How to reference a predefined selection of files

[daanodinot]

I'm looking for a way to quickly reference a predefined selection of files.

For example, folder "Photos" contains:

1.jpg
etc.
9.jpg

In another folder, "Best of Photos", I want to reference a few of the photos in "Photos". I say 'reference' because I don't want to actually move or copy any files from "Photos" to "Best of Photos".

One way to do it would be to create several shortcuts, one for each selected photo, and place them in "Best of Photos". The downside is that it can become a mess when there are many selected photos.

A different way would be to use a saved Windows Search. I could use the query "1 OR 2 OR 4 OR 8" and than save the Windows Search to the "Best of Photos" folder. In theory it's an elegant solution but as soon as there are more than about 80 OR's this method no longer works.

The way I'm currently doing it is by adding some sort of suffix to the selected photos filename, e.g. 1_SEL.jpg and then searching for SEL to select the right photos. This is probably the best solution I've come up with, but it's not ideal since I prefer to keep the filenames untouched.

Would there be a better solution to this problems than the ones I've come up with?
Thanks in advance!

 

[edwar]

Use a Library. Help/Using Libraries. There may even be a tutorial on it on this forum.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/585-library-include-folder.html

 

[Britton30]

yup if you include your folder in the Pictures library per the tutorial above, you will not need to move nor copy its contents and will be listed along with Pictures.
You may also create a new library for the selected folder too. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/583-new-library-create.html

 

[FliGi7]

This seems like the easiest way:

Tag pictures so they're easier to find

 

[daanodinot]

Thanks for your quick replies!

I'm afraid the libraries approach is the wrong approach in this case. It's hard to explain so I'll adjust the example a little bit so you know what I want to do.

Say, the folder "Photos" is called "Holiday 2012" and the "Best of Photos" is called "Panoramas". In "Panoramas" I've created several panoramas from some of the photos in the first mentioned folder. I'd like to reference these photos from within in the "Panoramas" folder so I can quickly see the original photos that make up the panorama.

To avoid any confusion, the "Holiday 2012" folder must physically contain all the photo files. Other folders, like "Panoramas" can only reference files from this folder. There are of course many folders such as "Holiday 2012" and in most cases, none of the files are referenced at all. Only when I happened to have created a selection or panorama.

I hope this makes it clear, so you can decide if the libraries approach is still the best way to go.

I've looked into the tag method before: it's sort of the official method to do this kind of thing. The big problem for me is that it rewrites the file (e.g. changes the modified date) whereas a name change keeps the file as it is.

Once again, I appreciate the help!

 

[Britton30]

I guess we need to know what exactly you mean by "reference"?

 

[daanodinot]

"Reference" as in: click on shortcut -> go to selection of files.

 

[edwar]

Please take a look at the Windows Library system. IMHO it is what you are looking for.

Libraries - Windows 7 features - Microsoft Windows

 

[daanodinot]

But what should then be the library? As I said, I want store all the photos physically in "Holiday 2012" so that has to be a normal folder. Creating a library in "Panoramas" makes little since either since I want to reference several files instead of several folders.

 

[edwar]

I have been doing some reading on this Library option and no where can I find any reference to adding individual files to a Library, only folders to a Library. Which IMHO is Just Stupid. If I already have the Data, Files, I want in one location for easy viewing and accessing, in a folder someplace on one of the drives on my computer, why in hell do I need to included that folder in a Library.
I should be able to add individual files from multiple folders anywhere on my local or networked drives to a Library. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Sorry for the confusion but as it now seems the Win Library system may not be what you want.

 

[Britton30]

But what should then be the library? As I said, I want store all the photos physically in "Holiday 2012" so that has to be a normal folder. Creating a library in "Panoramas" makes little since either since I want to reference several files instead of several folders.

Anything you want to add to it. Call it what you want.

 

[daanodinot]

Anything you want to add to it. Call it what you want.

Maybe I'm doing a bad job explaining it but to be clear: I would want to add files to the library instead of folders. As edwar mentioned, libraries don't seem to support this feature.

This means every possible solution for this problem is going to rely on search in the end. It's strange that MS has decided not to add this feature. Perhaps their argument is that Explorer is going to be too similar to a media library organizer.

 

[edwar]

Yeah you may be better off using some type of Image cataloging software like Adobe Lightroom or maybe even Google Picasa (although Lightroom would be better).

 

[Britton30]

All files on a computer are in a folder, no matter where they are, they don't exist without a folder. Even the desktop is a folder in Users.
I'm sorry, I have no more ideas.

 

[edwar]

All files on a computer are in a folder, no matter where they are, they don't exist without a folder. Even the desktop is a folder in Users.
I'm sorry, I have no more ideas.

Sure file exist outside of folders, just how do you get that. I can store files in the ROOT of any drive on my systems, outside of any and all folders.

 

[Slartybart]

@keyms92: I don't see why you can't use libraries. It will take some work when you initially setup it up.Put your pictures in any folder or folders you choose. Create a new library for your project and add the folders with your photos to the new library.

You'll have to change "arrange by" to something you can manipulate - ratings or tags for example.

Play around with libraries - change the sort and other options. You can use many different attributes to sort just as you can with normal folders. Libraries are very powerful once you get the grasp of them.

If you organize your photos by a star rating - you can sort them by rating in a library. In the attached image, the ribbons are all rated 5 star - "Best of", the remainder are not rated. So in my library, when I arrange by ratings - the "Best of" are at the top.

yeah, you have to rate the photos(you can select multiple photos and rate them all in one step), but you can rate them "Good", "Better", "Best" very easily and the Library will do the sorting for you regardless of the physical folder location.

 

[Britton30]

All files on a computer are in a folder, no matter where they are, they don't exist without a folder. Even the desktop is a folder in Users.
I'm sorry, I have no more ideas.

Sure file exist outside of folders, just how do you get that. I can store files in the ROOT of any drive on my systems, outside of any and all folders.

Cool, tell the OP how to do what he wants then. I "get" that because I don't normally store file on the root, which if you are using, say a flash drive, is still a folder.

 

[edwar]

All files on a computer are in a folder, no matter where they are, they don't exist without a folder. Even the desktop is a folder in Users.
I'm sorry, I have no more ideas.

Sure file exist outside of folders, just how do you get that. I can store files in the ROOT of any drive on my systems, outside of any and all folders.

Cool, tell the OP how to do what he wants then.

You don't have to be Rude. I was pointing out that what you stated.
QUOTE:

Files are only in Folders.

END QUOTE:

Was incorrect.

 

[edwar]

All files on a computer are in a folder, no matter where they are, they don't exist without a folder. Even the desktop is a folder in Users.
I'm sorry, I have no more ideas.

Sure file exist outside of folders, just how do you get that. I can store files in the ROOT of any drive on my systems, outside of any and all folders.

Cool, tell the OP how to do what he wants then. I "get" that because I don't normally store file on the root, which if you are using, say a flash drive, is still a folder.

No again you are incorrect. A flash drive is a storage medium. It can have folder, Sub-Folder and store files in any of the folders or sub-folder or store files directly in the ROOT of the drive. It by itself is not a folder, It Is a Drive.

 

[Britton30]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude, but you seem to have more knowledge of drive and folder structure, and as such should be able to help the OP is all.
I may be incorrect again.