variable data sets based on metadata

[Guest]

Can i use meta data as a variable in datasets? (i am an event photographer and have a apreadsheet with (racenumber,time,name) . I want to tag my photos using metadata with the race numbers and then  have CS5 add text onto my photos  by matching the racenumber from the meta data to the spreadsheet  is this possible?

[Paul Riggott]

Not that I know of, maybe some has a better answer.

What can be done is add the metadata to your pictures and use Picture Processor to put the metadata on your pics. (If you use fields it can access)

To add metadata to documents from a csv file
http://www.scriptsrus.talktalk.net/DIYmetadata.htm

Picture Processor can use some metadata and place it in the picture.
Metadata fields it can use are:-
Document Title, Caption, Headline or CopyRight Info

http://www.scriptsrus.talktalk.net/PP.htm

[Michael_L_Hale]

Maybe I am missing something... If the data is in a spreadsheet to start with why not use that as your datasets?

[Guest]

what is want ot do is this;

I take photos at marathons thousands of photos.

I want to tag all my photos with the athletes race number (BIB) as meta data.

Then i get a spread sheet containing the race timings (BIB,Name,Age,Time,Place)

i want photoshop to check the meta data on the photo (BIB) and then match that BIB with the one in the speadsheet and incert all the other data like Name,Age,Time,Place on to the photo.

This is so i can create personalised participation certificates for the marathons.

Is this possible?

I think one way would be to rename each file to the BIB number and then use a speadsheet to tell photoshop to insert Name,Age,Time,Place onto file 001.jpeg  ; Name1,Age1,Time1,Place1 onto file 002.jpeg  etc.

[Michael_L_Hale]

Here is what I would do. In Bridge, or where ever you are matching the files to the BIB, just rename the file to match the BIB and don't use the metadata for this. Then in your spreadsheet program insert a new column. In that column have a formula that builds the path to the correct image file i.e. in Excel =CONCATENATE("~/desktop/race/",B1,".jpg") where B1 is the cell that hold the BIB number. Then your spreadsheet will have everything needed to use with data driven graphics.

I would only try to script this workflow if it turns out there is something you need to do that data driven graphics can't handle. Even then I would still set it up as datasets and let Photoshop do all the grunt work. Then the script only needs to tweak an images, apply the next set, tweak that image, etc

[Chuck Uebele]

Lot of good suggestions.  If you have a spread sheet that has some sort of key that can be picked up by each image such as filename or if you input a key from the database into one of your image's metadata field, then you can link the two and have PS do the grunt work.  By exporting you spreadsheet to a CRV file, you can then write a script to match the file with the record, providing you have a linking field.  Beside adding the spreadsheet info to your image, you can also have PS enter it into the metadata.