Menus (v6)
This menu is only found in the Mac OS client.
- About.... [Mac OS only] This calls the Mac client's 'About' dialog (on the Help menu in the Windows client).
- Preferences.... [Mac OS only] This calls the client's Preferences dialog (on the Edit menu in the Windows client).
- Services. [Mac OS only] A standard OS inclusion but no services are currently supported - so ignore this entry!
- Hide Portfolio. [Mac OS only] Hides the Portfolio application windows
- Hide Others. [Mac OS only] Hides all the windows open except the Portfolio application windows
- Show All. [Mac OS only] Shows all hidden windows
- Quit Portfolio. [Mac OS only] This closes Portfolio; the Windows OS command is on the File menu.
The File menu is called from the main menu bar:
- New. This opens a dialog allowing you choose the location and name of a new Portfolio Catalogue (FDB) file. Files can be opened on any media, local or LAN, including on mixed OS networks. This allows Mac and Windows users to share Catalogues. Also see the manual pages 9-10.
- Open. This opens a dialog allowing you to select and open an existing Portfolio Catalogue (FDB) file. Do not use this method to open files that are being served by Portfolio Server. See also the manual pages 11-13
- Connect to Servers. This opens the Connect to Servers dialog allowing you to open Catalogues currently being served by known Portfolio servers. Also see the manual pages 13-14
- Administer Servers. This calls the Administer Servers dialog which has the option to allow the user to administer Portfolio Servers. Assuming TCP/IP access and suitable permissions this allows (remote) administration of Portfolio Server applications from any Mac or Windows Portfolio client. See the manual 136-137.
- Close. This closes the current Catalogue. Use 'Exit' below to close Portfolio itself.
- Export to Text File. This calls the Export Text File dialog.
- Import Field Values. This calls the Import Field Values dialog.
- Page Setup. This calls the normal OS Page Setup dialog.
- Print. This calls the Portfolio Print dialog.
- Recently used file list. The names of up to four (maximum) Catalogues most recently used (MRU) is shown here. The names are stored per user, where there are multiple users of the computer. Click on an entry to open that Catalogue. This list is only seen here in the Windows client. In OSX, the MRU is on the context (Ctrl+click) menu of the Portfolio app's Dock icon. To see a full list of the currently open catalogues, see the Catalogs palette.
- Exit. This closes Portfolio. To close the current Catalogue, use the Close command described above.
This is called from the main menu bar. Depending on the active focus when these menu items are called, the object acted upon is text or record(s):
- Cut. Cuts the current text/record(s) to the clipboard.
- Copy. Copies the current text/record(s) to the clipboard.
- Paste. Pastes the current text/record(s) from the clipboard.
- Select All. Selects all the current text/record(s).
- Preferences. This open Portfolio's Preferences dialog
This is called from the main menu bar:
- Toolbars. This toggles on/off the toolbar that is normally displayed beneath the main menu.
- Folders. This toggles on/off the folders pane at the left of the Portfolio window which shows the status of FolderSync.
- Status Bar. This toggles on/off the status bar along the bottom of the Portfolio window. The status bar displays context sensitive help about the purpose of menu items, etc.
- Thumbnails. Selects the Thumbnail View for the active Gallery window.
- List. Selects the List View for the active Gallery window.
- Record. Selects the Record View for the active Gallery window.
- Customise. This opens the Customise Gallery dialog.
- Refresh. This refreshes and updates the current window.
- Slideshow. This opens a slideshow which will display all the currently selected Records in the current Gallery.
- Slideshow Settings. This opens the Slideshow Options dialog to allow alteration of slideshow settings.
- Always on Top. When set 'on' this keeps the Portfolio window on top of all other application windows regardless of whether Portfolio has focus.
This is called from the main menu bar:
- Add Items. This calls an OS 'file open' type dialog that allows the user to select files to be added to the current Catalogue.
- Find. This opens the Find dialog to allow the user to search for particular (sets of) records.
- Find All. The executes a Find that returns all Records to the current Gallery, sorted on Record creation date.
- Find Other:
- Placeholder Items. This executes a Find that returns all current placeholder records to the current Gallery.
- Document Text. Calls the Find Document Text dialog. The Find Document Text command allows you to find words or phrases within the text of catalogued documents, as opposed to in the item's Record, as with other Portfolio word searches. Currently, Portfolio only indexes the text found in plain text files and PDF documents.
- Missing Originals. The Find Missing Original command is a specialized search that verifies that there is still a valid path pointing to an original file for each item in your catalogue. If Portfolio can't find a file on disk corresponding with each Catalogue item, it lists the missing originals so that you can either update your Catalogue or delete the items.
