Image ratings non following a pack&Go transfer

[dp7602]

Hi !
I use Pack&Go to transfer the database when I plan to use Imatch on my laptop.

My question is : why I don't find the ratings I set on my desktop after transfering the database to the laptop ? (and vice versa). I rewrite the xmp files after some changes like ratings, gps settings and so on.

Thanks for helping,

Pierre

[Mario]

Ratings are stored in the IMatch database and automatically travel with the database.
When you write back, the rating is stored inside the image file, in the XMP record. The data in the file and in the database is in-sync afterwards.

Do you maybe have different metadata in the images on both devices and then somehow cause a rescan of the images?
In that case, the metadata in the image will replace the metadata in the database, potentially wiping/replacing the rating and other data.

See also Metadata Settings for more information.

I rewrite the xmp files after some changes like ratings, gps settings and so on

?

[dp7602]

Thanks,

To be more precise, I backup the database using Pack&Go from the desktop to a hard drive, restore it from the backup on the laptop and vice versa when I'm back.
The photos are on the hard drive. The database is restored on desktop / laptop SSD drives.
I rescanned the drive on the laptop the last time.

Have you any idea where to look for in the metadata settings ?

Maybe it could be more convenient to put the database on the hard drive, with the inconvenient of loss of speed ?

Thanks for helping,
Pierre

[dp7602]

Quote

    I rewrite the xmp files after some changes like ratings, gps settings and so on

I meant : I write back the metadata after some changes like ratings, geotagging...

[Mario]

Have you any idea where to look for in the metadata settings ?

Did you click on the "Metadata Settings" link I have included in my reply? Did it not work?

I rescanned the drive on the laptop the last time.

When you rescan a folder, IMatch will re-import the metadata. If the metadata in the file has a different rating that your database, the rating in the database will be replaced.

This is the only way a rating can get lost. As I said, the rating is stored in the database and hence travels with the database. It cannot get lost, unless you rescan files and this overwrites the rating in the database. But this can usually not happen, if you keep the images on both computers in sync.

If you use the "same" set of images on both computers, but the images have different metadata content and you move the database back and forth, you may deal with different 'sources of truth'.
Example:

You have c:\images\beach.jpg on PC A.
The metadata in the file has no rating.
You give the file a rating of 5 in IMatch. The rating now exists only in the database.

You copy the database to PC B.
You have c:\images\beach.jpg on PC B, with no rating.
For some reason, IMatch now rescans the file. The rating 5 set on PC A is now replaced with the "no rating" imported from the image.
This is normal and how this is supposed to work.
Metadata Protection can prevent that but may cause problems when you also edit metadata in other applications. Read the help topic for details.

The proper solution of course would be to

a) Write back metadata to files on PC A
b) Copy these images to PC B
c) Copy the database.

This way you have only one set of metadata for each file and the file and the database are in-sync.

These comments assume that you are managing the same files on both computers.

[dp7602]

«Did you click on the "Metadata Settings" link I have included in my reply? Did it not work?»

The link works correctly but there are so many options to check that I was asking for a piece of advice.

Pierre

[Mario]

Press Ctrl+F in your browser and search for protection on that page.
The link I've given you pints directly at it.

To repeat: All this is not required when you not only keep your database in sync, but also your files.
Assuming that you manage the same files in the database on both computers (which should be the case, because otherwise this 'problem' would not happen).

[dp7602]

Hi !

Ok, I've just had a close look about where Pack&Go restores the files.
If I choose «restore in a different folder», say C:\Users\Pierre\Pictures\BDD-imatch, Pack & Go creates subfolders. I have : 
C:\Users\Pierre\Pictures\BDD-imatch\IMatch_20200916-2\Users\Pierre\Images\BDD-Imatch

The reason why I couldn't find the proper ratings is that I opened an old database file (the first imd5 I saw in the Pictures folder). Hence, I hadn't the latest ratings.

By the way, is there a way to restore the database file directly in C:\Users\Pierre\Pictures\BDD-imatch, for example, without all the other subfolders.

I tried copy (from the last subfolder) and paste the restored imd5 file in the Pictures folder and it works properly.

Maybe it's more simple to copy the md5 file on the laptop computer and back to the desktop when I'm back.

Thanks for your help.

Pierre

[Mario]

The reason why I couldn't find the proper ratings is that I opened an old database file (the first imd5 I saw in the Pictures folder). Hence, I hadn't the latest ratings.

This is why I asked above if you are opening the correct database.
You would not be the first user opening a database from somewhere and then being confused about the outcome.

Tip: The name and path of the database is always shown in the Info & Activity panel.

By the way, is there a way to restore the database file directly in C:\Users\Pierre\Pictures\BDD-imatch, for example, without all the other subfolders.

Please review Restore in the Pack & Go help.

Maybe it's more simple to copy the md5 file on the laptop computer and back to the desktop when I'm back.

The idea of Pack & Go is that it not only copies the database, but also configuration data, settings, presets and apps. Copying only the database may not be enough and you may lose changes done to presets, templates, configuration options, ...