External program modifies metadata. How to rectify conflicts?

[GrantRobertson]

OK, what if some external program modifies the metadata of a file that I have already indexed in IMatch? Worse, what if I actually want to keep some of that new metadata (incorporating it into the IMatch database) but restore other fields to what IMatch has in its database from before? Is there a way to do a side-by-side comparison and pick which fields I want to keep? If I rescan that file, will all of the new metadata overwrite what may already be in IMatch's database? Or will IMatch do a write-back and overwrite what that external program changed?

Even worse: Many programs are kinda lame when it comes to metadata and still write to the EXIF or IPTC fields, instead of the newer XMP fields, like IMatch does. How should I handle that?

I tried to find something in the online help, but couldn't find any mention of this situation.

[GrantRobertson]

Through a convoluted series of jumps from a Google search, I came back around full circle and found the new "Metadata Compare & Sync" app. However, it seems that this only compares the metadata of two files that are already indexed. So, is the best work around to simply make a copy of the modified file with the modified metadata and index that file separately. Then to run the app on those two copies of the same file?

[GrantRobertson]

So, is the best work around to simply make a copy of the modified file with the modified metadata and index that file separately. Then to run the app on those two copies of the same file?

I just tried this and finally figured out how to get it to work for me. But it is a bit of an unintuitive process because, you can't just only update the fields that you want to change. If you do that, then IMatch won't know you want to keep the fields you want to keep and it will allow the newly modified data from the file to overwrite the data in the database.

I did figure out a way to "fix things" after the fact by copying the modified file, indexing it separately by dragging and dropping just that copy onto the "Media & Folders" view, then running the "Metadata Compare & Sync" app...  TWICE.   It's a bit of a (OK, a totally) convoluted process. It's also pretty time consuming so... 

In the end, I decided it is much faster to simply make a copy of the file within IMatch before using that external program. Then you just simply have an untouched version of the file from which to copy the metadata that you want to keep, using the "Metadata Compare & Sync" app. Of course, you have to plan ahead and make sure to make a copy within IMatch, so you have that original metadata to copy back to the modified file later. 

So, the process is:

• Make a copy of the file that you want to modify in some external program, just in case it screws up your metadata. Make sure to make that copy using IMatch, so it is in the IMatch database.
• Edit that original file in the external program.
• Rescan the now modified file in IMatch. IMatch will then show the newly modified metadata in that newly modified file. 
• Select both the original file and the copy in IMatch and run the "Metadata Compare & Sync" app.
• Copy the metadata that you wanted to keep from the backup copy back to the modified original. Think of this as "restoring the metadata from the backup."
• Write-back that pending metadata back to the original file by clicking the pencil/pen icon on the thumbnail. 
• Now you can delete the backup copy.
• You may need to rescan the folder to get the blue-double-arrows to go away on the folder icon. 

OK, so it is still 7 or 8 steps. But at least they are pretty simple and straightforward.