Awesome alternative
The dedication to the Apple aesthetic is what really makes me love where the developer is headed with this product. What I still long for is integration to both read from IPTC/XMP keywords and ratings, and to have a path to update them. While being able to do so from in PixlPath would be nice, I’d be fine with XMP sidecar generation where I can use EXIFTOOL to update the actual images. Whatever works for the overall vision. I do want to see the ratings/keywords from images read from the media however so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Overall though, the best potential of any app I’ve seen.
Response from developer
Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review. You'll be pleased to know that metadata editing in the macOS version, powered by ExifTool, is currently in beta and should be ready in the coming weeks. Because other apps behave very differently, I'm still refining how PIXLpath merges keywords stored across different fields (IPTC Keywords, XMP Dublin Core Subject, XMP Lightroom Hierarchical Subject), and how to store them in a way that other apps will recognize predictably. Once editing is in place, syncing will expand to support writing ratings and tags to an asset's embedded metadata and/or an XMP sidecar. The current Finder Label Sync will be consolidated into a single syncing utility: Catalog Ratings → Embedded Ratings Catalog Tags → Embedded Keywords Catalog Labels → Finder The absence of honoring embedded ratings at import was largely a chicken-or-egg problem: once PIXLpath reads and applies embedded ratings to a catalog's rating system, users naturally expect changes made in the app to sync cleanly back to the files. Updates are on the way.
Useful cataloging software that frequently adds new feaures
The developer continues to refine both the interface and the function, and the app becomes incrementally more useful and generally stable with each iteration. In my workflow it has now become a good substitute for the long-mourned demise of MediaPro—it's stil not quite as powerful an ally in quick organization for that defunct title, but it has come closest of the myriad image cataloging and file organization programs I've used over the years, and I find I can rely on it to make quick work of organizing the visual assets of a new project and keep to a tight schedule. I have no doubt the developer will keep working towards a more useful and usable program based on all the positive changes.
Update:
The developer reached out to me and offered to help trouble shoot the app, and he also updated it independently to address what he thought might be the issue. It works much better and the issue seems to have resolved—I can now open catalogs with thousands of items with no trouble.
Old review:
I find that working with catalogs with more than a 5 or 6 dozen images bogs the software down, and that it somehow loses the thumbnails with greater frequency the larger the catalog gets—it ends up necessitating rebuilding the thumbnails only to lose them over and over. I tried making the thumbnails as small as possible and it doesn't help. It ends up being useful for organizing images in a small way, but its limitations are frustrating even as its design is clean and inviting.
Response from developer
I appreciate your review updates and I'm glad you're finding the app useful! As always, feel free to reach out if you have any requests. ------original reply-------- I just released an update that modifies how previews are cached, which may address the issue you're experiencing. While I wasn't able to replicate the problem on my end, I believe it could be related to using system temporary storage for unsaved catalogs. The update is in version 1.4, and the release note highlights: "Optimized thumbnail caching to avoid relying on system temporary storage, reducing the risk of issues when disk space is low, and improving recovery of unsaved catalogs after a reboot." If you encounter any further problems, feel free to reach out to me directly at hello@pixlpath.com. I push out updates quickly whenever an issue is reported.
Beautifully Minimal
Every photographer should have this
Only good for small catalogs
The developer reached out to me and offered to help trouble shoot the app, and he also updated it independently to address what he thought might be the issue. It works much better and the issue seems to have resolved—I can now open catalogs with thousands of items with no trouble.
Old review:
I find that working with catalogs with more than a 5 or 6 dozen images bogs the software down, and that it somehow loses the thumbnails with greater frequency the larger the catalog gets—it ends up necessitating rebuilding the thumbnails only to lose them over and over. I tried making the thumbnails as small as possible and it doesn't help. It ends up being useful for organizing images in a small way, but its limitations are frustrating even as its design is clean and inviting.
Response from developer
I just released an update that modifies how previews are cached, which may address the issue you're experiencing. While I wasn't able to replicate the problem on my end, I believe it could be related to using system temporary storage for unsaved catalogs. The update is in version 1.4, and the release note highlights: "Optimized thumbnail caching to avoid relying on system temporary storage, reducing the risk of issues when disk space is low, and improving recovery of unsaved catalogs after a reboot." If you encounter any further problems, feel free to reach out to me directly at hello@pixlpath.com. I push out updates quickly whenever an issue is reported.
Finally an Alternative to Media Pro
Developer is happy to take on advice and feature requests.
Do yourself and him a favor and BUY this software.
Only good for small catalogs
Response from developer
I just released an update that modifies how previews are cached, which may address the issue you're experiencing. While I wasn't able to replicate the problem on my end, I believe it could be related to using system temporary storage for unsaved catalogs. The update is in version 1.4, and the release note highlights: "Optimized thumbnail caching to avoid relying on system temporary storage, reducing the risk of issues when disk space is low, and improving recovery of unsaved catalogs after a reboot." If you encounter any further problems, feel free to reach out to me directly at hello@pixlpath.com. I push out updates quickly whenever an issue is reported.
Love it, but...needs password protection
I'm surprised. A lot of my assets are proprietary and stored in a network volume that can be accessed by others. I think you should consider some basic protection.
Response from developer
Thanks for the review. I'd be happy to chat with you about password protection. Catalogs that are stored on an encrypted drive or a secured network are protected by those enclosed environments, but I'm guessing you mean adding a password to and encrypting individual catalogs... which would introduce some performance degradation. Reach out to give me a better idea of what you're looking for and I'll investigate potential solutions. You can reach me directly at hello@pixlpath.com.
My new go to for browsing photos!
Response from developer
Thank you for the review! I try to keep all types of visual artists in mind when I'm developing new features. I'm glad to hear it's working well for you.
Super useful, more efficient way to interact with media files
Response from developer
Thanks! I've been hard at work adding new features. Glad to hear you like them. :-)
Not feasible for large library
Response from developer
I'd be happy to help narrow down what's causing a bottleneck, but without more details on the files you're importing, hardware, and how large of a catalog you're attempting to create, it's challenging for me to diagnose. Each image that's imported needs to be opened and downsized, so processing time will vary depending on the file sizes and device used. I push out updates quickly if anyone reports an issue, so simply reaching out often leads to a solution. Alternatively, Apple will refund your purchase.
Serenity Now
Here's what I want: EXIF editing. I can see EXIF, but I can not change it. I want to add copyright and gps coordinates.
Overall, it does what it says and it does it well. Looking forward to seeing how this develops.
Response from developer
Thank you for your review! Modifying EXIF information is currently in development (users on social media voted to make the iPad/iPhone version a development priority). Stay tuned for new features and thank you for your early support!
Love
Response from developer
Thank you so much for the review! Glad you're finding the app useful. I'm working on adding support for the drawing app document you asked about. Stay tuned. 👍
