P: Autosync/Multiple-Target indication

As I've been advocating all along, just change the cursor while multiple images are selected, possibly with a superscript or subscript showing the number of images that will be affected if that number is more than 1. Very visible, no annoying popups to dismiss.

The only thing is, would one want the warning after every adjustment? It probably needs to be limited to every x adjustments or something similar.

That's true. They could flash Autosync over the bottom-center of the image just like they do when you star rate an image. I'd say we could use all three: flash the autosync button text red, make the filmstrip highlight color red and overlay AUTOSYNC on the image with the rouded border around the text (same as star rating/labels). This all doesn't sound too programmatically far-fetched.

Well, there are existing UI elements like the rating change bezels which could be used. The key would be balancing the need to force these warnings to the user's attention without becoming such an annoyance that they get switched off.

I'd be pretty sure that they will never make it a popup dialog given the rest of the architecture, but I did notice that when Autosync is enabled and you make a slider adjustment, it does flash white. Making a code change from white to bright red would be a HUGE step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, it's also possible for this accidental multiple copying to occur when the filmstrip is not activated and not showing.

Therefore any solution such as a red border on the filmstrip -- which of course depends on the filmstrip being open -- is not enough, even though I like that idea very much, and I personally almost always have the filmstrip showing.

So, I think that instead of -- or perhaps in addition to -- the red border, a pop-up confirmation box is the best solution.

You can't miss it.

And you then have to actively click either "cancel" or "apply to selected."

It's quick and virtually fool-proof! And yes, for people who don't want it, you can have an option to not show the warning box.

I agree with this premise. When the issue arises (and I've had my fair share of it happening) you usually don't realize it until a few steps later.

Having to respond to a dialog for every change that is made would get annoying. Having the option to turn off the dialog gets you back in the same situation that needs to be fixed.

So a very obvious indication that you are about to auto-sync is the solution. Let's not degrade what is a very useful feature.

I have a dup suggestion somewhere in this system and my suggestion was to make the highlight color in the filmstrip a light red rather than the light gray used to show selected images. This means, any time you are in autosync mode (2+ images selected) you can't miss that you are about to do damage, good or bad.

A single "Undo" (Ctrl+Z, not History) can reverse a change that has been applied across multiple images, by AutoSync. It isn't necessary to find each one and roll back its History individually - so long as one realises what has happened straight away.

Perhaps that's the aspect we need to address - not to complicate this function, just to make its action more prominent and obvious. Perhaps, with a brief popup tip in the main image area: "applying change to [X] images". similar to the tip you get when you Undo. A visual change in the lower right corner button is a good idea, but might not be noticed for a while - not unless it is made very "loud".

Then if affecting multiple images was not what you wanted, after carrying out an adjustment, you can press Undo. Or if you were expecting that, then a confirmation tip won't be much of an extra distraction.

I don't think we should need to click something to accept a change made across multiple images. AutoSync, as I see it, is what we use (instead of Sync, or copy/paste) - specifically when we want to be able to edit multiple images just as easily and fluidly, as we would edit just one. As I mention elsewhere, I think the naming is a lilttle awkward - perhaps it should simply show the words "Single / Multiple (X)" - where X dynamically shows the number of images selected.

Between these two measures, I think we can cut down the practical problem appreciably, without spoiling the simplicity of the main idea.

RP

AutoSync can be wonderfully useful . . . BUT I have inadvertently left it on and unintentionally changed hundreds of images. It was a horrible amount of work to fix everything when I realized sometime later what had happened . . .

And I did this one other time, too, with similarly huge and disastrous results.

So, I heartily endorse the above suggestions that there be a confirmation or warning mechanism.

I suggest something like what you get in the Library Module's loupe mode when you apply some metadata change, such as a new caption, to multiple images in the filmstrip with the AutoSync button on.

A warning box pops up and asks "Apply the metadata change to all of the selected photos?"

And it also specifies in smaller type that "The metadata change will be applied to the [exact number] of selected images."

Then there's a "Cancel" button and an "Apply to Selected" button.

Just make a pop-up dialogue box like that for applying "develop setting changes" and I think you will have solved this pesky and sometimes disastrous problem!