“My research centers around properties, physical buildings, and so I need research management software that allows me to create profiles for each property and list the materials related to them underneath. Ideally, this function should include the ability to upload an image of the property and basic information on a “title card,” for quick reference on basic information about the structure, as well as customize information categories (instead of “Author”, rather “Architect/Owner”) and section off properties into different geographic areas. This is an academic pursuit, not property management in the way of leasing or construction, etc.”
This sounds like Tropy could be a good fit (you can import images and create a custom template for your needs, adjusting labels, etc.). You can assign coordinates to the photos (or import the ones set by your camera), but Tropy does not yet display maps or allow for spatial searches – but you can use nested lists or tags to group properties into areas.
In any case, the best way to find out if Tropy is suitable for you is to just try it out yourself!
I tried your program earlier today and feel it does not meet my needs; rather, Zotero was closer with different formats available for different types of material. Tropy does as Tropy advertises, it deals with photo management. But the issue this presents in my case is the buildings with which I work are seldom extant, and images of them are scarce. I suppose this might be useful with construction plans and land surveys, but what distinguishes Tropy over the built-in file management system on my computer? Metadata manipulation can only be so sexy.
I was hoping for a program focused on allowing the user to create profiles for different subjects under a single project, so that information can be drawn from different sources and placed into one area for a specific item. The current reliance on digging through folders for information is usable but tiring.
My thanks to the unnamed Lead Developer, regardless!
Where Zotero comes with different item types, Tropy uses customizable templates. This means that you can create your own template, defining which properties are important for your research subject (e.g., you could create a template for fields like architect, owner, location, etc.). Tropy is not so much about photo management, but about managing information about what’s depicted on the photos. It makes no assumptions about what this is is, that’s why there are customizable templates in lieu of item types.
I may have misunderstood what you want to do, but I did sound like a good fit to me originally. I’m not sure where the reliance on digging through folders comes from? There are no folders in Tropy after you import the photos. But it is what it is. If Tropy does not offer you much over normal file management then it’s definitely not the right tool for what you have in mind.