Map Module annoyances

Question

I've been using the Map Module quite a bit to add GPS co-ords to old pictures taken before I began tracking my locations via GPS--so I have no tracklogs to use, otherwise I'd just use Jeffrey's plug-in.  In my use of the Map Module I've come across a few annoyances and wonder if any other users have experienced any of them and/or knows of a 'fix'.
My typical work flow is to select a few--up to a few hundred--photos using a filter in the Library module or at times a smart collection.  I then activate the Map Module and select multiple images taken at the same location and drag those images to the map to geo-encode them.  The geo-encoding goes well and most of the 'Time and Place' fields are set with the text being light grey.  The text for the GPS value is set to full brightness.
The 'annoyances':
1.  For the 'Time and Place' metadata to become 'active' each item (City, State/Province, etc.) label must be clicked on and the current greyed location selected by clicking on the proper value in the pop-up that appears when the label is clicked.  The problem is that if I have more than a few images selected--so I can set the 'Time and Place' information for all of them at once--after entering the first item, say for example City, all of the entries will go blank for a few seconds and then re-appear with City now non-grey and active.  Sometimes the other entries remain greyed out and sometimes they totally disappear and I have to remember the spelling, etc., of the blank item and manually type it in for the pop-up does not always contain the entry that disappeared.  Sometimes this 'flashing' of the metadata fields happens more than once per entry. Major annoyance.
2.  When manually entering an entry because it became blank when setting a different field the metadata entries will blank out while I am typing and the characters I am typing are then interpreted as command characters for LR proper, not as entries in the text box I'm trying to type into.  This is not acceptable behavior.  Sometimes the sequence of letters when interpreted as commands to LR can really muck things up.
In 1&2 it is as if the program is writing the changed data to the catalog for every image.  While this write operation is taking place the data in the right panel is blanked and the focus changed from an item in the right panel to the main LR window.
One other observation, since LR 4.0 was released with the Map Module I've had a few dozen crashes.  Every single one of them has happened while working in the Map Module.  I've never had LR 4.x crash at any other time.
It is my belief that the Map Module is poorly written and in need of major bug fixes.
My system is a mid-2010 27" i7 iMac @ 2.93 GHz and 16 GB DRAM.  I have over 600 GB remaining on my system drive.  My raw cache files reside on an external drive connected via FW800 which has over 1.5TB free.  I am using Lion (OS X 10.7.3) and the system was installed fresh, not an update from Snow Leopard.
Ideas anyone?

Answer 1

jim01403 wrote:
I'm currently doing something similar, and I too noticed the weird behaviour when trying to 'commit' the location entries in the Map module. They way I now do it (with all photographs in the filmstrip) is click on one of the placemarks on the map, this will automatically select all the images with that same location. Jump to Library (all the selected photographs stay selected, although they may not all appear in the grid....but 'most' selected will), use the metadata panel to 'commit' (or amend) the location data for the most selected image, then sync metadata (location data only). This updates all the selected images with the same location. Return to Map and pick another placemark and repeat.
Thanks for the input.  This usually 'works' but sometimes doesn't.  When it doesn't the flash occurs even in the Library module.  However, it is much better than trying to do it in the Map Module with all images selected.
Note that the Map Module also has a 'Sync Metadata' button so it isn't necessary to return to the Library Module.  Selecting a single image from the group, commit it, then click on the icon to select all images followed by clicking on the Sync Metadata button.
It is still an anoyance and makes the software seem to be somewhat less than a 'Professional' level application.  I hope Adobe can find and fix these kinds of issues, but I won't hold my breath as I'm sure they have more pressing issues to solve.