Author Topic: write to Exif fields doesn't seem to be working  (Read 2853 times)

Offline carlseibert

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write to Exif fields doesn't seem to be working
« on: February 13, 2018, 03:43:11 PM »
Hi,

I thought I hadn't dreamed this:
"Version 5.0 Build 19094

Both:...

• PM now defaults IPTC record caption, byline, and copyright to Exif description, artist, and copyright respectively."

I'm using 5.0/19094 for Mac and this functionality (which is a good idea because of the foibles of certain unnamed Microsoft products, BTW) doesn't seem to be happening.

To reproduce: Start with a blank file. Write values to those fields in the IPTC Editor dialog. Look at file in ExifTool. Nothing appears in the related Exif fields. (For me, anyway.) See attached file.

Cheers.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: write to Exif fields doesn't seem to be working
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2018, 09:20:11 PM »
• PM now defaults IPTC record caption, byline, and copyright to Exif description, artist, and copyright respectively."

I'm sorry that wasn't more clear.  What it means is that when the IPTC record's caption, byline, and copyright fields are empty or non-existent, then PM will read the Exif description, artist, and copyright tags and pre-populate the respective fields in the IPTC record.

PM doesn't in general write to Exif.

-Kirk

Offline carlseibert

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Re: write to Exif fields doesn't seem to be working
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2018, 12:34:58 PM »
Oh. OK. That makes sense. And, I guess it follows the Metadata Working Group guidance, as far as it goes.

I agree that writing to Exif is a slippery slope. It just doesn't seem quite right somehow.

But ------ Wherever an application may read IPTC information, in my opinion, it's important to write it consistently to all the data blocks. Otherwise, we end up with a file with out-of-sync data. The three fields in Exif may continue to say "Sam", while the IIM and XMP fields may (presumably correctly) say "Joe". Then a user of software that (stupidly, in my opinion, but arguably in compliance with the MWG guidelines - sheesh) reads exclusively or prefers the Exif will see incorrect data.

And we all know that the software that does that happens to be the most common desktop software in the world. Which doesn't make me happy at all. My sympathies are totally with you. But it is what it is.

So, IMHO, I think you should overwrite those fields with whatever the user leaves or puts in them when they edit in Photo Mechanic.

-Carl