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Yunfan5EDA
Participant
April 5, 2023
Question

Lightroom does not import XMP along with DNG if XMP modified date is before DNG modified date

  • April 5, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 418 views

Issue: Lightroom does not import XMP along with DNG if the XMP's modified date is before the DNG's modified date

 

Provide Lightroom version: LrC 12.2.1, although this issue is also present on lastest Lightroom Cloud-based and Camera RAW in Photoshop
Provide OS and version: Windows 11

Issue:
Step 1: Have a DNG file and a corresponding XMP file with the same file name, with the XMP's modified date before the DNG modified date. This can happen when copying files across USB drives or downloading files.
Step 2: Import the DNG to latest LR Classic, LR, and PS Camera RAW. Notice the XMP profile is not imported or applied.
Step 3: Delete the image from the catalog. Do some random edit on the XMP, save it, and revert it back, so that the XMP's modified date is after the DNG modified date.

Step 4: Import the DNG file again. Notice XMP profile is correctly loaded.

 

Expected result: Lightroom should import and apply XMP profiles after both Step 2 and 4. 
Actual result: Lightroom does not load XMP profiles after step 2, but does after step 4.

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

johnrellis
johnrellis
Legend
April 5, 2023

Adobe has deemed this "expected behavior":

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lrc-reads-metadata-for-a-dng-from-an-associated-sidecar/m-p/13222169

 

"Lightroom (or maybe I should say Adobe) does not officially support having XMP files with DNG at all."

 

Camera Raw supports it.

 

Though Adobe employee Thomas Knoll labeled the behavior of XMP sidecars with respect to DNGs "expected behavior", he didn't provide any rationale for LR's behavior, which isn't documented.  I've attempted to document it here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lrc-reads-metadata-for-a-dng-from-an-associated-sidecar/m-p/13229135#M291612

    J
    JimHess
    Inspiring
    April 5, 2023

    It is possible that the XMP file was generated using the original raw file before it was converted to DNG. XMP files are not normally associated with DNG files because all of that information is stored within the DNG file. It is one of the reasons users prefer to use the format.

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 5, 2023

    Here is my understanding-

    Usually any XMP metadata (eg. LrC edits) is saved WITHIN the DNG file itself. Not as any external XMP file.

    https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/help/en/photoshop/pdf/dng_spec_1_6_0_0.pdf

    "Metadata-
    Additional metadata may be embedded in DNG in the following ways:
    • Using TIFF-EP or EXIF metadata tags
    • Using the IPTC metadata tag (33723)
    • Using the XMP metadata tag (700)"

    Not sure where "XMP Profile" is coming into the picture! Any DNG file edited in LrC and Exported from LrC as DNG, will have the Profile metadata embedded within the DNG file.

     

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 5, 2023

    Lightroom (or maybe I should say Adobe) does not officially support having XMP files with DNG at all.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
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