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areohbee
areohbee
Legend
May 16, 2011
Open for Voting

P: Allow users to define custom metadata

  • May 16, 2011
  • 26 replies
  • 1558 views

It has come to my realization that a fair number of feature requests could be satisfied simply by allowing users to define custom metadata *without* having to install a 3rd party plugin.

All too often users want to "make notes" about a photo, or associate photos somehow, or record some photo status... Some use keywords and existing IPTC text fields as work-arounds, but what's really needed is a way for users to define custom metadata dynamically, to include types:

- Text
- Enumerated Set of Values (dropdown lists).
- Boolean (true/false)
- Date/Time
- Numeric

This can be done now with plugins like CustomMetadata (although all items are treated like text in smart collections and library filters - a sore point for me), but I think this needs to be built into Lightroom.

PS - *Please* at least fix the SDK to support all data types.

*** - Maybe an even better idea: package a Custom Metadata plugin with Lightroom, pre-installed in Lightroom, so users have the capability AND have a plugin that will also serve to break the plugin ice, so to speak.

Of course users would need to be able to manage custom metadata fields without editing lua files, but dynamic metadata definition is needed by plugins anyway...

Extra special bonus idea: Allow advanced users to use expressions to created derived metadata types, so users could create pixel-count metadata item from width x height metadata, as example. Maybe pre-program that one into the included custom-metadata plugin so users would also have a ready-made example to follow... aspect-ratio would be another popular derived item (cropped-width/cropped-height).

    26 replies

    Show previous replies
    PhilBurton
    PhilBurton
    Inspiring
    October 17, 2016


    There are requests on this forum going back to 2007 for custom metadata fields, per the XMP standard created by Adobe.

    What is the Adobe management position on these requests?  Rejected?  Accepted?  (When?)  Under study or future consideration?
    PhilBurton
    PhilBurton
    Inspiring
    March 29, 2016
    Adobe created XMP and the custom metadata concept. Why won't they support it in their own products?
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    March 17, 2016


    You need to add full support for XMP Fields in Search and Smart Collections, so it is possible to set a criteria for all Fields (i.e. all Fields in the Location TAG).

    Same with Custom XMP Fields.

    It must also be possible to save custom XMP Fields to the XMP sidecar file.
    G
    guydyoung
    Participant
    October 20, 2013


    Please make Lightroom 5 fully XMP compliant. I need to be able to read and write to custom XMP fields and I need it written in the XMP not just in the catalog as the current custom fields option is.
    Adobe developed XMP and they haven't made their flagship photo management software fully XMP compliant.
    Please add this feature to the Lightroom 5 and the SDK as I need it to satisfy the requirements of my large organisation (DoD). Currently I can do all bar 2 of my mandatory metadata fields in Lightroom. One of which isn't even a custom field, it is #121 Local Caption. I am forced to continue to use another program just for metadata (Fotostation).
    P
    parkerbri
    Participating Frequently
    August 2, 2012
    Please add more fields to the xmp metadata. Specifically:
    People (list type field)
    Session (text field for photographers to be able to group photos without needing to put them into collections first, with the side benefit of freeing up the Keywords field for actual real keyword entries)
    Client (Text field for us to be able to write in who comissioned us to take the photos)

    And let us be able to create metadata filter panes for these new fields too.

    W
    wblackwell
    Participating Frequently
    May 23, 2011
    So, it's 2011, and we still don't have Lightroom metadata support like Bridge. VRA Core 3 and 4 are being supported by major applications across the web. Large institutions and individuals alike are needing to quickly batch edit large amounts of raw scans and export/embed with compatible image metadata. They have already embraced Bridge as a defacto with its custom file info panels but Lightroom still doesn't support that even though it advertises its strong metadata credentials. The fact of the matter is the world just doesn't use only IPTC anymore.

    So I'm wondering if Adobe's already standard XMP "Custom File Info Panels" functionality will be implemented in Lightroom v4. If this is confirmed, large institutions can plan on buying Lightroom as a better (future proof) pre-upload (and personal collection) organizer for large sets of images vs Bridge as Bridge relies directly on a file system and the file system can become a very disorganized place. Also, Lightroom is less costly and more functional for Art Historians.

    This has been a constant feature request since v1 in 2007. It has been 4 years. Is there a plan to add this in v4 or some functionality like it?

    All the best,
    Walker Blackwell
    University of Vermont
    Art History

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