ExifMeta3 Lightroom Plugin - Windows + Mac

Exif and camera-specific metadata for presentation in right-hand library panel, library filtering, and smart collection definition.

 

Note: ExifMeta comes with exiftool built-in to support Windows users, however it does not come with the exiftool app required to support Mac users. Mac users must download Phil Harvey's ExifTool from www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool and install it before using ExifMeta.

Featuring:

• Harnesses the power of Phil Harvey's ExifTool to bring all your photo metadata to Lightroom.
• Configurable metadata inclusion - take as much or as little as you like.
• Metadata configurator includes the ability to search, sort, filter, and hide uninteresting metadata.
• Self-modifying code, which is why you have to reload the plugin sometimes (although not nearly as much as with the previous version of ExifMeta).
• Works great with DevMeta - presently the only way to get structured DevMeta info display in the Library (right)side-panel.
• Works great with NxTooey - presently the only way to display NX2 generated metadata in Lightroom, including all NX2 edit adjustments.

 

System Requirements:

• Lightroom 3 (not compatible with Lightroom 2)
• Mac Users: Download and install Paul Harvey's ExifTool before using ExifMeta.

 

*** See the readme file after downloading for installation instructions and other notes.

 

ScreenShot #1 - Library Filter

 

ScreenShot #2 - Library Panel

 

ScreenShot #3 - Plugin Manager Configurator

 

ScreenShot #4 - Reload Prompt

ExifMeta uses adaptive code - which must be reloaded whenever it changes to accomodate changes in metadata inclusion.

 

Introducing ExifMeta...

ExifMeta uses exiftool to extract exif (and other) metadata from source files, and uses it to populate custom (plugin) metadata in Lightroom, for viewing in Library panel, or filtering in Library module, or specifying as criteria in smart collections.

ExifMeta will not modify your source files.

ExifMeta also acts as the tagset definer for all my (RC) plugins that have custom (plugin) metadata.

 

Definitions (for the purposes of ExifMeta)

Photo	Any image in the Lightroom catalog database, excluding videos, regardless of whether its a photograph in the strictest sense of the term, or not. Although every photo has a source file associated with it, for the purposes of ExifMeta, generally "photo" means "as represented by the Lightroom catalog database", as opposed to meaning "source file".
Custom (Plugin) Metadata	There are two kinds of Lightroom metadata: 1. Native 2. Custom (Plugin) Native is independent of any plugins you may have installed, custom is only available if corresponding plugin is installed, has metadata fields defined (and populated), and is enabled.
Update	The act of assuring ExifMeta's custom (plugin) metadata is up to date. Updates are initiated manually via the file menu, or automatically by virtue of auto-update settings in plugin manager. If no fields have been defined and committed, then no ExifMeta metadata will be present in Lightroom, even after a successful "update".
Commit	The act of commiting changes to ExifMeta's metadata or tagset field definitions. After commiting changes, all photos will be ripe for an update. However, the actual updating must be initiated manually via the file menu, unless one is satsified with the auto-updating option performance as enabled in plugin manager.
Tagset	From a user point of view, its the items in the dropdown list in the Lightroom metadata panel, to the left of the 'Metadata' section title. It defines which metdata is visible in the Metadata section. From a programming perspective, tagsets (custom ones that are not included with Lightroom natively) are defined by plugins. A tagset must define all items to be displayed. Thus, each plugin can not simply add their items to an existing tagset, nor can the user define tagsets to select cross-sections of custom metadata from various plugins. Because of this, and because I want the metadata of all my plugins plus Lightroom metadata as a single tagset, and because ExifMeta's metadata definitions are not pre-defined, ExifMeta was a shoe-in for defining the "all-encompassing" tagset(s). (not to be confused with metadata presets, which are for assigning the information contained in metadata presets to selected photo(s).
Exif Metadata	Generally means: all metadata in source files. But sometimes is restricted to those items having the 'EXIF' tag prefix. See exiftool documentation...

 

How to Use (see README file for installation instructions)

1. Export a test catalog if you are leary of turning ExifMeta loose on your working catalog(s).

2. Select a "representative sample" of photos and run a manual update (see file menu - plugin extras).

3. Visit the plugin manager and select some fields to include - consider enabling auto-update options too.

4. Click 'Commit'.

5. Run another update.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 to incorporate new items, or retire un-interesting items.

