[RFC] new small feature in duplicate manager

Software darktable
1

I searched the forum and the DT github and I didn’t find anything about this. If I missed some similar discussion, sorry. If not, here we go.

Duplicate manager is already very good working with multiple edits. I use it a lot, with almost any edited image. I first create a basic edit (color calibration, exposure, basic saturation, denoise and tone mapping).
Starting from the basic edit (duplicate 0) I create other duplicates and try different styles/moods, compare them and choose the best one.

Suppose I’m currently working on duplicate 1, the editing is finished and I need to start over a new copy based on the duplicate 0. To do that, I need to load the duplicate 0 first (double - click on it), then click on “duplicate” button. On my computer, this takes some time (ca. 5 sec).

I propose to add 2 new buttons (duplicate and original) for every duplicate, on the right side, and remove the two buttons on the bottom of the module:

image
image355×292 25 KB

Doing so, in my workflow from above, when I want to start working on duplicate 2, I just need to push the button “duplicate” of the duplicate 0.

This way, creating duplicates will be a little bit faster and more than that, we save also a little bit space at the bottom of the module.

What do you think? Would it be useful to you also? Does this require big changes in code? Is this change easy to maintain?

10 Likes
2

I like the idea to free some space on the bottom.

I also like that it removes the need to select before duplicating.

The only thing that I do not love is that the “duplicate (original)” action is the same regardless of which duplicate you start from - i.e., it’s a function of the photo, not of one specific duplicate. So, having the button repeated for each duplicate can be a bit confusing.

Overall, two wins and one loss, so I would be in favour.

4 Likes
3

Agreed, sounds nice. Thanks for the proposal.

4 Likes
4

And maybe have a third button there starting the process of attaching an .xmp file to a duplicate…

1 Like
5

You could use the xmp button perhaps and in some form of logic if no xmp is specified it makes an original…This keeps it to two buttons

6

The ability to add an xmp in the darkroom view would be more efficient when working with duplicates.

7

I was thinking that maybe we could support “drag&drop” of an XMP into the darkroom. A small dialog could let you choose whether to “replace history” or “create new duplicate” from the provided XMP.

7 Likes