I am using the demo version of DP4 to search on keywords that were applied using Nikon View NX. The search results are not accurate when searching on one keyword and no other criteria. I need to know, please, which of the following situations is likely:

1) The search function in the demo version is not fully functional.
2) DP4 doesn't consistently read keywords applied using View NX; they need to be applied using DP4.
3) Something might have become corrupted and I should download and reinstall DP4.
4) All of the above.

The online help states the following about searching on keywords: "Select one or more keywords you wish to search for images. Images which have any of those keywords assigned to them will be found." When I search on two or more keywords, no files are found. Which of the following situations is likely:

1) The search function in the demo version is not fully functional.
2) DP4 doesn't consistently read keywords applied using View NX; they need to be applied using DP4.
3) Something might have become corrupted and I should download and reinstall DP4.
4) The help screen is inaccurate; it should say that "images that have all of those keyword assigned to them will be found."
5) All of the above.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Relative to my previous post, I have now searched on keywords that were applied using DP4. The search function still does not yield accurate results.

DP4 may not consistently be reading files keyworded in NX if you haven't used DP4 to open the folder containing the keyworded imaages or if you have not instructed it to catalog that folder. This stands to reason because if you haven't let DP4 see the files that another program has keyworded, you can't really expect it to know the keyword is there.

Don't know if this is your problem, but it seems a possible fit. In any case, I just tried to replicate your problem and sure enough, a file keyworded in NX will not be found in a search until you open that folder in DP4.

And yes, I believe you're correct in saying that the search is for all images that match all keywords in the search criteria.

Thanks for the response, John. Considering that I'm a first-time user, you probaby won't be surprised that I'm still confused.

You mentioned that I need to use DP4 to open the folder containing the keyworded images and that I need to instruct it to catalog that folder. I don't understand the concept or action needed to catalog the images in a folder. I spent 45 minutes searching in the User's Guide and the online help trying to figure out what you're explaining, but was not successful.

EDIT: I later concluded that maybe you meant that I need to open the folder in DP4 and file all of the images in a new folder. So I opened them and verified that DP4 was reading all of the keywords correctly. (Though it wasn't searching them correctly.) I filed the images in a new folder. Even though View NX reads all of the keywords, now DP4 reads none of them.

There is apparently something obvious that I'm missing. I just wish the documentation was better so I could figure it out. (Documentation of Nikon software is far worse. LOL!)

Thanks for confirming that the search is for the images that contain all keywords of the criteria, rather than any keywords. That's a fundamental error in the documentation that, frankly, is unbelievable to me.

DP4 automatically catalogs the files in a folder the first time you open the folder in DP4. Or, you can force it to recatalog a folder without opening it by right clicking on any folder shown in the "Browse Images" window and clicking on "Force ReCatalog Folder". I'm offering two different ways to get to the same result. You do not need to do both.

If you can't see a list of your folders in DP4, then follow along:
window->load digital pro layout->(select)digital pro default
On the left side a window will open titled "Projects"
Click on Browse Images
Double Click a folder that contains your images and DP4 will automatically catalog, read the IPTC data on the file and make a preview for you in the background.

OR

Right click on a folder and select force recatalog.

You do not need to move the files to a new folder, although you certainly can if you want to.

One other little hint is that once you do a search, unless you close the search window the settings you previously put in will remain there. So it's a good idea when you start a new search to be sure to press the "Clear" button. Otherwise you can end up with a multiple search condition that you didn't intend.

Mike, I'd suggest that you just spend some time clicking on the buttons to see what happens. I've found this to be a very intuitive program that is a lot easier to use than it is to describe. DP4 has been my catalog software of choice for 4 years and it has tens of thousands of correctly keyworded files that are regularly searched on many different physical drives. I use the help manual only to help out with some ideas and "tweaks" and never really saw the need to follow it step by step.

For me, the fact that the catalog is an Access Database has been very useful. Major directory changes and other radical catalog changes can be made directly in Access very quickly.

Mike,

One other thing I just thought of: if you edit a file with Photoshop or NX or whatever and then save a copy or a new version (not an overwrite but if you create a new file), then don't forget that searching for that file in DP will not work unless you go back to DP4 and either double click on the folder where the new file was put OR if you recatalog that folder.

Again, this just follows along with the premise that you can't expect DP4 to catalog a file that is has never "seen". That is, it does not actively search your entire system for new files.

John, thanks again for your continued help.

I had actually been opening the files and doing exactly as you suggested. I didn't realize that DP4 catalogs a folder immediately upon opening it. (Ahem, that should be in the User Guide, though maybe I missed that information.) Right clicking on the folder to catalog or to force a re-catalog was new to me, so thanks also for that.

I think I discovered the problem or rather the solution. I had been opening the folder and not noticing that in the far right side of the Light Table's status bar you can see the thumbnails processing. I'm almost positive I was probably using the Image Finder dialog box before all of the processing was complete. That would possible explain why I was also getting different results each time I would conduct a search.

Now that I have forced the catalog and/or waited until all of the thumbnails have finished processing, all of my searches consistently yield accurate results. WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks also for your advice about learning all the menus, icons, etc without delving into the manual. That's usually how I learn software, often to a fault, but wasn't having any luck with this software because I'm not used to using databases and didn't understand some of the over-arching concepts. The manual actually helped me gain that understanding, so the investment in time has been well worthwhile.

One more question: Using the default layout, there is a directory tree of my hard drive that appears on the left when "browsing images." There is also another directory tree also of my hard drive on the right that I think is called the File Cabinet directory tree. What is the distinction between the two directory trees? When would I use one instead of the other?

By the way, thanks also for your testimonial about having used the program for so many years. Now that I have concluded that I can consistently conduct searches accurately, I'm confident that I'm going to purchase it. I just need to decide whether I need the standard version or the professional version.

On a separate subject, I gather from your initial response to my post that you might use Capture NX or NX2 to post process your images. If so, you will want to know that just a couple days ago one of our Capture gurus at NikonCafe.com discovered that the program will run MUCH faster if two particular Microsoft files are installed on the computer system. Everyone is raving about the great information. If you haven't visited NikonCafe.com, please do. Registration and membership are free. If you decide to check it out, use the NikonCafe to send me a private message. My screen name is the same as here. I'll make sure you have access to the information.

One more thing: I notice that you registered in this forum on my birthday. That was really nice of you!

Glad you got it worked out. It all too often does turn out to be something simple. In this case it was so simple I didn't think to tell you it takes some time, depending on how large your folder is. You stuck with it, and that's the important part.

I do use NX2 on occasion, but do most of my stuff in CS3. Will be sure to check out NikonCafe and look for the speedup.

As far as the Standard or Pro edition, for my money the batch captioning, travel and return functions and auto captioning of copyright data make it well worth the extra bucks.

Welcome to the forum and again, glad you got to the bottom of your problem

John, I'll give some thought to your comment about the professional version.

Thanks to my overly long post, you apparently missed my question that is repeated below:

Using the default layout, there is a directory tree of my hard drive that appears on the left when "browsing images." There is also another directory tree also of my hard drive on the right that I think is called the File Cabinet directory tree. What is the distinction between the two directory trees? When would I use one instead of the other?

As far as I know, they are interchangeable. I only use the File Cabinet directory tree and keep the one on the left closed. Only a matter of personal preference.