Save Metadata to files

[scorecards]

On a few occasions I have found that Keyword tags I have added to pictures have disappeared. I was told I needed to execute the command "Save Metadata to files".

Question 1: Is there a way to select all files in catalog and then execute that command?

Question 2: If I do not save it to files, where is it saved? I do my edits in Elements and wonder if that changes the metadata?

Question 3: Sometimes I get a message that metadata has been changed and I get two options of where I want to get the data from. Unfortunately I do not remember exactly what this message says. If anyone knows what this is and can explain that would be great.

 

[clee01l]

Everything is saved to the LR catalog file. Only Some things are saved to the original JPEG or DNG. If the Original is a Proprietary RAW format, the parts of the metadata saved to the original are saved instead to an XML file called a sidecar.

There are many reason the Metadata in the original can get out of sync. I have not found it a particularly good use of my time trying to keep the metadata in the original in sync. So I ignore that out of sync message. Since everything I want is in the LR catalog file I keep that file backed up for safety. Anytime I want the metadata, develop adjustments and original image together, I create an export file that merges the into a result file that I can use elsewhere.

 

[scorecards]

Since I discovered my tags and captions missing one time I assume that means they were not in the catalog. Wouldn't I be better off if I "saved to file" so I could restore from file. Is there any downside to saving to file?

What do you mean by metadata in the original, is that the data stored with file?

 

[scorecards]

I just received the following message after importing a file I edited in Elements.

"One or more of these photos has been changed in an external application. Should Lightroom overwrite the settings on disk?"

I have no clue what this means. Does anyone know what settings are they referring to.

 

[clee01l]

Since I discovered my tags and captions missing one time I assume that means they were not in the catalog. Wouldn't I be better off if I "saved to file" so I could restore from file. Is there any downside to saving to file?

What do you mean by metadata in the original, is that the data stored with file?

If you are saving back to an original JPEG or DNG, you are causing your system backup software to make a new backup copy of the file. Megabytes instead of bytes. Whether this goes to a backup server on your local network, a backup service in the cloud or to a locally attached USB EHD, it requires overhead and bandwidth. If you are backing up to the cloud it is particularly inefficient and may increase the cost of your internet service. In LR this automatic metadata update occurs in a background thread, but still involves CPU cycles that could have been used for more important things. More importantly, it may not have been necessary. If you or some process "touched" the master image file an unimportant Modified date tag could have gotten changed causing the out of sync notification.

metadata in the original
This is mostly the data written in the header of the image file at the time it was created by the camera. EXIF, shooting parameters, Date shot, and maybe even a Copyright will show up in this metadata. These are cataloged on import into the LR Catalog. For most purposes, these metadata parameters will never change or need changing. Other things like Titles, Descriptions, keywords IPTC Location, GPS coordinates won't normally be included in the header that comes from the camera but exists as metadata maintained by LR in the catalog. Since LR is the source of this data, it will be found in the catalog. If not found in the catalog, it was removed by the user either unintentionally or intentionally If LR is writing this metadata automatically to the master image file, it will also automatically remove the same data to keep the LR catalog in sync with the master image file header

 

[clee01l]

I just received the following message after importing a file I edited in Elements.

"One or more of these photos has been changed in an external application. Should Lightroom overwrite the settings on disk?"

I have no clue what this means. Does anyone know what settings are they referring to.

You should never be using PS Elements or any other destructive editor on master image files that are maintained and managed by LR. You got the message because you edited the file in PSE after you imported it into LR and PSE changed stuff. LR is set to automatically write metadata back to the master original BUT it finds the Metadata on the original differs from what was recorded in the catalog. With no way of knowing which version of metadata is correct, it posts the message asking for guidance. If you use the EditIn function in LR to send derivative image files to PSE, you will not get this message.

 

[jarhtmd]

In LR4, after "Saving Metadata to the Files", I had 436 conflicts/errors according to the "Save Metadata to Files Problems" collection. This is the 1st time I've seen this (or the offline image) collection & assume they (& others?) are automatically populated. I was surprised that only scattered thumbnails in that collection showed "!", indicating metadata problems. All except very, very few of my images are JPG.

I repeated the saving of metadata. This time I didn't get any error message(s), but the collection still shows a count of 436. Why didn't the count change? I don't see any "!".

Is there a way to scan for these & other specific problems . . . like offline images, etc? What other "automatic" collections are there?

 

[jarhtmd]

I thought I would have gotten a reply by now. Oh well . . .

Since my previous post, I've again saved metadata to files (2700 images) & received no conflict/error messages. However, the "Save Metadata to Files Problems" quick collection now indicates 345.

Can/will anyone please explain?

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi jarhtmd, sorry, busy weekend. That collection is in the Catalog panel, and not one that you've created, correct? Right-click on it and choose Remove this temporary collection. It doesn't refresh automatically.

Or is this a smart collection with Metadata Status > IS > Conflict Detected.

Also, where are the photos stored? Internal? External? NAS?

 

[jarhtmd]

Thanks, Victoria, for your reply.

Yes, it is in the Catalog panel & not one that I've created. I have removed it by right clicking, etc.

If I understand correctly . . . if problems occur when saving metadata to files & that collection does NOT already exist, it will be automatically created . . .but if it already exists, it will not be updated, no matter whether there are problems or not.

My images are stored on my internal drive.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Yep, it's a static collection. Most of those special collections are only created when you press the Show in Library button in an error dialog. I don't remember whether the save metadata error shows a dialog.