Write IPTC...

[cytochrome]

I am sorry for this question cause I know Mario is weary of IPTC.

In an answer to DigPeter (https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=3543.0) Mario writes:

4. If there are no IPTC tags, check if "create IPTC" is set.
5. If yes, write IPTC.

What happens if the user has checked, in the file format section of metadata2, "Write IPTC" = NO ?

Will IM create IPTC from the xmp equivalent?

If no, should IM not set automatically Write IPTC to Yes whenever the user allows to create IPTC/Exif/GPS ?

Or maybe (probably) I missed something?

Francis

[DigPeter]

I am sorry for this question cause I know Mario is weary of IPTC.

In an answer to DigPeter (https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=3543.0) Mario writes:

4. If there are no IPTC tags, check if "create IPTC" is set.
5. If yes, write IPTC.

What happens if the user has checked, in the file format section of metadata2, "Write IPTC" = NO ?

Existing IPTC is not changed.  As I read it, Mario's logic sequence stems from the initial question "1. Is IPTC write enabled for the format?"  If this is not enabled, a different path is followed. 

Will IM create IPTC from the xmp equivalent?

If no, should IM not set automatically Write IPTC to Yes whenever the user allows to create IPTC/Exif/GPS ?

Or maybe (probably) I missed something?Francis

I think steps 4. & 5. mean that  IPTC tags in this branch of the logic will only be written if there is already legacy IPTC present, unless "Allow Create IPTC/EXIF/GPS" is checked, in which case IPTC data will be created from your existing  XMP data. 

If you have not seen it, this is explained in the "Customizing File Formats" section of the Metadata 2 Help topic.

[cytochrome]

Mario's explanation stats with 1. Is IPTC write enabled for the format?

My question was

1. Is IPTC write not enabled for the format?
...
4. If there are no IPTC tags, check if "create IPTC" is set.
5. If yes, write IPTC.

What decision does IM make when the user does not allow writing IPTC but checks Allow creation etc...

Francis

[Ferdinand]

I don't see the harm in writing IPTC, at least for JPGs and your images are mostly JPGs, aren't they?

I think the only real issue with telling IMatch not to write IPTC is what happens when you edit images that already have IPTC?  You risk the XMP and IPTC being out of sync.  So if you go this route you'd want to strip IPTC from all images and not use any other software, e.g. LR, that might put it in there.

[DigPeter]

Mario's explanation stats with 1. Is IPTC write enabled for the format?

My question was

1. Is IPTC write not enabled for the format?
...
4. If there are no IPTC tags, check if "create IPTC" is set.
5. If yes, write IPTC.

What decision does IM make when the user does not allow writing IPTC but checks Allow creation etc...

Francis

In that case a different logic path is followed, which in fact ends there as no IPTC is written, by definition.  I agree with Ferdinand.  I have files both with and without IPTC (I use Lightroom for editing and conversion, which automatically produces IPTC rather than XMP for reasons I do not understand) .  Although I do not require IPTC data, I would not like them be out of synch with XMP.

[cytochrome]

My question was out of curiosity.

I have no problem at all with IPTC, I embed them in the raw since 10 years, and the JPG inherit them. I let IM  write to IPTC and Exif and I allow creation of IPTC/Exif. This works.

But I see people disabling IPTC and Exif writing and having problems. When for example Description or Headline creep back after having been deleted the cause is often that Exif/Iptc writing is set to NO.

Francis

[Ferdinand]

There isn't a general problem in my view, but there can be problems in specific instances. 

One instance was when the camera (a Konica?) had embedded information in a certain field.  Some recent Nikons (D4?) allow you to populate IPTC in-camera.  The other instance was when previously used software had populated the EXIF ImageDescription field as well as the IPTC/XMP Caption/Description field. 

But these are specific instances.  Fact is, there are issues in trying to switch to a no-IPTC workflow if your images already have IPTC, and no harm in putting it in there. 

That last comment was primarily about standard file formats (JPG, TIFF).  I used to embed IPTC in NEF as well, largely because IMatch 3.x was very IPTC-centric and it was hard to run an xmp-only-and-don't-touch-the-RAW-file workflow.  But you can in IMatch 5 and I find it a simpler and faster workflow.  But not if your images already have IPTC.