How to create my own "Workspace" in DarkTable

[mikemyers]

I suspect the answer is “no”, but I will ask anyway. PhotoLab calls what I’m looking for a “workspace”, so I will use the same term here.

When I open DarkTable, with all the tools listed down below, organized in what is probably very logical, I can create my own “workspace” with the tools I commonly used listed below, in the order in which I typically use them.

Also, probably because I clicked on something I oughtn’t to have clicked on, when I open a new image in DarkTable, it already has a long list of corrections shown in the “history” column. So, I click on the first one (at the bottom of the list) and all that stuff is un-done. I just installed the latest version of DarkTable - how can I tell it to simply load the next image, and ignore things I have clicked on in the past?

I am getting better at using DarkTable, and I can usually accomplish what I’m after in a reasonable time, without needing to constantly search the internet for how to do things. I’ve mostly learned how to finish an acceptable image, without needing to send it off to PhotoLab for some final steps. I enjoy using it more, now that the frustration has decreased.

[paperdigits (Mica)]

You can see darktable 3.8 user manual - manage module layouts for making your own module groupings.

[danny]

@mikemyers

When I open DarkTable, with all the tools listed down below, organized in what is probably very logical, I can create my own “workspace” with the tools I commonly used listed below, in the order in which I typically use them.

You can click on the last icon in the module category row and set your own categories as you want modules to show in. The order is however the processing order (from bottom), it has benefit e.g that you know when define mask which modules after in pipeline it can be applied as raster mask.

@mikemyers

Also, probably because I clicked on something I oughtn’t to have clicked on, when I open a new image in DarkTable, it already has a long list of corrections shown in the “history” column

There are some default processing done, otherwise you would not see an image.
Some part can be affected e.g via “preferences - processing - auto apply pixel workflow details”.

[mikemyers]

@paperdigits

You can see darktable 3.8 user manual - manage module layouts for making your own module groupings.

Let me do this one thing at a time, starting with the above.

I found " Settings are automatically saved when you exit the screen. Click reset to abandon any changes made in the current editing session."

Before I do anything, is there a way to reset this so it’s just the way it was when I first installed DarkTable? Isn’t this a good idea to do, before I start making any changes?

[kofa (István Kovács)]

@mikemyers

I found " Settings are automatically saved when you exit the screen. Click reset to abandon any changes made in the current editing session."

Before I do anything, is there a way to reset this so it’s just the way it was when I first installed DarkTable?

When you first installed darktable, it came with a bunch of layouts. Those built-in layouts cannot be modified, so you don’t have to restore anything (you may want to remove any custom layouts, if you really want to start from scratch). In the screenshot below, the layouts at the top (from modules: all to workflow: scene-referred) are the built-in layouts; kofa is my own custom layout.

That’s the only one I can modify (e.g. by clicking add widget to the quick access panel or any othe the other groups, or add/remove groups), remove or rename:

The others (the built-in layouts) I can only view or duplicate (so I can customise the copy):

BTW, this separation between built-in and custom presets is governed by a configuration option:

Related settings to hide built-in presets (I’d not do that; they are there for a reason):

[darix]

so where is your pull request to explain that in the documentation?

[paperdigits (Mica)]

An excellent explanation, but too verbose for the documentation.

[kofa (István Kovács)]

@mikemyers

Also, probably because I clicked on something I oughtn’t to have clicked on, when I open a new image in DarkTable, it already has a long list of corrections shown in the “history” column. So, I click on the first one (at the bottom of the list) and all that stuff is un-done. I just installed the latest version of DarkTable - how can I tell it to simply load the next image, and ignore things I have clicked on in the past?

I’m not sure I understand what you want to achieve. You can delete the editing history of selected images from the lighttable. darktable 3.8 user manual - history stack
However, when you open an image, a bunch of steps are always performed (and, for transparency, added to the history stack – even though most other software hides that from you). Even if you load a JPG, the input color profile module (to convert it from e.g. sRGB to the darktable working colour space, e.g. Rec2020) is applied; the output color profile is also there (to convert it back); display encoding is added so you can properly view it on your colour-managed display, and orientation will be used to auto-rotate it. For a raw file, you have more processing steps (demosaicing and white balancing, and usually some kind of curve to map the sensor’s dynamic range to that of the output). Don’t forget that a raw file is not an image: it records a few (dozen) million measurements (at the pixel level) and meta-data.

