55 ■ BRIDGE VIEWS AND WORKSPACES as Erie) or the subject (lake), along with a date and/or the original preserved filename and an extension. The number of components you use is your choice: I• n the first drop-down box under New Filenames that says Current File- name by default, choose Text. The text box to the right will prompt you to type text. This is where you type the location, subject, name, and so on. T• o the far right of this row are + and – radio buttons. Click the + button to get another drop-down box to add more parameters to your name. We recommend using the Preserved Filename, which is available as one of the options when you click the drop-down menu in each line because it creates a distinct filename for each image. I• f you do not use the Preserved Filename, then we suggest that you choose a sequence number (or letter) from the drop-down menu. Usually we spec- ify a three-digit number, but if you don’t use the date in your naming schema, you may prefer to use at least a four-digit number. You’ll see a preview of your new name at the lower right. Note: Bridge will automatically preserve the file extension, so you don’t have to use Extension as your final choice. 6. Under Options, if you did not previously save the original filename to the XMP metadata, you can choose to keep the original filename in the metadata for the file. If you are renaming copies, this can be helpful in the event you want to refer back to the original files. 7. Under Compatibility, it’s a good idea to select both Windows and Mac OS (your current operating system is selected by default). Bridge Views and Workspaces We know you’re eager to check out your images, but most nature photographers find that the default configuration (see Figure 2.15) of Bridge isn’t a very efficient way to work. Fortunately, Bridge is easy to customize, and making a few changes can mean the difference between thinking that Bridge is awkward to use and thinking that it’s wonderful. The Bridge interface is composed of pods that can be moved and adjusted in size either manually or by using one of the presets, or a combination or both, to enable easier access to whatever features you’re using. We’ll show you several of the variations that we find most helpful. Renaming Your Images After Import Sometimes you may import images without renaming them and want to rename them later, or perhaps you want to change the name you initially used. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to rename all or some of the images in a folder. To rename your images, take the following steps: 1. Either select the particular files you want to rename or select a folder in the Folders panel. In the latter case, the renaming will be applied to all the files in the folder. 2. Choose Tools > Batch Rename in the Bridge menu to open the Batch Rename dialog box (see Figure 2.14). Figure 2.14 To rename images after you’ve imported them, use the Batch Rename dialog box. 3. Choose whether to use a preset naming convention. By default this will be set to Last Used. You can save any naming convention you establish as a preset by clicking the Save button and naming it. It will then be added to the list of preset names. To remove a preset, select it and press Delete. 4. Select whether you want your renamed files to be in the same folder, copied to another folder, or moved to another folder. If you copy or move them, specify where by clicking Browse. 5. Under New Filenames, we like to create a name that tells us essential identify- ing features about the images. This could be text that describes the place (such 607343c02.indd 55 4/11/10 11:03:12 PM 56 c h a p t e r 2: BRIDGE ■ Figure 2.15 By default Bridge opens with this view, giving you access to many of the features. Ph otos by EllEn Ano n There are numerous preset workspaces available from the Workspace Chooser in the toolbar. If some of them are not visible, drag the thin double line at the begin- ning of the spaces to the left. It will act like a drawer and reveal more choices. Alter- natively, click on the drop-down disclosure arrow on the right side of the Workspace Chooser, above the Sort Manually button, to reveal a drop-down menu of choices. (See Figure 2.16.) Note: When using Bridge, maximize the interface window so that it uses your entire monitor. That way you’ll be seeing as large an image preview as possible. Filmstrip Views Most nature photographers use a version of a “filmstrip” view (Figure 2.17) to sort through their images. The preset called Filmstrip has a large Preview area with a Figure 2.16 The Workspace Chooser makes it easy to access dierent workspaces so that you can work more eciently. 607343c02.indd 56 4/11/10 11:03:13 PM 57 ■ BRIDGE VIEWS AND WORKSPACES much larger version of the selected thumbnail, along with a horizontal filmstrip view of all the thumbnails beneath the image preview. The large preview makes it much easier to decide which images to keep and which to delete. In addition, the Favorites, Folders, Filter, and Collections tabs are on the left, making it easy to find the images you want to see. Figure 2.17 The lmstrip view can be a good starting place for viewing images. Ph otos by EllEn Ano n The slider at the bottom right of the interface will scale the thumbnails up or down. The thumbnail size and image layout adjust dynamically as you move the slider, making it easy to decide exactly what setting works best for you. You’ll want the thumbnails to be large enough that the metadata you’ve chosen in Preferences to appear with the thumbnails is visible. If the thumbnails are too small, the metadata won’t appear. The idea is to make the thumbnails just large enough to reveal enough information to know which image is which, but small enough that they don’t unnec- essarily take space away from the Preview pod. Click the small icon to the left of the slider to have Bridge automatically make the thumbnails as small as possible while maintaining your configuration, and click the button to the right to make them as large as possible within the confines of the allotted space. Although the default horizontal filmstrip view is usable, there is also a vertical filmstrip preset called Preview. This workspace has the content appear as a vertical film- strip and leaves the preview unencumbered so that vertical images are displayed consid- erably larger in this view (Figure 2.18). Ellen prefers a modified version of this view. She prefers to have the filmstrip appear vertically on the right side, as shown in Figure 2.19. To create that view, it’s easiest to begin with the filmstrip. Next, hover your cursor on the right edge until it Figure 