Bulk Upload Feature Question

I thought I could go to a category, select "UPLOAD", click the "Skip upload and process the files in your upload directory" and SUBMIT. The following page is the "Select Photos / Configure Properties" and I thought you were able to CHANGE the category of the image here? This was useful to me because I could do a bulk upload in a category and QUICKLY change them into sub categories instead of uploading in each category individually. I cannot do this now in v5.

[Michael P]

Correct. This is because with the use of Extra Fields when you changed a category like this you couldn't be sure that the new fields for the category you were switching to would be properly set. If you uploaded to Cat A which had no extra fields and switched to Cat B which had them, then you would never be prompted for the Cat B extra fields.

Well that blows... that turns "Bulk Upload" into "Bulk Upload to a specific Category" which kind of defeats the purpose.

[BobHarbison]

> This is because with the use of Extra Fields when you changed
> a category like this you couldn't be sure that the new fields for
> the category you were switching to would be properly set.

What about adding a category pull down beside each file prompt? The user could then requect "Cat A" "Cat B" "Cat C", then you present the proper fields on the next screen.

[Michael P]

There is no next screen during the upload process where secondary information could be prompted. Adding one would require a significant amount of work.

[BobHarbison]

Even if you had to add an intermediate screen "please select a category" I think it would be a useful feature.

[Michael P]

I'd be glad to revisit the issue during the next development cycle.

[BobHarbison]

> There is no next screen during the upload process...

Yes, after posting I realized he was talking about admin bulk uploads, while the other thread you and I were discussing was about multiple file prompts.

My idea was geared towards the multiple file prompts screen. You currently present a screen with a number of file prompts. It could be modified to present a file prompt as well as a category selection via pull down. That one does go to another screen, so it would then present the proper info.

[Michael P]

I think that is more probable that adding another screen onto the bulk upload list.

[BobHarbison]

> I think that is more probable

Adding the additional option to the multiple file request screen would work quite well for my gallery, since it's the members rather than the admins who are requesting this feature.

Anything on this as it has become very non-productive the way it was changed?

[Chuck S]

I beleive Michael stated once the next development cycle comes around he would look at it.

Bulkuploading and extra fields even the old extra 6 fields NEVER where pulled automatically. Its been that way forever. Its not like we changed anything with the addition of custom extra fields.

If you did bulkuploads with the old thing extra fields did not change between cat selection boxes as there has never been a third step that there would need to be to update all those selections again.

Well, I can understand adding features but to take one away has really hurt us. What use to take 30 seconds now takes a few hours (to upload all these pictures in DIFFERENT categories).

[Chuck S]

How has one been taken away?

Never have you been able to bulkupload and switch cats on the fly in bulkupload approval screen and have extras dynamically appear

I have owned Photopost since it came out in php.

I thought I could go to a category, select "UPLOAD", click the "Skip upload and process the files in your upload directory" and SUBMIT. The following page is the "Select Photos / Configure Properties" and I thought you were able to CHANGE the category of the image here? This was useful to me because I could do a bulk upload in a category and QUICKLY change them into sub categories instead of uploading in each category individually. I cannot do this now in v5.

Michael P:
Correct.

[Chuck S]

Yes you could switch cats on bulkupload but the extras would not update if you switched a category on the old version. it was never coded to allow the global extras to update on the fly as I have stated.

Hense with the addition of the customizable extras fields yes the category on bulkupload is locked down since it is a necessity.

Michael said he would look at ways of dynamically allowing both in a future version.

Personally, I really could care less about the extra fields. I have fought a loosing battle with them and gave up. They are simply not a productive way for us to use them (data per picture rather than per category). I simply want the pictures in their proper categories in a productive way (like it was).

[dvn]

my members used to be able, through the 'multiple file prompts' feature, to upload 2 or more photos and have them go to different categories. now, the multiple file prompts are still there, they choose a single category for all the photos, and the following screen no longer allows for individual category selection.

what this means in practical use is that instead of getting photos categorized properly, we now get numerous mis-classified photos because our members don't have the ability to upload multiple photos to anything but a single category.

PLEASE fix this asap.

[Chuck S]

Steve remember your using Photopost unlike any other person I have ever seen that owns Photopost

Each category is a product. Your using it as a online catelog I guess is the closest description and not something the product was specifically designed for.

Perhaps but I know many sites in my world that use it in the same fashion... maybe not PhotoPost but its competitors. I just want to display photos of items (fast) with details of each item so yes, an online catelog is about right. I would bet that if PhotoPost had more features targeted towards it, there would be another product to sell or make the flagship Pro version appeal to more users.