Although Capture One creates variants of the source images to work with non-destructively, variants cannot be separated from the source image when it comes to either moving or deleting. Therefore, where an image has one variant, moving or deleting that variant will also move or delete the source image. Similarly, when an image has several variants and you move or delete them all, then you will also move or delete the source image.
However, there is an option you can delete a variant without deleting the source image. For example, when an image has several variants and you leave at least one variant of that image in the Collection undeleted, then the source image is not deleted. Similarly, variants can be deleted from Albums without deleting the source image and its variant or variants located elsewhere.
As a result, Capture One has four commands in the Image and File menus that allow you to manage the removal or deletion of images regardless of how many variants you have or where they are stored.
You will find Delete, Move to Catalog/Session Trash, and Delete from Disk in the Image menu, while Empty Catalog/Session Trash... is in the File menu.
Each command provides a similar workflow throughout Capture One, not only between Sessions and Catalogs, and with referenced and managed source image files, but also when deleting images from Albums where it can be difficult to know where else the image is located.
One or more of the commands will be available at the same time allowing you to move or delete images, however, it is the Delete command that is most likely to be adopted in the day-to-day deleting of images.
Bear in mind the context of the Delete command can change to that of the Move to Catalog/Session Trash and Delete from Disk commands, depending on how many variants of an image are there, and how many of those are selected, and where they are located.
Thus, it is recommended that you use either the main or contextual menu to select the Delete command until you are familiar with it, as they give a clear indication of the intended action. Even then, with the exception of the Delete (from Disk) option, it is typically the easiest way to undo it if you make a mistake.
Warnings when deleting images
If you want to check that the warning dialogs for moving and deleting images from the Catalog/Session Trash or disk are enabled, go to Capture One -> Preferences (Mac) or Edit -> Preferences (Windows). It is generally not recommended to disable these dialogs, especially for the Warn when deleting images from disk option. In that case, images are deleted permanently and cannot be recovered from the system trash.
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Comments
1 comment
This whole article is poorly organized and needs revision. It begins by saying that "variants cannot be separated from the source image" so, therefore, "moving or deleting that variant will also move or delete the source image." Then it immediately contradicts that statement by saying that "there is an option you can delete a variant without deleting the source image."
That means that variants CAN be separated from their sources and that you're actually describing a default behavior, not an absolute. Yet you make it sound like an absolute when it's actually optional. And then you repeat the message in a minor variation that almost had me convinced that there was no reason to continue reading. That would have been unfortunate, as the entire first paragraph's message is wrong.
And I would argue that most people would prefer that deleting one variant NOT delete all variants and the original. I personally consider that to be one of the worst design decisions I've encountered in my 30 years in IT. That is horribly counter-intuitive behavior and something that would only make sense at 3 AM after your 15th cup of coffee.
Logically, it would be far more sensible and intuitive to be able to delete one variant at a time, as needed/desired, without impacting any other variants or the source. They are, after all, only copies of the original. If one wants to delete an entire group of source-and-variants in one step, that should occur ONLY when deleting the source file.
This becomes even more of an issue when considering that restoring/undeleting images is NOT the simple process that your documentation claims it to be. There may be cases in which it is that simple, but I have not encountered such situations. I have, on several occasions, encountered situations where it was far more complex and aggravating than claimed.
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