Metadata2 -> Allow creation of XMP files - why disabled?

[Hubert]

Hi,

In the settings "Metadata 2" tab, the option under "XMP Export" shows: "Allow creation of XMP files (disabled)" set to Yes.

Why does it print "disabled" here, and how could it be "enabled" again?

Right now it doesn't make any difference if there is Yes or No selected in this field:
For file types where no xmp data can be embedded and which do not show therefore the option "XMP sidecar file" at all in the file type configuration, Imatch doesn't create an xmp sidecar when i try to write back the metadata. It displays an error instead. There is nothing in the exiftool output panel, but the imatch5.log shows:

PTMetabase::Write-back Cannot create XMP for unsupported file C:\Temp\ImatchTest\20060325-1536_MOV03138_v_o.MPG  'PTMetabase.cpp(7425)'

I noticed this behaviour for exampel with MPG or MTS video files.

As a workaround: If i manually create an empty file e.g. C:\Temp\ImatchTest\20060325-1536_MOV03138_v_o.xmp and start the write-back again, then the error is gone, and i see ExifTool output. It adds then to this xmp file the expected xmp data.

So why doesn't it create the sidecar file then by itself? Why is the configuraiton option that seems to control this disabled?

For other video file formats like MOV or MP4 i noticed that it creates the xmp sidecar file by itself. For these formats the file type configuration dialog shows the line "XMP sidecar file" which is configured by default settings to "Standard". So seems like ExifTool then decides that the standard for this is to create side car files.

Best Regards,
  Hubert Karl

[Mario]

Why does it print "disabled" here, and how could it be "enabled" again?

This feature has been disabled quite some time ago. It was part of the initial versions of IMatch, but not allowing IMatch to create XMP files makes no sense. It needs to store the XMP data somewhere when you write-back. It's now always on.

The problem with M2TS files is rather a faulty detection logic in IMatch (a bug).
Even when ExifTool reports that it cannot write to a specific file format (M2TS in this case) if of course always can write to an XMP file (unless the XMP file already exists and is read-only).
The check for an existing XMP file and it's read-only state is what causes the problem. It fails to handle the situation of a non-existing XMP file wrong. And this is why you see the error message.

I have fixed that for IMatch 5.7.4 (next release).
Thanks for bringing this to my attention:

[Hubert]

Thanks a lot for your quick reply and for fixing this issue within the next release.

I'm wondering why the "Allow creation of XMP files" option is still shown in GUI at all when it doesn't have a meaning anymore?
Already thought that the version history could explain the "disabled" there. But unfortunately the old Release Notes are not really good searchable. I like the new Release Notes format on webpage a lot. Thanks for that!