Library module Metadata Status - How to know what to do?

[iwaddo]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom Classic 9.4

Operating System

1. macOS 10.15 Catalina

I would appreciate some guidance on the metadata status of my images.

The save XMP option is currently turned off.

Should I stop worrying and just ignore the warning icons or is there an action I really ought to be taking for the benefit of my catalog.

Thank you for your help.

Regards

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Yes, stop worrying. If save to XMP is turned off, then changes you make to the images aren't saved to XMP and so there will be a conflict between what the XMP stores and what the catalog stores. That is irrelevant for your catalog however and your catalog does not benefit in any way if you change this. It's only relevant if you have a reason to use the images outside of Lightroom with their XMP, in which case you should turn on the option to automatically write the changes to XMP.

 

[iwaddo]

@Johan Elzenga Thank you for the prompt reply, that is one thing less for me to worry about today!

Thank you for your help.

 

[Paul_DS256]

It's only relevant if you have a reason to use the images outside of Lightroom with their XMP

Saving to an XMP side-car is also a backup in case you lose your catalog. While not everything is stored in the XMP, a majority of settings are saved.

 

[iwaddo]

@Paul_DS256 I do not use my images outside of LRC but I'd seen comments about using XMP as a form of backup.

My Catalog is backed-up on Exit from LRC, the backup folder is within iCloud Drive (there is a Folder Action to automatically delete backups older than 90-days), there is an active Time Machine (2 disks alternating), I run Backblaze and regularly clone my iMac using carbon Copy Cloner with Safety_Net enabled.

Do I need to write XMPs as well? I cannot imagine a scenario where I would need them, things will have to get pretty bad?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Paul_DS256]

Do I need to write XMPs as well?

Sounds like you are covered. I keep the XMP's in case some time in the future I move from LR. I also have a batch cloud backup procedure which selects pictures based on RATING in the XMP file.

 

[iwaddo]

I prefer an all or nothing approach to my backups, that way I know everything is everywhere (except the actual images which are everywhere except iCloud Drive).

I'd love an option to turn off the Metadata Status warning as it upsets me having to ignore it!!

 

[Jim Wilde]

I'd love an option to turn off the Metadata Status warning as it upsets me having to ignore it!!

View>View Options>Grid View>Cell Icons>Uncheck the "Unsaved Metadata" option.

That will remove most of the warnings, though Metadata Conflicts should still appear.

 

[iwaddo]

@Jim Wilde Excellent, thank you

 

[Linwood Ferguson]

View>View Options>Grid View>Cell Icons>Uncheck the "Unsaved Metadata" option.

That will remove most of the warnings, though Metadata Conflicts should still appear.

Something I've wondered about... if one isn't saving to XMP routinely, should we just periodically delete all the XMP files entirely? (I realize this doesn't address JPG, DNG, etc.) Tens of thousands less files, less statuses in conflict?

 

[Johan Elzenga]

If you don’t save to metadata, then you shouldn’t have any sidecar files to begin with.

 

[Linwood Ferguson]

If you don’t save to metadata, then you shouldn’t have any sidecar files to begin with.

OK, maybe different circumstances, but Photo Mechanic (which I use for a front end) creates them. Plus there was a period of time when I had them. Plus the date/time plugin writes them (and requires you read them).

I'[ve got 75,470 of them.

 

[Gnits]

If you are applying metadata to images via Photo Mechanic (PM) then PM will put that data into a sidecar xmp file and this data is then added to the catalog for that image on import.

I used to save to xmp..... especially when travelling, so I could just import my images from my laptop to my main system. I stopped doing that and now export a catalog on my travel laptop with my travel images and import that catalog into my main system.

Saving to XMP also has a performance hit...... maybe this is less significant now with Adobe improvements under the hood and faster hardware.

My view is that I do not save to XMP files unless I have a specific reason to use them ( and other than in Photomechanic) I do not use them and have the option turned off.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Yes, if you use another app that creates XMP files before you import them into Lightroom, then that’s of course another situation. I do have some sidecar files because plugins like LensTagger need them, but not nearly enough to let that bother me.

 

[Samoreen]

Do I need to write XMPs as well? I cannot imagine a scenario where I would need them, things will have to get pretty bad?

- Imagine you've lost your catalog or it is corrupted with no backup (or your backup is also corrupted). Having the XMPs handy allows you to re-import your images along with your edits.

- You are working on some of your images on a friend's system or in your photo club. You get satisfying results. Just copy the XMP files to your USB key (the RAW files are not needed). When back to home, copy these XMPs to the folder where your images reside, launch Lightroom. It will automatically recognize and apply all your changes if you click on the small up arrow telling you that the XMP file is more recent than the metadata in the catalog.

- You have Lightroom but not Photoshop ? You need to do some work in PS ? Your buddy has Photoshop or there's a copy of Photoshop in your photo club ? OK. Take your files along with the corresponding XMP files, load the RAW files into PS and it will take your current changes into account. You can then work in PS as if you have launched it from Lightroom at home.

- You'd like a friend to enhance an image that you have already edited. Send him the RAW file and the corresponding XMP. When he's ready, he just has to send you back the new XMP file. Then, see second example.

Just a few examples. There are more.

Personally, I systematically generate the XMP files for my images. It's a complementary backup. Doing this automatically may affect the performances on low end systems or when the number of local edits becomes big. When I have worked on a collection of files, I prefer selecting all of them and use Ctrl-S to generate all the XMPs for these files. Or better : you can create a smart collection showing you all the images in the catalog that do not have an up-to-date XMP file (Metadata status / is not / up to date). Look regularly at this collection, and then Ctrl-A / Ctrl-S and that's it.

 

[Linwood Ferguson]

Personally, I systematically generate the XMP files for my images. It's a complementary backup.

I did this when 99.9% of my images were raw, but I stopped when I imported a lot of old JPG's from early digital days, and also imaged in a lot of old photos, slides, etc.

One downside is that XMP is not XMP with those, it is rewriting whole files over and over, causing them to be backed up again just because I change a keyword. That's particularly relevant for cloud backups. This would also be true of a DNG workflow.

I'd actually be good if I could say "always write metadata as XMP files", but I suspect 3rd party programs might not know to look for non-raw. But such an option doesn't exist anyway. So I stopped. Had not though much about those 75000 files. Maybe I should just whack them; I can't offhand think of a downside.