Closed: More Capture NX2 and PhotoMechanic label/rating issues

[Hayo Baan]

Using the latest beta (4.5.3.2b6) on my Mac Pro (10.5.4) together with Nikon Capture NX2, I've run into two issues with the labelling and rating system used by both.  I can reproduce the following cases (colour classes use a matching scheme, of course):

Label/Colour Class issue
Take image with label and rating set in PhotoMechanic.  Good thing is, NX2 sees both the label and the rating correctly!
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to something else.  This change gets through to PM all right.
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to none.  Suddenly the colour class in PM is the one we started-out with. This is wrong.
Note: Not performing the first bit doesn't matter; setting the class to none does not get reflected in either case.
Note: If the colour class has not been set by PM to something other than none, the updates in NX2 get through  fine.

Rating issue
Ratings have a similar issue.
* Change the rating in NX2, change comes through fine in PM.
* Change the rating in PM to something else (not none), this change comes through fine in NX2.
* Change the rating to none in PM.  Now the change does not come through in NX2, it reverts back to what you set it to in NX2 in the first place.
Note: not performing the second step has no influence on the problem; setting the rating to none in PM does not get through to NX2.
Note: I think this problem has to do with the "Rating Percent" field in the XMP written by NX2, but not understood/updated by PM.

Hope this helps you to solve these (minor) issues.  If you have further questions, or want me to perform some more tests, please just give me a shout 

[Kirk Baker]

Hayo,

Using the latest beta (4.5.3.2b6) on my Mac Pro (10.5.4) together with Nikon Capture NX2, I've run into two issues with the labelling and rating system used by both.  I can reproduce the following cases (colour classes use a matching scheme, of course):

Label/Colour Class issue
Take image with label and rating set in PhotoMechanic.  Good thing is, NX2 sees both the label and the rating correctly!
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to something else.  This change gets through to PM all right.
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to none.  Suddenly the colour class in PM is the one we started-out with. This is wrong.
Note: Not performing the first bit doesn't matter; setting the class to none does not get reflected in either case.
Note: If the colour class has not been set by PM to something other than none, the updates in NX2 get through  fine.

Rating issue
Ratings have a similar issue.
* Change the rating in NX2, change comes through fine in PM.
* Change the rating in PM to something else (not none), this change comes through fine in NX2.
* Change the rating to none in PM.  Now the change does not come through in NX2, it reverts back to what you set it to in NX2 in the first place.
Note: not performing the second step has no influence on the problem; setting the rating to none in PM does not get through to NX2.
Note: I think this problem has to do with the "Rating Percent" field in the XMP written by NX2, but not understood/updated by PM.

Do you have PM set to synchronize the IPTC/XMP Urgency field with the Color Class?  It is a checkbox in the General tab of the Preferences dialog.  Also, are you embedding IPTC4XMP in your TIFF-based RAW files?

-Kirk

[Hayo Baan]

Using the latest beta (4.5.3.2b6) on my Mac Pro (10.5.4) together with Nikon Capture NX2, I've run into two issues with the labelling and rating system used by both.  I can reproduce the following cases (colour classes use a matching scheme, of course):

Label/Colour Class issue
Take image with label and rating set in PhotoMechanic.  Good thing is, NX2 sees both the label and the rating correctly!
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to something else.  This change gets through to PM all right.
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to none.  Suddenly the colour class in PM is the one we started-out with. This is wrong.
Note: Not performing the first bit doesn't matter; setting the class to none does not get reflected in either case.
Note: If the colour class has not been set by PM to something other than none, the updates in NX2 get through  fine.

Rating issue
Ratings have a similar issue.
* Change the rating in NX2, change comes through fine in PM.
* Change the rating in PM to something else (not none), this change comes through fine in NX2.
* Change the rating to none in PM.  Now the change does not come through in NX2, it reverts back to what you set it to in NX2 in the first place.
Note: not performing the second step has no influence on the problem; setting the rating to none in PM does not get through to NX2.
Note: I think this problem has to do with the "Rating Percent" field in the XMP written by NX2, but not understood/updated by PM.

Do you have PM set to synchronize the IPTC/XMP Urgency field with the Color Class?  It is a checkbox in the General tab of the Preferences dialog.  Also, are you embedding IPTC4XMP in your TIFF-based RAW files?

