FIGURED OUT ISSUE .nksc Nikon edit files with Nikon .nef files when moved.

[photomy]

If I happen to move a Nikon .nef raw file that has been edited in Capture NX-D or ViewNx-i, a special sidecar file is created holding these edits.   AND, they are stored in a dedicated sub-folder called NKSC_PARAM.

I see all of the options in File Relations/Buddy Files and it seems there should be a way to keep these organized with the .nef raw file within IMatch5 but I am not sure quite how to do it.  Especially the discussion regarding folder patterns is very confusing to me.  IMatch5 would need to create a subfolder called NKSC_PARAM (if not already there) and but the edit sidecar file into this subfolder.

Any Nikon users figured this out yet?

I wanted to add that the actual file ending is:  filename.nef.nksc

OK, I figured it out within the File Relations Preferences.  Looking at the existing NEF Buddy Files link expressions - there is a nks extension which I am not sure helps much and not sure what it is which confused me.  Instead of, or adding to, the various extensions use: |nef\.nksc|  AND Master Folder, and Direction of Down 1 level.  Works beautifully!  And even creates new NKSC_PARAM subfolder when needed automatically.

[Mario]

Good to hear that you've got it solved.
Frankly, proprietary sidecar files are always a pita, especially when they also require sub-folders.

People break such layouts easily because they forget about this when they copy files around in Windows Explorer, their backup may skip the sidecar file etc. Always better to keep things in the same folder.
Luckily, we have IMatch who is capable to handle this. Not many DAM systems out there do.

there is a nks extension which I am not sure helps much and not sure what it is which confused me.

The default buddy file expression considers the following extensions:

.nks
.jpg
.jpeg
.dng
.nef.dxo
.nef.bib
.nef.dop

let me know which schema Nikon now cooked up. Do they use .nef.nks as the extension now? And sub-folders? This will be hard to cover in a standard rule, because it will not grab schemes Nikon used in previous products...

[photomy]

Yes the edit file is:  "filename".nef.nksc

The following works well including automatic creation of correct subfolder name that the file moved out of when needed.

|nef\.nksc| as a buddy file relation AND search in Master Folder with Direction = Down 1 level.

This new edit file has been around almost 3 years now and is the default for the Nikon raw processing software.  Similar to how Silkypix puts special edit files in one folder to keep things neater.  These particular sidecar files are almost worthless for metadata because no other programs can read the files, but this works fine along with .xmp files for the metadata.  The trend seems to be to NOT touch original raw files during editing and since Adobe populates the .xmp files with edit commands, this seems to be the only way to avoid excess clutter.

Capture One, does the same thing but creates several sub-folders up to 3 layers down.

[Mario]

I will add .nef.nksc to the default settings (this will not affect existing installations or databases).