- Duplicate Items. This finds all records with the same filename and displays them in a new Gallery. This feature was added in the Mac OSX v6.1 client and in the Windows client as of v6.02. It is not yet available in the OS9 client.
- Cataloging Options. This opens the Cataloging Options dialog.
- Advanced Options. This opens the Advanced Cataloging Options dialog.
- Background Cataloging. This opens the Background Cataloging dialog.
- Properties. This opens the Catalog Properties dialog.
- Access. This opens the Catalog Access dialog.
- Administration. This opens the Catalog Administration dialog.
- Create Placeholder. This opens the Create Placeholder dialog.
- Open on Startup This on/off toggle sets the Catalogue to open whenever Portfolio opens. More than one Catalogue may be set to open at program start up. This setting is stored locally in the client and not in the catalogue.
- Recover. This initiates a recovery process for damaged catalogues (see manual page 130). The method can also be used to compact catalogues after deleting large numbers of Records.
- FolderSync Scanning. This option - default is 'on' - disables/enables FolderSync folder list status checking while Portfolio is open. This is beneficial for users who know their catalogue, folders, and files on disk are not changing frequently, to reduce network and disk access. When FolderSync Scanning is disabled, the folders will be available for use and function the same, but the status of the folder - whether the contents of the catalogue match the contents of the folder on disk - may not be accurate until scanning is turned back on and Portfolio completes its inspection of each folder for changes. The status of a folder is also updated by performing a Sync - by selecting the folder and clicking the Sync button.
This is called from the main menu bar:
- New. This creates a new (empty) Gallery.
- List. This opens the Saved Galleries dialog.
- Save. This saves a Gallery when changes to it's layout or Recordset have occurred. This state is indicated by an asterisk after the Gallery name showing in the Gallery window's caption bar.
- Save As. This allows either a saved or previously unsaved Gallery to be added to the Saved Galleries list with a user specified name.
- Customize View. This calls the Customize Gallery dialog.
- Collect. This calls the Collect dialog.
This is called from the main menu bar:
- Update. This initiates an update of the selected Record(s) in the current Gallery. The rules used in updating are described in pages 54-56 of the manual.
- Edit Field Values. This opens the Edit Field Values dialog.
- Edit Keywords. This opens the Edit Keywords dialog.
- Delete. This calls the Confirm Delete dialog unless confirmation has been turned off in the Preferences.
- Change Path. This opens the Change Path dialog that allows the user to find the changed location for an original file. The filename selected should match the current filename, otherwise use the 'Link to New File' option below.
- Extract Properties. This re-extracts the Keywords, Description and metadata from the original file. This replaces some of the v5 selective update options.
- Regenerate Thumbnail. This causes the Catalogue's thumbnail for the current Record(s) to be regenerated (including Disk Previews if being used).
- Properties. This opens the Item Properties dialog for the currently selected Record(s).
- Preview. This causes the currently selected Record(s) to be previewed using the original files or Disk Previews depending on the settings made in the Catalog Administration dialog. If originals are being used to create the previews and the file is on removable media, such as a Zip drive or CD, the user will be prompted the mount the appropriate volume. A maximum of 10 Records may be called to preview at one time. To preview larger numbers of Records in one session, use a Slideshow.
- Batch Rename. This opens the Batch Rename dialog. This feature was added to the Mac OSX client v6.1 and into the Windows client as of v6.02.
- Original:
- Copy. This copies the original file (if currently accessible) to the clipboard.
- Delete. This deletes the original file and associated Record.
- Edit. This opens the original for editing in the selected editing program. If there is none currently set for the file type to be edited, the user is asked to selected an editing program.
- Find in Explorer. This opens a Windows Explorer window with the focus set on the selected Record
- Link to New File. This allows the Record (and its custom data) to be linked to a new - or changed file. The latter may occur where an original file is edited and renamed outside Portfolio or the wrong file name was given for a Placeholder Record. (See also the manual page 51).
- Move. This allows the original file to be moved to a new storage location, the 'Path' Field being updated accordingly.
- Rename. This renames the original file and updates the Record's name-related fields (e.g. Filename, Path, etc.)
- Email Original. Assuming the user's computer's email is correctly configured, clicking this button creates a blank email with the selected Record(s) already attached - ready to send via email.
- Rotate JPEG Original. Subsidiary menu, see below for details
- Rotate Thumbnail. Subsidiary menu, see below for details
- Read Digimarc ID. This causes Records to be scanned for Digimarc IDs - see manual pages 58-59 for details of this feature. This feature was removed from the Mac OSX v6.1 client and from the Windows client as from v6.02.
- Embed Digimarc ID. Assuming the user posses a valid Digimarc Creator ID, this opens the Embed Digimarc ID dialog. This feature was removed from the Mac OSX v6.1 client and from the Windows client as from v6.02.
