Adding description to multiple files

[Donald5E70]

I have multiple photoshoots that i manage in bridge, in seporate folders. I need to start sharing these photos to a broad team, using libraries. I also want have the team easily search for the photos that they want based on descriptions (electrical, painting, plumbing etc). It seams easy enough to add the description to one file at a time but as soon as i select multiple I loose that option. I tried doing the same in the creative cloud app but even if i select multiple items it only changes the description of the last item selected. 

How is this done?

[gary_sc]

Hi, @Donald5E70, the quick answer is "not with Bridge."

Bridge was designed as a single-user application with files directly connected to the primary computer. Bridge is very "iffy" with servers in the first place. Sometimes, they have limited success but invariably are not sufficiently compatible to make it worthwhile. 

I wish I could recommend a product to you, but Adobe does not make such a product, and I've never worked in a firm that utilizes such software. Hopefully, someone with more experience in these issues will be able to help. But the primary answer to your question is "no."

Very sorry

[Donald5E70]

Hey Gary thanks, lets see if there is anyone else here that can find a solution. I seems silly that there isnt a way to get a description on multiple files. I dont want to batch rename and im trying to avoid having to have images living in multiple folders based on the content of the photo. 

[Erik Bloodaxe]

Are you adding the SAME description to multiple files?

If so, simply select them all (if they are located "all over the place" then try placing them in a Collection first for easy access) and then type in your description in the "Description" field in the IPTC metadata section in the Metadata Panel within Bridge. If that is not visible then look in Preferences>Metadata and make sure that IPTC and Description are both checked.

For different descriptions with each file you will be struggling.

And as Gary says, sharing these files is another matter.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Are you using File > File Info or are you using the Metadata panel? It shouldn't matter, both allow a common description to be entered for multiple selected files. Where are the files located? What file types?

[Donald5E70]

Sorry all I might have lead yall down a rabbit hole of possible impossibility.  I should have really stressed the importance of being able to apply searchable data for files in adobe creative cloud.  I thought it would be bridge to the rescue, Since you can add descriptions and key words for searching in bridge. I though logically that information would stick tot he file once you moved it over to adobe cc libraries. so that my team would be able to search based on a description or keyword.

Stephen to answer your question I just tried to file file info and that didn't work. Well, it did work for adding the description, but once I got the file over to the cloud and search for that time, it didn't come up. 

[Donald5E70]

Oh BTW these are mostly jpgs and PNGs 

[Erik Bloodaxe]

Here is Adobe's lowdown on CC Libraries. It may answer some of your questions regarding how they can be used.

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/help/libraries.html

[9yz]

The term for what you're looking for is a Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution. Its a system that lets you store, organize, and search large numbers of files. They're commonly used by large organizations who need a big portfolio of photos availible to people across the organization - think sports teams, universities, and news organizations. Bridge is a piece of the puzzle, as it allows you to add and search metadata, but isn't great for deployment to a large team.

I would go look for an online DAM solution, there's multiple good ones out there. In my organization, we use Bridge to add metadata to photos, then upload them to Flickr we're fine with the photos being publically accessible. It lets you organize the photos in albums and collections, as well as search your whole account for keywords/descriptions.