Ah, hadn't seen that one mentioned in the release notes so I hadn't set the option.

I'm glad to report that setting PM to synchronize the IPTC/XMP Urgency field completely solves the colour class problem I mentioned.  The rating issue, however, still is not fixed.  And is still reproducible in the way I described.

Oh, and the answer to your second questions is Yes (and I'm reading xmp before iptc).

Thanks for your help so far.  I hope the rating issue gets resolved as easily 

[Kirk Baker]

Hayo,

Using the latest beta (4.5.3.2b6) on my Mac Pro (10.5.4) together with Nikon Capture NX2, I've run into two issues with the labelling and rating system used by both.  I can reproduce the following cases (colour classes use a matching scheme, of course):

Label/Colour Class issue
Take image with label and rating set in PhotoMechanic.  Good thing is, NX2 sees both the label and the rating correctly!
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to something else.  This change gets through to PM all right.
* Change the label/colour class in NX2 to none.  Suddenly the colour class in PM is the one we started-out with. This is wrong.
Note: Not performing the first bit doesn't matter; setting the class to none does not get reflected in either case.
Note: If the colour class has not been set by PM to something other than none, the updates in NX2 get through  fine.

Rating issue
Ratings have a similar issue.
* Change the rating in NX2, change comes through fine in PM.
* Change the rating in PM to something else (not none), this change comes through fine in NX2.
* Change the rating to none in PM.  Now the change does not come through in NX2, it reverts back to what you set it to in NX2 in the first place.
Note: not performing the second step has no influence on the problem; setting the rating to none in PM does not get through to NX2.
Note: I think this problem has to do with the "Rating Percent" field in the XMP written by NX2, but not understood/updated by PM.

Do you have PM set to synchronize the IPTC/XMP Urgency field with the Color Class?  It is a checkbox in the General tab of the Preferences dialog.  Also, are you embedding IPTC4XMP in your TIFF-based RAW files?

Ah, hadn't seen that one mentioned in the release notes so I hadn't set the option.

I'm glad to report that setting PM to synchronize the IPTC/XMP Urgency field completely solves the colour class problem I mentioned.  The rating issue, however, still is not fixed.  And is still reproducible in the way I described.

Oh, and the answer to your second questions is Yes (and I'm reading xmp before iptc).

Thanks for your help so far.  I hope the rating issue gets resolved as easily 

Are you talking about this?:

<rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:MicrosoftPhoto="http://ns.microsoft.com/photo/1.0">
  <MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>99</MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>
</rdf:Description>

-Kirk

[Hayo Baan]

Kirk,

Are you talking about this?:

<rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:MicrosoftPhoto="http://ns.microsoft.com/photo/1.0">
  <MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>99</MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>
</rdf:Description>

I had actually only run exiftool which reported a field called "Rating Percent".  I will need to investigate further if it is exactly the field you describe above.  Problem is I'm not at home for the coming 2 days (work), so can only report back on Thursday.  I'll get back to you then.

Thanks,
    Hayo

[Hayo Baan]

Are you talking about this?:

<rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:MicrosoftPhoto="http://ns.microsoft.com/photo/1.0">
  <MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>99</MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>
</rdf:Description>

Kirk, yes, that is indeed the field.  Please note that though the private beta you sent me fixed the problem, this field is still not being updated by PM.

[Kirk Baker]

Hayo,

Are you talking about this?:

<rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:MicrosoftPhoto="http://ns.microsoft.com/photo/1.0">
  <MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>99</MicrosoftPhoto:Rating>
</rdf:Description>

Kirk, yes, that is indeed the field.  Please note that though the private beta you sent me fixed the problem, this field is still not being updated by PM.

We aren't going to update the field.  I looked for documentation on the field and some people put 0-5 into it and others put 0-99 into it.  Since there isn't any documentation on that (I'd be happy to be proved wrong) and Microsoft's addition is redundant anyway, we won't be updating it.  The original problem is solved at any rate.

-Kirk

[Hayo Baan]

Hmm, I can see your reasoning about this (redundant) field.  However, if not updating it, why not remove it completely instead?  By leaving it in, inconsistency is created within the XMP data.  By removing it, you at least prevent this inconsistency.

But yes, I'm glad the original problem is fixed, and that is the most important bit