How to Rebuild an FDB Catalog for Portfolio Standalone

Description

I’ve recovered my catalog but it still has problems. What can I do?

Solution

If you have already tried repairing your catalog using the recover command, but there are still issues, you can manually rebuild your catalog.

The Recover command works by creating a new catalog based on your existing catalog’s configuration, and copying your data into it – ideally leaving behind any corruption which existed in the old catalog’s structure. Sometimes that corruption gets pulled over as well, which necessitates a manual rebuild.

The following steps will help you to determine and reproduce your catalog’s configuration. For clarity, “Catalog A” will refer to your old catalog, and “Catalog B” will be a newly created catalog into which we will transfer your assets.

Open both catalogs at once, and arrange their windows so you can switch between them easily.

Save the Catalog A as a catalog type:

1. Open the original catalog in Portfolio.
2. Choose File > Save Catalog Type…
3. Enter the catalog name for the catalog type and click OK.

This will create a catalog template that includes all custom metadata fields that are in the original catalog.

Create Catalog B using the catalog type from above:

1. Choose File > New and select a location for the new catalog, such as the Desktop.
2. In the New Catalog dialog, select the catalog type that matches the name of the original catalog. Portfolio will create a new catalog.

Now transfer the master keywords list:

1. In Catalog A, click Catalog > Administration. Switch to the Keywording tab to display the master keywords list for your catalog.
2. If any master keywords are listed, click Export… and save the list to a memorable location such as the Desktop.
3. In Catalog B, click Catalog > Administration again and switch to the Keywording tab.
4. Click Import… and browse to the file you saved in step 2.

Transfer Catalog A’s Categories:

1. With Catalog A open, select Window > Show Categories to display the Categories palette
2. If any categories are listed, click the black triangle button in the palette’s upper-right corner and choose Export…. Save the file to a memorable location such as the Desktop.
3. Switch to Catalog B, click the black triangle again, and choose Import…. Browse to the file you saved in step 2.

Rebuild Galleries from Catalog A in Catalog B.

1. If Catalog A includes any galleries beyond All Items, Last Cataloged, or Find Results, arrange the two catalogs’ windows so that both their Galleries panes are visible.
2. Create a new gallery in Catalog B for every gallery that exists in Catalog A.
3. In Catalog A, click the All Items gallery. Highlight any thumbnail or record and click Edit > Select All to select every item in the catalog.
4. Drag the selected group of items into Catalog B’s window, and drop them into the All Items gallery.
5. Repeat steps 3-5 (substituting each of your own custom galleries instead of All Items) until every gallery in Catalog B has the same contents as its counterpart in Catalog A. Your metadata will be carried along with the transferred item records, and should settle neatly into the fields and categories you’ve created. In some cases, an item may not transfer if its data is damaged in the original catalog.