[DAM] Affinity Lightroom Killer Request

[IamJaGold]

 

 

 

 

 

+1. I'd say there are two schools of thought on the library/catalog subject. Some people like having their assets imported and stored in the app. Some people would prefer the app simply read your folder structure, with no import, like Bridge (or Lyn) does, so storage is not proprietary.

 

I have become a person who prefers to take advantage of the OS's Finder and folder structure than use a proprietary storage. Here's why: over the years I have had many, many apps that held my content in its own proprietary format. That's fine, but only if the content is still mirrored on your hard drive. Unfortunately some didn't maintain the assets outside of the app itself. Some of these apps have since gone out of business / apps no longer work with OS. Some were difficult to sync both ways with what was already imported in them versus what was in your actual folders, so you may have new stuff in the app but not in your folders, or forget to sync, etc. Some import-type apps are just convoluted and you have to be very careful NOT to accidentally delete your original photo/asset because it will also delete it from your hard drive. Plus, some were only valid back then because at the time, they provided a feature that the OS didn't have, which is likely redundant now. So to me, they were just short-term solutions, and were risky and problematic in the long run.

 

I used to use a photo asset app which was great for display, but unfortunately it stored the data plus has now become extinct. I lost all that data and had to painfully re-assemble what I could salvage, and some of it is just gone. But what I did salvage is now in folders. 

 

I'm finding these days that I can replace those apps via Apple's OS, which includes doing my organization in Finder using folder structure (which I did before anyway), and not via an app...because Finder's way will always work and be compatible in future OS upgrades. So an asets app based on that principle is a good thing by working in conjunction with Finder, not trying to replace it.

 

For a little example, I used to use a proprietary app to organize my document types, which were then dependent upon that app. Now, I am taking advantage of Tags, so I tag the documents accordingly, and put the tag labels in my sidebar. I also had an app that was good for organizing my apps, for those little apps I'd forget I had that did such and such. I've now tagged them too. Now if I want to look at x, y or z, or a category, or whatever, I just press the tag in the sidebar and up comes all the stuff that used to depend on an app to do. It's really a breeze and it's future-proof. And by tagging my apps by category, it makes a quick launcher too. Not to veer from the DAM subject but this is just an example of using the power of the OS in conjunction with an app, which is what I'd prefer the new DAM to be.

 

 

I feel the same way as onamac. Please use asset management that uses the OS folder system as the baseline, so we can manage and edit our photos from the DAM app and have those changes reflected in the folder system. 

 

Example: I use the Affinity DAM app to change 50K photos on a shared Dropbox, and a co-worker can use those photos without the app without any issues.

 

I stopped using Lightroom recently and use Finder and Photos... its so basic, but it works, it's future-friendly and it's uncomplicated. 

[Bearwood]

I just visited a Lighrioom course and told the other people there about awesome AP.

 

 

First off not every RAW format is garanteed to be supported till the end of the earth so would it be possible to use DNG as an format to convert the raw files to? They said it would be an open standard from Adobe. 

[Bearwood]

I just visited a Lighrioom course and told the other people there about awesome AP.

 

 

First off not every RAW format is garanteed to be supported till the end of the earth so would it be possible to use DNG as an format to convert the raw files to? They said it would be an open standard from Adobe. 

 

I thought the point was to get away from Adobe!

There DNG format is no better than any other and worse if you aren't aware of what the various switches do. Like the inability to recover the original raw file (unless you set it to preserve) when you want to use a program that doesn't accept DNG (apart from Adobe, I can only think of DXO 10)

 

My vote is for optional catalogs and just plain file management like Bridge does. This is a deal breaker for me, i really don't like catalogs but appreciate some do. 

[tallrob]

Great news.

 

Two things: 

 

1) Please make the DAM application, as well as its utilization of Affinity Photo as an "external" editor, as non-destructive as possible.  At its best, AP would not even be considered "external" at all, but just another editing instruction set that doesn't touch or duplicate the original file.  This is a top priority for me.

 

2) Those of you who cite Bridge as the superior due to its "in-place" approach to file management, both Aperture and Lightroom (and Capture One) can do the same type of "referenced" management.  Bridge is a god awful mess of an application.  I hope nothing is modeled after it where DAM is concerned.  Libraries/Catalogs have come a long way since iPhoto started hiding originals years ago.  They're not a bad idea anymore.  But it's always nice and necessary to allow files to remain unmanaged (just not the way Bridge does it).

[ALx]

That's super exciting news! But please, please, please stay away from Adobe as far as you can  ;)

Managed or referenced, I'd like to see an amalgamation of Aperture (UI/UX) and Capture One (RAW engine). There are many folks out there, including myself, that refuse to abandon Aperture, which is still superior to its competition in many respects (and painfully lacking in many areas due to Apple's imposed death sentence).

