How to Manage Image Sets or Photo Albums
On the main interface, press the "Import" button (Ctrl+I)
In the "Select File" dialog box, select "Image folder" from the scan type dropdown in the upper left corner.
Press the "Source" button.
Select the file system, usually the local file system. For NAS, use Samba.
Enter or select the download directory. For NAS, you need to enter or select the correct network address, for example, "\\192.168.0.2\photo" (ensure the NAS device is properly connected to the network).
PLM will scan the file list in the folder for the user to select. Press "OK".
PLM will retrieve the basic information of the selected files and add them to the "Files to be imported to library" list.
Click the "3. Dup check" button to check for duplicates within the library. If a complete match is found, PLM will display a dialog box for the user to play and compare. The user decides whether to still select and import the potentially duplicate file.
Click the "4. Edit" or "Batch edit" button to modify the attributes of the current or all selected records. The most important are "Target name" and "Target Path".
Click the "5. Go" or "BG Go" button to start importing. PLM will display the default parameters dialog (e.g., move/copy, default target path, and overwrite method). Press "OK" to start the import (background) operation.
After the import is complete, you may need to "Refresh" (F5) on the main interface to see the completed import file records.
2. Import an entire folder (Hard Drive/NAS) as a new library directory:
Connect the hard drive to the computer or ensure the NAS device is properly connected to the network.
On the main interface, click the "Library" menu and then click the "New directory" submenu.
Select the file system for the new directory. If it's a hard drive, select the local file system. For NAS, use Samba.
If it's a hard drive, select the drive letter of the hard drive you just connected to the computer. If the entire hard drive including root folder contains image files (not recommended; you should create a directory on the hard drive, e.g., "photos"), select the root directory of the drive letter. Otherwise, select the specific directory where the video files are stored.
If it's a NAS, enter the correct Samba server address, for example, "\\192.168.0.2\photo". If the NAS requires password access, you will also need to enter the username and password. After pressing "OK", select the directory or the correct subdirectory.
PLM pops up the "Add new dir" dialog box. Select the file type as "Image folder". The user can change its display name/file set detection/extract media information options. "Create Subdirectories" is suitable for new hard drives/NAS devices without data. It is recommended for beginners to use "Foreground Scan". Click "OK" to start scanning.
PLM will scan all files in the target directory that meet the conditions and provide a results list. Selectively check these files and press "OK" to complete the import of the new library.
3. Import Newly Added Files within the Library:
When you manually (rather than through PLM import) add photos/images to an existing hard drive (with a library established), you can import them into the library directory using the "Import files from current dir" menu.
Connect the hard drive to the computer or ensure the NAS device is properly connected to the network.
Select the appropriate directory node in the left library tree.
On the main interface, click the "File" menu and then click the "Import files from current dir" submenu.
Select the subdirectory.
Select "Image folder" for the scan type.
PLM will scan the files in the subdirectory that meet the requirements and display the results list.
Check the files you want to add and confirm.
As needed, you can perform batch operations such as "Get media info"/"Generate preview".
How to play photos
Click on the file you want to play and press the "Play" button. PLM's built-in image browser supports image/image set playback/zooming/rotation and other operations. Left click to move next, right click to move previous, middle click to quit
Managing Physical Photos
Please refer to "Physical Items" management.