Metadata abilities of XnView?

[polarbeer]

Hi,

I'm a newbie user of XnView, (just installed the latest 1.98.2 "full" version). As the documentation of XnView seems to be lacking somehow, I would like to know answer to a couple of questions.

Until now I have mostly used Faststone Image Viewer to look through my photos imported from my digital camera(s). After deleting unnecessary photos I have used iTag to write metadata Description and Rating into my photos. According to iTag (http://www.itagsoftware.com) it uses IPTC and XMP headers to add metadata losslessly. I also think Rating is added directly into photos because Window 7 Explorer seems to be able show Rating of "iTagged" files.

1) Does XnView add metadata losslessly into jpeg images?

2) Do you happen to know why the photos, into which I have added Description metadata in iTag, show that description nicely in XnView's IPTC Caption field but not so nicely on XMP tab?

3) Does XnView add Rating directly into photo files or somewhere else (like a proprietary database)?

This metadata writing seems a bit confusing area because different programs seem to work little differently and no one wants to lose their metadata (or photos!) that has been entered once. So it would be nice to know what software to really trust, if you don't know much about inner life of file structures. Any insight into metadata adding with XnView is warmly welcomed!

I just want simple linear workflow where I can easily check my photos and then add the metadata info I want to. Many programs use their own databases, add some hidden files/folders into your photo folders etc. which are really a pain in the **s in the long run.

I would gladly stop using FastStone + iTag pipeline and instead use just XnView, if everything I want to can be done with less work in just one program.

-pb

[bikeguide]

Hi , very good point, polarbeer.
I'm in the same situation, looking for a reliable program to describe my pictures, preferably in a way that even Windows can read this.
I tried to understand the differences between Comment / Description and IPTC but I'm not certain if these METADATA are really go "inside" the file itself.
May be someone of the advanced xnview user can give us some background and hint for the usage ?
Hope to hear from someone....

[polarbeer]

Hi , very good point, polarbeer.
I'm in the same situation, looking for a reliable program to describe my pictures, preferably in a way that even Windows can read this.
I tried to understand the differences between Comment / Description and IPTC but I'm not certain if these METADATA are really go "inside" the file itself.
May be someone of the advanced xnview user can give us some background and hint for the usage ?
Hope to hear from someone....

Nice to hear that someone else is thinking same things as me.

One feature of iTag that I really like is following. If you select several pictures that have different descriptions written to them, iTag shows text "Multiple values" in decription field. This tells to the user that he has selected pictures with different descriptions. IF user now decides to write a new text into description field this text REPLACES ALL old (and differing) descriptions. This behavior of iTag is logical for me and other programs I have tested so far haven't managed adding description to several pictures as well.

By the way Zoner Photo Studio 13 Free seems also a very capable image management/viewing software. I just downloaded it.

-pb

[xnview]

1) Does XnView add metadata losslessly into jpeg images?

If you use 'edit iptc' or 'edit embedded comment'

2) Do you happen to know why the photos, into which I have added Description metadata in iTag, show that description nicely in XnView's IPTC Caption field but not so nicely on XMP tab?

XMP tab view is better on XnViewMP

3) Does XnView add Rating directly into photo files or somewhere else (like a proprietary database)?

In a database, only XnViewMP can add rating in XMP data...