'm looking for a cool alpha, I created another keyword called 'AlphaPreview' and tagged the preview files. This cut that search number down dramatically and is completely sufficient for the purpose.

2 - I went back and changed each of the two word+ keyword tags to eliminate spaces and characters. 'Tags Labels' became 'TagsLabels' There is no particular reason for this rather than instinct telling me that it could matter later down the road.

This new system makes changes so simple that it was loads of fun. All I had to do was create a new keyword (TagsLabels) and do the search using the old keyword. Then with all files selected, I clicked one keyword and un-clicked the other. When all files had been written to, I simply deleted the now un-used keyword. Simple!

3 - My 'Miscellaneous' tag represented alot of files, too. I was surprised to learn how many stars and arrows I had so I created two subcategories for those two keywords and cut down the 'misc' group dramatically.

4 - I discovered that if you right-click a keyword from the keyword panel, you'll see 'Find' in the drop-down list. Clicking this will bring up the Find dialog with that keyword prefilled in the search fields. Click Find and off you go. (Be certain to verify the search folder first!)

5 - Speaking to the 'wonkiness' of Bridge mentioned earlier in this thread, I only ran into two instances of this behavior and both times it was due to a defective file. After opening the folder, when the thumbnail tried to load, Bridge would shut down. I identified the corrupted file and either fixed or removed it and the problem ceased. I've tagged over 20,000 files and this only happened with two files.

Here's my favorite part...when I was completely done, I decided to move all of my scrapbooking stuff to my portable hard drive to speed up my laptop. All I had to do was drag-and-drop in Finder, wait an hour for 35Gb to copy (!), and Voila! All files, along with keywords were moved. No sweat!

I really expect that this system will evolve and perfect over time as my needs and preferences change. I love that this system is so perfectly suited to these anticipated changes.

Unless there are questions, this is my last anticipated update. I sincerely hope that this has helped some of you. It's been great fun for me!

[tysam]

I will try to start a new topic about iphoto if I can

(to explain my previous: highlight a folder then do file/get info.. then under spotlight comments you can type what ever you want.... when you view your folders (if you have show comments marked in view mode) you can see all the comments, or you can check them in get info .. plus they are searchable..)

hope I didnt confuse you more..

[AllynD]

Tysam
Life is too short to tag individual items. I do some tagging-- usually in bunches. CMD+K brings up your tag menu in iPhoto. You can select large numbers of items and just click on the tag, and BAM!, they are all tagged.

Keep it simple, and you will use it and enjoy scrapping.

[LandMom]

[QUOTE=tracydigigirl;127459]Well, ladies, I've finished tagging all of my supplies and I'm so excited to get going with my new organized system.

Thank you so much for all your explanations! I used your keyword system in Word, and tweaked it to make sense to me. I did the tabbing -- but when I import it into Bridge, it doesn't come in right. Things are all mixed up.

Any idea why or what I might have done wrong?

Thanks,

Wendy

[hguenthe]

I started using Bridge to organize my supplies when I got CS3 and yes, it can have a few lil problems at times but found that I didn't have many at all. It seemed pretty stable and worked nicely.

I recently upgraded to Bridge CS4 and it is way more stable and much faster. Its "little" improvements are amazing. However, I did have problems with keywords showing up in CS4. I am not sure if I needed to do something differently or if having Bridge CS3 still installed was causing problems. However, it only took me a few hours to re-keyword everything as it had become second nature to me and all the keyword structure was already set up. I couldn't find any help with anyone having this problem so guessing it is likely just a problem I had as if more people had it, there probably would be something about it somewhere on the web and I found nada, nothing.

Some improvements to it you might be interested in and I viewed as amazing reasons to upgrade to CS4 (in addition to the new amazing things added to Photoshop CS4):

1) instead of needing to use the "find", you can set up collections based on the find criteria. You can create your own collections or what I did was create smart collections which will keep pulling in any new additions. So based on my keywords, I have collections for paper, ribbons, etc. No more clicking the find & entering what I want to search for. Just have to click the already created collection and it pulls everything up. Makes it quick to pop from looking at papers to looking at ribbons to back to looking at papers.

2) similiar items that you don't want to necessarily see every individual one when you search through, you can "stack" and then mouse scroll through the stack or collapse/uncollapse the stack anytime to see all the items. I did this with my alphas.

