Photo Mechanic

So I am trying to archive the check scans. TIF files named “donation-2010-DEP01-01.TIF” to identify the year, deposit batch number (01) and the scan number within the batch.

I first just entered the keywords using Thumbs Plus 7. Pain. TP8 is not much better – cannot keep the image open while I add the keywords. Small monitor.

Then I tried the user variables in Photo Mechanic. This was better, but I would need to change the settings for the user variables for each deposit.

Then I considered the filename. I can read the data right out of the filename using the variables. For the file donation-2010-DEP01-01.TIF, I use a caption definition:

{filenamebase:-13,4} Clinic Donations Deposit {filenamebase:-5,2} Page {filenamebase:-2,2}

which results in the caption of

Clinic Donations Deposit 01 Page 01

I can do the same thing with keywords. I entered the keyword phrase into the IPTC Stationery Pad:

Clinic, {filenamebase:-13, 2}, deposit_{filenamebase:-5,2}, DEPOSIT{filenamebase:-5,2}, donation, Page_{filenamebase:-2}, SMCORG

to end up with the kewords:

Clinic, 2010, deposit_01, DEPOSIT01, donation, Page_01, SMCORG

But when I reopen the pad, I see:

Clinic, {filenamebase | -13, 2}, deposit_{filenamebase |-5, DEPOSIT{filenamebase | -5, donation, Page_{filenamebase |-2}, SMCORG

which keywords as

Clinic, 20, deposit_01-03, SMCORG

Note the lost 2nd arguments and closing braces on some of the keyword terms.

I researched a bit in their forums and found a similar problem in this article, Colon in Keywords. It was mentioned there that PM 4.6.2.1 had a problem with leaving colons alone in keywords, and 4.6.3 (recently released) fixed these problems. So I downloaded and installed 4.6.3 and the vertical pipes now work, but the problems with the closing braces are still there. Boo. I might have to go back to user variables.

Saturday night I posted a question on the Camera Bits forum. Sunday morning Kirk the developer posts a “I’m on it” message. Then he posts that yes, it’s a bug, it will be fixed, here is the workaround. Nice. I post a followup. He posts one an hour later.

A good reason to support little companies with specialized software. Now I just scan, rename the file, and apply the Stationery Pad. Bam! Fill in the donors – done.

Photo Mechanic 4.6.3 from Camera Bits
Camera Bits Forum
Thumbs Plus from Cerious Software

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