For more ideas about an ideal DAM, I suggest heading over to excellent PhotoApps Expert forums: https://photoapps.expert/forum

[somethingchanged]

As a developer and photographer, I'm keen to find alternatives to Lightroom and offer our customers more options for managing and providing photos for the web.

Do you plan on creating export functionality for the DAM, something akin to LR's export or Publisher services?

And if so, would there be hooks or an SDK so that plugins can be written for third-party web services?

 

 

[jaw]

Definitely add me to the list looking for a DAM.

 

I don't want to tell you how to do you DAM but I'd like to add a couple of requirements... Please can we have:

 

• Support for Albums, Smart albums, Tagging, Rating, Keywords, Annotating, batch rename, etc.
• Please, please provide GeoTagging and reverse geo tagging (like HoudanGeo).
• Also pretty please, provide the ability to move asset files between drives without loosing them (Aperture did this well, Capture One catalogs don't seem to be able to track moves)
• Extra points will be awarded for support image based searches. Give the search engine one image and let it find similar images.

Perhaps there is somewhere we can formally submit  requirements or register to be Alpha or Beta testers...

 

Many thanks   Jonathan

 

[A_B_C]

I don’t know if this has already been mentioned … but what about implementing a decent duplicate and near-duplicate finder as well? I used PhotoSweeper for cleaning up my Aperture library in the past, but it would be great if the upcoming Affinity DAM would provide similar options straight out of the box …  :)

[ldexterldesign]

BUMP

 

https://twitter.com/ldexterldesign/status/690966573629231104

 

Hope this is useful

 

Regards

[brendanfalkowski]

We are going to make a professional Affinity DAM application - stay tuned in 2016 for more information ;)

 

Thanks,

 

Andy.

 

Fantastic. Aperture's eventual collapse has me worried as I'm packing more and more photos in. Tried Lightroom every year but hate it's rigid "modes".

 

For a photography DAM app, these are the killer features (excluding fast, stable, non-crap UI):

• Referenced files: let me choose where to store the RAW files (so many apps can use it), and the DAM generates previews for fast display that it stores within itself
• Easy backup: love this feature from Aperture, but it only works for managed libraries.
• Easily navigate a chronological library: three decades of digital photos and counting
• Smart albums (by any metadata just like Aperture)
• Mapping: I geotag everything and love exploring my map (please allow it to go fullscreen, not tiny windowed like Aperture)
• Stacks: for marking a set of photos as related (ex: to remember to make a panorama)
• Versions: unlimited versions from non-destructive edits

Importing all my work from Aperture would be nice, but honestly it's just a viewer for me. I'd be very happy with a tool that just makes enjoying my photos and managing thousands of them a breeze.

[r10k]

I'm only half excited about an Affinity DAM. Adobe may be annoying in many respects, but many of its algorithms are impressive (highlight reduction for one) that leave every other DAM in the dust, and that includes Capture One that despite it's heavy handed RAW processing, has some equally impressive stuff.

 

So far Affinity's RAW processing is pretty poor. I do like how I can select a different RAW processing engine in Photo, but if that app itself has sub-par adjustments it'll just be a glorified Bridge application. A DAW to rule them all needs the best algorithms, not just a good UI.

 

Dislike for Adobe isn't reason enough to pick something that isn't as good, when Lightroom (despite it's many imperfections) is quite mature software, with solid adjustments and easy to use tools. If Serif (hi devs!) can match Aperture or Capture One in terms of organisation, and Lightroom for tech then that'd be something worth getting excited about.

[GFS]

+ 1 as very keen to see a replacement for Aperture.

 

I never liked Lr, especially the appaling early UI, but also its rigid modes.  Aperture was also much better as a management tool and the choice of Managed or Referenced on a file-by-file basis is terrific.

 

My one BIG please ... would be ... PLEASE provide some way of retaining as much of an Aperture library as possible in transition ... including adjustments.  I have no idea how you might acheive this, but as a possible, I can say that Aperture has deep Applescript support and perhaps Apple's own Sal Soghoian could be persuaded to help seeing as he has done some very clever Aperture stuff in the past?

 

Anyway ... can't wait to see what you come up with, as I'm holding out for the time being in Aperture and reporting any bugs in MacOS betas that I come across, in the hope that it will last until there's an appealing alternative. :)

[kirk23]

I have Lightroom and hardly ever open it at all.    As a DAM it's absolutely awful .   Imo iMatch is a best DAM on Windows.   Would love to see something like this on Mac  + maybe borrowed easy super quick keywording from  Photo application.

