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Improve Capture One

Request a new feature, or support for a camera/lens that you would like to use in Capture One.

Status Awaiting review
Workspace Feature requests
Categories Capture One Pro
Created by Guest
Created on May 30, 2023

'Enable backup' tickbox when synchronising a folder and bypassing importer (don't automatically back up image files without asking)

What problem do you see this solving?

Capture One has a feature to back up images as they are being copied into the catalog, such as when files are being imported from an SD card, a backup copy can be made consecutively into a secondary location such as an external hard drive.

Capture One also has a feature to synchronize a folder, which will scan a folder and import/add any new files into the catalog, so they can be seen within the containing folder. When a folder is being synchronized 'enable backup' is not required (like it might be when importing files from SD card), because the purpose of synchronization is to make those files visible in Capture One. The problem is that 'enable backup' remains enabled when synchronizing a folder under certain conditions, which unnecessarily makes copies of the newly synchronized files as well.

I often need to Synchronize new Tiff within a folder into Capture One, to do this I use the Synchronize feature to collect all new Tiff files already in a particular folder. Since these files are already in an established folder and already on the hard drive (not being imported from an SD card), they do NOT need to be backed up.

Sequence of events:

1. Import (raw) files from SD card, use 'enable backup' option to store a second copy on external hard drive.

2. Process raw files, export some TIFF files to the same working folder as raw files. Edit some of the TIFF files in Photoshop etc.

3. Right click on folder name and 'synchronize' folder to import all files into the Capture One catalog.

4. Dialog box appears, with options to, 'show importer' or 'don't show importer'.

4a. Selecting 'don't show importer' will import the new files quickly and conveniently, however it also unnecessarily sends a copy of the synchronized TIFF files to the backup location without asking. This seems to happen if a previous import used the 'enable backup' tickbox.

4b. Selecting 'show importer' opens the import window. In here the 'enable backup' tickbox can be deselected manually if you remember. After synchronization, the catalog returns showing the recently imported files (rather than returning to the working folder), so one must search for the working folder again. If new files need to be synchronized again later, the 'enable backup' option needs to be deselected once again, every time, so all these step have to be followed again. So to avoid making unnecessary backups continuously, the importer window steps need to be repeated every time files are synchronized. This adds lots of additional and repetitive steps.

In addition to the multiple extra steps needed to synchronize a folder to avoid unnecessary backups, the other alternative outcome is sending many gigabytes of unnecessary image files to a backup drive and filling it up, and cluttering the backup drive with many unnecessary backup related folders.

A better solution is to default the 'enable backup' to unticked when a folder is being synchronized, but to remember the previous user selection if importing from SD card (or similar).

Lightroom by comparison to Caputre One makes perfect sense and does not default to backup files during folder synchronization, but will remember if the backup was option was selected during import from SD card.

When was the last time you were affected by this lack of functionality, or specific tool?

Last time I used Capture One and almost every time I use it

Current workaround

Are you using any workarounds or other solutions to achieve your goals in Capture One?

I have not found a convenient workaround yet.

  • Guest
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    Jun 7, 2023

    Oh, I get it now, thanks for the update! I also edited the title of the post a little bit.

  • Guest
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    May 30, 2023

    The idea text has been updated, it not about backing up the catalog, but about 'enable backup' of image files and when backups are being made unnecessarily during folder synchronization without request.

  • Guest
    Reply
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    May 30, 2023

    Hey john hardiman!

    Capture One backups do not contain images, only the database file, see Backing up a Catalog. I'm assuming you're copying the images on import, although you want to reference them, so be sure to check this article on What is the difference between a referenced and a managed Catalog?

    I will hide your post for moderation for now. Please update the body and title of the post if you want to rephrase your request, or just let me know if you want it removed.