New Design for IIP Metadata Templates

[Marc Rochkind]

I've completely changed how data gets into sidecars via metadata templates. A new Mac beta with the new feature should be available in a day or two. Meanwhile, you can read about the new approach, complete with screenshots, on the ImageIngester Blog (http://basepath.com/ImageIngester/iiblog.php?url=blogentry/2007-05-16.htm).

This should address all the problems with templates and the IPTC database tables (which are no longer necessary).

--Marc

[danaltick]

Marc,

Very nice!  Can't wait for the Windows version.

Dan

[danaltick]

Marc,

Since I'm currently only using one database table entry for my basic copyright and contact info, I will probably just create a new preset from the standard preset and copy and paste that information into it.  Then I can leave the database tables behind, no more need for them.

I really like this new design.  I guess the only thing I would like to see is multi-line entry fields that wrap for the subject field on the metadata panel and the preset panel.  I think I would even change the name from subject to description on the metadata panel.  Multi-line fields for Usage and Intellectual Genre would be nice too.  It would also be nice if you could resize the Metadata panel.  Just some suggestions.

Dan

[Marc Rochkind]

Right... the IPTC database tables should no longer be needed. The other database tables continue to be important, however.

"Subject" is really just a default name... you can change it. I chose it because, the way I have things set up, it's only part of what goes into the Caption/Description field. (I put the location and date in there as well.)

I'll look into expanding the typing space and using word wrap.

--Marc

[danaltick]

Well, to be honest, I'm really only going to use these fields if it's just as easy for me as using iView downstream.  If you really want to make it easier, then I would highly recommend mult-line description, multi-line keywords (instead of having to add them one at a time), and a stretchable metadata panel.

Dan

[danaltick]

One other suggestion, I think it would be nice to support the People field as well on both the Preset panel and the Metadata panel.

Dan

[Marc Rochkind]

Dan (and anyone who might know the answers)--

I see People in iView Media Pro. Do you see it in the Bridge/Photoshop File Info or in the Lightroom Metadata Preset panels?

If I do add People for iView, I guess I should add Status and Event, also.

Do you know whether People, Status, and Event are IPTC fields, or something invented by iView?

(You can add People or any 5 fields you like to the IIP Metadata Panel. Use Preferences-Data.)

--Marc

[Marc Rochkind]

Dan--

Regarding the multiline Subject field: Do you use the Notes field now? Have you considered using it for the Caption/Description? The supplied ImageIngester.xmp template has for a long time included the {@Notes} macro in the Caption/Description metadata field.

There's a UI problem between having the Quick Fields be drop-downs and having them be multiline. I'll have to rethink this interface.

--Marc

[danaltick]

Marc,

I'm not sure the history of those fields.  I don't think they are IPTC though.  I think they are stored in XMP format.  Try searching the forum.  I know there has been a discussion on the People field.

You are right about the preferences data.  Didn't think of that.  Maybe that will work fine for those fields as long as I have enough.  I will play around with this this weekend.

I guess I can use the Notes field for that.  I was really hoping to use Notes just for a brief one line comment about the ingestion that I could easily reference in the one-line ingestion log.  I can't check right now, but I still don't think it wraps on Windows, unless you fixed it.

The keywords are another problem though.  Even if you can't do a multi-line for them, I still would prefer a single line using commas for separation so I can just type them in quickly.

Dan

[ScottBuckel]

Marc -

the modifcations you suggest sound good to me. I was having a bit of difficulty figuring out how to use these.  Hopefully, your windows beta will out soon?

 Would it be possible during ingestion to write the new file name in to the title field?

Scott

[Jake]

Dan (and anyone who might know the answers)--

Do you see it in the Bridge/Photoshop File Info or in the Lightroom Metadata Preset panels?

Marc
I don't see it in the LR Metadata.

Jake

[Marc Rochkind]

Dan--

I've determined that People, Event, and Status are iView only, as is Catalog Sets. I've added the 3 new ones to a new tab called iView/EM (guess what EM stands for), and moved Catalog Sets there as well.

For People, I won't have a fancy outline, as I do with keywords. Instead, a semicolon will separate them. Once I do that, it's easy to provide a similar notation for keywords, and I'll look into that as well.

The Notes field now wraps in the Windows Beta (2.3.01B4).

--Marc

[Marc Rochkind]

Scott--

The existing Betas (2.3.01B4) have a {@FileNameNew} macro that you can use in metadata. With the new design, you can use it in the title field. If fact, you can use it in the title field in the B4 beta as well, although you have to modify the ImageIngester.xmp template to do so.

--Marc

[Marc Rochkind]

Jake--

See my answer above to Dan. These fields are iView only, but I've put them into Beta 5.

--Marc

[Marc Rochkind]

I've updated the Blog entry (link in first post, above) to show the new panel, with the new iView/EM tab and fields for Event, Status, and People. People are separated by semicolons.

Also, you can use semicolons in the Keyword and CatalogSets fields as well. If you (e.g., Dan) like, you can use a Quick Field for keywords and then put the corresponding macro in the Metadata Preset's Keywords field.

(Sorry, Dan, you can't actually do this, but soon... Thanks for your extremely timely suggestions!)

--Marc