Removing keyword hierarchy not sticking

[66nl]

I have removed keyword hierarchy via "merge" and "move" in entire list of keywords (categories) repeatedly and then "update files from catalog" of entire folders. My understanding is that this should remove the "parents" and leave a "flat" list of categories...which it DOES, but only on the computer that I have done the process on. When I copy those folders to another computer, XnView MP "sees" all the original hierarchy that I THOUGHT I have removed from the actual files' metadata, even though I use "Update catalog from files". I have configured other software to ignore the hierarchy, but XnView MP reveals that it still exists and I can't seem to get rid of it.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

gary

[66nl]

As a follow up to my own post, it turns out that even when I clean up all the hierarchy on one computer, it returns when I reopen xnViewMP. I did read somewhere on this forum that there needs to be some “export” setting to actually get the metadata written to the files. I can’t find that reference now, but perhaps that would be a starting point…..gary

[xnview]

But your files contains always the hierarchy?

[66nl]

Yes. The entire library was previously managed by Photo Supreme, which forces everything to be a subset of “categories”. (Europe, France, Paris). I have done a LOT of study and manipulation of this with other software to avoid the so-called “Lightroom” second set of xmp data to avoid how some other software “sees” it. (Europe, France, Paris, Europe|France|Paris, Europe|France). So ON1 Photo Raw, DxO, and Graphic Converter now show only the “flat” keywords as desired, but XnView still “sees” those “parent” categories.

So SOME (but not all) photos will appear “nested” in XnView Categories “tree”. I have then “merged” those “child” keywords with their equivalent “flat” counterparts (merge Europe, France, Paris …to Paris, then delete /Paris after the photos that WERE in the structure are no longer there and are in fact in the “flat” category etc. Same with (Europe.France), then (Europe) until all evidence of hierarchical structure (Places, People, Events, Years etc) are completely “removed” from the category tree. Then I go through each FOLDER and “update files from catalog”. This would seem to clean the hierarchy from the catalog and the individual files….BUT…when I exit and then re-open xnViewPM, all of that “structure” reappears as if I had not done as described.

I am unclear if there are other settings or procedures that would finally remove the “structure”. Obviously, there are no issues when new files are introduced to xnViewMP that were not previously managed by other software…..merci…..Gary

[xnview]

You have removed the hierarchy in the catalog on one computer, but if on other computer you open folder, files (with full hierarchy) will be imported in local catalog

[66nl]

That is correct. Thanks

[xnview]

That is correct. Thanks

it's normal, because you have always full hierarchy in the file itself

[66nl]

I thought I was removing the hierarchy in the “file itself” via the method described initially. Is there any way to remove this hierarchy?

Thanks….gary