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J
JohnOM
Participant
May 26, 2020
Answered

Can keywords in metadata be converted to Bridge keywords?

  • May 26, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 3553 views

I'm looking at various photo organizing apps, and want to make sure that my large collection of photos, heavily keyworded (in metadata) can be converted to Bridge keywords. Or does it matter? I want to be able to do quick searches based on the keywords, and edit them easily.

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Correct answer Stephen Marsh

If I understand correctly (I'm not too technically savvy): there are many ways I can create a keyword listin Bridge using the existing metadata -- but then I would have to manually reenter the keywords from the list into each individual image?

I have a lot of image files. Can I somehow convert the IPTC keywords in each file into Bridge keywords?

 

No, I think you misunderstood.

 

If the old/other software wrote the keyword metadata to the files using either the legacy IPTC or the modern XMP-dc methods, then Bridge should recognise that there are keywords in the files.

 

The Keywords panel in Bridge is for storing and re-using keywords to apply to other images. If you wish to transfer the keywords from your files to the Keywords panel, there are a couple of methods:

 

1) Export the keywords from your files to a text file and then import the text file so that the Keywords panel has a persistent list of entries, that you can put into groups/categories.

 

2) Browse your images so that the keywords in the files that do not exist in the Keywords panel show up in italics under the "other keywords" category, then right-click each of them and make them "persistent", that you can put into groups/categories.

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/bridge/using/keywords-adobe-bridge.html

 

Either way, you need to decide if you are going to use a simple "flat" keyword structure, a Parent/Child keyword structure or a Hierarchical keyword structure.

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/bridge/kb/nested-hierarchal-keywording-bridge.html

 

2 replies

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2020

It is best to assume nothing when it comes to how various apps write metadata.

 

For example, in MS Windows, right-click on a file, Properties > Details > Tags are actually standard XMP-dc:Subject entries, which are also written to proprietary XMP-microsoft:LastKeywordXMP metadata as well. There is no data written to the legacy IPTC:Keywords metadata.

 

I have no idea what IMatch did...

 

But yes, it is possible to dump the keywords from various files and then import them into Bridge's Keywords panel.

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2020

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2016/11/bridge-restoring-lost-keyword-xml-file.html

 

Scroll down to: “How can I easily restore the contents of the Adobe Bridge Keywords.xml file if I don’t have a backup”?

 

The previous solution uses ExifTool, while a script for Adobe Bridge to export keywords from files as a text file ready to import can be found here:

https://github.com/MarshySwamp/Bridge-Keywords-to-Text-File

Another Bridge script option is the Script Utility Pack v2.x which offers the ability to export keywords using the "Folder List Export" or "Keyword Optimiser" scripts:

https://exchange.adobe.com/creativecloud.details.101130.utility-script-pack-for-bridge.html
https://community.adobe.com/t5/bridge/updated-script-utility-pack-2-1/td-p/10671973
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mgrsdt1ntbtk52p/Utility%20Script%20Pack%20Modified.zip?dl=0

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 27, 2020

If the keyword metadata is open/standard XMP DC Subject or legacy IPTC Keyword data Bridge should work to view or edit without any issues. 

What software originally tagged the images with keywords?

 

Or do you mean something else, like building a keyword library in Bridge from existing images to apply to other images in order to be more efficient and to remove human error?

J
JohnOMAuthor
Participant
May 27, 2020

Thanks for the reply.

Images were originally tagged with IMatch, using the "write to Metadata" function, as well as with Windows Explorer. All the keywords show up in Explorer properties, so I'm assuming the format is standard.

I do want to build a Bridge library, however, using the existing keywords. Can I do this easily (i.e. without manually inputting everything?) And once I do, can keywords inputted using Bridge be written to the metadata?

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