- Create QuickTime Movie. This calls the Export QuickTime Movie dialog.
- Create Web Pages. This allows the export of the selected Record(s) in current view style to static HTML pages or to be saved as dynamic PortWeb templates via the Create Web Pages dialog.
- 90 Degrees Clockwise. Rotates the original file 90 Degrees Clockwise.
- 90 Degrees Counter-Clockwise. Rotates the original file 90 Degrees Counter-Clockwise.
- 180 Degrees. Rotates the original file through 180 degrees.
- 90 Degrees Clockwise. Rotates the Record's thumbnail 90 Degrees Clockwise.
- 90 Degrees Counter-Clockwise. Rotates the Record's thumbnail 90 Degrees Counter-Clockwise.
This is called from the main menu bar:
This menu is only displayed when a Catalogue is open and if there are any scripts in Portfolio's "\scripts\" folder. The default installation of the Portfolio client does not include Scripts. You may write your own scripts or use those created by others for use with Portfolio (check which version of the program before use).
Extensis also offer 3 specimen scripts which may be found on the install CD or downloaded - by registered users - from the 'demos' section on the Extensis web site, noting that Mac and Windows files are accessed separately. The Windows scripts require VB6 runtime files to be on the user's computers. Win ME, 2000 or XP should already have these, older OS versions may require you to download the file, c.1.5Mb, from Microsoft (the page changes often, so go to the Microsoft site and search for "VB6 runtime").
Unlike in v5, the v6 scripts package does not include source code or a list of Portfolio TLB error codes (these can be read here). However, apart from being recompiled for VB6 use, the code is the same as the last scripts issued with Portfolio v5.01 and which should be on the later v5 install CDs. The scripts package does include a PDF with very sketchy descriptions of some - not all - of the Portfolio VB automation Type Library's methods. A list of v6's VB automation methods can be read here.
None of the Extensis sample scripts is documented. All scripts require Portfolio to be running and a Catalogue loaded in order to run at all. If you download and add the EXE files in the scripts package, 3 items appear in your scripts menu, as seen above.
Edit Path. This allows you to write a new value to the 'Path' Field of one or more Records. You are recommended to try this on a trial Catalogue first as the functionality is not well described. In brief, in 'Text1' put all the section of the path you wish to change, including the last backslash (don't include the filename) and in 'Text2' all the section of the path with which you wish to replace it.
Find Duplicates. To use this you must create a Custom String Field called "Duplicate". It only needs to be 1 character long as the script writes a '1' or '0' to each Record to indicate duplicate status. Duplicates (only) are displayed in the current Gallery on completion.
Portfolio Automation Demo. This allows you to play with some of the VB methods available. However, without source code (see above) it is of limited use.
This is called from the main menu bar:
- Cascade. Cascades Gallery windows inside the Portfolio Window.
- Tile Horizontally. Tiles Gallery windows horizontally inside the Portfolio Window.
- Tile Vertically. Tiles Gallery windows vertically inside the Portfolio Window.
- Close All. Closes all Gallery windows. Unless the 'Keep Catalog Open' option is set on the fly-out menu of the Catalogs palette, closing all Galleries also closes the Catalogue(s).
- Show Catalogs. Toggles display of the Catalogs palette. When open the menu caption changes from 'Show' to 'Hide'.
- Show Categories. Toggles display of the Categories palette. When open the menu caption changes from 'Show' to 'Hide'.
- Show Finds. Toggles display of the Finds palette. When open the menu caption changes from 'Show' to 'Hide'.
- Show Galleries. Toggles display of the Galleries palette. When open the menu caption changes from 'Show' to 'Hide'.
- Master Palettes:
- Show Master Keywords. Toggles display of the Master Keyword List palette. When open the menu caption changes from 'Show' to 'Hide'.
- Show [Custom Field Name]. Toggles display of the palette for any Custom Field that has a pre-defined list of values. When open the menu caption changes from 'Show' to 'Hide'.
- List of open Galleries. A list of all the open Galleries. Clicking on any entry makes that the active Gallery window.
This is called from the main menu bar:
- User Guide. This opens a PDF version of the v6 manual - assuming the user's system has a program associated with the PDF extension. An installer for Acrobat Reader is included on the Portfolio install CD
- About Portfolio. [Windows OS only] Mac About panel is called from Portfolio menu. This calls the About dialog, as seen below:
The About dialog shows the users client registration code, though here it has been obscured for privacy reasons in the screenshot above. Despite all the buttons provided, the dialog doesn't tell you the actual product version you are using. You cannot tell whether you are using v6.0 or v6.01, etc. To ascertain this you must follow this procedure.
Question: Menus (v6) [FAQ00113.htm]
Last Update:- 02 June 2006