Still learning all the new things but from the sounds of it, Bridge CS3 was the baby version and Bridge CS4 has reached adult stage in terms of development behind it. It is a full program on its own, no longer a kinda bridge between.

Still have the problem of don't go too fast or you will get the error that it can't tag that file. It can, you just have to give it a brief moment to write before you try to go to another folder. It shows the progress at the bottom so you know you can click back out and into another folder.

If you decide to upgrade, I am sure you will not be disappointed. If you love Bridge CS3, you will just fall in complete love with Bridge CS4.

[iUma]

Can you upgrade Bridge only or do you have to get the whole PS upgrade to get it?

[hguenthe]

I don't believe you can get Bridge upgrade as a standalone but might try giving Adobe a call and see if it is possible.

[Rrose]

Thanks to this excellent and comprehensive thread, I've successfully made the transition from PC digiscrapper to iMac digiscrapper! My organizing (keyword) structure from ACDSee has been transferred to Bridge...and now the slog of retagging my collection of digistuff begins. Sigh...but at least this SHOULD be the last time I have to do that thanks to the info going to metadata.

Has anyone stumbled across more tricks, tips, or insights for tagging in Bridge since the last post in February? If yes, I'd love to hear about them. And, of course, I'll post anything new/interesting I learn, too. Happy organizing!

[mommydawn]

Long overdue thanks to you Tracy!
I'm glad this thread has resurfaced!
I've given up on waiting for acdsee and am starting to tag everything in bridge cs4.

Quick question that maybe someone can answer?
If I tag all of my digi files, then copy them all to an external hard drive, then plug that EHD into another computer, will all of those keywords appear on the other computer in bridge? hope I'm being clear!

[Rrose]

The answer is a resounding (if as yet untested by me) YES. The keywords are embedded as metadata into the FILE and, thus, will "travel" with the file. In other words, the keywords are not machine or program specific.

Note: I planned to copy some tagged files from my Mac to my EHD today, then plug the EHD into my PC and verify that the keywords do indeed travel. However, my EHD is read-only as far as the Mac is concerned. . . ahh, the joys of switching platforms! I will report back as soon as I have definitive results.

[iUma]

I just downloaded and installed the latest Beta version of ACDSee for Mac and it transferred the database with no hitches. I'm not promising perfection but it is a step toward nirvana. The free beta is functional until May 25, 2010.
Here is the link:
ACDSee Photo Software

[anxela]

Just want to warn about acdsee beta - my database was deleted when I upgraded. iUma, did you do something special to get the database transferred without problems?

[iUma]

When did you install and which version of the beta? I'm on 1.2 which I just downloaded last night. ....and it is the first to capture the data base. I had two different catalogs deleted in the past so I know what you are talking about there!!

[anxela]

I downloaded 1.2 a couple of days ago, and then another build yesterday. The database was deleted the first time I upgraded. So maybe they fixed something between when I installed and that second build that you maybe got straight to yesterday?

[iUma]

I've checked in with the ACDSee focus group team and hopefully will have something definitive soon. As we all know they are erring on the side of saying this is a BETA and we should use only test images....meaning they aren't promising anything yet. Frankly I was stunned to see my categories pop up when it installed and I had only a few since having been burned twice I was NOT putting the effort into cataloging until I KNOW it will transfer. They are going to have the ability to read metadata when they finally finish so I have actually been thinking of using my old CS3 Bridge to add keywords now so that the program can read it when it is finished. BUT based on my experience with this development which has already been a year now, I'd say the final version will not actually be ready until later than MAY!! But since you have played with the BETA you KNOW it will be worth the wait.
As soon as I hear from the ACDSee/MAC people, I'll be back here to tell you. Don't hold your breath!

[anxela]

I know, I can't wait to get my hands on the full version! I posted on the acdsee forum about when to expect it, but no definite answer I'm afraid. This tells me, though, that it's better to wait with the upgrade until a couple of days after it comes, so they can pick up and remove any bugs...such as deleting databases. By the way - do you know where the ACDSee database is stored on the mac?

[iUma]

Ok, first.....is anxo your name? and how do I say it in my head??

second....
go to your username, Library>Application Support>ACD Systems

I've copied my database in the past and tried to use it in new versions but it has not worked.

[mommydawn]

so torn on whether I should spend the time tagging in bridge after losing it all in acdsee twice too....are there advantages to using one program over the other for digi scrapping?
I use bridge extensively for my photos, and am new to acdsee other than all of the time I spent tagging in it for the last year!

