My top 8 feature requests

[simulacrum]

Feature Requests for DxO PhotoLab

First of all, I’d like to thank the DxO team for creating what is, in my opinion, one of the best RAW converters available. However, there are a number of areas where PhotoLab could be significantly improved.

1. A More Powerful Keyword Management System

The current keyword management is very limited. I would like to see a dedicated keyword editor with:

• A larger image preview.

• The existing taxonomy tree, allowing users to expand branches and assign or remove keywords using checkboxes.

• The ability to merge duplicate keywords. At the moment, if duplicate keywords exist in the taxonomy, there is no way to consolidate them into a single keyword.

• The ability to export the complete keyword taxonomy.

In addition, many applications (for example, Immich) ignore XMP hierarchical keywords. Therefore, PhotoLab should provide an option to copy hierarchical keywords into the standard IPTC keyword fields to improve interoperability with other software.

2. Proper Geotagging Support

Geotagging in PhotoLab is currently almost unusable. The only option is to manually enter known GPS coordinates into the metadata fields, which is extremely cumbersome.

A modern geotagging workflow should include features such as:

• Displaying photos on an interactive map.

• Assigning locations by clicking on the map.

• GPX track matching based on capture time.

• Reverse geocoding (country, city, location names).

• Searching for locations by name.

At the moment, users are effectively forced to rely on third-party software such as HoudahGeo for this task.

3. A Linux Version

I realize this is probably unlikely to happen, but I would still love to see an official Linux version of PhotoLab.

4. Full DNG Support

It is difficult to understand why the industry-standard DNG format is still not fully supported. Native DNG support should be considered a priority.

5. Additional Export Formats

Currently, PhotoLab can export primarily to JPEG and TIFF. It would be great to have support for additional modern formats, especially HEIC.

6. Better Multi-Monitor Support

When editing photos, I would like the image to be displayed as large as possible on one monitor while moving the tool panels to another monitor, similar to how the image browser can already be separated today.

This would make much better use of multi-monitor setups and provide a more efficient editing workflow.

7. Luminosity Masks Without Requiring FilmPack

Luminosity masks are an essential editing feature and should be included in the core version of PhotoLab instead of requiring FilmPack.

8. Better Compatibility for Star Ratings

The star ratings written by PhotoLab are unfortunately not interpreted correctly by many other applications.

PhotoLab should write ratings in a way that conforms to common metadata standards so that image viewers, DAM software, and other applications can reliably display, search, and filter images based on their ratings.

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These improvements would greatly enhance PhotoLab’s usability, interoperability, and professional workflow while making it a much stronger DAM and image editing solution.

[andras.csore]

@simulacrum

The star ratings written by PhotoLab are unfortunately not interpreted correctly by many other applications.

What’s this other apps? What means the ‘not correctly’? How that apps works (star ratings) with others (than PL)?

[simulacrum]

For instance Apple Photos or immich. They don’t display the star ratings at all and many other tools also.

[HGF (Sony Alpha 77II, WIN11, PL9, FP8, VP5)]

@simulacrum

3. A Linux Version

I realize this is probably unlikely to happen, but I would still love to see an official Linux version of PhotoLab.

Yepp, I’m 100% with you.

[mwsilvers (Mark - New Jersey, USA, Win10, RTX 4060, PL9, FP8, VP5, Nikon Zf)]

I

@HGF

Yepp, I’m 100% with you

It may happen some day if DxO is in business long enough, but chances are you will be too old to use it when that happens.

Mark

[SAFC01 (Paul Rutter - PL8 FP8 VP5 Nik 7 - Win 11 - Nikon)]

@simulacrum

6. Better Multi-Monitor Support

When editing photos, I would like the image to be displayed as large as possible on one monitor while moving the tool panels to another monitor, similar to how the image browser can already be separated today.

This would make much better use of multi-monitor setups and provide a more efficient editing workflow.

I believe PL can do what you want here. I use two monitors, and when in Customise mode have the image on the main monitor and all of the tool palettes on the secondary monitor. To achieve this, start with the built-in DxO Advanced workspace option in the Workspace menu; then drag the palettes you want to your secondary monitor and arrange them as desired. Finally save the workspace - you might also want to copy the workspace XML file - found in C:\Users\paulp\AppData\Local\DxO\DxO PhotoLab 10\Workspaces on Windows - to somewhere for backup. That way if you ever complete remove the PL installation you can simply copy the workspace file back to the Workspace folder rather than having to recreate it. A couple of final points worth noting:

1. If you have PL maximised then when placing palettes close to the screen edge they can “jump” onto the primary monitor. The trick is to have PL not maximised but with it’s window large enough to allow your palette placement.
2. From one version of PL to the next, e.g. PL8 to PL9, there might be some new tools added to existing palettes. If you have a customised workspace in, say PL8, the installation of PL9 will copy this to the PL9 Workspace folder and make this the default workspace but as a result the additional tools will not be included. At this point you might have to start over again creating your custom workspace.

Hope this helps.

[lpsayo (Luis)]

Yes! For starters just please give us a larger window to the keywords!