Create Smart Folders for Your Reference Library
A smart folder stores search rules rather than another set of media files. Use one for a selection you expect to revisit, such as highly rated anatomy references or images that still need tags.
Create the folder and edit its rules
Choose New Smart Folder in the navigator, give it a descriptive name, and create it. Open Edit Rules to configure what it shows. Start with one condition, inspect the results, then add another if needed.
You can also start from a search. In the folder toolbar search, the pin button ("Pin search to keep it in every folder") keeps the search active as you change folders, and Save as smart folder turns it into a smart folder. Open Edit Rules afterward to check what was saved.
For a first example, make a folder for a subject you already tag, such as anatomy. Add a rating condition only after checking that the subject condition finds the intended images. A rule cannot compensate for missing or inconsistent metadata.
The rule editor is the place to check which criteria can be saved. Do not assume every temporary search mode has an equivalent saved rule.
Choose useful starting views
| View | Suggested conditions | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy shortlist | Anatomy tag and a minimum rating | Do your ratings mean suitability for study or personal preference? |
| Images to tag | Images with no tags | Have source/creator records been added separately? |
| Video references | Video file type | Are the expected content roots included? |
| Review candidates | A color label you use for review | Is the label applied consistently? |
These are example organizing choices, not preset folders supplied by the app. Keep the number small enough that you use them.
To work through a smart folder's results one file at a time, start a Review from it. A review can be resumed later, so a long "Images to tag" list does not need to be finished in one session.
Understand the result and its count
Smart-folder results depend on the current index and saved rules. Changing an image's tags or rating can change whether it qualifies. If files changed outside refern, check that the workspace is up to date before diagnosing a rule.
Sidebar counts are last-known result counts, not a promise of continuously live totals. Open the folder to inspect its current results.
Nest folders without changing their meaning
You can drag smart folders to reorder or nest them. Nesting organizes the sidebar; a child does not inherit or combine with its parent's rules. Give each child a complete set of conditions.
The ordered tree travels with the workspace, while collapse state is local to the profile. Deleting an unused smart-folder definition is different from deleting media shown in its results. Read the action you choose before removing anything.
For ad hoc searches, use the operator guide. For the vocabulary behind your saved rules, see reference tagging.