IPTC: edit panel in the main interface?

[nicky]

Are there thougths about implementing the IPTC/XMP dialog as a panel into the main interface (similar to Adobe Bridge), or at least some of the more important fields like caption, description, keywords?

I find it a bit cumbersome and unnecessary to open an extra dialog with the image preview (it is there already in the main interface) by "strg+i" or the context if you only want to edit some of the images one by one with different values (not as a batch).

[xnview]

The browser is already full, so i'm not sure that adding a new panel is good...

[nicky]

Sure
But i thought of optional activation as a panel (instead of another one if less needed).

[amarello]

I would also find this feature extremely helpful. In trying to find an alternative to Adobe Bridge, I stumbled upon this program, which I'm liking. However, the assigning and viewing of keywords is kinda a hassle. I have hundreds of photos with keywords assigned (through Bridge) that I use extensively in my research (wildlife biologist) and having to open up edit panel each time I need to add a keyword is a hassle.

But this program is free, so I'm not complaining too much

[m.Th.]

I would also find this feature extremely helpful. In trying to find an alternative to Adobe Bridge, I stumbled upon this program, which I'm liking. However, the assigning and viewing of keywords is kinda a hassle. I have hundreds of photos with keywords assigned (through Bridge) that I use extensively in my research (wildlife biologist) and having to open up edit panel each time I need to add a keyword is a hassle.

But this program is free, so I'm not complaining too much

Yes, sure. But the solution in keyword management isn't a free edit box, the possibility for mistakes is way to big. While for the time being you can do your job more or less with the Categories panel, the true solution is, besides the Keyword tree (already present), a Keywords panel which allows incremental search of keywords and Keyword sets (grouping) like in Lightroom, AfterShotPro, IDImager, PhotoSupreme etc. - see for an XnViewMP proposal here: http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=27999

Also, based on my experience with the above programs, keyword shortcuts can make a big difference in quality and time of keywording - that's why all the above programs (including even the Lightroom in a limited way - see Alt+1...9 combinations) have it. For XnViewMP proposal see http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=27998

HTH

[amarello]

Yes, I thought the categories panel was identical to what I was doing in Bridge. Unfortunately changes I make to the categories panel are only applicable within xnview and are not saved to the file itself so that they are visible elsewhere. I need to make my keywords/tags/categories permanently attached to the files in case I need to switch software or use another computer. Maybe I am doing something wrong with categories? I've had this problem in Ubuntu and Windows.

[m.Th.]

Yes, I thought the categories panel was identical to what I was doing in Bridge. Unfortunately changes I make to the categories panel are only applicable within xnview and are not saved to the file itself so that they are visible elsewhere. I need to make my keywords/tags/categories permanently attached to the files in case I need to switch software or use another computer. Maybe I am doing something wrong with categories? I've had this problem in Ubuntu and Windows.

What you are looking for is called XMP.

Setup XnView(MP) to write the metadata in XMP sidecars and then (if the XMP files are written correctly - I didn't tested) your keywords will be imported in your other program of choice. Of course, the other program must know and import XMP files, thing which almost all programs today do. FWIW, it seems that XnView(MP) at least knows how to read and import it. (I stumbled on some images already cataloged on another program which stores also the data in XMP and XnView saw it).

HTH