[mikemyers]

@kofa

When you first installed darktable, it came with a bunch of layouts. Those built-in layouts cannot be modified, so you don’t have to restore anything (you may want to remove any custom layouts, if you really want to start from scratch). In the screenshot below, the layouts at the top (from modules: all to workflow: scene-referred) are the built-in layouts; kofa is my own custom layout.

How do I get your very first screen capture to display on my computer? I think a good starting point for me is to select “Modules: default” but I haven’t found any way to get that screen to show up on my computer.

I assume there are places to select modules, and all the other things, but if there is a menu for that on my own screen, I can’t find it…

[kofa (István Kovács)]

My first image is from the darkroom view – as that’s the only place where processing modules are shown.

[mikemyers]

That sounds logical, even for me. OK, done it, and the “power” icon is highlighted like in your image up above, but where do I select one of those 7 choices at the top as shown in your post? Of those 7 choices, once I get there, what would be a good starting point for me, as a new user? Here’s what I see on my screen:

[kofa (István Kovács)]

@mikemyers

where do I select one of those 7 choices at the top as shown in your post?

Use the ‘hamburger menu’. And please read the manual.

https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/3.8/en/module-reference/overview/#module-header

https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/3.8/en/darkroom/organization/module-groups/

https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/3.8/en/darkroom/organization/manage-module-layouts/

[apostel338 (HP)]

[mikemyers]

Thank you!!!

If I can make one small suggestion, when I hover my mouse over that, I see PRESETS CONTROL+CLICK TO MANAGE. If it had said PRESETS / MODULES, that would have made things easier for me.

Of course, if I click on it, I see Modules, but I never clicked on it because I was searching for MODULES.

Yes, I will go back to reading, and watching YouTube training videos which I understand better.

I’m very stubborn, and rarely give up. Unfortunately, I can only get my Leica M8.2 dng images into a folder where DxO PhotoLab will accept them, by converting them from dng to tiff. That’s not good - I should edit the raw image, not a tiff.

I see this as a good excuse to learn DarkTable, regardless of the frustration. I’m definitely in favor of Open Source - and while I still have Lightroom, I prefer to use/struggle-with DarkTable.

Many tools are starting to make sense to me, more every time I use it. I’m mostly using the Leica M8.2 nowadays, because that forces me to use DarkTable despite any extra “work”.

Only one last question for now - I found the screen below that shows what tools are available to me in the four groups of tools listed under “module groups”.

Am I correct that I can save this entire set under a new name, perha’s “Mike Test”?
If so, can I remove all the tools I don’t expect to be using for a long time, to simplify things? Hmm, apparently “preset” and “module” mean the same thing?

Thanks for the help - things are already getting easier to understand.

[apostel338 (HP)]

@mikemyers

Am I correct that I can save this entire set under a new name, perha’s “Mike Test”?
If so, can I remove all the tools I don’t expect to be using for a long time, to simplify things?

Yes and yes. You actually have to create a new set, since you can’t change the darktable given ones, like kofa already stated.

@mikemyers

Hmm, apparently “preset” and “module” mean the same thing?

I don’t think so. But I also don’t exactly get what you mean. Modules are things like exposure, white balance, local contrast etc., all the stuff in the processing pipeline. Presets are saved settings for eg. modules or a specific part of the program like the module layouts. I’m lacking english skills to describe it better.

[priort (Todd Prior)]

You have a hamburger with each module…this is where you access the presets for the module…In the module group ribbon you have one…this is to access presets for module groups…hence the way things are named…

[mikemyers]

I saved the module or preset or whatever it is, as “mike test”.
I then went through the settings for “mike test” and removed all but the basics.

So far, so good - but when I think opened a new image, this is what DarkTable did automatically:

How can I tell DarkTable to just open the image, as-is, and do nothing more.

[mikemyers]

To be more specific, every image I open has “Monochrom” applied to it. No idea how I got that to happen, but it’s obviously not what I want for a default action.

[apostel338 (HP)]

To define which module should be activated or deactivated by default, I use the individual module presets.

Activate or deactivate the module, depending on how it should be set by default and tell DT to automatically use this preset.

[mikemyers]

Thanks - I changed Monochrom from “apply” to “show”, and that fixed it. That’s a good start.

@apostel338

To define which module should be activated or deactivated by default, I use the individual module presets.

Which modules, if any, should be activated by default? I have a feeling some of the things being done automatically are correct, so I should leave them alone. Monochrom obviously was not one of those.

Making progress.