[Doug B]

I'm only half excited about an Affinity DAM. Adobe may be annoying in many respects, but many of its algorithms are impressive (highlight reduction for one) that leave every other DAM in the dust, and that includes Capture One that despite it's heavy handed RAW processing, has some equally impressive stuff.

 

So far Affinity's RAW processing is pretty poor. I do like how I can select a different RAW processing engine in Photo, but if that app itself has sub-par adjustments it'll just be a glorified Bridge application. A DAW to rule them all needs the best algorithms, not just a good UI.

 

Dislike for Adobe isn't reason enough to pick something that isn't as good, when Lightroom (despite it's many imperfections) is quite mature software, with solid adjustments and easy to use tools. If Serif (hi devs!) can match Aperture or Capture One in terms of organisation, and Lightroom for tech then that'd be something worth getting excited about.

The points made here are very succinct, and I hope the message doesn't go unnoticed! My biggest, (really only) true gripe with Adobe at this moment, is their poor support for Fuji's X Trans sensors. Were it not for that, I would be quite content paying $10 a month for all of the truly wonderful services they offer. I currently DO pay, but have absolutely been looking for an alternative. Iridient Developer, Capture One, even Silkypix 7 offer great sharpening algorithms and output demosaicing. Problem is, None offer the cloud based services as Adobe does.

 

Imagine... I do a shoot > leave shoot > manage prospects via culling, keywording, color coding > then start editing, such as blemish removal and cloning.... All from either my MacBook Pro OR iPad Pro while mobile, which is syncing with their cloud, and when I get home to my iMac, I pick up from exactly where I left off. This is currently possible with PS.

 

That said, even though ACR isn't perfect with X Trans files, it's not terrible, either. Yes, those others mentioned do demosaicing better, but LR still has some of the best highlight and shadow recovery tools. I could probably get away with using C1 and AP, even though that would mean spending more money... But that would mean ditching some really great extras which I feel are free.

 

I really wouldn't even mind paying a subscription fee for continuing updates from the Affinity team. In fact, I'd be happy to pay. After all, it would employ more people, which means getting more work done. I'm almost wary of a company that practically gives their hard work away. Yeah, I'm saying that $50 is far too little for the ambitions we should all expect to see from this company.

 

To return to the main point though, the RAW processing engine really needs to be a priority. Even above trying to be as pretty as OS X Because if it's not, then what really is the actual point? I'm not going to use cheaper software just to spite Adobe and then ultimately to cut off my own nose. I care about my clients getting the most out of my hard work, and where RAW processing is concerned, this should be a no-brainer for a company intending on selling software in which a great portion of its functionality is to process RAW files.

 

Im looking forward to seeing AP evolve, and I'm sure that it will in every way imaginable. I remember when ACR was far less enticing, and not just with Fuji files.

 

Doug

[Rhod]

Any news on when this will be released?  Based on my experience with AP and AD I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm a long time LR user (since version 1) but I'm ready to switch now.  I've actually started using Mac Photo as a DAM and editing in AP but I have a feeling this new Affinity DAM is going to be quite something.  Some clue as to release date would be very welcome.  :)

[donka]

Very curious for some more and information on this one too.

[Freerk]

Very nice iff you can come up with a LR like app. But if you create this then Iwould be very happy when I could import Sigma/Foveon files.

Dare to be different from a lot of other apps. LR imports Foveon files but handles them not to the fullist.

[BatteriesInc]

We are going to make a professional Affinity DAM application - stay tuned in 2016 for more information ;)

 

I'm still very tuned :rolleyes:  - any official updates, prognosis, thinking or estimates on this?

[kirk23]

I am in need of  proper  DAM application.  Still have my Lightroom CC coming together with Photoshop subscription  even  not downloaded/ installed.        So definitely hope Affinity one will be not a Lightroom clone.

[VISION]

I Second Walter's Sentiments, only I have to disagree with him on one point... I will be the first to purchase it!

[tallrob]

Teasers can only last so long.  Still staying tuned...  but a little info from the devs would be nice  :rolleyes:

 

We are going to make a professional Affinity DAM application - stay tuned in 2016 for more information ;)

 

Thanks,

 

Andy.

[anon1]

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[Rhod]

Teasers can only last so long.  Still staying tuned...  but a little info from the devs would be nice  :rolleyes:

 

Andy said we would have news of the new DAM during 2016 - but we're already into September and absolutely no news whatsoever.  I realise that you're very busy, but how about just a little more information on the proposed release date for this software?  This would be very much appreciated by lots of your eager fans I think.  :)  :rolleyes:

[Rhod]

Not even a crumb of hope from the dev team?  I am bereft...  :(  :D

[Sensorgrafie]

I hope it comes with a RAW processor and the option to hand over image to other apps in a non destructive way to the original files.