Searching for Effects

[Richard Briggs Profile]

I don't understand the 'search for effects' capability. I'm not sure whether it searches on tags associated with effects or the names. Or both. Or neither. Here's an example....

If I type 'blur' into the search box I get offered about 14 effects with blur in them. If I hit return I only get offered 6 to view (so, for example, 'Blur and Sepia' is not offered.
If I type 'blur' into the search box (as above) but go to check multiple effects offered in the list I can only select one. Sometimes the list disappears for good!

What I'd expect to be able to do is enter a word in the search box and for SPE to return all effects with that word in the title and enable me to view/shortlist/etc as normal.

And I personally would like to search on name OR tag (I assume effect creators can add tags?) because often I know an effect I've used before has 'xyz' in the title (which may not be a tag).

So, is it me or is the search facility somewhat lacking? I'd also say that with the number of effects we have now (and ever increasing) it will become even more important to be able to search accurately.

Richard

[admin]

Hi Richard,

Point well made, searching on effect names would be a good thing to add. Currently it only searches on tags. Tags are added by effect authors, but can also be added by anyone once the effect is live. To add a new tag, you must have ratings enabled in the settings dialog. Then hover over an effect you want to tag and press on the button that appears when you hover over "Rate Effect" or "Rate as..." in the Effect Controls.

Tony

[Richard Briggs Profile]

Thanks Tony, at least I know now. This must be such a simple feature to add I would have thought.


Regards
Richard

[Arwin Profile]

I totally agree Richard,

It's something I wrote about in a few topics by now, last topic was this topic (first page, second last comment)

It's just something that could be better (and would be more user friendly) as for now I have resigned myself to the fact that it is just a tagg/prefix search ability (Prefix, because it will show you effects starting with an equal prefix, like; My effect 001, My effect 002, My effect 003 will be shown if you search for My effect, without the need to tagg it like that.)

Another minor thingy good to know about tagging, you need to tagg one by one, comma separated does NOT work and space will seen as one full word.

In short:
-Hover over an effect you want to tagg.
-Goto "Rate Effect" or "Rate as..." and click on it.
-Enter your tagg, hit ok.
-Start again for an another tagg.

Succes,
Arwin

[admin]

Hi Richard,

I just realised I've missed an important point: you can search for effect names, but only exact matches currently. That was a simple thing to add. What's missing is being able to search for inexact matches, substrings etc, which could be a bit more complicated. i.e. if you searched for the color 'white' would you expect to see black and white results come back because white is found in 'black and white'.

Tony

[DBenterprises Profile]

I agree with Richard. This is definitely needed. In fact I posted this exact same request a few days ago but removed it as I figured I must just be doing it wrong/missing something simple. Now I see I'm not alone! So glad Richard posted this.

[Arwin Profile]

I personally dont mind when Black and White will returned when searching for White, you can skip easily through the pages to see the ones you like, there are atleast much less pages to skip!
Eventual you can make something with an '-', like when you search for 'White -Black' will only return 'White', but that will ask more in depth changes of course

My penny

Arwin

[Arwin Profile]

Just thinking and thought to throw it in the group, it's not the final solution but maybe it helps to get there
Why not split the effect names up in separate words and use these words plus the full effect name as tags while the effects are processed into the db?

Just a wild idea

Arwin

[DBenterprises Profile]

Is there a way to look at the whole list (in alphabetical order) of all the effects?

[admin]

You can see all the effects (unless they need a selection) just by going into the gallery normally. That is all the effects, just ordered so the best ones are first.

Tony