Let me add text notes to photo, stacks of photos, and directories of photos so that I can record shot and processing details. I'd like to be able to print the notes along with an image thumbnail.
I wouldn't recommend keeping notes in the copy-name field. That field is used for filenaming in a lot of export plugins (and filenaming presets). Custom metadata is perfect for notes that are guaranteed to be conflict-free. It won't be visible in Develop module, but neither is any other metadata...
I'm not aware of any export plug-ins I have installed where the Copy Name field is "used" by the plug-in. As with renaming presets, the field is "available" for use if desired. But "used"? Not in the sense it cannot be used for something else, like notes. As in all cases, the user must be aware of what they are doing.
Regarding custom metadata, IMO a significant concern is that a user cannot search for data in those fields. If you can't find it, how useful is it?
My export plugins use copy-name if no filenaming template has been specified.
Obviously, if you aren't using copy-name for anything else, then using it for notes instead of a short name will work fine for you, until it doesn't...
I bastardized IPTC fields for notes for years, until I needed those fields for something else, then I had a problem... - thus is the potential risk for all "borrowed" fields.
Custom Metadata *never* has that problem, and is as searchable as any other metadata - usable in library filters and smart collections.
PS - Both solutions have the problem that they are not stored in xmp, and so will be lost along with the virtual copy they represent, if catalog problem requires reversion and/or re-creation by re-importing, but I solve that by saving virtual copies and custom metadata in separately backed-up files.
Since I don't have any of your plug-ins, that isn't going to be a problem. However, "using" the copy name field within one of your plug-ins would effectively eliminate it for use elsewhere...not sure that's a good idea.
Please help me out with what you are calling "custom metadata". Some examples of custom-metadata fields that can be searched would be helpful.
With my plugins (and others like them), user can opt for a filenaming preset, so there's always a way out.
The problem, if you don't use copy-name in filename, is that the virtual copy will result in a naming collision with the master or other virtual copies (unless one has taken care to specify other tokens that ensure uniqueness). If you don't mind always using the "use a new name" option and having virtual copies named -2, -3 - indistinguishable from non-virtual copies that have undergone a duplicate name resolution... then more power too ya.
PS - the problem *with* using virtual copies in filename *presets* is that it necessitates non-virtual copies (often the majority) to look a little wonky for the sake of virtuals (often the minority), which is why I have programmed a default in case user has not opted for a filenaming preset.
Using the virtual copy name for notes would most certainly not work for me.
In addition to the export filenaming problems mentioned above, using the virtual copy name for notes runs risks that are unnecessary to take. I recommend against it, despite your successful (so far) experience with it, but I assume the readers are big boys and girls who can make up their own minds... - maybe some people will adopt your idea and be forever happy about it, like you are now..., I just hope they have at least considered my objections before deciding.
I see now what you mean by "custom metadata". I was confusing the IPTC extension fields which are present, but effectively unusable since you can't search for anything in those fields. Of the two you referenced, the "Big Note" plug-in seems to be much easier to deal with.
However, in general I'm reluctant to commit to any plug-in or other external method to manage my data, because if support for the plug-in goes away for whatever reason (and there are many possible reasons) then I am out of luck. I'm all for plug-ins (I use several) that will increase my productivity, but not at the expense of becoming dependent on someone's code that is managing information critical to my workflow. To me, that risk is much greater than the risks and pitfalls you described.
I'm hoping Lr4 will support a UI for custom metadata, so plugins aren't required.
I understand not wanting to use a plugin for this. Personally, I have no problem with it, because I understand that the data is as safe as any in the catalog, and is readable by any other plugin or simple sql statement, so even if the plugin programmer died and the plugin stopped working after a couple of Lightroom versions, its trivial for any other plugin programmer or SQL novice to get at the data and migrate it. Granted, some technical know-how is required...
Lightroom will never stop supporting the data, nor plugins in general, but plugins may eventually stop working if not maintained between Lightroom versions.
PS - The CustomMetadata plugin (and BigNote) is just a re-hash of the working plugin that has been provided in the SDK since day 1. And any newer version in the SDK could be easily adapted to support any custom metadata of other plugins in the future, simply by changing the plugin's-id, and the metadata id's to match.
CustomMetadata and BigNote are equally easy to use - just install and enter notes...
CustomMetadata has extra fields and functions which may or may not be desirable...
So if John dies before me, big-note metadata could be migrated to custom-metadata plugin. And if I die before John, my custom-metadata could easily be migrated to big-note. If we both die at the same time, one could issue an sql statement on the database to put the data in a form which could be read by ExifTool or Lr/Transporter... If John, Tim, Phil Harvey, & I all die at the same time, any plugin programmer could modify the SDK sample to take over... If Adobe dies too, then... - well you get the idea...
Summary:
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I acknowledge that plugin dependency for critical metadata gives one a feeling of insecurity, and if using plugins for custom metadata it is possible that one day one will be faced with the problem of inaccessible data, which may require some technical know-how to get at, or another plugin... assuming Adobe has not added the support directly to Lightroom, which hopefully they will by then.
