Imatch is always writing metadata to files...

[Gregstah]

I've just started using iMatch5 and I'd love to say it's going swimmingly but it's not going well at all.

No sooner has iMatch5 completed "Writing Metadata" and finished indicating the queue is complete it starts up again... this never seems to stop running.

I've used Imatch3 for many years and it's been super stable. Imatch5 for me so far is anything but. It freezes for long moments totally destroying any productivity, sometimes it freezes outright. I love the new iMatch5 (in theory) but it's unusable. iMatch3 is still running and has no problems at all.

There are a number of files that I can't write metadata back to, these are files with keywords inserted by iMatch3

After an email with Mario I enabled immediate metadata writeback and optimized the database.

Here is some background:

• Database successfully converted from iMatch 3 - Took 27 hours! Longest operation I've ever had run on a pc :-)
• Cache folder for iMatch5 is totally new and default
• Database is optimzed
• Database file has a dedicated intel ssd
• Files are stored on freenas on a dell t20 Poweredge


• Write back metadata changes is enabled
• After enabling "immediate metadata write back" it took 16 hours to run then "complete" but it's still processing bits and pieces

Here is a link to the database diagnosis log and a few screenshots... I'd love to hear your thoughts.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xvsyu3mceul7dkf/AABaaUllt5nRitxZhoHa4gCia?dl=0


Holding thumbs I can get this working.

Thank you.

Greg.

[Mario]

Please attach the log file in Debug mode. See log file in the help for details.

IMatch reads a file and imports the metadata into the database.
This process may create new metadata (usually does) because IMatch imports existing IPTC, EXiF, GPS etc. metadata in your files into the XMP metadata record. IMatch then marks the file as pending, showing the pen icon in the file window. If you point the mouse cursor at the pen, which metadata tags are shown?

IMatch by default does not write-back files immediately, unless you enable the option under Edit > Preferences > Background Processing. Write-back is slow and it's usually better you do it only when needed.

An infinite write-back may be caused by a combination of options you have configured under Edit > Preferences > Metadata and E > P > Metadata 2, your thesaurus and the data already in your file.

For example, IMatch produces 'new' IPTC keywords because of your mapping/flatten rules, your thesaurus and your options.
Or, a file has IPTC data that needs to be updated, but IMatch is not allowed to because of your options.

To debug:

1. Disable background write-back under E > P > Background Processing.
2. Open the ExifTool Output Panel (<F9>,<O>)
3. Click the pen for one file to trigger write-back

Select the contents of the output panel, copy into a text file and attach. This will show us what IMatch is writing.

[Gregstah]

Hi Mario, here is the output of the exif tool manual write, this is after opening an image that has existing keywords in it. These keywords were applied using iMatch3 "CTRL-F11"

Automated metadata writeback is disabled and I haven't changed the settings in metadata2 from default.

Code Select Expand

-overwrite_original_in_place
-m
-use
MWG
-charset
ExifTool={PTETCHARSET}
-ex
-tagsfromfile
\\mediaserver\Imatch-files\images\Volume10\039 June 2014\2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust\Final\ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg
-@
C:\Program Files (x86)\photools.com\IMatch5\arg_files\exif2xmp.args
--Exif:rating
-@
C:\Program Files (x86)\photools.com\IMatch5\arg_files\iptc2xmp.args
-@
C:\Program Files (x86)\photools.com\IMatch5\arg_files\gps2xmp.args
-sep


-IPTC:Keywords=
-XMP-lr:HierarchicalSubject=
-XMP-dc:Subject=
-IPTC:Keywords=Mooi Troues
-IPTC:Keywords=Selected,Test
-XMP-lr:HierarchicalSubject=Mooi Troues
-XMP-lr:HierarchicalSubject=Selected,Test
-XMP-dc:Subject=Mooi Troues
-XMP-dc:Subject=Selected,Test
-XMP:CreatorTool=photools.com IMatch 5.3.0.10 (Windows)

