Make "File Date and Time" generation (Change #01093 Version 2020.4.2) optional

[akirot]

Along with my images I manage all according gpx files with IMatch.

The recent well-meant change doesn't only produce unnecessary write-backs but also creates xmp files for the gpx files.
This clutters my disk.

Please make this feature an option (similar to writing the preserved filename).

[Mario]

This change has been requested many, many times over the years.
And unless you write back, no XMP files are created. Not sure if GPX files really belong into IMatch.

Lets see how many other users are affected by this change and want yet another option. I think we have options enough already...

[akirot]

The gpx files belong into IMatch as they belong to my images - mainly travel photography. For years there is no image without GPS coordinates.
Since IMatch 3 I store them alongside the images.
In IMatch 5 I created a specific auxiliary file format for them using IMatch features aimed for that.

Keeping my files clean there (almost :-) ) never is an IMatch session left with pending metadata writeback.

The yellow pencil appears at the gpx files as soon as they are ingested - so there is no way to avoid write back (and xmp generation) if I want a tidy database.
(I assume other non image file types will be affected too - but did not test.)

By the way - I never had to (and never did) write back these files until the introduction of this feature.

The simplest option to get rid of this feature will do for me - as far as I can see there currently is no other configuration option available to accomplish this task.

[ColinIM]

I vote a strong +1 for akirot's Feature Request.

I also added a comment on this other post where akirot raised the same question:

Re: XMP sidecar creation for (almost) all filetypes
https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=10191.msg72600#msg72600

( .... )
(I assume other non image file types will be affected too - but did not test.)

Yes, regrettably in my opinion, other non-image file-types are also now getting XMP files added, including DxO Photolab's .DOP files for example.

By the way - I never had to (and never did) write back these files until the introduction of this feature.

Likewise.  I too was glad to be able to keep only the useful and meaningful metadata in sync between my database and my images, by frequently and routinely doing periodic Writebacks.

Please Mario consider a future option to let us avoid these (to me) useless 'Auxiliary' XMP files.

[hluxem]

+1

[Mario]

I have linked this to a new option (Edit > Preferences > Metadata 2: Mark file as pending write-back) and made this option off by default.
This restored the original behavior.

Although is it actually incorrect to update the XMP date created / date subject created without marking the file as pending write-back, I understand that this may be a nuisance for some users. So I restored the original behavior but allow users who want the file to be marked as pending to do so.

[ColinIM]

Thank you Mario!!

TL;DR ...

I could pick any one of a dozen 'superlatives' to describe your support and your responsiveness to Feature Requests ... but 'exceptional' was the first one that came to mind 

It's also 'rare', and although you can't please everyone every time, I've no doubt that most IMatch Users are grateful for your responsiveness.

[thrinn]

It's also 'rare', and although you can't please everyone every time, I've no doubt that most IMatch Users are grateful for your responsiveness.

I fully agree with you!

[akirot]

Thank you for implementing these options - they work perfectly!
I'm very happy as my disk is clean again now :-)