Tagging, Rating and Labeling in CS5 Bridge

[CEHARRIS3]

I am currently taking Deke McClelland's CS5 course (an absolutely fantastic course, by the way). My basic question comes to this. If I have already organized, tagged and rated my photos in PSE9. Can I do the same to them in CS5 Bridge. Can these tags and ratings be independent of one another in both programs. For instance can the same photo have different tags, ratings and labels; one set in PSE9 and a different set in CS5? Are there "dangers" in doing this? Clarke

[dj_paige]

I believe you can have independent tags in both Organizer and Bridge ... BUT ... unless you have a very good reason to do so, I would strongly advise against doing this.

Having two different sets of tags for each photo risks confusion on the part of you the user (did I tag this photo with "National Park" in Bridge, or did I do that in Organizer?) It is twice the work, and I simply don't see a benefit. Twice the work with no benefit is not something I can recommend.

Lastly, there is a small but real possibility that the tags from Organizer and Bridge could get mingled together without you realizing it. If you accidentally issue a command (have you ever selected the wrong menu item accidentally?), I can see how the tags from Organizer could get written to the file and read by Bridge (or vice versa)

I think you are asking for trouble going down this path.

What does a class in CS5 have to do with this issue anyway? Are you interested in editing photos from Organizer using CS5? This is easily done, without resorting to Bridge as an intermediate step.

[CEHARRIS3]

Thanks for the advice, and I think it was well taken. Tagging in both organizer and bridge could result in a mix-up

I did think your question:

"What does a class in CS5 have to do with this issue anyway? Are you interested in editing photos from Organizer using CS5? This is easily done, without resorting to Bridge as an intermediate step"

failed to appreciate where I was coming from. I have been a PSE user for five years and only recently began attempting to transition to CS5. When I came upon Bridge (which appears to offer many more organizational features than the Organizer), it was just natural curiosity that motivated me to explore the possibility of using both at the same time. This is why I posted the question on the Photoshop.com forum (and not the General Elements forum). Clarke

I had been

[Wendy]

Hi Clarke ..

I love Bridge ... it is just so powerful !!

I use it as a general filebrowser for everything else as well as Photoshop

Wendy

[CEHARRIS3]

Wendy...you have followed my plight to mastering Photoshop CS5 closer than anyone. When I came across that Deke McClelland course on Lynda.com, I entered paradise!! I have never experienced a more thorough on-line course in my life (I am only one-sixth of the way through it). I was honestly about to give up! One real advantage of learning Photoshop, in my opinion, is that it opens the door to soooo many more training opportunities (which are quite applicable to Elements as well).

Just thought I would give you a progress report, my friend, as you have been helpful to me (and many others) on this "journey" Clarke

[Wendy]

Hi Clarke ...

So glad that you are enjoying it ... and Deke really does a good set of tutorials. I like his work

Wendy