Folders and Families are ways for the user to group subjects together.
Folders
The grouping of subjects into folders is an established practice in Details Mode.
In school photography, subjects are often grouped into folders by grade, class, homeroom or teacher. In Sports photography, subjects are often grouped into folders by team or coach.
Folders allow the user to accomplish many production tasks, such as:
Order Products such as ID Cards en-masse for each subject in the folder
Print camera/data cards prior to photography
Form composite group photographs and traditional named group photographs
Sort print queues according to folder for ease of packaging and delivery
Exporting data and images grouped by folder for yearbooks and CD production
Form specialty products, such as memory mates, by matching images to the folder.
Home Folder
The first folder a subject is added to is referred to as their Home folder. Typically the home folder is used by school photographers to denote grade, teacher, or homeroom. A sports photographer may choose the home folder based on the team or the coach.
One home folder
A subject can only belong to one Home folder.
Further Reading: Creating the Home Folder
Although home folders can be created manually in Details Mode, they are typically created when importing a text file of subject data. As the subject data imports, the folders are created and the subjects placed in the appropriate folder.
An example of importing a text file and creating folders is available in the Beginner’s Guide.
Changing a subject’s home folder
If a subject needs to be moved to a different home folder, it can simply be “dragged and dropped” from the original folder to the destination folder. The target folder will automatically become the subject’s new home folder.
If the subject has been copied into a folder, the original folder name will be displayed with a ‘+’ symbol in the Folder column of Details Mode.
To make the current folder the new home folder select Details Mode>Edit>Set home folder or use the Control+H keyboard shortcut.
Extra Folders
An Extra folder is defined as any folder that is not the subject’s home folder. A subject can belong to multiple Extra Folders.
A clarification
Note an ‘Extra’ folder does not in itself possess any properties to distinguish it from a ‘Home’ folder. It is defined as an Extra (or Home) folder only from the point of view of the subjects therein.
A folder can be both a Home folder and an Extra folder at the same time - for some of the folder’s subjects it may be their home folder while other subjects may have been copied to the folder and so it is an ‘Extra’ folder for them.
Copying subjects into an Extra folder
Subjects can be manually copied to another folder rather than moved. This is achieved by holding the control key down while dragging the subject to the destination folder. The target folder becomes an Extra folder for the subject.
Subjects in Extra Folders
When looking at subject details in Details Mode, the Folder column will always display the subject’s home folder.
If the selected folder is an extra folder, a little + symbol next to the home folder name designates the subject has been copied from that folder to the currently selected folder.
Creating extra folders when importing a text file
It is possible to copy subjects into one or more extra folders via a text import file. Furthermore, the extra folders themselves are created if not already present.
Importing subjects into “Extra” Folders Only
Consider a text file that contains only subjects with extra folders. This type of text file is normally imported AFTER the initial text file import used to create the subjects and assign them to a home folder. The text file extract below is one such example and lists the subject’s unique ID, last and first names and the extra folder.
ID,LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME,EXTRA
90453,Windler,Jack,Astronomy
90507,Kelly,Michael,Astronomy
10309,Perez,Paris,Astronomy
10313,Garwood,Ethan,Astronomy
10319,Hutchinson,David,Astronomy
10319,Hutchinson,David,Chess
10319,Hutchinson,David,Debating
10328,Sorensen,Jovan,Astronomy
10333,Doyle,Callum,Astronomy
12283,Nottage,Joseph,Chess
12642,Hanthi,Ashen,Chess
90063,Hirst,Guy,Chess
90083,Le Moigne,Matthieu,ChessNote the subject, David Hutchinson. He is a member of three different extra folders. Each of these folders is listed as a separate line.
CAUTION
Where a subject belongs to multiple extra folders, a separate line is needed for each folder.
Since the Subjects in this example are already imported. It is only necessary to map the Unique field and the “Extra” folder - the name fields are not needed. This action will find the existing subjects (via the Unique ID) and copy them into the “Extra” folder. If the folder does not yet exist, it will be created.
Importing subjects into their home and extra folders with one text file
Less commonly, the initial text file imported to create the subjects and their home folders will also list the subjects’ extra folders. The extract below is one such example.
ID,LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME,HOME,EXTRA
10001,Stewart,Kalib,12BRM,
10001,Stewart,Kalib,,CricketA
10002,Rangi,Connery,12BRM,
10003,Braun-Beaumont,Marco,12BRM,
10007,Meale,Fred,13SOO,
10007,Meale,Fred,,CricketB
10010,Warner,Grace,12CHA,
10012,Chen,Jennifer,12SMP,
10013,Hifo,Trevor,12GRC,
10014,Zeng,Deming,12DKY,
10015,Tanoa'i Rolle,Eliza,12LCH,
10016,Cockin,Stephen,12SUA,
10017,Bringans,Chavon,12RED,
10020,Latu,Fukaeiki,12NKL,
10020,Latu,Fukaeiki,,CricketANote: the text file now has five fields: Unique ID, Last and First names, Home Folder and Extra folder.
CAUTION
The home folder and the extra folder must be in separate columns in the text file..
In the above example, the subjects have not yet been created, so all fields will be mapped.
When mapping a column from the text file as an Extra folder it is necessary to check the Extra folder option as depicted below.
Figure 1: Mapping the Extra folder column.
Families
Families are essentially a specialty folder primarily used for images of siblings - families. The sibling images are matched to the Family where they can be ordered in the same manner as with subjects. Furthermore, the subjects in the family can be associated to the family entity offering the following advantages:
Specialty products containing the family photo together with individual subject (sibling) images
Ability to view and order online for all family members at once
Sorting of the print queue to print family orders together for sibling orders
Further Reading: Families
Several documents are available relating to creating and managing families. It is recommended the user start with this document:
FAQ
What are folders used for in school and sports photography?
Folders are used to group subjects by grade, class, homeroom, teacher, team, or coach, allowing for efficient production tasks.
Can a subject belong to more than one home folder?
No, a subject can only belong to one home folder. They can then belong to multiple ‘Extra’ folders as needed.
How can I change a subject's home folder?
You can change a subject's home folder by dragging and dropping it into the desired folder. If the subject has already been copied to another folder, use Control+H to make it the new home folder.
What is an extra folder?
An extra folder is any folder that is not a subject's home folder, and a subject can belong to multiple extra folders.
Is it possible to import subjects into extra folders?
Yes, subjects can be imported into extra folders via a text file.
What are families in the context of photography?
Families are specialty folders mainly used for images of siblings, allowing for combined ordering and viewing of family members' photos.