It would be great to have an option to make XnView MP write xmp sidecar files. At the moment, the xmp information seems to be embedded in the pictures, which doesn't seem to work for raw files. For example, if I add an Olympus raw file to a category (e.g. "family") and open this raw file in Bibble 5, Bibble doesn't recognise the category information. ExifPro, on the other hand, writes xmp sidecar files. If I add a raw file to a category in ExifPro and open the raw file in Bibble afterwards, Bibble picks up the category name from the sidecar file and writes it automatically to the converted jpg.
Cheers
Frank
xmp sidecar files
Moderators: XnTriq, helmut, xnview
Re: xmp sidecar files
Hi,
I'm also interested in adding metadata into my photos/videos.
I'm a hobbyist who takes both photos (JPEG/RAW) and videos (AVCHD: *.mts/*.m2ts). I would like to find a software that allows me easily browse my photo and video folders and delete unwanted files after import from SDHC card. After that I would like to be able to attach necessary metadata into original files without the fear of corrupting originals. Using sidecar files seems the best choice so far. It would also make backup processes faster because you wouldn't have to copy whole photo and video files.
So far I haven't found a software that really "pushes the right buttons". Here are some improvements that I would really like to see in a good viewer/organizer program.
1. It would handle JPEG+RAW files as a one file when they both exist with the same file name in a folder. When viewing JPEG+RAW file in full screen mode, there might be a small icon in periphery area of display, that would indicate that you are viewing such a combination. You could then easily delete only JPEG or RAW file (without affecting the other or the sidecar file) with a single button click or customizable shortcut.
2. It would allow attaching metadata you need into sidecar (XMP) files. Especially: "title", "description", "rating", "GPS-location" and "ORIENTATION". There seems to exist several orientation tags in different places of photo files. There also exists separate thumbnail or preview images inside RAW files, if I have understood this right. These lower resolution images also seem to have separate orientation tags. All software on the market seems to handle these data blocks differently! They might rotate main image data (losslessly or non-losslesly) but leave thumbnail data unaltered. They might edit only EXIF orientation tag but leave other tags unaltered... What a mess in the end, if you just want to correct wrong orientation of a photo! Why not insert a single orientation tag into sidecar file that XnViewMP would read? This tag would then override other orientation tags inside photo file?
3. Attaching sidecar files for video files (AVCHD) would be possible. It's hard to find good or up-to-date info if *.mts files contain metadata. So could sidecar files be used for them also??? Attaching descriptions, titles, locations etc. would be helpfull also for video files.
(4. Download page of software would tell clearly if you can install over an older version of software. Documentation of software would also tell clearly, what are the folders/files where the software stores all the settings, so that user could easily backup them if needed. Also documenting cache folders etc. would help users, who want to know what the software is doing. I'm personally a user who hates, when a program starts to collect data in its own (proprietary) databases or to add hidden files in your photo folders.)
Sorry for the long post. (I don't want to hijack this thread but it seemed to be a suitable thread to post my ideas.) Some of the suggestions above might already be implemented or suggested by other users. Not all "shortcomings" apply to XnView / XnViewMP-beta either. It's just impossible to double check everything.
-pb (NON programmer =))
I'm also interested in adding metadata into my photos/videos.
I'm a hobbyist who takes both photos (JPEG/RAW) and videos (AVCHD: *.mts/*.m2ts). I would like to find a software that allows me easily browse my photo and video folders and delete unwanted files after import from SDHC card. After that I would like to be able to attach necessary metadata into original files without the fear of corrupting originals. Using sidecar files seems the best choice so far. It would also make backup processes faster because you wouldn't have to copy whole photo and video files.
So far I haven't found a software that really "pushes the right buttons". Here are some improvements that I would really like to see in a good viewer/organizer program.
1. It would handle JPEG+RAW files as a one file when they both exist with the same file name in a folder. When viewing JPEG+RAW file in full screen mode, there might be a small icon in periphery area of display, that would indicate that you are viewing such a combination. You could then easily delete only JPEG or RAW file (without affecting the other or the sidecar file) with a single button click or customizable shortcut.
2. It would allow attaching metadata you need into sidecar (XMP) files. Especially: "title", "description", "rating", "GPS-location" and "ORIENTATION". There seems to exist several orientation tags in different places of photo files. There also exists separate thumbnail or preview images inside RAW files, if I have understood this right. These lower resolution images also seem to have separate orientation tags. All software on the market seems to handle these data blocks differently! They might rotate main image data (losslessly or non-losslesly) but leave thumbnail data unaltered. They might edit only EXIF orientation tag but leave other tags unaltered... What a mess in the end, if you just want to correct wrong orientation of a photo! Why not insert a single orientation tag into sidecar file that XnViewMP would read? This tag would then override other orientation tags inside photo file?
3. Attaching sidecar files for video files (AVCHD) would be possible. It's hard to find good or up-to-date info if *.mts files contain metadata. So could sidecar files be used for them also??? Attaching descriptions, titles, locations etc. would be helpfull also for video files.
(4. Download page of software would tell clearly if you can install over an older version of software. Documentation of software would also tell clearly, what are the folders/files where the software stores all the settings, so that user could easily backup them if needed. Also documenting cache folders etc. would help users, who want to know what the software is doing. I'm personally a user who hates, when a program starts to collect data in its own (proprietary) databases or to add hidden files in your photo folders.)
Sorry for the long post. (I don't want to hijack this thread but it seemed to be a suitable thread to post my ideas.) Some of the suggestions above might already be implemented or suggested by other users. Not all "shortcomings" apply to XnView / XnViewMP-beta either. It's just impossible to double check everything.
-pb (NON programmer =))