Bottom Line:
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If you want to keep photo notes in the catalog, you have two choices:
A. Bastardize an existing field and hope it lasts.
B. Use a plugin to add additional fields, and hope it lasts.
Final Thoughts:
--------------------
I followed plan A above until it stopped working (fields needed for their originally intended purpose), then switched to plan B. For plugin authors, and users who have faith in plugin authors and/or community help, plan B is a preferred solution, but I can see plan A being preferred by those who don't like working without a net from Adobe.
I manage my workflow on a folder basis, but it should equally apply to collection based ones.
What I'd really LOVE to see in a future release is the option to add a caption (description, comment, whatever) not only on a certain photo (within it's own caption field), but also on the folder/collection itself.
That could be useful to remember certain data which shouldn't be put under folder/collection name, or where it would be awkward to use cloned photo captions or multiple keywords.
Example: address for specific one-time-only client, equipment data for a specific shoot, any other note a photographer would want to associate to the whole photo shoot.
i'd love to be able to make notes or comments on specific images or collections - when sharing a catalog with another user, it would be useful for communicating processing requests, etc.
I would LOVE the ability to add some form of written notes to a collection - it could appear in the image list as a file symbol image and when you click on it, it opens notepad or an entirely new field in the dock section. This would allow you to remember things about the collection that cannot be stored elsewhere.
I've been desperate for notes on folders since forever. For keeping notes on processing, shoot notes, client details, todo lists, client and sitter contact details ... so many, many things. I have a plugin of my own for this, it works well enough but there's only so much you can do through the SDK. Native would be top.
Keywords too, there's a lot to be said for keywording at a coarser granularity.
Actually, if anyone wants to try this plugin, holler. It's very simple, select a folder, select pnAnnotate from the plugin. If a note already exists it pops up a dialog with the text and an option to edit. If it doesn't exist then it fires up a text editor. Add text, kill the window, done - no need to save.
Doesn't work on collections yet, I may give that some thought.
Mac only, sorry but I'll leave the code readable if anyone wants to mess with it.
Please add the possibility to add user comments to any lightroom folder. Of course I can use the Finder (Spotlight) comments, but this field is not accessible from within LR.
When I shoot photo's this usually is related to something I want to describe. I now use the Finder comments field for that but it really is something lacking in LR.
You can add something to one of a photograph's metadata fields but I've always felt that's not really suitable for annotating images, which is kind of what you're talking about. An annotation, for me at least, should be a more visible thing. You should see it marked as a corner icon on an image thumbnail and I'd like to see it optionally pop up on mouse hover. I'd also like to see something on folder and collection icons that show the existence of an annotation.
And annotations, as has already been discussed, should be extended to collections, publish services, folders, groups and any other image sets.
There's been a few plugin type workarounds for this but they've never really been as useful as they could be because the SDK doesn't have the bits you need to make it work properly.
It's a good request because you need set-level information for things like shoot notes, notes on how you've put together, say, an hdr or panorama. Shots can often be made up from several stages, they can get complex. Annotations on stages and groups of stages with construction notes ... big plus.
To improve the "work-into" LR, for Collection and Folder definition, I propose to add a free-text-entry (like caption) and a status (todo, engaged, archive) (like flags)
- the text and status can be set at Import / Create.
- the text can be update on-demand (like Rename)
- the status can be switched with shortcut/mouse
- the text is displayed as tooltip when mouse-over
- the status is displayed as a icon of the node on the Folder & Collection Treeview
- the status is used to filter the nodes
With theses enhancements, we can manage our dev/print/export to-do project from within LR.
It would often be helpful to make few notes to remind me of things (like lighting conditions & white balance thoughts, editing requirements etc) as I work through to refine a set of images. It would be especially useful when it will be some time before I can return to the images for further refinement and am likely to have forgotten a few things in between!
Can Adobe consider adding some form of "Collections folder Annotation" so users can make some basic notes please?
It could be a "speech bubble type" notepad as in Excel for comments perhaps, or some linked type of document perhaps?
it's a great idea and should be addressed....I think it would be super to have this almost as a simple txt file (don't get me wrong I'd love to upload diagrams and such but those could go in a subfolder) referenced that could be searched or viewed inside and outside of LR. I could see a need for all those editing or stack notes or collection notes in the same folder that the photos are in....that way if catalog corrupts you still have a hard copy of those notes.
Add a notes field that can be accessed in the Library Panel, much like John Beardy's BigNote plugin. I find this tremendously useful for storing information that I may not want exported with images within the caption field.
I would like to see an "add a note feature" added to Lightroom in the Photo menu. Sometimes I will look at some of my shots and have an idea I may want to implement in the future and without the ability to add a note on to that photo both the idea and the photo it is attached to, slip out of memory. It would be very nice to be able to add a notation to individual shots for whatever reason.
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