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Inspiring
July 17, 2010
Question

Understanding “Write XMP ID to Files on Import”

  • July 17, 2010
  • 1 reply
  • 32107 views

In PPro CS5,

Edit | Preferences | Media

There is the check box “Write XMP ID to Files on Import”

These are discussed in the CS5 help at

Rendering and previewing sequences

Adobe Media Encoder - Export and thin XMP metadata

Adobe Media Encoder may add metadata to source video files

The help says “Adobe video applications can automatically insert a unique document ID into each imported file.”

In which files does it insert the ID?

For example,

Does it insert it in the Preview files?

Does it insert it in the CFA files?

Does it modify the original source file such as the original AVI file?

(I don’t want my original AVI file modified in any way just as RAW photo files are never modified.)

Etc, Etc

Some of the threads like

   Premiere Creates New .CFA files every time I open the project

   See the comment by Adobe employee Wil Renczes

indicate that you should uncheck (disable) writing the XMP ID since every time you reopen PPro, it may regenerate the audio CPA files.

Is this a good idea?

What are the trade offs?

Adobe Media Encoder may add metadata to source video files

vaguely discusses some of the trade offs, but I am still unclear.

The other check box is

“Enable Clip and XMP Metadata Linking”

It is unclear which specific files are effected and what are the trade offs between enabling and disabling this.

Thanks in advance.

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    1 reply

    Todd_Kopriva
    Inspiring
    July 17, 2010

    The Write XMP ID To Files On Import option tells Premiere Pro to add a single piece of XMP metadata to the source file itself. This is basically a unique identifying number that can then be used by the various applications that understand XMP metadata to tell which file is being used where. So, yes, it does modify the source file. If you don't want that to happen, then make sure that this checkbox is unchecked.

    You refer to a post in which you say that Wil Renczes says that you should turn this option off to avoid regenerating media cache files. Wil was referring to a small number of cases in which a bug/misbehavior could be worked around. In general, having the XMP metadata ID in the file prevents redundant operations because---simply put---the applications know that this is the same file that they've seen and dealt with already.

    Regarding linking of clip and XMP metadata: Premiere Pro has had various kinds of metadata for a long time---long before we intriduced the XMP metadata platform acrosss several applications. Linking the clip and XMP metadata means that the clip metadata gets added to the XMP metadata, so these things are no longer separate.

    To put it a little differently, here's a quote from "Link clip data to XMP metadata":

    "In the Metadata panel, the Clip property value fields are internal. They reside in the Premiere Pro project file, and are readable by Premiere Pro alone. However, some of the property value fields in the Clip section have a link option box next to them. After you select the link option, Premiere Pro automatically enters the information that you enter into the Clip value field into a corresponding XMP field."

    Inspiring
    June 22, 2011

    I just came across this thread, and wanted to say thanks.

    you succinctly explained what i wanted to know.

    Thanks.

    Gala_Ur
    New Participant
    October 26, 2021

    Hi everyone, I'm working as assistant editor on a project and I have these 2 drives with almost the same footage that I have to mirror so tow people can work remote and simultaneously in the same project. The problem is that these 2 editors have previously worked with the footage in these drives and each one have diferente generated files. Drive A has .XMP files alongside the media and Drive B has .PEK, .CFA and .MXFINDEX files alongside the media. Is it save to get rid of any of these generated files, for example .PEK, .CFA and .MXFINDEX ?