My thoughts after a few days using PhotoLab for a few days

[Pathal (Patrick)]

@Mabel
I’m on Mac, so perhaps some indications may be different (or not there) in Windows, but I hope this may be valuable for you.

@Mabel

• No clone tool - Or am I missing something?
  the heal brush works great most of the time but there
  are times when a clone tool would be best.

No, you’re not missing anything, clone tool is not available. You can make a request for it in this section: Feature requests - DxO Forums

@Mabel

The crop tool always defaults to PRESERVE ASPECT RATIO
I lot of the time I want unconstrained.

Can I change this default behaviour?

Yes, you can change it.
As for other choices, you can define your preferences in each palette, and save them in a preset.
For Crop tool, in Image ration you choose “Without constraint” and to save the preset you go in the menu to Image > New preset for the current… (approx item name as I’m not in English)
As you want it by default, you have to use this new preset as your default in Preferences.

@Mabel

One click export to export using the last recipes settings (How about Ctrl + E)
Most of the times the settings I use are the same
So if there was a button to just export the Image
Based on the last Images export settings that would be great.

There is already a request for that than you can vote for:

Single-Klick or Hotkey Export

Hello, I’d really like to see a way to export to JPEG with a single mouse click, without needing to select/acknowledge the output options for every single image. The previously selected output options shall apply in this case. (In a normal workflow, you’ll always use the same settings on several subsequent images, anyway.) In a perfect world, there’d also (additionally) be a hotkey for that function. I have suggested this by mail already, a long time ago. Unfortunately, this has not been addr…

@Mabel

1. when I set a TAG (picked unpicked)

Why do some of the keyboard short cuts (7, 8, 9, p, x, u) only work in full screen mode?

Why can’t also work in the organize and customize mode as well?

Why can’t I rate the Images (0-5) in the organiser and customise tabs?

DxO PhotoLab comes from DxO Optics Pro which has a long history in its development. So there are some functions which need to be rewritten and may takes time.
These shortcuts work in Full screen mode and this Full screen has been totally rewritten quite recently, and then adding these shortcuts.
So they should probably come also in other tabs in future.

@Mabel

the dxo optics module symbol (little camera Icon) In the thumbnail In the film strip Is
not showing for my Nikon D850 Images, the EXIF Info panel Is showing the camera
and lens used but the camera Icon Is not displayed In the filmstrip thumbnails
to state that Image correction has been applied.

I also have D850 images and don’t see any camera icon in thumbnails. For me, seing a camera icon in thumbnail means that the lens/camera module is missing or there can be ambiguity about the lens. When the module is ok I don’t see anything. And this is true for all my cameras/lenses.

@Mabel

Why can’t the sidecar files be saved in a sub-directory and not mixed In with the Images.
Possible make this user configurable in the preference section so users can
choose they preferred way of working.

Every user can have a different preference about that. I guess this has been chosen by DxO to facilitate their management.
Personally this is a convenient choice for me.

@Mabel

I can’t find any xmp sidecar files on my computer.
The option is ticked in preferences
But it also talks about sidecar files being .dop files, which I can find.

I guess you mean the xmp in Preferences for Preserve xmp data for RAW images?
This allow to import xmp data from other tool with tag / keywords / IPTC to import them to include in jpeg export for instance.
But it does not produce xmp file, they are .dop files.

@Mabel

Why is there no Indication (an Icon) in the filmstrip thumbnails to show that an Image has
been processed?

In Preferences, Thumbnail section you can define “Always” for “Export status” (again not sure exact translation), and then you have in low right corner of the thumbnail the status of the image (chosen for export, on going and done).

@Mabel

When I select crop mode, the handles to grab at the corners are just outside the viewing area.
I have to zoom the Image In a bit to grab a handle.

I don’t have this, the handle is just at the limit of the image by the side or top of the image window.

@Mabel

On top of the filmstrip It tell you how many of the Images have been selected e.g. 1/68
It would be helpful If It could indicate where you on in the filmstrip e.g. Image 23/68
Then you would know if you were a quarter, a half, etc the way through your Images.

This is something I would like also.