How to recognize .nef.xmp sidecars

[kohlhoff]

Hi,
I would like to work with Darktable. It creates sidecars of the type {filename}.xmp, e.g. for 'picture.nef' the metadata are stored in the file 'picture.nef.xmp'. Imatch doesn't recognize them. When I rename them to 'picture.xmp' they are recognized correctly. I tried out the buddy file relation  \.(nef)$ (master) to ^{filename}.(xmp)$ (link). According to the syntax test it works but still doesn't recognize the sidecars.
Any hint?

regards,
Markus

[lenmerkel]

You need to 'escape' the dot in your link expression with a backslash: ^{filename}\.(xmp)$

[kohlhoff]

thanx for reply but still doesn't recognize the xmp-data.

[lenmerkel]

Hmmm, try something similar to this relation then - it's what I use to buddy 'XXX1234.pef.dop' to 'XXX123.pef'. It's the same principle as yours, just different extensions.

Master: \.(pef)$
Link: ^{name}\.(pef\.dop)$

So, you would use:

Master: \.(nef)$
Link: ^{name}\.(nef\.xmp)$

[Mario]

This has nothing to do with file relations.

By definition, the sidecar XMP file must use the same name as the corresponding image file:

ABC.NEF => ABC.XMP

IMatch does not look in other files for XMP data.

[Ferdinand]

Aftershot Pro and Bibble 5 do something similar.  It's not a smart move to name sidecars like this IMHO, and I'm disappointed to see that another program does it as well.  In any case, here is my link expression for NEF buddy files and it passes the test.

Master:  \.(nef|nrw)$
Replacement:  ^_*//
Link:    ^(_*{name})[+\-_]*[0-9|a-z]*\.(jpg|jpeg|dng|nef\.dxo|nef\.bib|nef\.xmp|nef\.pp2)$

It's my recollection that Mario had to introduce a lot of code hacks to get this to work.

p.s.  this is just for buddy file definitions.  As per Mario's post, of course IMatch doesn't read their contents, which only contain ASP & B5 edit settings.  ASP & B5 can also write out standard XMP sidecars upon request, and IMatch reads these no problem, as they're standard XMP sidecars.

[cytochrome]

I would make a copy of your 'picture.nef.xmp' and rename them to 'picture.xmp' so Darktable has still  the xmp it can read and IM and other programs can read the metadata in a classical xmp sidecar.

I use ASP and the buddy file definitions outlined by Ferdinand (|nef\.xmp|rw2\.xmp|nmrw\.xmp because I have also Panasonic and Minola raw files). Idem for DxO !! These are really silly and careless naming schemes

Francis

[kohlhoff]

Thus, there seems to be no chance to get these .nef.xmp-files interpreted by imatch. Maybe, the Darktable developers will fix it some day by changing to xmp-standard naming. Thank you all.
regards, Markus

[Ferdinand]

Are you saying that Darktable names its normal XMP files this way?  That's crazy!  Personally the way that Adobe set this up is not very clever; I think ASP & B5 using file.nef.xmp instead of file.nef.xml or file.nef.bib (as Bibble 4 used to) is worse; and I think that Photo Ninja storing its settings in the normal file.xmp file so that LR can wipe them and you need a backup copy in a subfolder is courageous and doing it the hard way; but Darktable wins the prize.