Using relative paths

[djeyewater (Dave)]

Is there an option to use relative paths when settings are saved in .pp3 files? If I edit the .pp3 manually I can set a relative path for a FlatFieldFile, and it will work when loading the image in RT. However, RT will then re-save the .pp3 with an absolute path to the file. This makes working with files over the network or portable storage where different machines have different mountpoints for the storage annoying.

Secondly, is there an option when compiling RawTherapee to make it so it will use relative paths for loading libraries? I haven’t actually tried compiling it yet, but the pre-compiled binary for MacOS seems to expect everything to be in the /Applications/ dir, which is not where I want it.

[Lawrence37]

Hi @djeyewater, welcome to the forum!

What do you want the path to be relative to? If relative to the image, that is not possible yet.

[djeyewater (Dave)]

In terms of the paths in the .pp3 file, I would expect them to be relative to the .pp3 file. This does work, just RT will overwrite the relative path with an absolute one.

In terms of the libraries, I’m looking to have it so that the RawTherapee.app dir that contains the libraries and binaries could be placed anywhere on the filesystem and work, rather than being required to be placed in the /Applications/ dir.

[paperdigits (Mica)]

@djeyewater

In terms of the libraries, I’m looking to have it so that the RawTherapee.app dir that contains the libraries and binaries could be placed anywhere on the filesystem and work, rather than being required to be placed in the /Applications/ dir.

This is more of a mac thing than an RT thing. If you’re on linux and compile yourself, then you can put it anywhere you’d like.

[cedric]

@paperdigits

This is more of a mac thing than an RT thing. If you’re on linux and compile yourself, then you can put it anywhere you’d like.

Thanks for that, I was puzzled by “relative path”. But “mac” triggered a memory of programming the Mac long ago when it was often better to use a “handle” (indirect address) rather than direct address.

[djeyewater (Dave)]

A lot of (but not all) other software I use on Mac can be placed anywhere you like. (Generally those with installers will force installation to /Applications/ but you can then move them afterwards).
I guess the answer is to try compiling it myself, maybe with statically linked libs.

[paperdigits (Mica)]

@cedric

Thanks for that, I was puzzled by “relative path”. But “mac” triggered a memory of programming the Mac long ago when it was often better to use a “handle” (indirect address) rather than direct address.

I assume it uses the full path so that if you choose to put the sidecar file in the cache location, that nothing in the sidecar file has to change, it has the full path to the image no matter what.

[Lawrence37]

The feature for saving paths relative to the pp3 does not exist either.

The official macOS DMG requires installation in the /Application directory for security reasons. I’m sure a self-built version will work in any location provided you don’t add the same security constraint. I’m not a mac person though.