I did reply to the email address as listed here on your website in the about section.

I haven’t considered video at all. I’m not decided at the moment whether it is a good idea or a bad idea.

I’m extremely resistant to using the database for primary organization, and it’s for one huge reason that is the reason I’ve effectively fired all other applications: I use more than one computer. Databases, at least file-based relational databases, can easily get out of sync between two computers and become impossible to synchronize. If I am on my laptop at a coffee house doing some organization, like stacking, tagging, or designating white balance (for which I REALLY like sidecar files), I want to be able to get home, run unison to synchronize the files, and have the application on my desktop machine see the changes.

Using a database for indexing, however, totally fits my way of thinking.

However, if I were to use Couchdb, which runs independently of the application and can actually handle peer-to-peer synchronization, then most of this gets solved. So I’ll think about that.

On things I agree: stacking. No RAW file rendering inside the application. Knowing what RAW a file got rendered from. Or, in my case, group of RAW files — many of my photos come from three or five RAW files.

This weblog isn’t going to be a good place to carry on this discussion for much longer, though. Toss me an email and I’ll see about updating the feature list. But, I’ll warn you… full time programmer, bicycle commuter, a few relationships, and continuing photographer… I’m having nightmares finding time to actually do any of my own coding.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

At a very basic level, i want an application that keeps track of where my files are, preferably both photo and video.

For photos i am interested in not having to actually render the files to get new versions in the database. And, in contradiction with much i read on the internet, i want my photo information primarily in the database. This means, that for my own organization, the database is used. The files themselves are in one place in the file system, not (or hardly) related to the organization i choose.

For example, i store my photos in buckets of arbritary size (i chose DVD, but it could just as easy be a number of files, or a hard disk size) and it could change as well. None of this has an effect on the organization of the photos.

Furthermore, when i do render derivatives of the RAW files, for which i want an external RAW developer, i want to know on which RAW file and version it was based. In the database of course. Same goes for creating stacks or HDR derivatives, i want to be able to “link” them together in a parent-child relationship. The Photo database application should be able to tightly integrate with the RAW developer (like Bibble5, Darktable, Photivo, etc.) by using its sidecar file for keyword extraction (i do my keywording constantly along the process of development) as well as photographic render parameters (at least basic), so that the thumbnails give an accurate view of the versions. An application like PhotoZora already has this.

This is still just very high level and i have much more up my sleeve and am willing to write this up and discuss about it. This would obviously include the whole workflow as well as application aspects as GUI and colour workflow.

Maybe i’ve scared you now, that’s not my intention. But, various other projects i have approached did apparently get scared and let me know this was not on their personal wish list. Since i cannot code myself, that leaves me hanging. Not a problem, just saying such a thing is not something you hack together on a rainy afternoon.

Sorry to be so longwinded. Regards, Hans

I would love to have a tester for this application. Admittedly, I’d love to have an actual application written, too. I am having problems putting together enough time to make real headway on the application. But, I will post additional updates here, scattered among my other posts, as I make progress on it.

What kind of requirements do you have?

I’d be interested to at least use your Photofile application. I am looking for such a program.

I have some (what seems to be rare) requirements. While i cannot do any coding, i can spec and test if that’d help.

Hoping you can do something nice with this application.