Hint: once you have the fields defined that you want, run ExifMeta on the entire catalog (e.g. overnight). So, no updating will need be done while you are working the next day(s)...

 

How To Ensure Fresh Metadata

Two ways:

1. Always update after import.
2. Enable auto-update options in plugin manager.

Reminder: you must commit some discovered fields in plugin manager before updating will reveal any metadata.

And, you must run an update to discover new fields!

 

Plugin Manager Configurator

 

ExifMeta General Settings

There is only one setting you can set:

• Number of metadata item rows: Make this as big as possible but so it still fits your monitor nicely - generally 10-15 for small monitors, 20-35 for bigger monitors.

The other two items are outputs:

• Database last commit change: Last time you committed new inclusions which resulted in a database change, i.e. last time the items included on the right library panel changed...
• New metadata items last update: ExifMeta now records which items are new when you do an update. I recommend either filtering for new items, or viewing log file after doing an update that identifies new items.

Recommended use: After setting number of row items, collapse it - the synopsis has everything else...

 

ExifMeta Metadata Selection

First row contains buttons for sorting - clicking a sort button will order rows in a prescribed fashion based on the data in the corresponding column. Clicking the same button twice doesn't do anything...

First column is for checking which metadata items are to be included in the library panel, library filters, and smart collection definitions. Sort button puts included items at the top.

Second column is for which metadata items are the most "interesting", where interest is defined by number of distinct values seen. Those with the most distinct values seen are placed at the top.

'Sort by Name' column puts rows in alphabetical order by name.

'Sort by ID' column puts rows in alphabetical order by ID.

Last column is for hiding - check box to hide item. Note: items are not hidden immediately. To hide checked items, click the 'Show Hidden' check box once or twice. Sort button puts unhidden items at the top.

The row just under the table of rows:

First checkbox (leftmost): Used to set or clear include flag for all metadata items being presented (i.e. not filtered out or hidden).

'Up' button: Scroll 1 row "up".

'Down' button: Scroll 1 row "down".

'Page Up' button: Scroll 1 page "up".

'Page Down' button: Scroll 1 page "down".

'Hide Boring Tags' button: Tags which have seen no more than 1 distinct value after updating gobs of photos can be considered boring. And in fact, one might consider them boring if they've only seen 2 or 3 distinct values. This button affords the opportunity to define boring and mark them for hiding in one fell swoop. Note: An especially useful thing to do first is to enter a '1', which won't actually hide anything, but will log the number of distinct values seen by each metadata item. (New items are excluded, since they haven't been given a chance to be boring yet...).

'Scroll-Pos': position of scroll index within the metadata. '1' is considered the top (all the way "up"). the / [number] indicates the index of the last item (all the way "down").

The rightmost checkbox is for setting or clearing the hide flag for all metadata items being presented.

The bottom row:
(from left to right)

'Not' checkbox: inverts the sense of the filter, excluding what would otherwise be included...

Filter Dropdown:

• Include - present only items to be included.
• New - present only items found last update.
• Interesting - present only items that have seen more than the specified number of distinct values.
• Name - present only items whose name contains the specified filter value, or that match it as regex.
• ID - present only items whose ID contains the specified filter value, or that match it as regex.
• No Filter - do not filter any items. What shows depends only on the 'Show Hidden' control.

Filter Value: a text substring used for Name and ID filters - maybe plain text or Lua reglular expression. Also used for number in cae of "Interesting" filter.

'Show Hidden' checkbox: Show hidden or not - can be clicked once or twice for newly hidden items to take effect.

'Commit' button - roll the included metadata items into a metadata definition and compute corresponding tagsets. You may have to restart afterward.

 

See Elare Plugin Framework page for settings and info common to all elare framework-based plugins

 

Configuration of Tagsets:

A standard feature of the Elare Preset Manager is to have plugin settings backed by a text configuration file. In the case of ExifMeta, all tagsets are defined in this Lua configuration backing file. Defining custom tagsets is considered "advanced", but is also quite doable if you have some technical aptitude - instructions are in the config file itself.

 

Please visit the ExifMeta forum:

• To offer feedback to me and other users.
• User-to-user support and discussions.
• Download link.
• Getting started info.
• (I also hang out there to help when I can...)

 

Click here to proceed to the ExifMeta Forum for downloading...