Embed custom keyword fields in the file?

[perkarlsson]

Not sure if this is the best section to post this in but since it partially concerns keywords I'll try:

Is anyone familiar with how it works to embed custom defined metadata fields in the file? I thought that you could only embed 'standard' IPTC fields but apparently I am wrong.

Here's a scenario:

Alamy has introduced a non-standard keywording hierarchy that does not fit with the IPTC defined fields:
- Essential Keywords
- Major Keywords
- Comprehensive Keywords

Since this is not standard IPTC fields I thought that they would not be embeddable, so my thought was to use custom fields in the DAM application (say Portfolio or Expression Media). The info would then only reside in the DAM tool and not live in the file, which is unfortunate.

However, this seems not to be the case.

There is a keywording tool called Image Keyworder that has been designed specifically with Alamy in mind. It allows you to apply the Alamy specific keyword fields to the file. If the image file is then opened in Photoshop you can see those 'custom' fields in File Info > Advanced in a 'node' (?) called "ns.alamy.com". This 'node' has sub-sections with the custom defined names.

Does anyone know how this works or can point to where one can find more information about it? I'm not even sure what to look for...

It would, for example, be nice to be able to embed 'custom metadata' (Alamy fields or others) with other DAM tools than Image Keyworder (which is only a keywording tool and has certain limitations).

Per Karlsson

[johnbeardy]

Per

A number of applications let you add custom metadata into a file. The trick is more whether they can do it in the particular way that may be required.

Do these Alamy keyword objects have XMP addresses? In which case, Portfolio should be able to map a custom field to the address, and then write it to the JPEG or TIFF. Portfolio custom fields can also be multivalue, so could record keywords. Alternatively, one would be able to develop a Bridge File Info panel for data entry.

EM would make the process more clunky. Its custom fields are single value, so you might have to enter the Essentials and Majors as comma separated entries in a custom field, sync the metadata to the file, and then use Bridge to send them to the Alamy fields.

John

[perkarlsson]

Do these Alamy keyword objects have XMP addresses?

I think so. It was described to me as "XMP fields".

In PS File Info > Advanced there is one item that looks like this:
http://ns.alamy.com/1.0/

...with sub-levels:
alamy:EssentialKeywords (bag container)
alamy:MainKeywords (bag container)
alamy:ComprehensiveKeywords (bag container)

...and each of these have sub-items that correspond to the keywords, e.g.:
[1]: Dog
[2]: Animal
etc

It is perhaps a proprietary implementation made by the Image Keyworder people but it certainly gives you some ideas of how to try to deal with the challenges that Alamy creates for its contributors...

I have recently realised that there are some odd limitations to how Portfolio can embed metadata so it will have to be investigated how it could (perhaps) be done. (Have made a post on the P forum on it.)

I probably need to read up on XMP fields in file metadata to understand what this is actually about...

(But now I probably have to get going on actual keywording instead of trying to figure out the technolgy behind it...)

Per Karlsson

[johnbeardy]

That link doesn't work but alamy:EssentialKeywords (bag container) sounds like it is indeed going to be XMP. If that's the case, then Portfolio and Bridge should be able to cope.

John

[perkarlsson]

It's not a link, it's how it is written in the PS File Info panel.

Just like there are other similar items, e.g. "http://ns.adobe.com/png/1.0/". If you take a look at the advance tab I guess you will find similar items in your PS. It's just that the forum automatically turns it into a clickable link... Must be some XMP notation standard perhaps?

Per

[johnbeardy]

OK, well if you've looked that far then it is as I suspected, simply custom XMP fields. You can map Portfolio fields to output to other them, or use a custom File Info panel for Bridge / Photoshop

John