Subtitle: When the standard of IPTC is non-standard.
Back in March I wrote a rambling discourse on various options for searching files, (Searching Files) and, in particular, searching metadata in photos. This is what I wrote about Windows Search 4: …[continued]
It’s official. Canto Single User is the same insanely complex software as MediaDex. (See all posts on MediaDex.)
It has the same help file with the same uselessly-small graphics.
They changed the icons, shape and color, on the main menu. Whoopdeedoo. They removed the most important one (add assets) and added one for configuring the screen layout. (That’s nice.)
The new ‘photo editor’ can hardly be called an editor. It can crop and resize photos and change brightness levels.
The slideshow works now without crashing the program. That’s nice.
The search options in Mediadex were simple to access from the menu bar; this is a pain.
You can create and play QuickTime movies from your pictures. Big deal.
It’s still missing a simple way to rename files.
If you’re an organizing junkie you’d probably like it, but be prepared for a long hard slog to learn this software.
If you’re determined, please read my post called MediaDex Primer.
Don’t get me wrong. I love this software, having made it past the intense learning curve to a basic level of usability. But this software cost me $80 a year and a half ago. I don’t see what suddenly makes it worth $400. Because they changed the color of the icons?
MediaDex is no more. Convoluted, but I think the story went like this. In the beginning was (still is) Canto Cumulus, corporate-level digital asset management system with a price tag so high they don’t quote it on the website. Then they came up with a single user version called MediaDex, organization minus the worldwide sharing part. Horribly abstruse piece of software with a support forum full of frustrated users. Nevertheless, potential to salivate over.
Apparently, someone else thought so, too. Now it’s become Canto Single User, being sold and supported through partners in Germany, France and Australia. So far I see there’s an image editor, watermarking and a modernized interface added. It will take more than that to impress me. Going by the price tag, I’m expecting all the bugs to be fixed and a good dash of user-friendliness added. Fortunately, there’s a trial version so I can find out.
User datasheet PDF
$400 USD or $200 for the upgrade from MediaDex.
Windows and Mac compatible.
Picasa 3 has been out for awhile and has lots of fun new features. Today, I’ll look at geotagging.
Life goes on. I add Arles to the list of IPTC possibilities. This is a tasty little morsel from across the pond. Across the pond from here going East that is. Amsterdam.
What I love about these obscure programs is that they don’t even try to be like Adobe or Corel or ACDSee or anything else you’d recognize. The programmers just go about designing whatever interests them in whatever way they like. And then you can like it too. Or not.
2010 update: MediaDex has been defunct since 2008. It’s now called Canto Single User. I don’t recommend it. If you’re looking for good IPTC software, try Photo Mechanic or GeoSetter.
Only because I have eyes in the back of my head, I know that some of you have tackled MediaDex for your IPTC ambitions, or are in the midst of tackling, and you’d probably like to shoot me for even suggesting it. But if it’s not too late, I’m going to reveal some of the inner workings of this mysterious software.
IPTC is a standard for embedding metadata in photographs. This is a summary of what is and isn’t IPTC-compatible software.
…[continued]
Email from a reader:
I have studied all your postings on digital photo organization. I am at a brick wall and I need some help.
I have been using Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0. I like the way it functions. However, for some reason, it keeps crashing on my computer. I believe this is because the program was written such a long time ago that XP is having difficulty with it.
I know. It’s been a slow week at JLog but I can’t be everywhere at once. And I know you’re all busy checking out the new Legacy Charting anyway. I can hardly compete for excitement.
I’m just down in the muck of IPTC and photo-filing. It’s almost enough to make me want to burn my hard-drive and take up crocheting.
2010 update: MediaDex has been defunct since 2008. It’s now called Canto Single User. I don’t recommend it. If you’re looking for good IPTC software, try Photo Mechanic or GeoSetter.
IPTC has pretty well taken over my life now. This is akin to a religious conversion.
I’ve spent more time organizing and re-organizing files on my computer than any other single thing, except perhaps photo-editing, so it’s way past time to do it once and for all and move on. IPTC can do this.
For anyone needing a refresher course, IPTC is a standard for embedding information in photographs and other documents.
It’s too early to know for sure if giving up would be a better plan, but I’m having a helluva time with this IPTC software. So, I thought I’d pass on a few comments.
To address a few odds and ends about photographs that came up in the survey and other places. …[continued]
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