Way to update caption (text) metadata and not color correction with "Read Metadata From Files"

[tenderoni]

I have older photo sets that were originally corrected and published via LR Classic on my local drive, then saved on a HDD. Years later I'll go back to update the captioning (recaptioning, technically), like "Description/Caption", "Headline", "Keywords", in Photo Mechanic. I don't touch any of the developments settings, but when I update in LR using Read Metadata From Files (RMFF), LR will often blow away the Dev settings.

I use Photo Mechanic, because it's simply a superior tool for captioning and IPTC data, espcially in bulk (sorry Adobe). As stated when I use RMFF, I have a seemingly 50/50 chance that not only will the iptc (text) data be overwritten, as I want, but it will blow away all of the development corrections I made in LR originally. I can't for the life of me figure out why sometimes it will blow away the dev settings and sometimes it won't, and it's not all or nothing, there will be sets where some settings are blown away while others are not within the same set.

Could it have to do with linking/relinking the photos? I will often do the original dev on my local drive, ang then years later relink from LR to those folders on a HDD drive, then I'll update the link in LR, do the captioning updates, and then update the files in LR with RMFF. Is it possible that the exact steps of when I relink and when I update the file could have anything to do with it? As in, maybe I don't relink to LR before making the caption updates in Mechanic? Any help here would be greatly appreciated, as I end of having to reprocess hundreds/thousands of photos.

Ideally, LR would have a "Read IPTC Data From File" and not overwrite the entire sidecar. Not all metadata is the same, or even in the same league, and having more fine tuning on which data gets updated,  would be sweet.  Imaging being able to set the specific fields you want to update!?

[GoldingD]

corrected and published via LR Classic on my local drive, then saved on a HDD

No such thing as "save" in LrC, do you mean "Export" ?

[tenderoni]

Thanks, understood, symantics. I mean once the files/folders are published and I'm done with them at that time, I will move them (back them up) to multiple HDD (external drives) and delete from my local drive. If/When I want to make changes to those files (often years later), I will relink (Locate) them on the HDD via LrC. Interestingly (or not), I will often work on those older files in LrC directly from the HDD and not from my local disk, meaning I won't move the entire set of folders/files to my local disk to update them. 

[tenderoni]

Can anyone confirm is there's a diff between using "Overwrite Settings" from the Metadata Status field in Library: Metadata: Metadata Status: ["Changed on disk/Conflict detected"] vs Metadata: Read Metadata From File? The former _seems_ like maybe it does not change anything but the IPTC data, but I could be wrong. 

[dj_paige]

"I have older photo sets that were originally corrected and published via LR Classic on my local drive, then saved on a HDD. Years later I'll go back to update the captioning (recaptioning, technically), like "Description/Caption", "Headline", "Keywords", in Photo Mechanic. I don't touch any of the developments settings, but when I update in LR using Read Metadata From Files (RMFF), LR will often blow away the Dev settings."

The problem here is that you are updating the metadata using a 3rd party application. If you update the metadata in Lightroom Classic, then the problem you mention does NOT happen.

When you do this and the Develop settings are deleted, it is most likely because the .xmp file does not have the Develop settings in the .xmp file. Lightroom Classic did not write the develop settings to the file; because the option to do so was not turned on. So when Photomechanic creates an .xmp file, there was no .xmp file to begin with, and so the Develop settings simply aren't in there. (In addition, I don't know what Photomechanic does if there is an existing .xmp file created by Lightroom Classic; I don't know, but you could figure it out by experimentation)

"I use Photo Mechanic, because it's simply a superior tool for captioning and IPTC data, espcially in bulk"

Again, this is the cause of the problem. Sometimes, you have to choose a tool that you may think is sub-optimal so you don't get negative side effects. And by the way, I can't understand how Photomechanic is superior, as captioning in bulk is very simple in Lightroom Classic.

"Could it have to do with linking/relinking the photos?"

No, it could not. Impossible.

[tenderoni]

Thanks dj,

I appreciate your thoughts on this and understand your hypothesis, however all of the files have existing xmp files. These sets have been worked on in LrC previously. Everty single file was processed and posted online. It's now, years later, that I'm cleaning up the captioning (like, only including the name of one athlete vs both athletes, or including the name of a coach with an athlete). So ideally, I just change the metadata and not have to touch/retouch anything within the Dev settings. So, the xmp file exists 100%. What I'm saying is if I go back into the sets of images, make changes to just a few fields in the iptc area, so only change a word in the caption, and not touch any other fields in the sidecar, the entire xmp files seesm to get blown away. I totally understand 3rd part vs Adobe. But regardless of that, and nible product should be able to work with other platforms to do simple regardless of where the changes are being made by the xmp file, why would LrC not recognize metadata changes, you would think. 

Do you think it matters whoch platform creates the XMP file? That's intersting. "Lightroom Classic did not write the develop settings to the file; because the option to do so was not turned on." What does this mean, if there is an option to not have the dev setting writen to the xmp file I'm not aware of that.   

"So when Photomechanic creates an .xmp file, there was no .xmp file to begin with, and so the Develop settings simply aren't in there." It's more like the file is there, and when I update the EXIF/IPTC data, ALL the data in the files gets blown away. But only sometimes. So weird. 

Regarding LrC metadata vs Photo Mechanic, it is what it is, PM is a better tool for that work for me, but I get your point about having to make a consession.  Do you know if there's a way to make the caption box any bigger? That tiny box with 3-4 lines of text is a bit of deal breaker for me. 

[dj_paige]

"I appreciate your thoughts on this and understand your hypothesis, however all of the files have existing xmp files."

Your problem comes from the fact that the existing .xmp files don't have the edits in them. They may exist and have no edits in them. Lightroom Classic does not write the edits to .xmp files by default. You have to turn on the option.

You can open an .xmp file with any text editor and see if the edits are in there.

"Do you think it matters whoch platform creates the XMP file?"

Makes no difference at all. None.

It's more like the file is there, and when I update the EXIF/IPTC data, ALL the data in the files gets blown away. But only sometimes. So weird.

This is the exact reason why I say some of your .xmp files do not have edits in them.

[Todd Shaner]

Try the Photo Mechanic Preferences settings at the below link. In addition before adding metadata in PM for images that have been edited in LrC, select all of the files and use CTRL/CMD S to write those edits to XMP. This will insure the XMP data is up to date including Develop settings. After editing in PM you will need to select all of the files in the Library module and use Metadata> Read Metatdata from file. This workflow process needs to be repeated every time you do further editing in PM.

https://www.photometadata.org/META-Tutorials-Photo-Mechanic-Setting-Metadata-Preferences

[tenderoni]

Thanks Todd. 

[Jao vdL]

>Do you know if there's a way to make the caption box any bigger? That tiny box with 3-4 lines of text is a bit of deal breaker for me. 

Yes there is . You should select "large caption" from the little popup next to "metadata":

[tenderoni]

Cheers!