Waifs and strays

[fh1805]

I'm sure that we all have, at sometime or other, encountered the following error condition:

Yes, I know, it's always our fault for having renamed, deleted or moved the file; but wouldn't it be nice if PTE had some features to help us sort this out?

What I envisage is a new Button (Search) that only appears in conjunction with this error. If we click that button, PTE initiates a Search for the missing file. If it finds a file of the same name, it offers us these choices:

- use this file from that location

- copy this file to a new location of our choice and use it from there

- move this file to a new location of our choice and use it from there

- continue the search (because this wasn't the file we wanted)

- cancel the search

Anyone else think that this would be a nice helpful feature to have?

[cead]

Hello,

I am convinced that will be a very useful function to us.

(This 'image not found' - error unfortunately occurred to me too much!)

Kind Regards,

Frans

[aplman]

I'm sure that we all have, at sometime or other, encountered the following error condition:

Yes, I know, it's always our fault for having renamed, deleted or moved the file; but wouldn't it be nice if PTE had some features to help us sort this out?

What I envisage is a new Button (Search) that only appears in conjunction with this error. If we click that button, PTE initiates a Search for the missing file. If it finds a file of the same name, it offers us these choices:

- use this file from that location

- copy this file to a new location of our choice and use it from there

- move this file to a new location of our choice and use it from there

- continue the search (because this wasn't the file we wanted)

- cancel the search

Anyone else think that this would be a nice helpful feature to have?

Yes, Peter, I agree -- potentially very useful, and easy enough for Igor and team, I'm sure!

Ken T.

[Antbrewer]

Hi Peter,

I certainly think that such a facility would be useful if it was 'easy' for Igor to incorporate.

I do work with a discipline and structure to avoid these infamous missing slide messages but on the odd occasion a file might go walkabout and then it would be quite useful.

Yes.

Anthony

[ComputerUser]

Yes. Occasionally a file does get renamed or relocated, and that can throw an entire slideshow off the rails. What's worse, if the missing file is an audio clip then there's no quick way to locate the particular slide to which it was attached. You have to remember the slide, or go and hunt it down, just to reattach the missing audio file. Then, what if you have multiple slides, each one with the same sound effect associated with it. Now you've got to manually re-attach (and possibly re-adjust the volume output) for each and every slide that used the sound effect. That's a lot of manual work that could be avoided with the aforementioned feature.

One more vote here for a 'Find missing file' feature.

[davegee]

How would you find a "missing file" which has been renamed?

As much as I sympathise with the spirit of the request, I can't help thinking of it as an aid to those who are loath to organise their projects properly.

For Projects in Progress - a single folder containing everything.

For completed projects - a Template or Backup in Zip created on a backup drive.

IMHO - other opinions are available.

DG

[Ken Cox]

I agree with DaveG's thoughts

copy notes,picts ,music ,[mail msg's ,web pages for reference] etc to one properly named folder

some of us have been advocating this for years

common sense is not hard to come by

save save

ken

[Conflow]

Hi Guys,

I agree with Dave and Kens comments ~ its a matter of Machine-Mangement,for example:-

a)

Lost Files & Images used by PTE are quite easy to find. When you start a project in PTE it tells you whats missing (inc.Music).

All you have to do is Copy the File-name from the "Missings-Window" then hit "Start"-->Search-->For Files &Folders, now when

the Search-Widow opens simply "paste" the File-Name into the 'Search-Window' its 99% effective ~ it finds it. !!

Alternatively a copy-shortcut of "My Search locations" can be placed within the Project-Folder ~ paste in the Title and Windows

"Picture & Fax Viewer" or "Explorer" will find it..

c)

Peters suggestion:....A shortcut to the "Windows-Search utility" could be Button operated from within PTE but thats quite tricky

to impliment depending on the Operating-system in use, but the (aboves) could be alternatives.

Other-Items Management (some suggestions)

a)

If Files need to be "Archived" they should be 'zipped-up' and transfered to an external Media ~ I personally use 16.Gb SD-Cards

for downloaded 'Program-Resources' and for long term Library-archiving I use a remote HD-Drive or a CD-Disc.

I never use the "Recycle-Bin" and as an alternative I always use a 16.Gb SD-Card permanently installed and all "Junk" goes in

there, and from time to time the Card is "reformatted" ~ takes a few seconds and the PC stays clean and Disc-Defrag is faster.

c)

You might not know that the XP-Recycle Bin has an 8.Gb capacity-limit on any one "delete" operation and on Win.7 its 16.Gb.

These capacities are easily exceeded when one is deleating a full Video-Folder ~ its the reason I use the 16.Gb SD-Card.

Hope this info is of some use.

Brian (Conflow)

[ComputerUser]

How would you find a "missing file" which has been renamed?

One approach to this that worked well was in Adobe Photoshop Album. It tries to locate a missing file automatically by searching for the file name. If it can't find it the user is then presented with an explorer dialog...so you can navigate and point to the correct file (for instance if it's been renamed). After telling the program which is the correct file, it then automatically updates all instances of that reference, which in some cases might be many.

So maybe it isn't just an auto-search for missing file feature we're talking about but something more like a search for missing file aid. In this arrangement the program is showing some initiative (and grace) since yeah, maybe the user didn't use best practices but it's going to be nice and help you along anyway.

I do agree that best practices, from the get-go, is the better approach. But sometimes people didn't pick up on them or, in some cases I'm not able to articulate just now, they may have legitimate reasons for some source files being spread about. Maybe more could be done to encourage best practices to help alleviate the need for such a feature. Example: The first time you launch the program it gives a short picto-tutorial showing how the source files should all be copied/placed into a single directory alongside the pte file. Or make it a tutorial somewhere. Perhaps the tutorial offers to display itself whenever the search aid feature is initialized - giving users a chance to learn how to avoid this problem in future.

Basically, I agree completely with the above posts, but see also how this feature could still be very helpful in many cases, for users who may not be the types to learn and study the software in a community environment. To clarify the overall request, I'd say that if it's doable, without causing additional bloat to the existing product...please consider implementing a feature like this in future releases.

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Side Note: I no longer use or advocate Adobe Photoshop Album. If you're looking for a good photo organizer, try FastStone Image Viewer.