@pbar Peter my assertion was wrong and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to delete all entries in an ‘External selection’ because although it uses the images from a directory you can simply delete the [M]aster entry and it should work as it normally does (remove the [M]aster and all the VCs) but only on the database, leaving the image directory alone.
I have created a topic PL831 External Selection Versus VC Deletion or rather NO DELETION and referred to your topic and the other one you posted in and will make a support submission to DxO Support.
However, the “feature” has been present since OpticsPro 11 and the next release after OpticsPro 11 was PhotoLab 1. Why the software engineer chose to create that rule I simply cannot say.
I quite like my workaround, not that I am biased, because my old way of using OpticsPro/PhotoLab was to use FastStone Image Viewer to submit a “representative” image to DxPL and refine it and then load the whole directory and apply the new edit to all the images.
This was necessary because FSIV actually sends all the images I select but only the last one ever makes it into DxPL!?
But I have access to other browsers and FastRawViewer will allow ‘Rating’ and ‘Colour Label’ setting (and ‘Description’ I believe) but no other Metadata. XnViewMP seems to have similar Metadata screens to BreezeBrowser and can submit more images to DxPL and I currently have a subscription to Zoner and we can all use Adobe Bridge.
Please make a support request and try my workaround to see if it can help fit your needs.
Regards
Bryan