Creating a subdirectory for saving .pp3 files

[Lorenzoeffe]

Good morning, I am writing regarding sidecar and .pp3 files. Currently you have the option of saving the development in memory, or in the source directory alongside the original file. This mode offers 2 disadvantages:

• In the first case you create a catalog, with all the merits ...and drawbacks it can produce.
• In the second case (.pp3 files saved next to the original file) there are many advantages, but each folder fills up with sidecar files.

Some other software, such as Capture One, has a method of saving based on the source folders, but that does not involve saving the sidecar file alongside the original file.

It would be convenient to create a subdirectory in the file directory, and save the .pp3 file in that location This way the sidecar files would still be allocated next to the original files, but the directory containing the original files, would remain clean, not fill up with ghost .pp3 copies The advantage would be clear even with external viewers,m such as Xnview, with which .pp3 files would not be displayed

To wit:

BEFORE .../image.raf .../image.RAF.pp3

AFTER .../image.raf .../pp3/image01.RAF.pp3

[MassimoITA]

I totally agree

[tawoirgard]

I totally agree as well. This way, Rawtherapee would operate just like NX Studio does. Suppose you make even few mods on a great majority of files, you may almost double the number of files in the directory,.. Considering that there are also other tools that do the same mistake than Rawtherapee, like DXO and others : when you need to use several tools because of a specific feature in each, you'll quickly get a big mess. We are in 2024, aren't we ? :0)

[Lawrence37]

@tawoirgard Are you looking to save pp3s into a subdirectory, or do you just want to avoid having all the pp3s in the same directory as your images? If it's the second, then you can tell RawTherapee to place the pp3s in the cache instead.

@Lorenzoeffe You write

This mode offers 2 disadvantages:

But your first explanation doesn't say what the disadvantage is. You simply write:

and drawbacks it can produce

What exactly are the drawbacks in your opinion?

[Lorenzoeffe]

It would be useful to be able to save .pp3 files in a sub-folder. That way, if the folder was moved, the .pp3 files in the sub-folder would also be moved. Furthermore, after formatting, uninstalling and the like; it would be enough to access the folder containing the images and the .pp3 files in the sub folder again from RawTherapee, to restore the development queue.

In contrast, in the case of caching, this would not be directly allocated to the location of the images, so if the images were moved, the 'cache' would not register it. And in the event of formatting or uninstallation, the cache would be cleared because it is contained in the user or software folders.