[tracydigigirl]

Originally Posted by mommydawn

Long overdue thanks to you Tracy!
I'm glad this thread has resurfaced!
I've given up on waiting for acdsee and am starting to tag everything in bridge cs4.

Quick question that maybe someone can answer?
If I tag all of my digi files, then copy them all to an external hard drive, then plug that EHD into another computer, will all of those keywords appear on the other computer in bridge? hope I'm being clear!

Thanks for the 'thanks'!
To answer your question, I moved my files to an EHD and found that Bridge had to 'catalogue' the keywords again. They certainly weren't gone, but it had to read through everything again in order to do a search. That took time, lots of it. However, I moved the files using Finder, not Bridge. If you move files from within Bridge, then it definitely helps. I ultimately chose to move the files back to my internal HD and just upgraded to a 500Gb. Time Machine backs everything up so I figure I'm in pretty good shape with my current setup. I haven't tried the ACDSee Beta, yet. I'm not a big fan of Beta's as they're too unstable. I'm simply not that patient.

If you want to access your files from two different computers, then I'd say just give it a shot and see if it works. Again, the keywords aren't lost when you move the files around and you can always re-catalogue. I'd just suggest moving them with Bridge, not Finder.

A note: I'm still using CS3. I've heard that CS4 is a huge improvement so my info may already be a bit stale. Updates from CS4 users are WELCOME!

[iUma]

Here is the word from the head guy of the ACDSeeMac team:
The databases are not backwards compatible yet and are not tested for that. We're not planning on doing that in between betas as we get other features into the product and fix bugs. The application is not meant to be used in production as it's only a beta still.

That's pretty clear, eh? WAit for it....wait for it.....Since it is supposed to read Keywords out of metadata the keywords you place in the file using BRIDGE should be "readable" by the final version of ACDSee. That's how I understand it, anyway.

[mommydawn]

Thank you girls! I think I'm understanding
I'm going to tag everything in my internal macbookpro hard drive using bridge, then copy it within bridge to my ehd. Then when acdsee is ready and final, open everything in acdsee and all of the tags should be intact?

Am I understanding this correctly?

[iUma]

That is how I understand it. But if they aren't making promises then neither am I!! LOL.
Personally, I am using Finder for now like Cassie said somewhere back in time.

[bjwtville]

I have been doing scrapping digitally for a while, and loved my system on my pc and now have a mac, and love it, but as of yet have not developed a system...lots of good stuff here...wish I understood some of it. Geesh you would think after all these years I would. thanks ladies!

[anke]

I just downloaded the latest Beta ACDSee version and it's so good to see the familiar format again. Just being able to see all my items this way makes me happy. I can't wait for the real thing

[anke]

Originally Posted by mommydawn

Thank you girls! I think I'm understanding
I'm going to tag everything in my internal macbookpro hard drive using bridge, then copy it within bridge to my ehd. Then when acdsee is ready and final, open everything in acdsee and all of the tags should be intact?

Am I understanding this correctly?

I'm not sure but why take the risk? So much work and what if it doesn't work? I am using Finder for now, same as Patricia...

[chas_m]

Originally Posted by geekscrapper

Find your Iphoto Library. Control click on it and choose "show package contents" - then you can drag and drop the folders out of there.

It should be noted that messing with iPhoto's libary is a really easy way to completely mess iPhoto up, potentially causing a loss of all the work and photos you've put in there. *HIGHLY* not recommended.

Cheers
chas_m

Evangelist, ACDSee Pro for Mac
Get the beta!
Join the community!
Help us build the next great Mac photo manager!

[chas_m]

Originally Posted by anke

I just downloaded the latest Beta ACDSee version and it's so good to see the familiar format again. Just being able to see all my items this way makes me happy. I can't wait for the real thing

Thanks for the kind words, Anke.

Those of you who are interested in being able to have total control over a large collection of pics/images/drawings/art/etc, you might seriously want to check out ACDSee Pro for Mac Beta. It's not yet ready to replace whatever you're using, but it's crazy fast and powerful and can handle HUGE libraries of stuff -- all without making you reorganize anything at all.

You can have a look at the Beta 1.2 "Sneak Peeks" (the beta is actually out now) on our YouTube Channel. Sorting, batch commands, being able to store files on any drive you want, view them without the drive being connected ... and a lot more. For some people here, I think it will be just what you're looking for.