FAQ
General questions
Q: What are the limitations in the trial version?
A: During evaluation, PictMatch displays all found matches (so you can check its speed for a large number of images), but only executes the first 20 suggested actions. The number of regrouped pictures is limited to 30, too. Except for these two limitations, everything else in the trial version works the same way as after registration.
Q: Will PictMatch installation write harmful files to my system directory? Does PictMatch have spywares?
A: No and no. PictMatch is free from spywares and it's not adware. It's trialware only.
Q: Your examples show the use of the first list of files. When will I use the second list of files?
A: When you compare a new set of photos to an older set, which photos you want to keep.
Q: Does PictMatch main screen accept Drag & Drop?
A: Yes. You can drag and drop files and folders on PictMatch file lists, if you want.
Q: PictMatch is taking too long to open. Is there something I can do?
A: Yes. Disable version checking (Options / Miscellaneous) and enable it only from time to time. Although necessary to keep your program free of known bugs, version check can be time consuming, depending on your internet connection.
Q: There are too many options, I am lost!
A: Start using only the options you need and follow the tutorials included in the software documentation. You can always return to the default settings by pressing the "Reset to factory defaults" button, in the Options / Miscellaneous screen. We suggest evaluating the options one by one, always having in mind your actual needs.
Registration questions
Q: My computer crashed and I can't find my registration data. Will I have to pay for another registration?
A: No, you do not have to pay again for the same version. Simply contact us with a proof of purchase and we will give you your registration data.
Q: I'm already a PictMatch 1.x or 2.x user. Will I have to pay for registering version 3?
A: No, just contact us to get your new license.
Questions about the Matches Window (Detect option)
Q: Your software keeps the non-duplicate pictures, but I want the duplicate pictures instead. Is this possible?
A: Yes! Configure a destination directory for the erased files. PictMatch will place your duplicate pictures there.
Q: Why your default is adding an extra ".old" extension to the "deleted" file name, instead of simply deleting it?
A: Because this way you can easily recover your deleted files by simply using "ren *.old *." (without quotes) on the Command Prompt Window (available on Accessories from Windows menu), or using a file rename utility. You can change this default to really deleting (optionally using the Recycle Bin) or moving the file to other folder, if you want.
Q: I understand 100% means exacty equal, but what does the 0% mean on the similarity percentages that PictMatch displays?
A: 0% lightness similarity is what you get when you compare a pure black image to a pure white one. Likewise, 0% hue similarity is what you get when you compare a red image to a cyan image. And 0% saturation similarity is what you get when you compare a pure red image to a black (or white) image.
Q: My images directory contains 40 different files. If I set all sliders to zero and click Detect I do not get 40 x 39 / 2= 780 matches! Shouldn't I get all other possible combinations when I set the sliders to zero?
A: No. PictMatch matches list never includes pairs of images that are too different, even if you set all sliders to zero. For example, a picture of a single person and another one with a landscape will very probably not be displayed together as a match.
Q: I see 39 matches in my trial version. After I click Apply and confirm, the next matches detection shows only 16 matches! If the trial version executes the first twenty actions only, and twenty files are removed, shouldn't I see 19 matches instead?
A: No. For each removed file, the total number of matches found will decrease by the number of duplicates the file have, not by one.
Q: If I set the minimum similarity to 70% on the three sliders, I see a certain number of matches displaying 70% or more on the pairs list. However, if I set a lower value I see much more matches displaying 70%! Shouldn't ALL matches that display more than 70% appear when I set the sliders to 70%?
A: No, because the Similarity column on the list of matches displays the lightness similarity only. If all sliders are set to 70%, a pair with 40% saturation similarity will not appear, even if its lightness similarity is 70% or more.
Questions about the Regroup option
Q: What is the purpose of the Regroup option?
A: This option helps you to organize your pictures, by regrouping similar pictures and optionally saving them to separate folders in your disc. For example, beach with beach, indoors with indoors, garden with garden and so on. The regrouped pictures do not need to be visually equal: they just need to be similar enough to be grouped together.
Q: I used the Regroup option and the rocks and sand of the same beach are not together!
A: You can change the sensivity in program options, but the photos must have something similar for this option to work. If one photo has only rocks and other photo has only sand, they will not be grouped together, but if you have many other photos, showing rocks and sand together, it's much more likely - although not guaranteed - that PictMatch will place them in the same group.
Billing questions
Q: I don't want to use / don't have a credit card!
A: Depending on where you live, PayPal may offer other ways of payment.
Q: What's your refund policy?
A: If you want a refund (cancel your registration with your money back), please contact us. Do not forget to inform something that lets us identify your payment. PLEASE DO NOT DENY THE PAYMENT IN YOUR CREDIT CARD BILL OR BANK, because if you deny a payment that you really requested ("chargeback") you actually cause extra losses to us too. Refund is possible for payments made with PayPal, if requested up to 60 days after registration. After you contact us, we will ask PayPal to refund you. However, we strongly suggest you to test the trial version of the software extensively and register only if you are sure it works well for your needs and you like it. PictMatch is trialware to allow you to know exactly what you are paying for. Please test PictMatch before licensing the program.