Never mind, solved.
Last question for today. I actually got my images completed and submitted - thanks to you guys, and the user manual.
One question - in the "Image Information, it has a line for “rights”.
I assumed this would come from my camera, which as the proper year. I guess this is a setting on my computer, for Darktable.
Where is this stored, and how can correct it? Can I just tell Darktable to use the information from my EXIF data?
I wonder if I’m really cut out for this. If I stick with Darktable long enough, I’m sure eventually all of this will start to make sense to me. Right now, I’m not even sure what you’re referring to as “modules”.
Just processing those four images I need to work on seemed impossible, but thanks to some good hints here, and reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading parts of the manual, I got the images finished and exported.
I’m hoping that eventually I can do everything I now do in PhotoLab, will become things I know how to do in DarkTable. I’m using both in parallel right now, trying to use DarkTable as if it was my only editor.
There is a long series of videos about DarkTable - perhaps starting tomorrow, I want to start watching all of them.
This reveals that maybe you are at the stage where you have the cart before the horse… While you can just open any software and try to bash around to figure it out…DT has so much detail and nuance that often this approach will lead to frustration and not much progress… Modules are what you have been using to edit your image. There are utility module and processing modules… they are a group of adjustments targeted to achieve a particular effect on the image… most have some helpful preset in the upper right corner…hit the hamburger icon to reveal them… you can use these as a base…tweak a bit and save this as a new preset that suits your purpose…
https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/4.6/en/darkroom/pixelpipe/the-anatomy-of-a-module/
Be careful here…over the last couple of years DT has evolved and changed rapidly. That doesn’t mean that all older videos are no longer of some value but they may refer to things that have changed or evolved significantly… this would be the case for most things over maybe say 2 years old or so… so you could watch a lot of video only to find out things have been altered or updated, improved … Having a notion of scene-referred editing can also help as DT is designed around this approach whereas much of the other editing software is display referred… this can impact how you process your images…
I would suggest this one as up to date and covering the ground needed to get a feel for the overall process…
Thanks, watched the video. I never heard of “Sigmoid” before, and for now, I want to stick with how I used to use DarkTable, which I guess means “RGB”.
Apparently Sigmoid makes DarkTable easier and faster, neither of which are what I’m looking for. I would prefer to have the same choices as I now make/use in PhotoLab.
Is there a similar video, also up to date, which describes the “old” way to do things? If I have to use Sigmoid right now, maybe I’ll just give up on DarkTable.
I watched maybe 8 videos last night, just to get the hang of how to do things, not to learn. Later today I will create one new image of my rainy day outside, import it, and try to edit it.
Question - at the end of my editing in PhotoLab, I get three files:
a) the original raw image file
b) what PhotoLab calls a .dop file with all my changes,
c) a finished jpg image file
In DarkTable, I will have the original image file, the finished (exported) jpg file, but will I also have a DarkTable file which contains all my editing instructions?
Yes. An xmp file.
For your tone mapper, you can use sigmoid, filmic, or base curve. Base curve is the oldest. I wouldn’t expect to have the same workflow as photolab or any other editor, that sounds like a recipe for just sticking to photolab.
Can you define the old way??
The word “filmic” somehow sounds familiar.
Is there something I need to check on, or select, to work with “filmic” ?
A few days ago, I edited four photos, and exported them to what I think was a sub-folder inside the folder with the original images.
This morning, I took a new image, edited it until I was happy with it, went to my screen, and clicked on “export”. I expected the exported image to go into a sub directory with my original image, but DarkTable is saving it in the same folder I exported the other images to a few days ago.
How can I specify where I want the exported image to go?
When I click on “export” I get two choices:
export with current settings
cmd+e
Can I set a default so exported images always go to a sub-directory under the directory with the original images?
It is very stubborn - I need it to export to the proper folder.
If you started with a clean config, it is the default.
Yes, there is a path in the export module. Itnos documented in the manual.
I guess I made a mistake. How can I fix it, and export it to where I want it to go?
What is a “clean config”?
Am I supposed to do that every time I bring in new images?
Well, apparently you are correct. This is what I see:
“target storage” was true for the previous images, but not the one I am working on now.
How do I prevent this in the future?
Can I export to the proper folder, or is it too late?
I’ll remember for next time…
Just export it again.
You should have a look at to documentation, you’ll be aided by darktable 4.6 user manual - variables
Well, I did it again three times, but it insisted on sending it to the “target storage” location here:
I’ll start all over again with a new image tomorrow, which should be listed correctly in the similar screen to the above one, but with my original file listed.
My first real attempt with DarkTable:
Lots and lots of new things still to learn.
You need to change the target storage location. You can click the folder icon or just click into the field and edit the path.
Thank you!! Little by little, I’m getting used to DarkTable. There’s bound to be lots of mistakes along the way. I’m starting to get used to the various pages and a few of the controls.
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Years ago I did a series of Darktable videos on Mac, nowadays it’s a mix of Linux and Mac. Some of the old info on how to organize into folders and import is still somewhat relevant:
https://www.youtube.com/@LeanderHuttonPhoto/videos
I probably should do a 2024 revisit of that Mac workflow now that I’ve moved to a NAS for everything. I compile Darktable from source and use it on my 14 MBP these days.
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