Bridge API for MetaData?

Report · Apr 21, 2017

Hello, I am in the process of digitizing a physical archive. I have an online inventory that I would like to apply as meta-data to the images. Can I use the Bridge API to do that? Thank y ou!

Report · Apr 23, 2017

Karl, I believe that more detailed information is required. Specifically what do you mean exactly by “online inventory” and how do you intend to “apply” it? The more detailed overview, step by step and or sample data that you can supply the better.

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Thank you Stephen. We have a MySQL database of metadata, which I'd like to apply via an API, ideally in Bridge. I have API developers ready to work if Bridge is the right platform.

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Also, I would want to set this up over a network. It seems that Bridge won't retain meta-data on the asset level, unless each user re-indexes their Bridge folder, is that correct?

Report · Apr 24, 2017

If the metadata is correctly applied to the asset, then it is there/retained. However Bridge uses a cache, so depending on where/how information is added to assets, a copy of Bridge may not see the update due to it’s cache being “out of sync” compared to the asset. Keep in mind that Bridge is intended as a per seat single user, stand alone file browser – not as a multi seat/user networked DAM system.

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Thank you, Stephen.

RE: why Bridge - yes, I'd like to use Bridge (or some other image browser) to enrich the metadata, in bulk and on single assets. Thank you for the links, we'll check them out. I thought Bridge outgrew their cache problem - am I misinformed? We will eventually upload this into our DAM system - locally captioning is much faster and easier, especially at our volume and with our DAM.

RE: database metadata - it has a serial number which is the foundation of the naming convention (serial number_asset number), so there is a way to link back to the metadata, but no paths or complete image names.

RE: tab delimited - always an option, but I've found always a messy one. Quotes, semi colons, commas, etc can all corrupt the data, and we have a few fields.

I appreciate your feedback.

Report · Apr 26, 2017

I thought Bridge outgrew their cache problem - am I misinformed?

I would not have termed this a “problem” as such, it is how the software is designed. As I previously wrote, Bridge is intended as a stand alone local file browser, not as a network multi user DAM.

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Firstly, I am guessing that your API guys should be looking at links like this (I don’t have a link to a later version):

Bridge Developer Center | Adobe Developer Connection

Why is this ideally done via Bridge? Is this an end user consideration? Is it only about programming? What benefit does Bridge bring to the operation over another method (such as a non GUI, CLI option). If this could be performed using a different method and the results viewed via Bridge, would that be workable?

Does the database contain only the metadata, or also the image names and file paths?

Do you need a “live link” from the MySQL database to the images? By this I mean if a new entry is added to the database, then it would be automatically applied to the images (or applied with “the push of a button” etc).

Or would it be good enough to export out the database tables/fields to tab delimited or comma separated format and then mass update the metadata of the target images from the text file?

Again, the more detail the better.

Report · Jun 06, 2017

We use a combination of AppleScript and a tool called ExifTool by Phil Harvey. ExifTool is a really powerful tool for reading and writing metadata. I could imagine a process where your SQL DB is called and programmatically uses ExifTool to write the metadata to the correct fields.