Closed: Option to always encode IPTC as Unicode is gone?

[Hayo Baan]

The preference option to always encode IPTC as unicode seems to be gone. A checkbox to encode as unicode is still found on the Info panel, but not only would that mean having to click it each time you change something, it also doesn't work when you enter your IPTC via e.g., the Stationary Pad. Worse, the checkbox doesn't seem to be working correctly either (at least it looks like it still doesn't encode the IPTC in unicode)

The interesting thing furthermore is that the dropdown selector for the encoding on the Info panel does list unicode as possible encoding, whereas the default encoding that can be set in the preferences does not. This seems like an inconsistency to me too…

I know IPTC is perhaps not the most modern choice and doesn't support all the new fields XMP does, but I still like to maintain it for compatibility reasons. Furthermore, Adobe nicely keeps it in sync with their tools too.

[Kirk Baker]

The preference option to always encode IPTC as unicode seems to be gone. A checkbox to encode as unicode is still found on the Info panel, but not only would that mean having to click it each time you change something, it also doesn't work when you enter your IPTC via e.g., the Stationary Pad. Worse, the checkbox doesn't seem to be working correctly either (at least it looks like it still doesn't encode the IPTC in unicode)

The interesting thing furthermore is that the dropdown selector for the encoding on the Info panel does list unicode as possible encoding, whereas the default encoding that can be set in the preferences does not. This seems like an inconsistency to me too…

I know IPTC is perhaps not the most modern choice and doesn't support all the new fields XMP does, but I still like to maintain it for compatibility reasons. Furthermore, Adobe nicely keeps it in sync with their tools too.

As of the last time we checked, Adobe's apps still didn't interpret UTF-8 encoded IPTC properly.

I have added the Write as Unicode checkbox back to the IPTC/XMP Preferences.  You'll see it return in the next build.

-Kirk

[fotograhn]

I have a supplementary question in this subject since we often have problems with accented characters (Å Ä Ö å ä ö).

In PM5, how does the drop down menu on the left with IPTC Encoding options correlate to the check box Write IPTC as Unicode?

Does the checkbox override the dropdown menu when it's checked? If so why is not the drop down menu greyed out?
 
Why is unicode (utf-8) checkbox placed separately, and not part of the encoding options inside the dropdown menu?

Can I use utf-8 (unicode) to the right, simultaneously with MacRoman or what ever to the left?

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[Kirk Baker]

I have a supplementary question in this subject since we often have problems with accented characters (Å Ä Ö å ä ö).

In PM5, how does the drop down menu on the left with IPTC Encoding options correlate to the check box Write IPTC as Unicode?

Does the checkbox override the dropdown menu when it's checked? If so why is not the drop down menu greyed out?

No.  The popup menu controls how PM interprets IPTC legacy characters (not XMP which is always Unicode) when reading and writing legacy IPTC data.  Setting the "Write IPTC as Unicode" forces the writing of IPTC legacy data as Unicode.
 

Can I use utf-8 (unicode) to the right, simultaneously with MacRoman or what ever to the left?

Yes.

-Kirk

[fotograhn]

Aha, should I understand it as follows:

- To the left in the drop down menu I tell PM how to READ/interpret the embedded IPTC metadata.

- To the right in the checkbox I tell PM whether it should WRITE IPTC in Unicode or not.
(XMP is always written and interpreted as Unicode/UTF-8)

Is that it?

If so, why can I not tell PM to read IPTC as Unicode? At least it's not an item in the drop down menu...

[Kirk Baker]

Aha, should I understand it as follows:

- To the left in the drop down menu I tell PM how to READ/interpret the embedded IPTC metadata.

- To the right in the checkbox I tell PM whether it should WRITE IPTC in Unicode or not.
(XMP is always written and interpreted as Unicode/UTF-8)

Is that it?

Correct.

If so, why can I not tell PM to read IPTC as Unicode? At least it's not an item in the drop down menu...

Because if the IPTC data was written as UTF-8, it will have data that states that it is in UTF-8 format.  In this case your read preference is ignored.  To interpret it as any other character set would result in a lot of garbage characters appearing in the text whenever non-ASCII text is encountered.

--

At what point are you finding that your accented characters are being interpreted incorrectly?  Perhaps we can solve your issue.   I am certain that if you eliminate IPTC and only use XMP, no application capable of reading/writing XMP is going to have problems with non-ASCII characters (unless it is poorly written.)

Do you have a strong need to use IPTC?

-Kirk

[fotograhn]

Thanks Kirk, it is a complex environment with many freelance photographers (sometimes instructions adapts slowly), several servers (Windows), and too many(!) softwares involved from Adobe, Camera Bits and from FotoWare, to at least mention the most important players. The key is definitely to use solely XMP in the entire distribution chain. Now we are moving in the right direction and I think I can say that we have solved it. Many thanks for your support!