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Reddwarf4ever
Reddwarf4ever
Inspiring
August 4, 2022
Question

Problem saving metadata to source file

  • August 4, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 2553 views

I have LR 11.4.1, On a windows 10 PC I am new to LR, it my primary need is to face tag my massive photo collection, several thousand, in many many folders. I have successfully managed to face tag and folder of sample images as a practice. But when I do select all, Metadata, save to file. Although the LR 'bar' moves along, intimating it's doing something, the file TAG fields do not contain any peoples names. I have tried the export option, but this groups all the image files together, with no regard for the original folder hirechy. But the metadata is change using this method so as LR has proved it can do this with the export function, why would it not be able to do it with Metadata save to file function ???

 

as a last resort I have installed. a plugin, which is designed to replicate the folder hierarchy on an export, but can't work out how to use it yet.

 

hopefully there is a way to do what I need without this plugin

 

thanks

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2 replies

DdeGannes
Community Expert
DdeGannesCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 6, 2022

Lightroom Classic functions designed it is a parametric editor, when you are working with Lightroom it is reading and writing to the Catalog file. The article at the link below explains basic info how that functions. As far as Lightroom is concerned the info is in the Catalog.

Lightroom Classic is an alternative to Adobe's applications for managing images including raw image files Bridge and Camera Raw which are file browsers and store info in the file header or to xmp. Using the options to Save metadata to the file in Lightroom Classic is necessary to share info with those applications since they are unable to read directly from the Catalog file.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/what-is-a-lightroom-catalog/

Writing info to the Catalog is a primary function while saving metadata is a second function. That may happen in idle time, or complete the next time you boot the application.

Just some thoughts for you to be aware off.

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.
Reddwarf4ever
Reddwarf4everAuthor
Inspiring
August 6, 2022

Thanks was very interesting, but still need to solve my problem, will turn pc on in a short while and try again 🤞

johnrellis
johnrellis
Legend
August 4, 2022

"the file TAG fields do not contain any peoples names"

 

Metadata > Save Metadata To File will save the names assigned to faces to various photo metadata fields in the photo. Please describe in detail which program or service you're using to examine the saved metadata and which fields you're looking at, along with the type of file (JPEG, raw, etc.), 

 

Reddwarf4ever
Reddwarf4everAuthor
Inspiring
August 4, 2022

Ok, when I found that metadata save to file, didn't do what I wanted, I looked at the file in windows explorer, only viewed the TAG field, as this is where names are typically stored, multiple names having commas between them. So then I tried the export option, unfortunately it doesn't save the folder hierarchy, but exported the photos anyway, every one had the peoples n,aes in the TAG field, e.g. Christina,chris,Emma,Julie......so it did what I wanted the metadata save to file option didn't do, but as the files were simply grouped together, this wasn't acceptable, if it was only a matter of a few folders, I could manage doing them individually, but with hundreds of folders, this isn't practical.

 

this is why I searched and found the plug-in which using the publish option, should do what I want, havnt quite worked out why the changes to publish manager won't save, but that's another story......so I wonder which fields the names are saved in, in the source files ?

Reddwarf4ever
Reddwarf4everAuthor
Inspiring
August 4, 2022

Doesn't seem a way to edit a post, just checked on my PC using windows explorer, it stores the peoples names in TAG ( using export ) in Exif Tool GUI it shows under XPKeywords, which doesn't have any of the other people I tagged for the photo, so I've no idea where they are saved.....thanks

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