How do you manage your panoramics?

[robert]

I'm curious how anyone handles managing their panoramics in PS. I take a lot of individual photos that are then stitched into a panoramic. I used to use the 'stacking' feature in IDI for storing all the source images together so they didn't take up a bunch of rows while scrolling through images. PS doesn't have the stacking feature so I'm considering versions functionality but not sure that's the best way since I will probably use that for actual versioning in the future.

Any PS management ideas out there for panoramics with a lot of singe source images?

-robert

[Mike Buckley]

I rarely make panoramic images but I do make images that are composites of several images. Once the composite is completed, I always then make at least one subversion of the finalized composite.

I store the finalized composite, all images it was made from, and all versions of the finalized composite in the same physical folder. My file-naming convention automatically stores them adjacent to each other. I then version the composite image and its subversion.

Though I don't go to the trouble of using a file-naming convention that directly indicates when reviewing a composite that it was made from several images, I could. Similarly, that file-naming convention could directly indicate when reviewing one of the files the composite was made from that there are also other files it was made from.

[HCS]

I do shoot panos and like you i also haven't found a way to "link" them to the source files. Likewise for stacks of other sorts, like focus or exposure (HDR).

Storing them together in one folder doesn't work for me, as i have a RAW folder archive method. Derivatives are stored per purpose.

Perhaps we should raise a feature for something like linked files, a derivative function of sorts. This could be automatic (some tools sum up the used files in the target file name), but i would already be satisfied with a manual method.

In essence, i believe each source image could yield multiple derivatives, as well as multiple source images could be part of one derivative. This would constitute a many to many relationship.

[sanphotgn]

How about using labels? It skips the versions, stacks, linked, virtual, ... proprietary DAM features and their resulting XMP (if the DAM writes that information to the XMP) that, more than likely, won't be accessible or understood in another DAM.

Create a Category: Panoramics. Label the composite and individual photos. For example: 20151120 Sunset. Finding the photos with this label in Photo Supreme is wonderfully easy. If you start using a photo editor that supports search/filter or another DAM, you should be able to find the photos with this label.

[Mke]

Stacking would certainly be handy; there's been a Mantis request (#14) for it since October 2011.

In the interim, I mitigate the problem to some extent by my folder structure:

|
|- Assignment1 processed images

• |_Assignment1 RAW files

|
|

All RAW images that get combined into the panorama are stored in the RAW file subfolder(s), with only the processed panorama in the processed image folder. Depending on the number of component-images, I might create a subfolder just for them. That way in regular browsing (of the processed images folder) I only see the processed images, of course.

I also name the panorama with a number range - "filename_0001-0020" for example - to clarify that it's a panorama and identify which images were used to build it. And, to easily find them, I add a 'panorama' label too.

[HCS]

How about using labels? It skips the versions, stacks, linked, virtual, ... proprietary DAM features and their resulting XMP (if the DAM writes that information to the XMP) that, more than likely, won't be accessible or understood in another DAM.

Create a Category: Panoramics. Label the composite and individual photos. For example: 20151120 Sunset. Finding the photos with this label in Photo Supreme is wonderfully easy. If you start using a photo editor that supports search/filter or another DAM, you should be able to find the photos with this label.

I do exactly this, but IMHO labels cannot be the answer to every question. Of course otherwise we wouldn't need anything else.

I'd like the catalog to link pictures and to allow us to classify the links. So, i'd have one panorama link, one focus stack link, one HDR link, one intermediate TIFF link, one derivative JPEG link, etc. The actually linked images would then just be uniquely linked.

When using labels, one has to maintain and guard the uniqueness by one self. That is not desirable, because that is bound to go wrong (ask mr. Murphy).

[robert]

Lots of good stuff here. Guess I'm not the only one who misses that stack functionality of IDI. Though my request is somewhat more basic than what others seem to be looking for. I was merely looking for a way to 'collapse' them in the viewer/DAM so when scrolling through I don't have to pass a section of 50-100 seemingly identical photos every so often.

I have to admit though being able to identify which source images went into a composite would be a nice touch. Also didn't think of the HDR source potential as well, I want to get into some HDR photography. I also don't currently have source images being used for multiple composites, so I'm currently a many-to-one relationship but I can see that possibility in the future for sure.

I don't mind it being custom to the DAM application since I do not manage/use my photos any other way, and if I switch products in the future it would be a required functionality. I have a STRICT naming convention and folder structure that I've used for years and would be reluctant to consider changing since it has worked well for me.

Right now (as of last couple weeks) I've started using a 'panoramic' for the source images. Unfortunately I planned on using that tag for the composite image also... Might try and see what I can do with a dedicated Category for composite and source images.

Thank you for all the info. Definitely helped me with some future proofing and some options (and non-options).
Robert

[HaraldE]

Morning,

Now and then I have a situation that ends up with a number of panoramic detailed photos. I treat all situations the same way.

> First import all photos to same folder
> Then use a utility to stitch them together and place result in the same folder
> Next I select the first detailed photo and the stiched photo and do a CTRL+SHIFT+D to get the RE-DATE panel
> An OK in there will copy the date+time info from this first detailed photo over to the stitched photo
> Now I create a new folder which is allways called DETAILS and the detailed photos are moved down into this folder

This gives me a folder with the photos that I am interested in. If there is a need I can also use the DETAILS folder ... but this is rarely done.

Regards, Harald

[HCS]

Some good ways to deal with this, but in all honesty, we're all working around the actual issue here.

The function required to do all of the above would be an image link that can be classified.

[vlad]

Stacking would certainly be handy; there's been a Mantis request (#14) for it since October 2011.

Guess I'm not the only one who misses that stack functionality of IDI. Though my request is somewhat more basic than what others seem to be looking for. I was merely looking for a way to 'collapse' them in the viewer/DAM so when scrolling through I don't have to pass a section of 50-100 seemingly identical photos every so often.

You guys are certainly not alone. I hope stacking will be added soon to Photo Supreme, as I really miss that feature. (And, no, that's not simply because it was there in the old product, but because I would often use it in the latest and greatest Supreme too.)

[george]

+1 for stacking.

It's very useful, regardless whether it was in IDimager. Stacking would be perfect for keeping track of panoramas.