best way to split the roll and other collection operations

Software darktable
1

What is the best way to:

  1. split the roll into two
  2. move images between rolls
  3. create an empty roll

Thank you,
Andy

2

A film roll is just the set of images that have been imported from a given directory.

To “split a film roll in two” create a new empty directory and “move” some of the images into that directory (select the images you want to move and then choose “move” from the lighttable “selected image(s)” module).

To “move images between rolls” see the above explanation. You can also move images to directories that already contain imported images.

You cannot create an empty roll. See the definition at the start of this reply.

1 Like
3

Thank you for a quick reply. So you create an new empty directory from a shell/Finder/Explorer?

I should have mentioned my context. I am in the process of moving about a few thousands of images, already pre-organized as a file system nested structure (mostly by year/event).

And I really like a concept of a roll. How can I create a rolls from existing structure without cumbersome import folder by folder?

4

Yes or you can probably also do so within the dialog that pops up when you select “move”

If they’re all in a parent directory you can recursively import - it’s an option in the “add to library” option of the import module.

5

Thank you. Just tried (using lastest official macOS 4.2.1 image) and here a few observations:

  1. When I copy a jpeg, raw and corresponding side cars from other source, lighttable does not recognized them and I cannot find a way to sync the view
  2. When I copy a few pictures (both jpeg and corresponding raw) to a new directory via lighttable native “copy”, they show up nicely (both as a roll and folder) but I lose grouping and have to manually group jpeg/raw which is time consuming
  3. I also accidentally clocked local copy, images are automatically renamed and depending on sequence a) they have weird temp names or b) original names or c) upon restart the weird temp names go away
6

Check your preferences and see if you have check for new xmp on import enabled. I think that will help…

7

The closest option I have found is “storage/look for updated xmp files on startup” and it is checked.

8

darktable only knows about the files that are imported. If you move the files with your file explorer into a folder already imported, darktable won’t know that the new files are there. You need to re-import the folder or, at least, the new images, using the usual “add to library” procedure.

Note the italicized part.

9

Got it. My workflow includes rsyncing content between two (or in future more) machines and I have hoped that DT can automatically update it’s DB from the file structure. In fact, it was one the first things which attracted me to this project, that potential I can do that. Even if it would require writing some scripts.

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