How do I add copyright to a file on import into IMatch

[Stevef48]

At present I'm using Lightroom to import files from cameras. This places them into the correct folder and adds copyright data.
When IMatch reads those images it isn't picking up the copyright. I assume that there are several places in metadata that can hold Copyright data and the two programs use different ones.
Can I tell IMatch to add copyright data to every file that it ingests? If so how?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[Mario]

1. Make sure Lr has written the modified metadata.
It keeps modified metadata in the catalog only by default. And this makes it invisible for other applications like IMatch.

Tip: Read the Using Adobe Lightroom® and IMatch together article in the IMatch knowledge-base.

2. Whatever you mean by 'Copyright'. There are several tags possible, but the standard would be the XMP::dc\rights\Rights in the Dublin Core namespace, which usually works together with the "Copyright Url", the "Marked" tag and "Usage terms".

All these tags are visible in the Default layout in the Metadata Panel in IMatch.

3. Just run a Metadata Template on import.
Create a Metadata Template that fills all the tags you want (very flexible, full support for variables) and then configure it in the Indexing options.

This allows you to run templates for new and/or updated files, and additional templates for files marked as read-only in-camera (a common trick among photographers to tag keepers immediately in-camera).

Using the indexing options also allows you to add files to categories and/or collections, among other things.
You will find that what IMatch offers in this area is way beyond what Lr does.

You seem to be new to IMatch. I can only recommend to read all the topics in the The 'Did You Know?'' App.
You will find tons of tips and tricks there to improve your workflow and get things done fast and automatically.

This app is opened by default in a separate app panel. If not, you can open it from the App Manager.

[Stevef48]

1. Make sure Lr has written the modified metadata.
It keeps modified metadata in the catalog only by default. And this makes it invisible for other applications like IMatch. I'm reluctant to do this, because then I seem to be in an endless loop. LR Modifies, IMatch spends hours reading Metadata, LR says there's a metadata conflict... IMatch only read the xmp file data, so LR isn't putting it in the jpegs. What I need is an app to read the xmp for the raw file and ensure the JPEG has the same information.

Tip: Read the Using Adobe Lightroom® and IMatch together article in the IMatch knowledge-base. Did that, see first comment

2. Whatever you mean by 'Copyright'. There are several tags possible, but the standard would be the XMP::dc\rights\Rights in the Dublin Core namespace, which usually works together with the "Copyright Url", the "Marked" tag and "Usage terms". I seldom share my images, but would like people to know that they are mine, so what you suggest seems reasonable.

All these tags are visible in the Default layout in the Metadata Panel in IMatch.

3. Just run a Metadata Template on import.
Create a Metadata Template that fills all the tags you want (very flexible, full support for variables) and then configure it in the Indexing options.

This allows you to run templates for new and/or updated files, and additional templates for files marked as read-only in-camera (a common trick among photographers to tag keepers immediately in-camera).

Using the indexing options also allows you to add files to categories and/or collections, among other things.
You will find that what IMatch offers in this area is way beyond what Lr does.

You seem to be new to IMatch. I can only recommend to read all the topics in the The 'Did You Know?'' App.I've owned and used IMatch for many years, but never bothered with the complexities. I used to be able to program it, but that is now beyond my knowledge. I wrote a simple program try to extract the names of files with date issues from a debug log, but the data it read from the Log was incomprehensible. It seems that logs aren't ANSI. You only have to see the number of questions I've raised over the last month, or so.
You will find tons of tips and tricks there to improve your workflow and get things done fast and automatically. I want to stop using LR, but there are so many issues with my files that it's proving difficult to solely use IMatch. e.g. I thought that I'd applied copyright to about 5,000 files, but when I triggered Metadata Writeback it all disappeared.
When you're waist high in alligators it's difficult to remember your prime objective was to clear the swamp .

This app is opened by default in a separate app panel. If not, you can open it from the App Manager.

[Stevef48]

I selected 10 files. None of them showed copyright data, so I instructed LR to save metadata for the 10 files. The 5 raw images in this selection showed copyright data in the Default layout in the Metadata Panel in IMatch, the JPEGs did not.
I modified the Metadata Template as you suggested and ran it whilst the 10 files were selected. Each image showed a pencil, so I triggered the Writeback Metadata command for all of them.
Now the JPEGs show copyright data and the RAW images are blank.
What did I do wrong?
Steve

[Mario]

No need to quote all posts in your replies. Only you and I are discussing in your threads.

I'm not exactly sure what you are doing.

When Lr reports a conflict it tells you that files have been updated by an external application (IMatch I guess?) and that it has outdated metadata in the catalog and needs to reload the metadata. A conflict means that lr thinks that data modified by it has also been modified by the other app. But this is all explained in the massively good Lightroom help at Adobe.com. I recommend to read the details there.

IMatch writes metadata for RAW files into the RAW file (EXIF, GPS, legacy IPTC where needed) and XMP data into the XMP sidecar file.
Metadata for JPEG is always embedded in the JPEG, this is standard.

This usually just works, if you let IMatch write back data and let Lr re-import the modified metadata (else you will have outdated data in your catalog). You need to explicitly tell Lr that. And also that it must write modified metadata into your files and not only in your catalog - unreachable for other applications.

Also keep an eye on the metadata protection features in IMatch, which prevent your metadata from being overwritten by other applications accidentally.
See

I think I have given you these links multiple times already, but here it is again:

Metadata Storage

Have you read the "Lr & IMatch" article I linked to above?
It explains how to ensure that Lr sees the metadata written by IMatch and vice-versa. And how you have to configure Lr.

Keep in mind that Adobe applications are not cooperative. They can easily wipe out metadata written by other applications.  And it has become worse since they start to upload your stuff into their cloud in the background...


Since XMP has not been written to be a cooperation metadata format I recommend to update metadata only in one application (IMatch). Not mix and merge metadata all the time between Adobe software and other software. This will cause issues. Adobe does not design their applications to be cooperative. This is not in their business interest.

You can always see the actual metadata contained in your file via the The Metadata Analyst in IMatch.
This allows you to see in one second if and which data IMatch has written or Lr. And if your files really contain the data you think they contain.

e.g. I thought that I'd applied copyright to about 5,000 files, but when I triggered Metadata Writeback it all disappeared.

IMatch embeds metadata in your files via ExifTool. I don't see how this data can just disappear.

You can even see the instructions IMatch is sending to ExifTool and which tags are filled with which contents in the ExifTool output panel. The standard Copyright IMatch maintains for your files goes into the XMP metadata record. Which is either embedded in the image (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PSD) or stored in a separate sidecar file with the .XMP extension.

If you can reproduce this effect for one file, we can analyze this further.

[thrinn]

I wrote a simple program try to extract the names of files with date issues from a debug log, but the data it read from the Log was incomprehensible. It seems that logs aren't ANSI.

Log files use standard Unicode encoding. But all current editors and programs should be able to read UTF. ANSI is a bit outdated...