Stacking and Variants

Stacking

Manual Stacking

Autostacking

Variants

Stacking

The stacking function allows images to be organized into logical units that can then be displayed in the program collapsed as a single item. This makes it possible to make the contents of a folder easier to navigate and speeds up further organization. Stacking can be done automatically or manually.

Stacks have several types:

The stack type is displayed as an icon in the upper left corner of the stack's main file.

Find the function:

the Manager module | top-bar menu | Organize | Stacking

menu shown after right-clicking a file

Broswer mode and the Filmstrip | top toolbar |

The stacking icon in the toolbar changes dynamically depending on the current context.

Autostack – displayed in the default state when only one file is selected.

Detect Stack – displayed when multiple unstacked files are selected, or when a stack and one or more files that do not belong to the stack are selected at the same time.

Unstack – displayed when a collapsed stack is selected.

Exclude from Stack – displayed when one or more files in an expanded stack are selected.

Manual Stacking

To create a stack manually, multiple photos must be selected in the Explorer or Film Strip and then added to a stack using the Add to Stack button in the context menu or in the stacking menu in the toolbar.

The created stack is collapsed and displayed as a single file, with a number visible in its upper left corner corresponding to the number of images in the group. Clicking on this number expands the stack. Clicking the number in the upper left corner of any photo in the stack again collapses the stack.

A manually created stack is assigned the type General. By right-clicking on the type icon, it can be changed.

Autostacking

In addition to manually creating groups, automatic stacking can also be performed based on file analysis carried out by the program using artificial intelligence technology. It is not necessary to select files before using the function. After clicking the function icon, the Autostack Options dialog window opens, where several parameters can be set.

Autostack Options:

Run on these files – it can be set whether the analysis and subsequent stacking should be performed only on all files in the current folder, or also on files in subfolders.

Unstack Existing Stacks – if stacks already exist within the selected range of files, this function allows you to decide whether these stacks should be dissolved and included in the new stacking process or not.

Create Stacks – allows you to choose file stacking based on six categories: Similar Images, Burst, Time-Lapse, Exposure Bracketing, Panorama, and Focus Stacking. Specific categories into which the files should be stacked can be checked.

Auto-Merge – by checking this option, after the groups are created, groups of the types Panorama, Focus Stacking a Exposure Bracketing will be merged automatically. The parameters of merging can be set in the Auto-Merge Options dialog.

The icon in the lower right corner of the Autostack Options dialog opens the Auto-Merge Options. This dialog contains the same parameters as the dialogs for the Panorama, Focus Stacking a Exposure Bracketing functions. There is additionally the option Prefer RAW format for RAW+JPG, which allows you to specify that either RAW or JPG files should be used during merging if the captured photos exist in both formats.

Editing and Unstacking a Stack

Stacks can be unstacked by clicking Unstack. To remove individual photos from a stack, use the Exclude from Stack option. To visually represent the stack using a different photo than the first one in the list, select the desired photo and use Set as Main File in Stack.

If a stack is of the General type, an automatic analysis of the group type can be launched using the Detect Stack icon.

Double-clicking on a collapsed stack expands the stack and simultaneously selects all files in it.

Variants

Find the function

the Manager module | top-bar menu | Organize | Stacking

the Develop module | top-bar menu | Variants

menu shown after right-clicking a file

Browser mode and the Filmstrip | top toolbar |

The Variants feature, available from the Browser and the Filmstrip, is used for creating a virtual duplicate of a file with all the current adjustments from the Develop module. You can create any number of Variants for a photo. All of a photo’s Variants are stored in a .data-zps auxiliary file. Variants cannot be moved, because each variant is tied to the original copy of a photo file. But other than this restriction, each Variant behaves like an independent file, and you can make standard edits to them and export them.

Creating a Variant automatically also creates a stack, which contains the original photo and all of its Variants. This stack can be unstacked, and you can then work with all the Variants separately. Materialize Variant creates a non-virtual copy of the original file and a new auxiliary file containing your changes from the Develop module. If the Variant was in a stack, that copy will stay in the stack. The option named Overwrite Source File With Variant is only available for Variants. Using it applies your changes from the Develop module to the original photo and deletes the Variant.