-xmp:InstanceID=xmp.iid:70cd86ae-60ab-42d5-b067-09963b093b94

-XMP:MetadataDate=now
-XMP:ModifyDate=now
\\mediaserver\Imatch-files\images\Volume10\039 June 2014\2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust\Final\ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg
-execute
-overwrite_original_in_place
-m
-EXIF:ImageDescription=
-EXIF:Software=
-EXIF:Copyright=
-EXIF:Artist=
-EXIF:UserComment=
-IFD0:ModifyDate=
-IFD0:Rating=
-IFD0:ImageDescription=
-IFD0:Software=
-IFD0:Copyright=
-IFD0:Artist=
-IFD0:XPTitle=
-IFD0:XPComment=
-IFD0:XPAuthor=
-IFD0:XPKeywords=
-IFD0:XPSubject=
-IPTC:By-line=
-IPTC:Caption-Abstract=
-IPTC:CopyrightNotice=
-IPTC:Keywords=
-IPTC:ObjectName=
-IPTC:By-lineTitle=
-IPTC:Writer-Editor=
-IPTC:Category=
-IPTC:City=
-IPTC:Country-PrimaryLocationName=
-IPTC:Credit=
-IPTC:DateCreated=
-IPTC:TimeCreated=
-IPTC:Headline=
-IPTC:SpecialInstructions=
-IPTC:Source=
-IPTC:Province-State=
-IPTC:SupplementalCategories=
-IPTC:OriginalTransmissionReference=
-IPTC:Urgency=
-IPTC:Country-PrimaryLocationCode=
-IPTC:Sub-location=
-IPTC:DigitalCreationDate=
-IPTC:DigitalCreationTime=
-tagsfromfile
\\mediaserver\Imatch-files\images\Volume10\039 June 2014\2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust\Final\ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg
-@
C:\Program Files (x86)\photools.com\IMatch5\arg_files\xmp2exif.args
-@
C:\Program Files (x86)\photools.com\IMatch5\arg_files\xmp2iptc.args

\\mediaserver\Imatch-files\images\Volume10\039 June 2014\2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust\Final\ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg
-execute9999

    0 image files updated
    1 files weren't updated due to errors

    0 image files updated
    1 files weren't updated due to errors

----- Runtime: 6 s.
Warning: Not an integer for XMP-photoshop:Urgency - \\mediaserver\Imatch-files\images\Volume10\039 June 2014\2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust\Final\ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg
Error opening //mediaserver/Imatch-files/images/Volume10/039 June 2014/2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust/Final/ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg for writing
Warning: Error converting value for ExifIFD:SubSecTimeOriginal (ValueConvInv) - \\mediaserver\Imatch-files\images\Volume10\039 June 2014\2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust\Final\ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg
Error opening //mediaserver/Imatch-files/images/Volume10/039 June 2014/2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust/Final/ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg for writing


[Mario]

ExifTool reports

0 image files updated
1 files weren't updated due to errors

...

Error opening //mediaserver/Imatch-files/images/Volume10/039 June 2014/2014.10.18 Keri and Ivano - Vrede en Lust/Final/ivke_f_00384_blog.jpg for writing


The files are write-protected or the user under which you run IMatch has no write access to the files or the folder containing the files. Check your Windows / NAS security privileges.

[Gregstah]

Hi Mario, thank you for your patience... I also picked this up... I don't know why, all the permissions are granted in the right place (I thought) but after trying to write to a few random files and transferring to other test folders I realised this to be the case.

Sorry to have wasted your time.. I should have picked up on this!

Funny thing is I'm able to write to the folders make changes etc from within the windows share without problems... everytime I think I've managed to "get" permissions in linux I get proved wrong.

G

[wachovius]

Hi,

I am encountering a similar problem. The exit-tool console show this error

": Error converting value for ExifIFD:SubSecTime (ValueConvInv) - D:\Bilder\2005\2005_Mollseifen\20050703\D70_20060912_3114.jpg"

several times. How can I correct the metadata to prevent IMatch from permanently writing metadata.

Thanks,

Markus

[Mario]

This message is normal. It's just an info that your files don't contain millisecond timestamp information. Most files don't have that. It's a warning, jus the "Error" comment is misleading.

You did not provide any info about what IMatch is writing, why it fails, why IMatch is rewriting the data again etc. file format, what changes you did to cause the problem etc. Please see this and other threads about ways to find this out. Then we know enough to help you.

[MyMatch]

I would like to append my question, as i am not sure if i correctly understood.

Is IMatch 5.5 by default writing something (MetaData?) to any and all managed files, esp. image files?

If that should be true (i realy hope, that this is not the case), can this behavior be disabled?

I realy don´t want anything to write to my files!


I just ask, as i hope that i misunderstood ;-)

[MyMatch]

My try to convert a IMatch 3 database to 5.5 is just starting with "Importing Metadata from files" and it is still estimating the time required.

I think, i will abort this for now - fearing that this process my write to my files.

[Mario]

Is IMatch 5.5 by default writing something (MetaData?) to any and all managed files, esp. image files?

This is all explained in the IMatch help system in great detail. Search the help index for metadata or write-back. Let us know when you still have detail questions after reading this information.

When you want us to help you with anything, it's a good idea to attach a zipped copy of the log files. The database converter produces several log files (all explained in the help for the database converter, just press <F1>. We don't even know if you are converting a 20,000 files or 400,000 files database. If your files are on a local SSD (fast) or a remote NAS (slow). The more details you provide about your problem, the better we'll be able to help.