Update Metadata Functional Difference

[Paul_DS256]

Lightroom Version Number

LrC 12.0.1

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I saw that the metadata was out of a sync on a TIFF file that I had performed an EDIT-IN to Topaz Denoise. When I selected import from photo, it reset all of the changes I'd made since the return from Topaz. In the past, I thought it only updated metadata like EXIF or IPTC. Is this a change or just something I hadn't noticed before? Thanks

 

[johnrellis]

It depends on whether you have Catalog Settings > Metadata > Automatically Write Changes Into XMP set or you did Metadata > Save Metadata To File after making your changes. If neither, what happened is expected:

1. You did Edit In > Topaz, which wrote a snapshot of all the metadata into the TIFF passed to Topaz.

2. You saved from Topaz, which wrote its changes into the TIFF.

3. LR imported the TIFF, including the metadata saved from step 1.

4. You made a change to the metadata of the TIFF, which were recorded in the catalog but not in the TIFF.

5. You did Metadata > Read Metadata From File or Import Settings From Disk.

6. LR replaced the metadata in the catalog with the settings saved in the TIFF at steps 1 and 2, overwriting the metadata in the catalog from step 4.

 

[Paul_DS256]

Thanks @johnrellis. I did some Googling and I think it was my misperception. I was thinking the metadata out of sync message related to the metadata referenced under the Metadata tab only and not all metadata.

 

[johnrellis]

Yeah, in common usage, "metadata" is ambiguous -- it can mean everything recorded in EXIF, IPTC, XMP, etc. or it can just refer to the fields in the Metadata panel.

Analogous to "catalog": Sometimes Adobe and users are referring to the database files and the cataloged photos, and other times they mean just the database files proper.