HEIC and XMP sidecar files doesn't work for CaptureOne

[rcohn]

Hello,

It may be a a preference setting that I inadvertently changed, but I can't find it. Photo Mechanic used to embed metadata and not write XMP side car files. In fact I found a post from 2021 which stated specifically that PM doesn't create side car files for HEICs for a reason. https://forums.camerabits.com/index.php?topic=14145.msg70058#msg70058

I looked back and in 2023 (Maybe later) PM was not creating side car files. Now it is.

This is a problem because CaptureOne does not look at side car files for HEIC. CaptureOne output from my HEICs used to include the PM written metadata. Now it doesn't.

I am hoping there is simple solution such as a preference where metadata will either be only written directly to the HEIC files or both embedded and also written to a side car file.

In case this is caused by an update: PhotoMechanic 6.0, build 7285 (fb3e520), CaptureOne 16.6.6.9. MacBook Pro 16" 2021, Apple M1 Pro. MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1

I'm hoping there is a simple solution that has eluded me.

Thank you.

[Kirk Baker]

PM 6 (and PM 2025) write XMP inside HEIC files.

I'd like sample files please.  Both the HEIC file and the XMP sidecar file.  Use the 'Attachments and other options' link when you're composing your reply to this message and there you'll be able to upload your HEIC and XMP files.

I'd also like to see your Photo Mechanic log.  In Photo Mechanic go to the Help menu and choose "Reveal Support Data..." and moments later a Finder window will come forward with the zipped log file selected.  Use the 'Attachments and other options' link when you're composing your reply to this message and there you'll be able to upload your zipped PM log file.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[rcohn]

Kirk, thanks so much.

I have attached the log file, plus one HEIC with the XMP side car file. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,
Ric Cohn

[ahoward]

Kirk, thanks so much.

I have attached the log file, plus one HEIC with the XMP side car file. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,
Ric Cohn

I'm not seeing a log file in the attachments.

I'm also not able to reproduce the issue with that .heic file. Nothing I can do in Photo Mechanic will have it create an XMP file and there's a bunch of metadata embedded in the file (star rating, a caption, your contact info). The only metadata in the XMP file itself is GPS data and a creation date, so if Capture One isn't finding metadata like the caption, its not because its not reading the XMP sidecar file.

If you unpair the XMP file from the HEIC file (rename one of them), what action can you take in Photo Mechanic that makes it produce a new XMP?

[dennis]

I separated the HEIC file from the XMP and all the metadata is in the HEIC. This includes Photo Mechanic namespace fields which of course will (or should) only be written by Photo Mechanic.

I think the XMP sidecar file is from C1.

I updated the file in PM (not legacy PM) and it updates the metadata without any problem and there is no XMP sidecar created.

There is no problem with PM.

--dennis

[dennis]

BTW - I would be surprised if Capture One could modify IPTC etc metadata for an HEIC without doing this in a sidecar file. I think C1 will leave the file unmodified.

What happens in this case: 1) edit metadata in PM; then 2) edit photo in Capture One, there will be an XMP sidecar.

When PM finds an XMP sidecar paired with an HEIC, PM will compare the modification times of the HEIC and the XMP sidecar. If the sidecar has a more recent modification date, the assumption is that this has all the updated XMP, and that will be loaded instead of from the XMP embedded in the XMP.

HOWEVER, when PM then saves out new modified metadata (e.g. just changing rating), PM should delete the XMP sidecar file because it isn't necessary.

--dennis

[rcohn]

Thank you for all of these responses! Using this information, I believe I have documented to CaptureOne that the problem is with that program.

Just FYI

I changed the view options to "Unknown files as proxies" so the XMP sidecar files show. I was able to confirm that deleting them has no effect in Photo Mechanic. I also opened one using TextEdit and indeed can see there is no PM added metadata.

After much testing, I closed Photo Mechanic (to prove it has not effect) and opened CaptureOne and navigated to the folder of images. It immediately generated the XMP files.

CaptureOne tech support had denied their program behaves this way. I have send them this information. I suspect a bug introduced in a recent CaptureOne update.

I hadn't noticed this before because I often use the "raw" iPhone picture format that creates DNG files which don't exhibit this problem.

Thanks again,
Ric