2.15 By default Bridge opens with this view, giving you access to many of the features. Ph otos by EllEn Ano n There are numerous preset workspaces available from the Workspace Chooser in the toolbar. If some of them are not visible, drag the thin double line at the begin- ning of the spaces to the left. It will act like a drawer and reveal more choices. Alter- natively, click on the drop-down disclosure arrow on the right side of the Workspace Chooser, above the Sort Manually button, to reveal a drop-down menu of choices. (See Figure 2.16.) Filmstrip Views Most nature photographers use a version of a “filmstrip” view (Figure 2.17) to sort through their images. The preset called Filmstrip has a large Preview area with a 607343c02.indd 57 4/11/10 11:03:13 PM 58 c h a p t e r 2: BRIDGE ■ changes shape into a double-edged arrow. Then click and drag to the left to expose the third pod. Click the Content tab and drag it into the third pod. Figure 2.18 We nd that a version of the vertical lmstrip is the best choice for reviewing our images as we edit. Ph oto by EllEn Anon Figure 2.19 Using a vertical lmstrip aords more room for the image previews. Ph oto by EllEn Anon 607343c02.indd 58 4/11/10 11:03:15 PM 59 ■ BRIDGE VIEWS AND WORKSPACES You can resize any of the pods by hovering the cursor over the heavy line that separates them, then clicking and dragging. To adjust the size of the filmstrip, place the cursor over the vertical line separat- ing the Preview pod from the Content pod. The cursor will change to a double-facing arrow, as shown in Figure 2.20. Click and drag to the right or left to increase or decrease the width of the Content pod. Just above the scroll bar is a tiny, somewhat difficult-to- see icon at the top right of the Content pod. Click it to reveal choices to display the thumbnails vertically, horizontally, or in the auto layout. For the vertical filmstrip view, Ellen prefers the vertical thumbnail display. Figure 2.20 Adjust the size of the Content pod so that it’s large enough to view the thumbnails comfortably but small enough so that you maximize the size of the image previews in the Preview pane. Ph oto by EllEn Anon Customizing the Left Pod On the left side of the interface is a pod containing the Favorites and Folders panels, and beneath it is one containing the Filter, Collections, and Export panels. You can adjust the width of these pods similarly to the way you adjusted the width of the Con- tent pod. In addition, you can allocate more or less vertical space to each of these pods by clicking the horizontal line just above the Filter tab. Drag it up or down as you want. You can opt to have just a single pod on the left by clicking the Filter tab and dragging it on top of the Folders tab. In addition, you can view keyword or metadata information in these pods by choosing Window > Metadata Panel or Window > Key- word Panel. Then drag each panel to whichever pod is most convenient. To reposition a panel, point your mouse at the title tab for that panel, and click and drag it to whatever pod is convenient for you. If several panels share a pod, simply click the tab of the panel you want to view to bring it to the forefront. 607343c02.indd 59 4/11/10 11:03:16 PM 60 c h a p t e r 2: BRIDGE ■ Note: If you drag the Filter, Collections, and Export panels from their default locations and place them by Folders and Favorites, the lower pod will collapse unless you have placed another panel there. In fact, once you remove all the panels from any pod, that pod will collapse until you drag a new panel into it. Further, any panel in Bridge can be positioned in any pod by clicking the tab at the top of the panel and dragging it to the desired location. By doing this you could place the filmstrip on the left and the folders on the right, or create any other configuration that suits your needs. When initially viewing images, we usually select the Folders tab and navigate to the desired folder so we can have the Folders panel fill the left pod. (If you have used Adobe Photo Downloader, it will automatically open a new Bridge window and navigate to the folder containing the newly imported images.) However, while we sort through our images, we like to have the Filter and Keyword panels visible on the left. Occasionally we like to use the Light Table view to scan the contents of a folder. Ellen has created a custom view called Ellen 1. The new workspace is automatically added to the list of presets, as shown in Figure 2.21. That way, she can use any of the other presets but still quickly return to her preferred layout. Figure 2.21 Choose a name for each workspace you save that clearly describes it, so you can quickly select the best workspace for any task. To create and save a customized workspace, take these steps: 1. Choose the default workspace that initially is closest to what you want to use. 2. Adjust the size of the pods as described earlier. 3. Select which panels to have visible by choosing Window > Workspace and tog- gling the check marks on and off. 4. Drag the panels to the desired pods. Once you have configured the space the way you want it, save the workspace by choosing Window > Workspace > Save Workspace or by clicking the Workspace- changer drop-down menu in the top of the interface and choosing Save Workspace. A new dialog will appear in which you name your workspace. There are also options to save the current sort order and the physical location of the window. After you save your workspace, it’s available from Window > Workspace or from the Workspace- changer icons at the top of the interface, as shown in Figure 2.21. Other Views Sometimes it’s helpful to be able to see more of the images at once without seeing a larger preview of a single image. The Light Table view shows only the Content panel (see Figure 2.22). This can be helpful when you want to get an overall look at the images. We often use this view when looking for a specific image or checking to get a sense of the images that are in a folder. 607343c02.indd 60 4/11/10 11:03:16 PM . area with a Figure 2.16 The Workspace Chooser makes it easy to access dierent workspaces so that you can work more eciently. 607343c02.indd 56 4 /11/ 10 11: 03:13 PM 57 ■ BRIDGE VIEWS AND WORKSPACES much. don’t have to use Extension as your final choice. 6. Under Options, if you did not previously save the original filename to the XMP metadata, you can choose to keep the original filename in the. Either select the particular files you want to rename or select a folder in the Folders panel. In the latter case, the renaming will be applied to all the files in the folder. 2. Choose Tools >