[digiKam-users] Beginner question

[Remco Viëtor]

On lundi 20 avril 2020 18:11:03 CEST Ronald Orenstein wrote:
> Hi to all -
> I have been looking for some time for a suitable replacement for Aperture
> (primarily as a DAM) and Digikam for Mac seems to be it.  I hope you won't
> mind if I ask a few questions as I am still learning! 
> 1. When I use digikam
> to store info on offline files it does not (as Aperture does) seem to
> retain a thumbnail of the offline photo unless the offline disk is
> mounted.  Is this correct or am I missing something? 
Afaik, Digikam should generate a thumbnail and store it in its database. This 
does take some time though (and might depend on the way you set up Digikam).

> 2. Is there a way to
> transfer file adjustments made in Aperture (referenced library), as opposed
> to IPTC data, to Digikam? 
File adjustments, other than standard metadata, are very difficult to transfer 
from one program to another: there are quite a few differences between the 
internal workings of editing programs, like working colour space, and the 
exact algorithm used for an operation. This makes it very difficult to reuse 
the processing data from program A in program B, and get the same result.

Even things like color labels can be impossible to transfer: Digikam allows 
one color label to be aplied, Darktable allows any combination of several 
color labels. How are you going to use the darktable labels in digikam?

> 3.  Aside from the advanced search function, is
> there any way to do a Boolean search on tags (eg if I click two tags now
> under Browse Tags I get all the files using either tag rather than all the
> tags using both, or using one but not the other).  Aperture has a great
> function that allows you to use all sorts of Boolean operators on keywords
> (as well as on other information such as captions) with a few mouse
> clicks.  If this can't be done in Digikam could such a feature be added?

Allowing "all sorts of Boolean operators on keywords" and other image 
information is the 'raison d'être' of the advanced search tab... As an extra, 
it also allows you to save such a search under a user-specified name, for 
later reuse. Why would you want to duplicate that functionality just for tags 
in another place? Also, unless you are very careful or experienced, simple 
ways of combining boolean operators can give unexpected results.

> Thanks!
> Ronald Orenstein
> 1825 Shady Creek Court
> Mississauga, ON L5L 3W2
> Canada
> ronorenstein.blogspot.com
> ronorensteinwriter.blogspot.com