Using tags/labels from other photo organizer

[eviele]

Hello all, I just bought PSE 5.0, and the first thing I'm trying to do is see all of the tags that I had previously applied to all of my 5000 photos.

I'm currently using Microsoft Digital Imaging Suite 2006 as my photo organizer. This program uses EXIF data within the file to store the label names (Mom, Dad, Florida Vacation, etc). It seems PSE won't notice the EXIF data and perhaps uses XML, or a database of sorts.

Anyone know if it's possible for PSE to read this EXIF data for tags? How does PSE store it? Does it store it in the photo or in a database?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I can't imagine re-assigning tags to 5000+ photos :eek:

Thanks!

[Wendy]

Hi eviele ..

... and welcome to the forum :)

I'm a Mac user so I can't help you on this one but hopefully one of the Windows users will be along soon and they may be able to help you with the problem ..

Wendy

[TonyW]

Eviele: I don't know anything about the Microsoft program but if it uses the standard way of storing keywords (in the IPTC Keyword data field) then you can have Elements assign them as Tags when you import them into the Organizer. When you use Get Photos from Files and Folders and add a new image that has IPTC keywords attached a box will pop up asking if you want to use the keywords it finds as Tags.

Hope this helps.

Tony

[MtnBiker]

Hello all, I just bought PSE 5.0, and the first thing I'm trying to do is see all of the tags that I had previously applied to all of my 5000 photos.

I'm currently using Microsoft Digital Imaging Suite 2006 as my photo organizer. This program uses EXIF data within the file to store the label names (Mom, Dad, Florida Vacation, etc). It seems PSE won't notice the EXIF data and perhaps uses XML, or a database of sorts.

Anyone know if it's possible for PSE to read this EXIF data for tags? How does PSE store it? Does it store it in the photo or in a database?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I can't imagine re-assigning tags to 5000+ photos :eek:

Thanks!
I don't have either program (PSE4 yes), but I'd look for Export in your MS program or in the manual. Adobe does tend to use XML in separate files for tagging photos. Also the tag names change from program to program.

PS I'm in the process of moving 11k photos from one program to the other.

[eviele]

When you use Get Photos from Files and Folders and add a new image that has IPTC keywords attached a box will pop up asking if you want to use the keywords it finds as Tags.

Hope this helps.

Tony

Tony, I never get the option to use the keywords as tags. I'm guessing that the MS app doesn't use that type of tag info, but thanks for the info.

[eviele]

look for Export in your MS program or in the manual.

MtnBiker, I looked for an export option, but there is no such feature. If I don't get this figured out, I may never organize my photos. It's just too time consuming to start from scratch after all these years.

I wonder if there is a program that can run through my pics and read my current tag information and convert it to the IPTC standard???

Okay, I'm back, I've been searching google for a simple program that can mass convert the metadata, but so far no real luck. I found a bunch of questionable freeware things that do way more than I need. I'll keep looking.

Thanks all for your help thus far.

[gadg]

Hi eviele

Microsoft Digital Image 2006 stores keywords as hidden Windows properties which are not compatible with IPTC metadata. Hence Elements doesn't see them. (I may be oversimplifying there, but that's the gist of it.)

However, you can use a program called Microsoft Expression Media to read the old tags and re-write them as Elements-friendly ones. The free 30-day trial of Expression Media is all you'll need for this purpose.

When you install Expression and import your photos, you'll see all your existing keywords. You can then have Expression write the keywords back to the photos using the Sync Metadata command.

You may have to experiment with which keyword field works best but the process definitely works - I've just done the same. And it was worth the work because Elements is much better IMO than Digital Image ever was.

HTH
David