How to force reading metadata from xmp sidecar file into database.

[photomy]

Lightroom has a fairly intuitive option to force a writing of database/catalog metadata into the sidecar file, which IMatch5 also has.  However, I do not see next to this writeback menu option a force "read-from-file" to update the database/catalog when metadata changes have been made outside of IMatch5.  I like to keep all metadata changes in the database and in the files so that outside programs can also see.  This is is so simple I am sure I am just overlooking it.

Thanks, Tom

[photomy]

I think I figured my problem out.  I was attempting to clean out metadata using Photomechanic, however, in the process it was deleting the xmp sidecar file.  When IMatch5 was opened it was not reading this change into the  database because there was no xmp sidecar file to read from.  Instead, it was creating a new xmp sidecar file and writing old metadata from the database to it.

I assume that doing a rescan at the folder or file level will cause a read-from-file into database if changes have been made to the file from another program?

[Mario]

I'm not sure that I can follow.

1. IMatch automatically detects new and updated files in folders indexed by your database, including new or updated XMP files.
2. IMatch automatically rescans the modified or new image files.

When you work with file formats which use XMP sidecar files, IMatch will automatically detect changes done to the sidecar file (e.g. LR, CS), and reload the metadata from the sidecar file and the original image. It will not replace XMP data modified in IMatch in that process, unless you disable the protection.

If you delete a sidecar file in an external program (why? For what reason?), IMatch may be unable to incorporate this without a manual rescan. IMatch receives a "something in this folder has changed" message from Windows, but has no way to tell that an XMP file which existed and was linked to a RAW file now no longer exists. The RAW itself has not changed, and there is no XMP file file anymore which IMatch could check for an updated timestamp. A check for missing XMP files is not implemented because it was never needed. I never heart about a workflow where XMP files containing metadata are deleted deliberately.

If you really have that workflow or you use a software which deletes XMP sidecar files, just force IMatch to rescan the metadata using <Shift>+<Ctrl>+<F5>. See Advanced Rescan in the IMatch help for all details, or press <F1> when the dialog is open. You can also use the Rescan command from the context menu of the files / folders and hold down <Ctrl> when executing the command.

[photomy]

"I never heart about a workflow where XMP files containing metadata are deleted deliberately."

It is not my typical workflow, however, sometimes it is much faster to delete and re-create than attempt to clean out.  It is easy to add template metadata back afterwords in a new, clean xmp file.  I just forgot that the IM5 database cannot so easily be cleaned out once the xmp file is gone.

I will try your suggestions in the future.

[Mario]

I just forgot that the IM5 database cannot so easily be cleaned out once the xmp file is gone.

Nonsense. Force a reload of the metadata as I explained above, and all the data from the XMP file will be removed from the database. If this is what you mean with a "clean-out". Keep in mind that IMatch by default protects XMP data changed in the IMatch database but not yet written. You can disable this protection in the Metadata 2 options.

If you delete an XMP file in an external application, and then trigger a write back in IMatch (e.g. by clicking a pen icon in the MD panel to mark a tag as updated), IMatch creates pristine, MWG-conformant XMP file from scratch, using the existing EXIF, IPTC, GPS etc. metadata in your file. Could not been easier. I don't know what you do with  template metadata or whatever, but it is usually better to leave this to ExifTool.