Changing Metadata with Photo Mechanic breaks Lightroom XMP settings

[StephenKennedy]

Issue is with Canon .cr2 files.  Photo Mechanic version 4.5.3.1 Lightroom version 1.3 and 1.4 running on Mac OS 10.4.11 and 10.5.2.

Canon raw files are ingested by Photo Mechanic for renaming, editing, ranking and embedding of metadata.  Renamed files are then opened by Lightroom 1.3/1.4.  The raw images are then processed in Lightroom (color, tone, exposure) and saved.  The final step before closing Lightroom is to save the process settings as XMP sidecar files.  The sidecar files reside with the CR2 raw files in the same shoot folder.

The problem that I'm having occurs after all of this has taken place.  I have two naming schemes.  One for client work and one for internal use.  In my normal workflow I use Photo Mechanic to embed a unique file name as a custom setting in various fields on the IPTC stationary pad.  This also includes a custom copyright field that also includes the filename.  I do this in Photo Mechanic because it can't be done to my satisfaction in Lightroom.

The problem arises when take a folder of images that was processed in Lightroom and rename and "apply stationary pad to photos" to my other naming scheme. 

Here's the problem in a nutshell:  The "apply the IPTC stationary pad to photos" following renaming in Photo Mechaninc following Lightroom processing breaks the XMP settings.

When I try to use Photo Mechanic to rename the files that have been processed in Lightroom the saved process settings (XMP sidecar files) are not visible even though the XMP files are still in the duplicated shoot folder.  I think somewhere in the process of renaming and applying the stationary pad within Photo Mechanic, the XMP file is being damaged or rendered unreadable.  In short, after renaming .cr2 files in Photo Mechanic following an initial processing in Lightroom, all of the settings are lost when opened by Lightroom one more time in the new naming scheme.

I have tried various ways of duplicating the folder of finished images to make sure that I'm not causing the problem that way.  I have done a simple finder copy to the desktop and also exported the files from Lightroom and had the same results.

The reason that I have a "two-step" is the renaming and metadata capability in Lightroom is so weak.

Any suggestions?

[Kirk Baker]

Stephen,

Issue is with Canon .cr2 files.  Photo Mechanic version 4.5.3.1 Lightroom version 1.3 and 1.4 running on Mac OS 10.4.11 and 10.5.2.

Canon raw files are ingested by Photo Mechanic for renaming, editing, ranking and embedding of metadata.  Renamed files are then opened by Lightroom 1.3/1.4.  The raw images are then processed in Lightroom (color, tone, exposure) and saved.  The final step before closing Lightroom is to save the process settings as XMP sidecar files.  The sidecar files reside with the CR2 raw files in the same shoot folder.

The problem that I'm having occurs after all of this has taken place.  I have two naming schemes.  One for client work and one for internal use.  In my normal workflow I use Photo Mechanic to embed a unique file name as a custom setting in various fields on the IPTC stationary pad.  This also includes a custom copyright field that also includes the filename.  I do this in Photo Mechanic because it can't be done to my satisfaction in Lightroom.

The problem arises when take a folder of images that was processed in Lightroom and rename and "apply stationary pad to photos" to my other naming scheme. 

Here's the problem in a nutshell:  The "apply the IPTC stationary pad to photos" following renaming in Photo Mechaninc following Lightroom processing breaks the XMP settings.

When I try to use Photo Mechanic to rename the files that have been processed in Lightroom the saved process settings (XMP sidecar files) are not visible even though the XMP files are still in the duplicated shoot folder.  I think somewhere in the process of renaming and applying the stationary pad within Photo Mechanic, the XMP file is being damaged or rendered unreadable.  In short, after renaming .cr2 files in Photo Mechanic following an initial processing in Lightroom, all of the settings are lost when opened by Lightroom one more time in the new naming scheme.

I have tried various ways of duplicating the folder of finished images to make sure that I'm not causing the problem that way.  I have done a simple finder copy to the desktop and also exported the files from Lightroom and had the same results.

The reason that I have a "two-step" is the renaming and metadata capability in Lightroom is so weak.

Any suggestions?

Do you have Photo Mechanic set to embed IPTC4XMP into TIFF-based RAW files?  If so, you'll want to turn that feature off.  Adobe products do not work well with embedded XMP data in RAW files.  They read it and ignore XMP sidecar files and if the embedded data does not have the rendering settings, Adobe's products don't fall back and check the XMP sidecar file to see if it has the rendering settings.

You can use the "Revert TIFF-based RAW photos to original" on the Tools menu to strip out the IPTC4XMP embedded metadata from your CR2 files.

HTH,

-Kirk

[StephenKennedy]

-Turned "embed IPTC4XMP into TIFF-based RAW files" to off position (via tick box).
-Copied files via finder and also via Lightroom export to new folder.

Retried and no luck.

Then tried again, selected all images and applied "Revert TIFF-based RAW photos to original" on the Tools menu.

That worked.

Thanks Kirk.