Searching your database

So, how do you do quickly look up all the details for a particular Photo?

Here's a few simple tips for you... Full Height Details, No Folders

Incremental Search

If you know the exact filename of the photo, a simple, but effective, way to find its entry in your database is using Photo Collector's "incremental search" feature.

• First, make sure all photos are shown in the "list panel"
  Tip: Choose View / Folders / No Folders.
• Now, you may want to change your screen layout. I think the Full Height Details works pretty good in incremental search
  Tip: Choose View / Screen Layout / Full Height Details.
• Also, check that the list is sorted by Filename. Just click on the header of the Filename column to make it so.
• Now to find a photo, just click in the list once, then type the first few letters of the title. Notice that while you type, the selection bar instantly jumps to the first photo that matches. In most cases, three letters are enough to find the photo you're looking for.

Quick Search Box

Even if you can't remember the filename, the Quick Search tool will still help you find the photo.
It searches your entire database and gives you the photos that contain the text you type, whether that text is in the filename, the event or any other data, including photographer and people listings.

Using the Quick Search can't be simpler:
Just type your search words in the little white Quick Search box on the toolbar and hit Enter.

See how the photo list on screen is reduced to just the photos that match?
Now select any photo to instantly discover why it matched: your search term will be highlighted in the photo's details.

Finally, here's two ways to return to the full photo list:

• Click on the Filter On/Off button (2nd button to the right of the Quick Search box)
• Or just clear the Quick Search box and hit Enter again

Filter Screen

Sometimes you may be wondering things like:

• Which photos do I have of Peter from this year?
• Did Claire make any pictures of the Eiffel Tower?
• Do I have any pictures of Amsterdam from before 1990? (I know I do, but do you?)

This is where the Filter screen comes in. This feature lets you find photos that match specific criteria, like (for the above examples):

• Photo Year equals 2009 AND People equals Peter
• Photographer equals Claire AND Subject equals Eiffel
• Subject is Amsterdam AND Photo Year is lower than 1990

A detailed description of the Filter screen is a little too much for this Getting Started guide... but if you're interested, you can find out all about it in the manual when that section is finished.