The PhotoGlobe Sorter Settings Screen - Take Control

🗺️ Main Zone: Map Configuration

This part of the screen controls everything related to the heat maps that appear in your PDF reports generated by PhotoGlobe Sorter.

A. "Provider" Card - Choosing the Visual Style

Here, you configure the basic options for your professional maps. Currently, only MapTiler is available as a map background provider.

Available Styles:

• bright-v2: A clean, simple style, ideal for easy reading with high contrast.
• streets-v2: A detailed style with visible street names, neighborhoods, and points of interest.

The choice of style depends on your report's use: bright-v2 for a clean presentation, streets-v2 for maximum geographical context.

B. "API" Card - Access Key Configuration

For PhotoGlobe Sorter to generate maps, it needs an "API key" to communicate with MapTiler's servers. This is an authentication code that you must obtain and configure.

"API Key" Field:

• This is where you paste your MapTiler access key.
• For security reasons, the code is hidden by dots (●●●●●).
• Click the eye icon 👁️ to temporarily show the key in plain text.
• The key typically looks like this: AbCdEfGh12345IjKlMnOp67890

C. Tile Size - Quality vs. Performance

This setting defines the map's rendering quality:

• 512px (recommended): High-quality rendering, sharp and detailed maps, larger file size.
• 256px: Standard quality rendering, slightly less detailed maps, smaller file size, useful for slow internet connections.

For professional PDF reports intended for printing or presentation, choose 512px. For web or mobile use, 256px may be sufficient.

D. "Actions" Card - Validation and Saving

This is where you finalize and save your map settings.

JSON Preview:

A technical text block displays a real-time preview of the JSON structure that will be saved to the assets/config.json file. This provides transparency, allowing advanced users to verify exactly what will be written.

🎨 Right Panel: Choosing Photo Categories

This side panel allows you to select themes or categories to classify your photo collections. These choices are then passed to the rest of the application to customize the user experience.

A. Quick Templates

For speed, PhotoGlobe Sorter offers predefined templates suited for different photographic uses:

• 🌍 Travel: Focused on geography, destinations, discovery.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family: Family events, portraits, daily life.
• 🎉 Events: Weddings, birthdays, celebrations.
• ⚡ Custom: Personalized mode for detailed manual selection.

Only one template can be active at a time. Click the corresponding icon to activate it instantly.

B. Specialized Chips

If you click the "Custom" ⚡ template, a list of "chips" appears. These are checkboxes that allow for a very precise selection of multiple themes:

• Nature: Landscapes, fauna, flora.
• Architecture: Buildings, monuments, cityscapes.
• Food: Dishes, restaurants, gastronomy.
• Sport: Sports activities, competitions.
• Art & Culture: Museums, exhibitions, performances.
• Animals: Pets or wildlife.

You can select as many chips as needed to precisely match your photo collection.

C. Summary and Actions

A small summary always shows your current selection. You then have three buttons:

• Test: Displays a simple info box with your selection, without applying anything.
• Apply: Confirms your choice and sends the selection to the application.
• Clear: Empties your entire selection to start over.

💡 Best Practices and Expert Tips

🔐 API Key Security

Your MapTiler API key is sensitive. Here's how to protect it:

• Never share your API key publicly or on forums.
• If you share your config.json file, delete the API key first.
• You can regenerate a new key at any time from your MapTiler account.
• The free plan is sufficient for personal use (10,000 tiles/month).

🌐 Choosing a Map Style

The choice between bright-v2 and streets-v2 depends on your use case:

• Bright-v2: Ideal for minimalist reports where the map is a background. High contrast, easy to read even in black and white.
• Streets-v2: Perfect for detailed reports where you want to show precise locations (street names, neighborhoods, points of interest).

📊 Performance Optimization

To optimize the generation of your PDF reports:

• Use 512px for final reports intended for printing or presentation.
• Use 256px during the testing phase to generate reports more quickly.
• A stable internet connection is required during generation (tiles are downloaded in real-time).

🎯 Custom Categories

To get the most out of the category system:

• Start with a predefined template to see how it works.
• Then, switch to "Custom" mode to refine your selection.
• The categories chosen here are independent of the folder structure you create in the "Organize" screen.
• They are mainly used for classification and future application filters.

💭 Important Points to Remember

• Everything is local: The Settings screen does not test the key online or download anything here. It only saves your preferences to config.json.
• No Mixing: The "Categories" you choose here are independent of the folder structure you create in the "Organize" screen. They are two distinct functions.
• Automatic Save: As soon as you click "Save," your settings are immediately written to the configuration file.
• No Connection Required: You can configure your settings even without an internet connection. A connection is only needed when generating the PDF reports.
• Safe Reset: The "Reset" button never deletes your config.json file; it simply reloads the currently saved values.

🚀 Recommended Workflow: 5-Step Configuration