Read and Write Metadata to File

[Biglug]

Hello, I am somewhat new to lightroom and I am trying to figure out what happens when I select "Read Metadata from file" and "Write Metadata to file".

Thanks for your help,

Eric

[Codebreaker]

Eric.....

For RAW files all the processing changes and keywords etc are kept independently of the RAW image file. LR keeps these in it's database but can also produce a file - called a Sidecar or XMP file - that also contains these data.

There is an option within LR to automatically produce the XMP files but I and other prefer to turn this off in the belief that LR speed is improved. Apart from which I don't need the XMP files.

If you have the option turned off to do this automatically and you want to share the processing information with another program, like PS CS3, then you'll need to produce the XMP file.

You do this by selecting the image or images and then press Ctrl + S or go to Metadata > Save Metadat to files.

If you process the image in PS CS3 this also produces XMP files. If you now want LR to reflect the changes made in PS CS3 then you need to read in the XMP file.

Just for information, in the Library Module, you can set the View Option to indicte a flag which shows that the Metadata has not been saved.

Colin

[Biglug]

...for the help. I now understand.

Eric

[Chuck S.]

Colin, the metadata has another use that I'm thinking of pursuing: capturing the latitude and longitude of the spot where the photo was taken, at least for exterior photos. If you have a handheld GPS receiver and you make sure the time setting in your camera matches that in the GPSr, there are computer programs available that can download the GPSr data and transfer the latitude and longitude directly to the metadata for the pictures you take, based on a comparison of time of photo with GPS data for the same time.

I know....a little over the top. But it allows me to combine two hobbies, and there's some appeal to that!

[Codebreaker]

Hi Chuck....

Yes I've come across a few people who want to do this. A good idea if you travel a lot.

Colin

[GaryK]

Chuck


I ran into a guy last summer who was doing just that.

He would go for a hike or what have you. After he was done he would sync up his data and have a visual journal of his trip.
Date, time, location all mached up with the photo and his route.

[Edmund]

That's a great idea and function. I have about 500 images taken while on a trip to Las Vegas. We took a tour thru Utah, Arizonia, Nevada hitting most of the major National parks like the Grand canyon, Byrce Canon, National Monument, Zion etc etc,. Well I marked each fim canister and wrote down where the pictures were taken. When we got bact to NY and got every thing developed some how I lost my cheat sheet and now have so many slides that I have no idea where they were taken. A lesson to be learned.
Eddie